Anyone paying attention to religion in America has heard about the trend, especially among young Americans, toward disaffiliation with institutions, including the Catholic Church. So I arrived at a recent talk on “Seeking Common Ground Across Generations” prepared for dire and depressing statistics. But I walked away with hope, thanks to speaker Ellen Koneck, executive Read more
Young people — including those who are religious — do not see religious leaders as trusted adults, according to a new study. Only 8% of respondents ages 13-25 who are affiliated with a religious group say they have a trusted religious leader they could turn to if needed. In contrast, 45% said they could turn Read more
Forget the fancy words and deep analogies; prayer is about relationship. ‘Your strength is not in numbers, nor does your might depend upon the powerful, but you are the God of the lowly, the helper of the oppressed, the supporter of the weak, the protector of those in despair, the savior of those without hope. Read more
Not too long ago, I was asked to put together a list of what makes successful youth ministries successful. As I was thinking about this, I found myself almost immediately coming up with a list of the opposite. I could readily come up with a list of traits that contributed to unsuccessful youth ministries. I Read more
In her article in The New York Times, “Sex on Campus: She Can Play That Game, Too,” Kate Taylor describes a world of ambitious Penn undergraduates who put their personal interests and their resumes first. Many have chosen to avoid romantic relationships during college entirely in favour of “hooking up,” no strings attached. As they Read more
Cardinal Keith O’Brien had a long-term physical relationship with one of the priests whose complaints against him led to his removal as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, according to Church sources cited by the Herald Scotland. Cardinal O’Brien went into retirement after admitting “there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below Read more