When I think of the term “megaparish” I don’t think catholic but evangelical like Joel Olsteen. But times are a changing, and Catholics are now debating the pros and cons of super sized parishes. Recently, Zoe Ryan, NCR’s new intern reporter, put together this article: The Megaparish, more boon than bane. If you decide to read her little article be sure to take a peek at the comments.
It is hard to appreciate or visualize the vibrancy of the Catholic Church in Africa. This little youtube video speaks a thousand words about what is happening in terms of conversions, vocations, liturgy, age of congregations, etc.. I believe it was taken in the Sudan, and it illustrates the dynamism of the faith, and causes one to wonder how this will impact the universal church. The faith is definitely young and alive in this part of Africa as portrayed in the video – it is indeed a thousand words.
“My grandfather”, Cardinal Husar says, “was a priest, and other members of the family were priests; some were married, others were not.
If a person is good, he will be a good priest, and this does not depend on the fact that he is married,” Read full story
First Sunday of Advent
This weekend begins a new church year. Catholics will gather in churches tastefully decorated in the the royal burgundy color of advent (blue in the U.S.), and pray in hope as they light the first candle on an advent wreath. The celebration stands in stark contrast to the fireworks, champagne, and parties of January first. To an outsider, I suspect, such a celebration might seem overly subdued, if not meager. By worldly standards some might say that there is really no celebration at all, but for the faithful the first Sunday of Advent surpasses all that this world can offer.
Each year, as the candle is lit, cherished hymns such as ” O Come Divine Messiah’ and ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ are sung, and worshippers become intensely aware of what it means to be Christian. The past, present, and future mesh in a sense of oneness, and the loving creator of all inspires remembrance, permeates the present with love and hope, and facilitates a joyful, hopeful yearning and prayer for God’s return. Each year the flickering little flame of one little candle captures our imagination and becomes far more meaningful and comforting than a night sky filled with loud booms and cascades of sparkles from the most awesome fireworks display. This ‘New Year’ celebrates the spiritual and eternal, and invites us to remember what God has done, what God is doing, and to yearn for Jesus, the face of God, to return in glory. The Church New Year is all about God’s love, mercy, justice, and righteousness, and our eternal destiny. We who are made in the image and likeness of God. Let us Give thanks and rejoice, as we journey through Advent to Christmas.
This Advent Pope Benedict published an Encyclical, entitled, “In Hope, We are Saved,” to help us appreciate the great hope that Christianity inspires. Link to Encyclical
On Nov. 21st front page headlines across Quebec reacted to an open letter of apology by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of the Catholic Church in Canada. The Cardinal wrote the letter after soul searching reflection which resulted from a presentation he made to the Bouchard-Taylor Commission and the support and criticism that followed. (The Bouchard-Taylor commission is a public enquiry criss-crossing Quebec to get the public’s ideas and concerns on “reasonable accommodations” by Quebec society for religious and ethnic minorities.)
Since the advent of what is called, ‘the cultural revolution’ in the 60′s, Quebec society has become secularized and the church has seen itself sidelined and much criticized. Although the vast majority of Quebec’s people are Catholic, there is an ‘anti-church’ and anti-clerical’ undercurrent that flavors Quebec society. From historians, politicians, and institutions, to the ordinary person on the street there is a litany of grievances and accusations that constantly undermine the faith, and foster fear and dis-trust of the church and its endeavors. Personally, I think it was time for the church to face the past head on, and to name and seek forgivenss for its past errors and sins. This is exactly what the Cardinal did, and let us pray that in the ensuing response and dialogue a new and better day for the church will be born. LINK: Full Text of the Cardinal’s Letter
[Fr. Edward L. Cleary is a professor of political science and the director of Latin American studies at Providence College.]
