Reflections

This domain is a religiously grounded application of our Catholic Tradition within political, economic, and social domains. Often under the guise of Catholic Trends, I riff off of topics of contemporary interest that hopefully are consonant with our Social Justice Tradition.

CATHOLIC TRENDS

Catholic Trends (Winter 2025)
  • Pope Francis assures President Donald Trump of prayers, but says that mass deportations would be a disgrace.
  • Christians make up the largest share of the world’s migrant population.
  • Catholic marriage today.
Catholic Trends (Fall 2025)
  • New Study on Catholic life in the United States.
  • Church’s show resilience five years after the pandemic.
  • The impact of Mary, the Mother of the Church, on ecclesial vocations.
CATHOLIC TRENDS (SUMMER (#2) 2025)
  • Where does Pope Leo XIV stand on hot-button issues?
  • Pam Bondi targets medical profession in providing services to sexually confused minors.
  • Pope Leo stresses character formation as he spoke to Catholic educators.
CATHOLIC TRENDS (SUMMER (#1) 2025)
  • Money, lies, and God. Inside the movement to destroy American democracy; a look at Christian nationalism that begins by riffing off the Last Judgment.
  • President Trump closing U.S.A.I.D. could cost an estimated 14 million lives by 2030.
  • Many still watching mass online after the pandemic.
CATHOLIC TRENDS (WINTER 2024)
  • Are there bigoted cell groups within the FBI that are anti-Catholic?
  • “Is the Pope Catholic? Catholic identity in the Media” was a provocative presentation at a recent Religious Research Association annual meeting.
  • Newer priests tend to be more ideologically conservative.
CATHOLIC TRENDS (SPRING 2024)
  • Raising Catholic children to be active Catholic adults.
  • The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Good News and baptize all nations, which beings at home. How are we doing?
  • 85% of Catholic young people leave the Faith as adults for other religions or none at all. What’s going on?

homilies

My own special possession

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C); November 16, 2025 Mal 3:19-20a.  Ps 998.  2 Thes 3:7-12.  Lk 21:5-19 Deacon Jim McFadden          “And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my own special possession…and I will have compassion…

why be catholic?

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica; 11-09-2025 Ez 47:1-2,8-9,12.  Ps 46.  1 Cor 3:9c-11,161-7.  Jn 2:13-22 Deacon Jim McFadden          Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which was dedicated by Pope St. Sylvester in 324 who was…

waiting for the lord

All Souls Day; November 2, 2025 Wis  3:1-9.  Ps 23.  Rom 5:5-11 Jn 6:37-40 Deacon Jim McFadden        The Psalmist has a beautiful refrain when he writes, “I wait with longing for the Lord, my soul waits for his word.…