The very first reading for Advent in the Office of Readings of the Breviary is a text from Isaiah Chapter 1. As such, it sounds a kind of keynote for the season, which is penitential in tone. In effect, the reading sets forth the need
[When images emerged of Pope Francis Opening the Holy Door in Bangui during his visit to Africa, the questions being asked: “What is a Holy Door? Why do we do this? What is the point?” Aleteia seeks to answer your questions, here. – Ed] What
Since the release of a Pew Research Center report last spring on the “Changing Religious Landscape,” media outlets have suggested that the declines in Church affiliation indicate that the United States is becoming a nation that has given up on God. NPR claims that Americans—especially young Americans—have lost their faith.
Daniel Maria Piras is a young Franciscan currently in formation the Province of Umbria. He is 32 years old and a native of Carbonia, Sardinia, home to his parents, Carlo and Graziella, and to his sister, Sr. Chiara Redeemed, who is a Poor Clare at
LA CROSSE, Wis. — Flooding, snowstorms, a flu outbreak, even a fire — any of those might have slowed a group of Wisconsin nuns who say none of it has kept their order from praying nonstop for hundreds of thousands of people over the past
When it comes to teenagers, you expect a certain amount of eye rolling and apathy, but put those same kids in a faith formation class for an hour and fifteen minutes at the end of a long school day and right at the dinner hour
St. Paul — perhaps the greatest convert of all — was nonetheless suspicious of converts. In his First Letter to Timothy 3:6, concerning one who aspires to the office of bishop, St. Paul says: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may be
If polls and anecdotal evidence are true, parishes should be ready to practice discipleship. Is there evidence of a significantly positive post-Francis visit impact on the American religious scene? Why yes, Virginia, there is. The most critical question for evangelically-minded Catholics is how Pope Francis’
Fox News’ highly reluctant Jesus follower has found a new church. Kirsten Powers, USA Today columnist and contributor to Fox News, announced her decision on a live broadcast of “The Five.” “Tomorrow night at 7 o’clock, I’m becoming Catholic!” she told viewers. Powers, who grew
Sometimes, even a humanities major like me conducts an experiment. I Googled: “The snooze button is evil.” The results: 145,000 hits in 0.39 seconds. I looked at the first page, and I saw that titles of some of the hits included: “Is the Snooze Button
