Readers may appreciate this recent post by Fr. Dwight Longnecker, in which he offers an even-handed assessment of the trend of restructuring dioceses: how we got here, and what problems the restructuring strategies are meant to solve. Fr. Longnecker takes the frequently-used “maintenance vs. mission” language so often employed, extracting the aspects about which most …
Your priest can tell you of an October 1 missive from the chancery in which our bishop shared his unhappiness that even more people than before the pandemic appear to be receiving communion on the tongue, and how they ought to be pressured to stop. This is not just because of COVID any more, but …
A reader sent us a Facebook post today from the page of the well known Dr. Janet E. Smith: Well. This is wretched, but predictable. Looks like we have to drag out our friends The Simpsons once again: You can, if you wish, dig through the back issues of The Catholic Moment to see how …
Readers may recall last week, when President Biden, outraged that the state of Texas had limited abortion access, decried the law as depriving people of their constitutional rights and preventing them from making their own medical choices. That principle did not carry over into his address this evening, as his administration now seeks to institute …
This week, Texas became the first state to enact a law–thus far unchallenged by the Supreme Court–whereby abortions are not permitted after detectable cardiac activity in the unborn child. The law further permits civil suits against entities continuing the practice in spite of the ban. President Biden, who has been running the country largely by …
We have now completed first year of diocesan reorganization under the Uniting in Heart Pastoral Plan. We would like to get your thoughts on this first year, since surveys are apparently all the rage. First, take our poll: If you want to elaborate on your answer, drop us a comment that addresses one or more …
Arrangements are underway for the diocese to identify new and larger sources of funding than the Catholic Ministries Appeal can provide. According to Bishop Doherty, this will enable the Church to take care of the needs of the next generation and to promote the priorities “that will enable us to continue living out our faith …
Catholics have had a great deal to process the past few weeks. Some of it was best processed in quiet, in prayer, and in the counsel of wiser souls. What can we observe of recent weeks? As the Pope’s moto proprio severely restricting the Mass in its extraordinary form appeared on the scene, we heard …
Readers may recall being asked to complete surveys as a part of UiH. Over time, we received some feedback from our readers with respect to these, and as the information gathered from these surveys is compiled, developed into action plans and implemented by the leadership teams of the pastorates, it may be helpful to take …
Readers following the USCCB saga will no doubt have learned that yesterday the bishops overwhelmingly voted to move ahead with their plans to begin a Eucharistic teaching document, approving the plan 168-55 (with six abstaining from the vote.) Debate over this at USCCB gives one a glimpse at what is at play, with an attempt, …
Catholic News Agency reported yesterday that the Biden entourage’s request to attend Mass with the Pope today has been nixed by the Vatican. A meeting with Pope was planned during Biden’s trip to Europe for the G7 Summit and will still take place. According to CNA: “President Biden, who is in Europe for several high level …
Readers have noted that numerous bishops urged the USCCB to suspend its conversation on “Eucharistic Coherence.” One outcome of this conversation might have been the decision to direct bishops to look at their own flocks and possibly to withhold the Eucharist from high-placed Catholics who persistently, publicly, and proudly support the grave crime of abortion. …
Missionary pastors are setting to work on a series of planning forms and worksheets with over 46 assessment / action points pertaining to the implementation of UIH. A recent communique to clergy from the diocese’s Office of Evangelization contained the following remarks & suggestions: I recognize some of the baggage associated with UiH among the …
Today, Bishop Doherty posted the following statement on the diocese’s website: What are your thoughts, readers? Have you returned to Mass? What will it take to transition people back into regular participation in Mass?
As most of you are probably aware, this week the CDC & FDA issued a joint statement regarding a small number of cases in which recipients of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID vaccine experienced symptoms of serious blood clotting/thrombosis. The U.S., Australia and others have called for a pause in its usage. Clotting or side …
Dear readers, A blessed Eastertide to you all. Returning from our scheduled break, we hope that you have been given the grace to be with the Lord through the mysteries of His passion, death & resurrection. By way of sharing an Easter treat, we urge you to take a look at the remarkable Apostolic Exhortation …
Diocesan guidelines for the Holy Week liturgies have been released. The blue-gloved hand of COVID-mindedness has rifled through them and extracted numerous things considered not amenable to disease prevention. Some of these may make sense, others less so. Among the changes: there will be no procession of palms on Palm Sunday, nor will the people …
Speaking with others, both Catholic and non-Catholic, it feels that this Lent may be a particularly difficult one for many. Some are afflicted by illness or anxiety, by practical worries or spiritual troubles. Some are suffering financial hardships or family difficulties. Others experience growing concern for the state of the country or the world. Some …
“The only responsible response to that would be to pass legislation to make Roe the law of the land. That’s what I would do.” (Joe Biden) This afternoon, the Biden Administration began the follow-through of its promised sweeping abortion policy with the “Memorandum on Protecting Women’s Health at Home and Abroad,” which may be read …
This week has brought an interesting scuffle in Church politics, as it became plain that U.S. prelates cannot bring themselves to state as a unified group that abortion needs to go, and that Catholics must not participate in it, even if they occupy the highest seat in the land. That’s a pretty low bar, yet …
A parable for those in positions of authority, courtesy of Franz Kafka. Poseidon sat at his desk, doing figures. The administration of all the waters gave him endless work. He could have had assistants, as many as he wanted — and he did have very many — but since he took his job very seriously, he would in the …
A reader reached out to share a plea to the bishops of Indiana, asking that they ensure churches are kept accessible to the Faithful and the sacraments made available in the event of any future lockdown scenarios: Your Excellencies, We, your spiritual children, are writing to urge you to resist any attempts to lock down …
Writers sometimes speak of “zombie ideas,” notions and trends which, however terrible they are, just won’t go away. A recurring question at the diocese is: Should parishes, modelling themselves on the Divine Renovation-inspired plan utilized in places like the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in West Lafayette, be asked to place large electronic viewscreens in …
That, we suppose, will have to be everyone’s consolation when the shake-ups, revamps and firings begin. Please take some time this week to pray the rosary for our diocese, for all those who make decisions, and for all the souls impacted by them.
Folly is a rich word in the English language. It can refer to anything from imprudent notions to “criminally foolish” behavior to unprofitable ventures. It can also describe an extravagant building project, something theoretically nice to have, but so very costly and largely useless that it is often a mistake. Are we creating our own …
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