PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVE
Why I go to St. Bernard's
"No!" I said emphatically. "I can't put that expense on my family, and I don't have the time anyway." Those were my initial words when Rev. Bob Longobucco asked me if I was interested in getting a master's degree at St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Albany - …
PERSPECTIVE
Two walls, two wrongs
The anticipation of a four-week study program in the Holy Land peaked on June 2, my second day in Israel. The morning temperature was quickly approaching 95 degrees as our bus sped toward the Old City of Jerusalem.
SEMINARIAN'S DIARY
Considering our priests
We all remember and know great priests who have touched our lives in a way that allows them a sense of immortality - living on in us and still having an influence on not just our own family, but so many more within each parish to which they are assigned.
PERSPECTIVE
On gay marriage
Those in favor of the traditional concept of marriage have found it hard in recent years to propose their arguments in an environment in which so-called "gay marriage" has been framed as a civil right, and which immediately brands them as "gay-bashers."
PERSPECTIVE
Our Bern moments
Two days ago, I couldn't find my cell phone. I knew it was in the house, so I picked up our house phone and called my number. It started ringing upstairs and I ran up. When I got there, I picked it up and answered, "Hello? Hello?" Realizing what I …
PERSPECTIVE
This gift truly keeps on giving
A number of years ago, Barbara Walch of Guilderland was speaking with a friend who said she was opening a charitable gift annuity to benefit her college.
PERSPECTIVE
Older adults and healthy living
"The workshop helped to put me back in charge of my life and I feel great. I only wish I had done this sooner!"
PERSPECTIVE
Sacred silence: a proposal
Some people say we shouldn't talk in church. I say, we should - but not to each other! In church, we should talk to God. The time before Mass is well spent in prayer, not idle chatter.
BOOK REVIEW
Common ground on touchy issues
Imagine a Catholic moral theologian/bioethicist, focused on life issues, talking with and actively engaging a utilitarian philosopher and ethicist, whose ideas appear to be opposite.
BOOK REVIEW
Meet St. Ignatius
The premise is simple, albeit somewhat unbelievable: A contemporary woman has an encounter with an unusual man who turns out to be a 16th-century Spaniard. As I read the first pages, my head was shaking - yet the pages kept turning, and I found myself engrossed in a marvelous tale …
REFLECTION
Habits of lasting, loving marriages
Over the past 20 years, my husband Mike and I have had the privilege of working with engaged and married couples. Not surprisingly, our own marriage has benefitted, and we thank our couples for genuinely sharing their relationships with us.
PERSPECTIVE
Vatican II: an event still in its infancy
According to Rev. Thomas Massaro, SJ, a professor of social ethics at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, "Few anniversaries can rival the upcoming 50th anniversary of the opening, on October 11, 1962, of the Second Vatican Council for sheer influence, theological heft and even drama."
OUR NEIGHBORS' FAITH
Interfaith institute turns 30
The Kieval Institute - more properly, the Hayyim and Esther Kieval Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies at Siena College in Loudonville - is nearly 30 years old. I have been around since the beginning, although 30 years is not very long compared to the typical time periods we study in Siena's …
YEAR OF FAITH
Explaining the creed, part III: 'I believe in Jesus Christ...'
During this "Year of Faith," we are reflecting on the creed, the profession of faith we say at every weekend Mass. Last week, we explored the first sentences of the creed, about God the Father; this week, we look at the section of the creed about Jesus Christ.
REFLECTION
A few months in, priesthood seems like married life
After being ordained for a few months, I have realized a few things that I did not know before I was ordained. These have really helped me to understand my identity as an ordained member of the Church, and my relationship with the rest of the Church.
250 X 250 AD
250 X 250 AD
Events
250 X 250 AD