BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
Cheridan and Sebastian practice line-dancing on the set of The Church Alive. As we’re in the media business, we’re very much aware of how pictures shape perception.  Especially when it comes to telling the story of the Church.  A large part of the New Evangelization is about rethinking how our story is told. Whether we ...read more
With the World Meeting of Families to take place in Philadelphia in September of 2015, it is possible the Holy Father may visit the US for this first time in his pontificate. To make matters easier, the people of Philadelphia extend an invitation to Pope Francis in hopes of confirming his presence in 2015. See ...read more
Sebastian Gomes, Salt + Light writer/producer/director of The Francis Effect, gives us a glimpse into filming the documentary: In the immediate aftermath of the whirlwind 2013 papal transition, everyone was comparing Pope Francis to Pope Benedict, pointing out the many differences and similarities between them. Naturally, nearly all of this commentary was coming from indirect sources, ...read more
Tonight on Perspectives Bishops of Ukraine say “Ukraine is bleeding”, And we take a look at Today’s General Audience ...read more
  On Sept. 9, 2014, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia unveiled the official icon and prayer of the World Meeting of Families, to take place in Philadelphia in September of 2015. The unveiling took place at the heart of the Archdiocese, the Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter and Paul, during the Sunday mass, celebrated and blessed ...read more
The Church Up Close is a professional seminar for journalists. The Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Pontificia Università della Santa Croce) in Rome is offering the fourth edition of its intensive one-week Seminar in English, called The Church Up Close: Covering Catholicism in the Age of Francis. The Seminar, which takes place from Sept. ...read more
Does our religious perspective inform our political perspective, or is it the other way around?  On episode six of The Church Alive: Politics, Cheridan and Sebastian take a closer look at this timely question.  What has become apparent in our culture is the degree to which some Catholics are willing to ignore – or even subvert ...read more
Protruding from the mountainside town of Assisi is the medieval Basilica of Saint Francis. From a distance the basilica looks almost as big as the town itself; a simultaneous testament to the Saint’s widespread influence and modest origins. Still, the basilica is what most moderns would expect from an important medieval church: majesty, stunning architecture ...read more
At a crucial moment in the history of the church and of the world, humanity stands at a crossroads.  We are more technologically and economically advanced than ever before, yet global development and the distribution of resources remains a struggle.  In recent history we have witnessed the ravages of war between nations and peoples, yet ...read more
“Lift high the Cross, the love of Christ proclaim…” That’s a song we all know, but what does it mean? Why do we lift high the Cross? This coming Sunday is the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, also called the Exaltation of the Cross. Did you know that we celebrate this feast? Have ...read more