Latest Articles
Late Jesuit and ex-congressman Robert Drinan accused of attempted sex assault
c. 2012 Religion News Service (RNS) A popular online advice columnist has said that the late Rev....
Catholic priest convicted of shielding abusers
A Philadelphia priest was convicted June 22 of one count of child endangerment, becoming the first cleric in the Catholic Church’s long-running clergy sexual abuse scandal to be tried and found gui...
Storms, death and other things I can't control
Sunday night we heard there might be storms heading our way, so we decided to stay in South Dakota for an extra night and head out Monday morning instead....
Anne Shirley? What in the heck are you doing here?
My mother read to us a lot when we were little. Most of us were girls. And she liked classic stuff, so I grew up with a strong working knowledge of Little House and Little Women. (I don't think we ever read Little Men, but let's be honest, who did? Also: It's still about Jo!)
But the house favorite was definitely Anne of Green Gables.
Future fatigue
The 1939 World's Fair's vision was whipped to a froth through wishful thinking. Church leaders should probe the future with more humility.
Ex-nun offers tips for supporting Catholic sisters
A national official for the United Church of Christ says she applauds the courage of the large group of U.S. Catholic nuns under heavy criticism from the Vatican....
Donations to faith groups decline for second year
Post-recession America is beginning to open its wallet to charities again but is not giving as generously to religious institutions....
Southern Baptists approve alternate, unofficial name
Members of the Southern Baptist Convention narrowly accepted the alternate—but unofficial—name of “Great Commission Baptists” as the denomination attempts to reach beyond the Bible Belt....
After the projects
Of the many lousy things the City of Chicago has done in the years I've lived here, perhaps none has left a moral stain quite like that of the "reform" of public housing....
Thursday digest
New today from the Century: Tom Long on predicting the future, Miho Nonaka reviews Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, more.
Saint Sinatra and Other Poems, by Angela Alaimo O’Donnell
Angela O'Donnell's sassy poems are born of her deeply Catholic imagination. She builds a house of saints, canonized or not.
Religious groups vie for Internet space in domain name grab
c. 2012 Religion News Service (RNS) Religious groups have long vied for prime parcels of land, planting churches on town squares and monasteries amid isolated mountains....
SBC elects first black president
Pointing heavenward and wiping away tears, pastor Fred Luter was elected in New Orleans as the first black president of the predominantly white Southern Baptist Convention....
Interfaith groups urge end to solitary confinement
An interfaith coalition is urging Congress to end solitary confinement, which they said is a “harmful, costly and ineffective practice.”...
On not preaching (as often)
I’ve been an associate minister for two years. I love associate ministry. While I understand that it is a stepping stone for a lot of people, I feel deeply called to this role--both in general and in the specific context of the church I serve.
I used to be in solo ministry. When I made the transition, there were surprisingly few bumps--in large part due to my wonderful colleagues. And one of the big differences between solo and staff ministry is the increase in opportunities to work collaboratively.
Another is that I no longer preach every Sunday.