In college my friends often used to say that they had never met anyone as proud to be from somewhere as I was to be from Boston.  And why shouldn’t I?  We have every benefit of living in a world class city, plus such close proximity to beautiful beaches in the summer and mountains in… Read More A concerned parent runs for office, wins my vote

This week I attended a talk entitled, “Why Your Young, Catholic Vote Matters”.  Before the speaker took the podium, each table group answered a few questions, including: “What brings you here tonight?” The responses from the seven talented, college-educated millennial professionals at my table ranged from curiosity to confusion.  A handful expressed outright disengagement with… Read More Young Catholic Values Guide Them in Upcoming Election

Last year I had the privilege of teaching a theology course on Christian faith, service, and solidarity.  It was filled with more than sixty college students (mostly seniors) who were deeply committed to these topics in their personal life and wanted a more rigorous, academic exploration into subjects like altruism, compassion, kinship, and advocacy.  It… Read More Shouldering Our Weight

I remember that day a few years ago when the Pope sat at his desk with an iPad in front of him. Surrounded by his staff, he lifted his hand and tapped the screen, sending out a (prepared) tweet to launch the Vatican news portal. It was an endearingly awkward moment of traditional meets modern… Read More Following @Jesus outside #FollowFriday

By the time this piece posts, the blogosphere will be awash in commentary about the first presidential debate of the 2012 general election.  Pundits will weigh in on word choice and policy platforms.  Fashion bloggers will be talking about the color of the men’s ties.  And students of Aristotle and Socrates will be weeding through… Read More Don’t Be Fooled, Politicians Are Not Our Saviors

Three-and-a-half years ago, I sat in a coffee shop in Kampala, Uganda, sipping my brew and listening nonchalantly to the sound of world news coverage.  I had heard about the brouhaha surrounding Notre Dame’s decision to invite President Obama to deliver the 2009 commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate.  Nonetheless, it was a surreal… Read More Notre Dame’s Presidential Invites Go Unnoticed

A little over two weeks ago, Fordham University had the privilege of hosting an evening of conversation about Catholic faith, humor, and joy with Fr. James Martin, SJ, Stephen Colbert, and Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York.  The event was immediately sold-out and due to a media blackout, was only shared live via texts… Read More The New Evangelization?