Fr. Edward Cleary has just published a new book on faith, religion, and the Latin American people. It is a must read for all those interested in our brothers and sisters in this part of America. In the last forty years much has happened to undermine the faith of these staunchly catholic people. But, there are seeds of hope, and wonderful things happening that offer promise for the future of Christianity and the the Catholic Church in this part of the world. Although the Pentecostal Church has spear headed a major religious revival and recruited thousands of new members, Catholicism has become more dynamic and fostered a more committed faith response. Just listen to these statistics that Fr. Cleary reports:
In Honduras, the national seminary had an enrollment of 170 in 2007, an all-time high for a country where the total number of priests is slightly more than 400. Twenty years ago, there were fewer than 40 candidates. Bolivia saw the most remarkable increase; in 1972, the entire country had 49 seminarians, while in 2001 the number was 714, representing growth of 1,357 percent. Overall, seminarians in Latin America have increased 440 percent in the last two decades.
Catholicism in Quebec
I grew up in Quebec and still have strong family roots in this magnificent province. This is where I learned about God, Jesus, and the Catholic church. Almost everyone was Catholic, and it seemed as if nuns and priests were everywhere.
Today, however, is another story. Although most of the churches still stand, they (though often empty)seem to be the only real visible sign of Quebec’s Catholic Heritage. Except this Halloween, something I hadn’t really noticed before, startled and surprised me. Many store clerks were in Halloween costumes, and the costume of choice seemed to be clerical dress. I was served by nuns, priests, and even a bishop. What does this mean? The answer to this question I am still pondering. Maybe it is nostalgia for a faith that lies dormant! The remarks of Cardinal Marc Ouelett of Quebec City at a public commission on October 30th (the day before Halloween) will help me find an answer: (This excerpt is from an article on CWN)
Speaking at hearings on the challenges that immigration has posed to Quebec French-speaking culture, Cardinal Ouellet said that the problem of cultural identity can be traced back to “the malaise of the Catholic majority, which needs to find a religious reference point.”
The cardinal said that the secularizing trends of the past generation have deprived Quebec of its cultural heritage, leading to a general breakdown in traditional society. Cardinal Ouellet pointed to the rise in divorce, the drop in births, and the frequency of abortion and suicide as indications of this social breakdown.
“Quebec is ripe for a profound new evangelization,” the cardinal concluded.
Anyway, I will be pondering this phenomena for some time, and next halloween I will have my camera at the ready for a few pictures I can post.
BISHOP’S PUBLIC CONFERENCE
Theme: “Is the Catholic Church the one true church? “
If you were unable to attend this open and frank conference on the Catholic understanding of church, you will still be able to listen to the presentation by downloading an mp3 of the bishop’s talk. He explores a recent Vatican statement on the One true Church of Jesus Christ and how the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church. Towards the end of his presentation he makes the point that, as Catholics, we must be clear about what we mean and say, if we truly wish to enter into dialogue with other people of faith. He also answers questions from the audience participating in this evening at Marguerite Bourgeoy’s Centre. (Presentation was given on Oct. 7th, 2007 at Marguerite Bourgeoy Centre, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada).
(You will need high speed internet)
http://audio.ccrso.org/durocher.html
In November Bishop Paul Andre will give a talk on the Eucharistic Congress,and what a Congress is all about.
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Catholic Broadcaster, Fr. Dave a Paulist priest on Sirius Radio, interviewed the Award-winning journalist and Chief Vatican Analyst for both CNN and NPR, John L. Allen, Jr. on July 18, 2007. Father Dave focuses on John Allen’s new book about the mega-trends that are shaping the global Catholic church. First however he asks John Allen about his thoughts on the recent 660 million dollar financial settlement by the Arch-Diocese of Los Angeles headed by Cardinal Mahoney, and related issues. To hear, click: LISTEN
You might also be interested in reviewing John Allen’s article: REVIEW
In the last little while I have made several posts on what it means to have a Catholic Identity in this modern world. The Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall gave a presentation on how Christianity has fragmented and divided over the centuries, and how Catholics view other Christian today.
Bishop Paul Andre Speaks about our Catholic and Christian Identity. Listen to his talk in mp3. You will find the mp3 under recording Catholic and Christian at http://audio.ccrso.org/durocher.html
