In the Sacred Heart of Jesus, no one is orphaned, and all find their true home By Bishop Richard F. Stika Thirty-six years ago, I was a young seminarian, and several of my classmates and I drove from St. Louis to Chicago for St. John Paul II’s fi rst visit …
Marriage enrichment: We are pilgrims, not tourists!
Remembering what our ‘mission’ is, we must take Pope Francis’ words to heart By Marian Christiana I have just returned from the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, and I want to share a bit about our pilgrimage. Seventy-two pilgrims from our diocese traveled together by bus to all three …
Once upon a time: Pray that God will grant the increase
Taking a look at the bishops among us provides hope in the future of the Church By Monsignor Xavier Mankel Sometimes comparisons can be helpful. Take dioceses as an example. The Diocese of Memphis has 10,682 square miles and 64,064 Catholics. The Diocese of Nashville has 16,302 square miles and …
Understanding the sacraments: ‘Order of Matrimony’ confirmed
Rome blesses English translation of second edition that outlines marriage rite By Father Randy Stice The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) has approved the English translation of the Order of Celebrating Matrimony, Second Edition (OCM). The first edition was issued in Latin in 1969 …
He dwells among us: Evil without its makeup
By Bishop Richard F. Stika Decades ago, people on another continent shocked the world, saying, “We did not know” regarding the atrocities they chose to ignore. And before that, our own country enshrined as the law of its land the slavery of those we deemed less than human. Yet today, …
Praying for perspective: Kindred spirits among life’s graduates
By George Valadie For those who begin this autumn with school-age children, you have automatic membership in a club of kindred spirit. Public or private, Christian or non-denominational, kindergarten or high school – it’s all the same; you join the club of moms and dads who hate the dastardly teacher …
Once upon a time: Beginning steps on the journey to heaven
By Monsignor Xavier Mankel Newspapers are filled these days with “back to school” news about youngsters’ beginning steps as they begin pre-K, or kindergarten, or any of the other early steps we all take, which, in retrospect, were tiny steps indeed. But at that moment, “the first time through” involved …
He dwells among us: Given up for you
God calls us to be good stewards of all creation, beginning with a human ecology By Bishop Richard F. Stika Getting our hands dirty can be a good thing, especially when it’s the result of working in a garden. Anyone who follows me on Facebook knows how much I enjoy …
Understanding the sacraments: A new ‘Order of Confirmation’
Archbishop Kurtz, USCCB president, sets implementation date for Pentecost Sunday 2016 By Father Randy Stice The new English translation of the Order of Confirmation has been confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Publication is scheduled for this fall. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president …
Marriage Enrichment: Preparing for Pope Francis
Diocese is actively engaged in World Meeting of Families as paper visit nears By Marian Christiana The Pope is coming! The Pope is coming! In case you didn’t know, Pope Francis will be coming to the United States in September. He will arrive in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Sept. 22. …
Once upon a time: Out of step with the normal
Praying for five servicemen, their families, and the Chattanooga community By Monsignor Xavier Mankel The Chattanooga area, tucked in the southeast corner of Tennessee, is no stranger to bloodshed – dating all the way to Indian days. Granted, most of the time since the Spanish landed in Florida near the …
Living the Readings: Jesus’ words come to life
The law of God takes us from earthly life to the eternal By Father Joseph Brando August is a different kind of month liturgically. For the first time in a long time, and this year, we have five Sundays in a row in the same month that all the Sunday …