It seems that every year we have the same discussion around this time: what is the real meaning of Christmas? and let’s keep Christ in Christmas. There are even campaigns to boycott department stores that refuse to acknowledge the “reason for the season.” It’s so easy to jump onto that band wagon. To add to this, “Christmas” starts ...read more

In light of the Consistory this weekend, I was going to deacon-struct Cardinals, but seeing as Fr. Rosica wrote a wonderful Reflection on the Role of Cardinals in the Church on Tuesday, I figured I could do something a bit different. Yesterday, Pope Francis made 17 new Cardinals. Thirteen of them will be Cardinal-electors, eligible ...read more

Recently I had a conversation which brought up the following question: When we are voting at a political election, as Catholics, is there a guide or principles that we should follow? The person asking the question had been told that there is a list of ‘non-negotiable’ principles that Catholics should follow when voting. I may ...read more

In the past, I’ve looked at what it means to be called and the meaning of discernment. I’ve also Deacon-structed the Vocations to the Single Life, to the Ordained Life and have dedicated many columns to the topic of Marriage. This weekend I am in Kansas City for the National Religious Vocation Conference convocation, so I thought ...read more

This Sunday is World Mission Sunday – celebrated worldwide on the third Sunday of October (which is why October is also celebrated as Mission Month), so we can pray and raise funds for missions and missionaries around the world and for the poor and emerging Church. This year’s theme is in harmony with the Jubilee ...read more

Last week we looked at a quick summary of the Fatima Apparitions that took place between May 13 and October 13, 1917. Today I want to look at, specifically the content of the three secrets and the confusion regarding the consecration of Russia. Last week we learned that in Fatima, Mary appeared to three children, ...read more

Recently, we aired a program called The Faithful Traveler , hosted by Diana von Glahn. This particular episode focused on Fatima. A few days later we received a phone call from one of our viewers, Janet Cadieux, from Edmonton. Janet wrote that she had watched the program and heard the host say that the Church ...read more

Last week we learned how the idea of Liberation Theology became an ideology, but saw how, officially, the Church did not condemn it, per se as a theology. This can be seen in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith document Instruction on Certain Aspects of the Theology of Liberation, issued in 1984 and signed ...read more

Last week, writing about Mary in the Americas, made me think of how this idea of liberation (or freedom) has a particular meaning for those living in the Americas, probably dating as far back as when Christopher Columbus first arrived in 1492. It definitely took a particular meaning during the late 70s and 80s. That’s ...read more

Learn more about, and reflect on the life of Mother Mary with Deacon Pedro in his 5-part series, "Deacon-structing: Mary." ...read more