Last week in Cleveland, Ohio, Paul Ryan attempted to make the case to the American people that a Romney-Ryan administration would effectively implement policies to combat the nation’s alarming poverty rates. To his credit, Ryan spoke eloquently about “upward mobility,” and “true compassion” for the poor, and he even mentioned society’s “fundamental obligation to the… Read More Ryan’s Case For Fighting Poverty

We Americans are fascinated by individuals.  We are drawn to their stories of sacrifice, endurance, and accomplishment.  Programming from this past summer’s Olympics linked personal narrative to individual achievement to get viewers to root for athletes by sharing their stories.  We marvel at rare feats like Felix Baumgartner’s free-fall from 24 miles above the earth. … Read More Not the Time for Heroes

I graduated from college two years ago and wanted to live out what I had studied, so I signed on to Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest, committing myself to a year of service and faith formation. I was assigned to a Catholic school in Montana, serving residents of two Indian reservations. I was excited, though a… Read More In new saint, a painful past but promise for a hopeful future

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has a problem with right-wing politicians who self-identify as pro-life, yet are seemingly indifferent to the defense and well-being of life after birth.  I share Friedman’s sentiment and he makes some excellent points. Friedman says: You don’t get to call yourself “pro-life” and want to shut down the Environmental… Read More Why Tom Friedman Is Not Pro-Life

Last Sunday’s canonizations of Americans Kateri Tekakwitha and Marianne Cope in Rome received considerable media attention in the United States, including a front page story on the Sunday edition of the New York Times. With the United States Presidential Election only days away, it is intriguing that  the world’s most famous newspaper would devote precious… Read More The Eyes of Today’s Saints

The presidential election has shown us just how deeply our house is divided.  I dare you to find a card-carrying Republican who has anything good to say about President Obama, or a registered Democrat who is willing to utter a nicety about Governor Romney.  This great political schism has been growing for years and, unfortunately,… Read More A Truly Catholic Political Dialogue

In political campaigns and religious statements, we spend a lot of time talking about our brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, and pew-mates who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and about what they do. We spend significantly less time listening and speaking to and with one another as brothers and sisters. The questions we are addressing… Read More Let Us Grow Together in Holiness