The clock tower on the red brick First Baptist Church on Blackstone Street in Woonsocket has not kept time in decades. The small congregation moved from the faulty 1890 edifice to the chapel at St. … more

No Biblical event is reported more variably in Scripture than the Ascension of Christ into heaven. Saints Matthew and Mark report that Jesus went ahead of the eleven apostles to Galilee and from a … more

The homily has become such an integral part of the liturgy that a Mass without a word or two offered by the celebrant would seem a cheat and a disappointment. But, until the Second Vatican Council, … more

No one receives a harsher assessment in the New Testament than the religious leaders of Jesus’ generation. Jesus excoriates the pious shepherds of his day labeling them “… brood of vipers … blind guides …whitened sepulchers. …” more

Surely no line of Scripture is more misleadingly quoted than Jesus’ pronouncement to “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Not only is this quote broadly used to justify the separation of church and state, but more deviously it is being extended to endorse the separation of religion and society. Progressive politicians no longer mention freedom of religion but rather refer cleverly to freedom of worship. Religion, of course, embraces the fullness of the believer’s life: church, politics, business, family, etc. All human activity has a religious dimension. Worship on the other hand is what takes place within a church building. Worship is liturgical, ritualistic and ceremonial. The immediate focus of worship is the sacred; the broader focus of religion must include the secular. Progressive politicians have no problem with parishioners lighting candles, whiffing incense and singing hymns. That’s worship. But some government leaders do have trouble with religious persons protecting traditional marriage, shielding the unborn, defending authentic conception, preserving dignity at the end of life, limiting medical experimentation and maintaining cultural vestiges from America’s theistic roots. more

When the Ukrainian invasion by Russia first occurred six months ago, the prayers of many rightfully begged God for a swift and safe resolution to this unhappy conflict. The neighborhood Ukrainian … more

A devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is not a piety that one would associate with the post-Vatican II Church. more

The choice of the name Francis by our present Holy Father has expectedly generated a renewed interest in the life and work of the ever-popular St. Francis of Assisi. By a serendipitous co-incidence, Dominican Father Augustine Thompson, professor at Berkeley, recently authored an extensive biography on the saintly poor man. more

Pope Francis, not unlike President Trump, has a knack for keeping people guessing about the true direction of his leadership. Last month the Pope shook his finger at persons who look to horoscopes, … more

The 21st century is not the first era to be scandalized by the reprehensible conduct of some clergy. In 1517, Martin Luther visited Rome as a young, pious, Augustinian priest and monk. Author Eric … more

Present day Roman Catholics are well aware of the heretical notions concerning the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist that Luther, Zwingli, Cranmer and Calvin propagated in the 16th and … more

The Blessed Virgin Mary emerges twice in the Gospel according to St. John. Her initial arrival on the scene occurs in this coming Sunday’s Gospel account, the wedding feast at Cana, and her final appearance is made at the death and crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary. Thus St. John frames Jesus’ entire pubic life with vignettes that feature Mary. more

A common but misleading expression is the phrase “Mass facing the people.” Equally misleading are the words “Mass with back to the people” or “Mass facing the wall.” Regardless of the architecture of a church or the interior design of a sanctuary, Mass is always, or always should be, offered facing God. more

A number of Catholic and Protestant churches in the Woonsocket area have celebrated Lenten Scripture services weekly for a number of years, thanks largely to the inspiration and coordination of the … more

The Archdiocese of Boston recently sponsored an afternoon of talks on issues critical to appreciating the church’s teachings on sexuality and reproduction. more

The happiness of the Easter season is well-reflected in the lyrical psalm to be heard at this Sunday’s Mass. “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy,” the liturgy intones, invoking psalm 66, in which the Jewish community praises God for his powerful acts for Israel, for the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the promised land, but also for relief from some recent, but unspecified calamity hinted at in verses 8-12. The first Christians had little difficulty in adapting this psalm for their own use since they were still basking in the glory of the resurrection and ascension of the Christ, and the arrival and bestowal of the Spirit at Pentecost. Yet, a very specific calamity had recently beset the early Christian community at Jerusalem. more

Christian tradition has long given personal designations to honored but nameless characters from Scripture and folklore. Perhaps the most obvious honorees are Anna and Joachim, parents of the Blessed … more

Soren Kirkegaard, the Danish Lutheran 19th century philosopher, understood Christianity to be an "either/or" proposition. Christians could have either heaven or earth, either spirit or flesh, either … more

A couple of weeks before Christmas, the Providence Journal featured an article on its religion page that highlighted a few Protestant communities that reject the celebration of Christmas. more

Pope Benedict’s annual address to the Vatican diplomatic corps caused quite a stir in certain quarters although American readers will never know of it because his remarks did not involve condoms or abusive clergy. more