The age of individualism is passing. The past 50 years in the West saw a celebration of unfettered freedom. Citizens on both sides of the Atlantic were encouraged to liberate themselves from the relational constraints of family, history and even nature. Now Covid-19 has highlighted our mutual dependence on one another and a desire for community. President Read more
Even though there is no congregation at Sunday Mass, the community at St. Benedict the African Parish in Chicago has never been so close. As Chicago entered a strict lockdown in March 2020, young members of the community helped the parish transition to broadcasting its liturgies and some of its weekly offerings, like Bible studies, Read more
Since around about 1970 in Australia, the trend of people stating they have “No Religion” on the census has been constantly, significantly, increasing – from 1966 when the sliver started to first appear in any noteworthy fashion, to the 2016 census where it had reached 29.6% of the total population. In fact, the “not stated or unclear” is a Read more
When Amber-Rose Schneider first joined TikTok — the snappy, short-form social media app with more than 1 billion users worldwide — she wanted to see more young teenage creators like herself, who reflected her Catholic beliefs. A self-described “cradle Catholic” and graphic design student at Liberty University, Schneider, now 21, began using her TikTok as Read more
New Zealanders have long grappled with an obsession with criminal justice expansions, even though crime rates are on the decline. We tell ourselves: “Just another thousand police officers. Just one more prison. It’ll be fine after that. We promise we’ll stop there. They’ll be better. We won’t need any more.” Of course, the impacts of Read more
When two or three are gathered on Facebook, is Christ there? When 10 Jews meet on a Zoom call, is it a minyan? Over the past few days, as states have asked houses of worship to suspend services, synagogues have held muted Purim celebrations and other religious meetings and services have been cancelled, people have Read more
When people today hear that John Henry Newman is being named a saint, the first question that likely comes to mind is: What can I take away from the example of a 19th-century priest and intellectual? Not only did he live in a very different time, but his day-to-day existence was quite different from what Read more
A survey of sports clubs in New Zealand has revealed nearly two-thirds of them are either losing money or breaking even. And in the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association’s inaugural national survey of clubs, 22 percent of respondents said their memberships had fallen over the past five years. The survey was undertaken by the Association Read more
After nearly three years of design, planning and consultation, an application has been lodged with the Queenstown Lakes District Council for consent to build a parish and community centre on land adjacent to the historic St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Arrowtown. Already the project has created considerable national and international interest and offers of support. Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops are inviting people to act on the challenge issued by Pope Francis this coming week – Social Justice week: “Weave bonds of belonging in our local community.” New Zealanders pride themselves on being friendly, but not everyone experiences a sense of community or connection. The 2016 Quality of Life survey reveals Read more