Is it right to fear God? What is the difference between a destructive fear and a “holy trepidation”? An Advent homily by Fr Stephen Wang: Look around you at the chapel walls. Look at the […]
Archive for June, 2014
The journey
I love this teaser video for the Youth 2000 festival in Walsingham this summer – THE festival of the summer if you’re 16-30. There is more info here. This year there are LOADS of coaches travelling […]
Vocation to Love, part 7: Job, Career or Vocation?
My great-nephew Aidan is five. He knows what he wants to do when he grows up. ‘I’m going to be a floor-layer,’ he says. I made a suggestion about a hobby he might enjoy. ‘No,’ […]
The real dangers of Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill
Here are some of the responses to Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill, highlighting the weaknesses and dangers of the Bill. This is a briefing from the Catholic Church in England and Wales: What the Bill […]
The sound of silence
In loco isto dabo pacem. In this place I give peace. This is the motto of Pluscarden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the Highlands of Scotland. At Pluscarden, the peace that God offers a distracted, […]
Preparing for Confirmation: thoughts, experiences, tips, advice, and much more
What a week! Thank you everyone for all your good wishes and encouragement. There have been so many enquiries about the programme. With this in mind, I wanted to share a bit more of the background story… […]
The Sacrament of Holy Orders: a new DVD resource for parishes, schools, vocation groups and catechesis
Catholic Faith Exploration (CaFE) have published an inspiring DVD about the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Do watch the trailer above. You can order it here. And read the blurb here: The Sacrament of Holy Orders – […]
How to set the world on fire, despite your weaknesses, through the power of the Holy Spirit
The call to be a missionary disciple, to cast fire on the earth, is a call to heroism. The problem is that most of us are not heroes. So does that mean we have to […]
Some exciting news about the Confirmation Programme
Well, people, there’s been a long build-up to this and it has been somewhat hectic since I’ve been squeezing it in among everything else… But – finally! – I can let you know that the Confirmation programme I have […]
Seven habits of highly effective Catholics
I am sure there are many people of a certain age who remember the title of a very popular book, Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. Well I would like to put […]
Tinder: the dangers and delights of mobile app dating
[A guest post by Stephen Rooney]. With the tag line “A fun way to break the ice” and launched initially as an iPhone application in September 2012, Tinder has taken the millennial dating market by […]
Volunteer missionaries at SPEC
This is a circular letter from the Director at SPEC in the Diocese of Westminster, seeking volunteers for the coming academic year: I wrote to you back in March with a request for your help […]
Why the backers of assisted dying keep coming back
Lord Falconer’s Assisted Dying Bill had its First Reading in the House of Lords last week, and its second is expected on or close to 18 July. The Bill aims to change the law in order “to enable competent […]
The beauty and power of the Sacrament of Marriage: a new DVD resource for parishes, schools, catechetical groups and couples themselves
Catholic Faith Exploration (CaFE) have just published a marvelous new DVD about the Sacrament of Marriage. You can order it here. You can watch the trailer above, and read the blurb that follows: A TV quality […]
The secret of authentic communication: the example of St Boniface
To communicate with others is not just to share information, it is to create a common space where one can meet the other, finding a common language that allows a genuine personal encounter. Fr Stephen […]
Great Catholic websites
Sarah Reinhard lists and comments on the Catholic websites that she has found most helpful for her faith. She writes regularly at SnoringScholar.com and is the author of “A Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy” (Ava […]
Spirit in the City: coming to the West End of London next week
Spirit in the City, the biggest Catholic Festival in the West End of London kicks off on Wednesday 11th June with a Medieval Chants concert at Notre Dame de France at 7:30pm, followed by three days […]
The heartbreaking absence of God
So many people feel the absence of God in their lives, because of their struggles with faith, their inner darkness, or the sense of helplessness and abandonment that can come through experiences of great suffering. […]
