As members of the Catholic Church in Rhode Island know, I have dedicated this year as a time of special devotion to our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. “A Year with Mary our Mother,” I’ve … more

The holidays brought with them a welcome truce in the battle over national health care reform. But as surely as the snow flying in January, the debate will begin again, and as it does so, there are lots of reasons to be concerned about the legislation that’s emerging from Congress. more

Without a doubt Baptism is an important and joyful occasion – for the person being baptized and for members of the family and the entire Church community. In preparing for Baptism, however, one of the first questions parents encounter is the selection of godparents. more

There is an urgent need, especially nowadays, for a more widespread and deeply felt conviction that all the members of the Church, without exception, have the grace and responsibility to look after … more

A few random thoughts before we take a little break for the summer . . . more

I recently received a copy of Arrowsmith, the outstanding magazine published by St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass. Arrowsmith is, without a doubt, one of the fine scholastic publications in the country – the layout is perfect, the stories are timely, the writing is of Pulitzer Prize caliber, and the photos . . . well, the photos are simply stunning. more

It came as a thunderbolt at dawn, unexpected, dramatic, sending shock waves far and wide. No, not the meteorite that landed in Russia last week, but, rather, the news that at the end of the month our Holy Father Pope Benedict would resign his office as the Bishop of Rome and retire from the active ministry. more

This weekend will see the celebration of a joyful event in the Diocese of Providence, the ordination of two of our brothers, Scott Carpentier and Thomas Woodhouse, to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. more

The 2012 Presidential election is still a long way off and there will be plenty of opportunities for candidates of both parties to explain their positions on a variety of important issues. more

(In light of the Beatification of Pope John Paul II this weekend in Rome, it seems appropriate to revisit his ministry and his enormous contributions to the Church and the world. The following is a slightly revised and updated version of a column that previously appeared in “The Catholic Exponent,” of the Diocese of Youngstown.) more

A number of years ago while visiting one of our local parishes to participate in its annual festival, I met an older Italian woman, one of the true pillars of the parish. I respectfully saluted her with the traditional Italian toast, “Cent’Anni,” meaning, “May you live to be a hundred!” Somewhat defiantly, in her slightly accented English, she responded, “I certainly hope so; I’m already ninety-nine-and-a-half!” more

Jesus wasn’t always nice. I had to remember that in responding to some letters I received from readers who were disappointed by my recent article, My Interview with President Obama. Some folks didn’t like the rhetorical device I employed, namely the fictional interview I composed. Others felt that I was too hard on the President when I criticized him for using tax dollars to fund abortion overseas. They said that I was not being charitable as Jesus would have been. more

Perhaps you’ve noticed the devotional prayers that appear frequently in the Catholic press, in this newspaper and others, prayers addressed to Jesus, our Blessed Mother or one of the saints. For example, this novena to St. Jude: “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude, help for the hopeless, pray for us. more

The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the highest human expression of divine love. The Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy, the source from … more

We’ve just entered a beautiful liturgical season, surely not as prominent as Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter, but a special time for the Church nonetheless. I speak of October, the Season of Saints. While the celebration of saints is scattered throughout the year, it seems that this month has a bounty of beautiful feast days that spark devotion and speak to the Catholic imagination in a particular way. more

Sometimes people are sort of surprised that bishops, when not in the public spotlight, lead relatively normal lives. We eat and drink, rest and recreate, have cats and dogs, struggle with … more

Compared to the busyness and excitement of December, January is a rather quiet month. The holidays are behind us and we’ve settled in to survive the onslaught of winter, whether it turns out to be a lion or a lamb. more

Easter must be really special. After all, the Church makes such a big deal of it. We have forty days to prepare for it and fifty days to celebrate it. A full one-fourth of the calendar surrounds this singular day. Easter has its own octave, each day of which is observed as a solemnity. And every Sunday of the year is observed as a “little Easter.” more

A long, long time ago I heard a story about a devout little boy named Jimmy who walked past his parish church everyday on his way to school. more

I was falling asleep one night awhile back, listening to the radio as I always do, when I happened upon a preacher reflecting on the Letter of St. James, particularly the section that describes the power of speech. more