News - December 2012 RSS Feed

An estimated 19 million American adults are living with “major depression.” Depression can be caused by life events, biochemical components or a combination of both. Whatever the trigger, it’s never easy for the person struggling.

Born in the New York City area, Fr. Peter Rau relocated to Atlanta when he was a mere 17 months old. Currently pastor of St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, Ga., Fr. Rau calls his fourth pastoral assignment “a very exciting time.” A fan of scriptural rosary and Eucharistic adoration, the priest loves being a part of his parishioners’ lives and the lives of Atlanta’s budding Legatus chapter, which is quickly growing toward its chartering.

Founded a quarter century ago, Legatus is a gift to the Church. So say Cardinal Raymond Burke and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Both prelates endorsed this book, which relates how the Holy Spirit inspired Tom Monaghan to develop Legatus after meeting with Blessed John Paul II in 1987.

Over the past 25 years, author and apologist Patrick Madrid has explained and defended the Catholic faith worldwide. Envoy for Christ is a fascinating look inside Catholic apologetics from his vantage point on the frontlines.

Subtitled Meditations in the Spirit of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Fr. Caster’s book follows the Advent and Christmas season daily Mass readings. He provides an inspirational reflection for each day and a quote from St. Thérèse that helps to shed light on the reflection.

The National Catholic Bioethics Center provides over 1,400 consultations in a given year. Without a doubt, the issue most often raised with our ethicists has to do with making difficult, sometimes heart-wrenching, decisions at the end of life.

I’ve been thinking lately that much of the division in America about the role of the state, the Church, the family, and religious liberty comes down to a clash between the intellectual visions of two Frenchmen: Alexis de Tocqueville and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

From the green fields of the Emerald Isle to the stone-gray boulevards of Rome, nearly 20 Legatus pilgrims toured holy sites in Ireland and the Eternal City from Oct. 10-21.

Before we begin,” said Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, “I want to thank Tom Monaghan for funding the Catechism.”

The Bible describes sins that are mortal (or “unto death”) and those that are not mortal, which we commonly call venial (see 1 Jn 5:16-17).

Juan Diego was a native Mexican whose name “Cuauhtlatoatzin” means “the talking eagle.” He was born in Mexico City and converted to Catholicism when he was about 50. On Dec. 9, 1531, Juan Diego was on his way to Mass when the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill and asked him to go to the bishop and request in her name that a shrine be built there.

President Obama drew fire in 2008 for saying that America was no longer a “Christian nation.” With his reelection last month, many are beginning to realize that he might have been right. In November, four states rejected traditional marriage, and Florida voters rejected an amendment that would have protected religious liberty.

The election season is now behind us, and all of the important decisions have been made. We have President Obama for another four years. But even if Mitt Romney had won, the Church in our country would still have a ton of challenges to face.

A 2013 Legatus Summit speaker, Baltimore’s Archbishop Lori engages the culture . . . Imagine picking up your morning paper and reading these headlines: “Priest Fined for not Marrying Same-Sex Couple,” “Catholic Hospital Closed for Refusal to Perform Sterilizations,” and “Notre Dame University to Close, Refuses to Offer Employees Abortion Coverage.”