Author: Deacon Richard D. Shewman

The recent college admissions scandal offers an example. A con-man convinced a number of wealthy couples to pay large sums of money to ensure that their spoiled and underqualified children…

There are a couple of channels on cable TV which specialize in police investigation shows. The shows usually begin with a grisly murder and then follow the police investigation until…

Different stories underline some of the conflicts and policy differences within the Church. Stories of some saints often stress strong devotional elements and contemplative prayer. Eucharistic Adoration is seen as…

If you listen to the news or skim through the Internet you get a lot of information. The difficulty is that the information is in pieces. It is in shards…

Easter is the high holy day of Christianity. It is the most characteristic expression of the Christian tradition. Yet, if we were stopped on the street and asked what Easter…

As a youngster I was taught to be nice to others, to be respectful and polite. There was even a course in school called “etiquette” which reinforced these lessons and…

A few weeks ago, some neo-Nazi in New Zealand shot up two mosques, killing about 50 people. It was the most recent in the rash of mass killings. A week…

Pilgrimage isn’t just a spiritual exercise but is a great metaphor for the spiritual life and our life journey to God. This idea was captured by John Bunyan in 1678…

One of the most ancient religious practices is that of pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey to some site that has a reputation for being a “holy” place. It is…

Recently the annual federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King’s birthday was celebrated. In addition to providing due recognition to the African-American community and an exceptional American hero, it was a…