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 […]
Lifestyle
Training and formation for Catholics involved in healthcare chaplaincy
St Mary’s University, Twickenham, is recruiting students to begin its successful Foundation Degree in Healthcare Chaplaincy. This part-time two year course provides Priests, Religious and lay people with a recognised NHS qualification to be appointed as a Roman Catholic Hospital Chaplain. Supported by […]
Choosing life, choosing love: video resources about marriage, holiness, Humanae Vitae, evangelisation, and the impact of digital media
The Choose Life, Choose Love Conference on marriage and family life was held at St Patrick’s Church in Soho in March 2014. Speakers at the two day event included Jonathan Doyle, Founder and Director of […]
The lost art of dating
Heather Cicchese writes about an experiment in a Boston College where instead of just ‘hooking up’, students take the risk of actually talking to each other. In a Starbucks on the Boston University campus, Dave […]
Praying in the family
“A family that prays together stays together”, or so the saying goes. Now I don’t know if that is true but I do know that families who pray together are more likely to have a […]
Evangelisation: inspiring examples and encouragement “From the Mission Field” #1
Anyone in need of some ENCOURAGEMENT?! In this new series of posts, “From the Mission Field”, I want to share some of what I can see the Holy Spirit doing through some wonderful people around the country. […]
The struggle with infertility: Catholic perspectives on what it means for couples, and how others can support them
[A guest post about the challenge of infertility, edited by Rebecca Royse] Infertility Awareness Week, 2014: A Catholic Perspective One in six couples will experience infertility at some point in their marriage. Infertility is medically […]
Raising a moral child
Adam Grant discusses how parents can help the moral development of their children, particularly in the area of becoming a ‘caring’ person. Although some parents live vicariously through their children’s accomplishments, success is not the No. […]
How to find healing after an abortion: weekend retreats with Rachel’s Vineyard this June and October
Rachel’s Vineyard UK has two weekend retreats coming up over the next few months. One of the best ways of publicising these is through the parish newsletter and noticeboard. You can find out about the […]
Do you want a ‘start-up’ marriage in your 20s or a ‘corporate merger’ marriage in your 30s or 40s?
Charles Murray dishes out some advice for young people. It includes looking at the difference between a “start-up”and a “merger” marriage, how to discern a soul-mate, and the importance of religious friends. (Full disclosure: I’m […]
From Lady Day in Nazareth to Waffle Day in Sweden
Nine months before the birth of our Saviour, the Angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish woman, who was alone in the quiet of the day. He announced God’s plan of salvation to her and […]
Fifteen kids with Down syndrome tell a mum what to expect from her baby
A late nod to World Down Syndrome Day which took place last Friday (21 March). Just in case you didn’t see this remarkable video. The blurb is from the Mamamia website: Coor Down, an Italy-based […]
St Joseph – a role model for the young and a man for our times
The feast of St. Joseph is a wonderful day to celebrate the transformation of a humble carpenter into one of the greatest saints the world has ever known. Everything we know about St. Joseph comes […]
Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, Whatever…
Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, is known by many names throughout the world. The most popular name globally, perhaps, is Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras, which literally means Fat Tuesday, is a carnival celebration […]
A Lenten weekend for lecturers: Boarbank Hall, Cumbria, 21-23 March 2014
As Christians we are committed to understanding education in the context of the picture of God and humanity that our faith teaches. The pressures of today’s Higher Education can tempt us to forget this. The weekend […]
The radical call to love without limits
Most of our relationships have some kind of calculation involved: with colleagues, with friends, even within a family. There is a give and take; an agreement – implicit or explicit – that I will be […]
The vocation to love, part 2: the baptismal call to be priests, prophets and kings
From time to time you hear a Christian of another denomination say, ‘He’s going into the Church’. That means, ‘He is training to become a priest.’ It wouldn’t fit very well as a Catholic turn […]
‘Please God, find me a husband!’ A graphic novel about life, love and faith (and searching for a husband!) by Simone Lia
I can’t say I have read many graphic novels, but this is an extraordinary book. It tells the tale, as you would expect from the title, of Simone Lia’s search for a husband, and her […]
How to discover your vocation
Practical thoughts about how to discover your vocation, how to be open to God’s call in your life, and what you can do in your prayer life to help you on the journey. A homily […]
St Valentine: true love always requires sacrifice
History has it that Valentine was a priest in Rome around the time of the third Century. Along with his friend St Marius and his family he assisted the martyrs who were being persecuted under […]
How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
[Guest post by Rosemary Boyle] I have read various ‘parenting’ books, most of which didn’t really help. Now that the youngest of my 4 children is 17 and my oldest 26, I have discovered the […]
