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Bolzano is an Italian Alpine city not far at all from the Austrian border. A recent tour of northern Italy meant Saturday night in this mountain climbers’ and ski enthusiasts’ favored …
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11/25/21
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One of the first victims of the renovations that occurred in Catholic Churches after the Second Vatican Council was the altar rail. Today most new churches are built without any consideration for an …
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11/18/21
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Catholics fond of statues and pictures of medieval male saints like Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua and Thomas Aquinas and Bernard of Clairvaux can easily conclude that all men of that era …
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11/11/21
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In a small parish graveyard outside of Orvieto in central Italy, the headstone for Archbishop Hannibal Bugnini reads simply “Liturgiae Amator & Cultor,” that is, “Lover and …
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11/4/21
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Immaculate Conception Church in Cranston is a contemporary brick and mortar building with very minimal adornment. A couple of reverent banners and framed artwork flank the sanctuary proper. The …
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10/28/21
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Of the many titles accorded Jesus Christ during his public life, the designation “Son of David” is linked by Saints Matthew, Mark and Luke with the healing ministry of the Messiah. In …
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10/21/21
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My academic grades at LaSalle Academy in Providence, Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick and St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, N.Y., were almost invariably As and Bs. There was no A+ …
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10/14/21
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My second pastor at Sacred Heart Church, Pawtucket, was Fr. Edmund I. Mullen, a Boston native but a longtime Providence priest. His first pastorate was St. Joseph Church at Hope Valley. Apparently …
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10/7/21
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Although the Far East nation of India is overwhelmingly Hindu, an ancient Christian church community has existed since Apostolic times along the country’s Malabar Coast. A very strong tradition …
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4/16/20
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At Bethlehem’s manger, Jesus Christ came to earth in the flesh. St. John affirmed: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” St. Paul testified that Jesus was “a man like us …
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4/9/20
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The Jewish nation cited movingly by Isaiah in this coming Sunday’s Old Testament reading is lost in self-pity. Tormented by their stronger neighbors – Assyria, Babylon, Egypt – they …
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4/2/20
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Scripture scholars often discern seven signs in the first half of the Gospel according to St. John. Chapters 2 through 11 feature seven misfortunes — some just a matter of inconvenience, …
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3/26/20
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The disciples, as many people still do today, thought that misfortune was a punishment sent from God for sins committed. “What did I do to deserve this?” is still a question asked of the …
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3/19/20
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A Bible passage that is most challenging to Scripture scholars is the episode of Jesus encountering the Syrophoenician woman who begs a cure for her daughter (Mk 7:24-30). By any standards, the …
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3/12/20
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The Apostles Peter, James and John were singled out by Jesus Christ at least three times to witness major Biblical events that would both challenge and strengthen their understanding, their …
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3/5/20
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Very early in the Judaeo-Christian tradition the number 40 begins to take on a significance that will broaden and deepen as God continues to reveal his plans for mankind through celebrated Biblical …
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2/27/20
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Although St. Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” and St. Luke’s “Sermon on the Level Stretch” closely parallel one another, St. Matthew’s account stretches to …
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2/20/20
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In the United States, when one refers to “the Duke,” the allusion suggests John Wayne, the great cinematic hero of the last century. In the United Kingdom, when one mentions “the …
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2/13/20
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When President Kennedy left the Massachusetts Senate for the White House in Washington, he advised his fellow senators, “We must always consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill – …
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2/6/20
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Within weeks of my ordination, after the celebration of Mass at St. Charles parish in Woonsocket, a woman approached me at the altar rail and requested the ceremony of “churching.” This …
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1/30/20
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