Pope Francis recently decreed the women can be formally instituted as lectors (readers) and acolytes (altar servers) with an apostolic letter, issued “motu proprio” (by his own initiative) called Spiritus Domini. Guillaume Goubert, editor-in-chief of La Croix made this significant point in reference to the new legislation: Although he does not suggest it, Francis does Read more
“Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding,” said philosopher, Abraham Kaplan. In the Church today, we have one single instrument for leadership—the pastor. Search church positions on any of the many job search forums and recruitment sites and you’ll find there is only one tool churches Read more
“Mary,” Jesus said to her. When she heard him call her name, she responded, “Rabbouni!” Teacher. “Go to my brothers,” he said, delivering a direct commission to announce the “good news.” “I have seen the Lord,” she told the disciples. In our parish in Northern California, lay women began to preach the good news during Read more
If Catholic bishops hope to reclaim their moral credibility after revelations about covering up clergy sexual abuse, the hierarchy might start by sending a simple but potent message: Church leaders should take a year of abstinence from preaching about sex and gender. It might seem obvious that a church facing a crisis of legitimacy caused Read more
Father Don Morrison recently celebrated 60 years of priesthood. He told those gathered to honour the occasion that his first posting was to Pahiatua where the then parish priest advised him that “the less you say, the more you say.” “As a Martinborough parishioner, where Fr. Don celebrates vigil Mass on a Saturday evening, I Read more
Top-notch preaching most attracts people looking for a new place to pray. That’s the conclusion of a new Pew Research Center study, released Tuesday (Aug. 23), which asked 5,000 people about their search for a new church or other house of worship. “This is what people value in a congregation — a good message, a good Read more
Pope Francis has pleaded with priests to give short, clear homilies. The Pope made this plea at the ordination of a Rome pastor as an auxiliary bishop. Ordaining Bishop Angelo De Donatis in Rome on Tuesday, Pope Francis reminded the new bishop of something he had told him earlier. “Let your words be simple so that Read more
An American archbishop has categorised people who come to Mass and has spelled out to clergy how best to speak to them. In a letter to priests and deacons, Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit stated: “Many people have been sacramentalised, but never evangelised.” Such people “knew about God, but they didn’t know him”. Another group Read more
A United States seminary has hired to professional actors to help seminarians be better prepared for future preaching. Detroit’s Sacred Heart Major Seminary hired the actors to put seminarians through a three week acting and public speaking workshop. The exercise has been nicknamed “Preaching Boot Camp”, reported the Detroit Free Press. Actors Arthur Beer and Read more
Senior liturgical officials at the Vatican have emphasised that homilies at Mass must not be boring. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has issued a new Homiletic Directory, which was launched on February 10. Congregation head Cardinal Robert Sarah said for many Catholics, the homily, experienced as “beautiful or awful, Read more