Frs. Ron Horning and Steve Mattson (hidden) lead hundreds of protesters from St. Matthew Church in Flint to the adjacent federal courthouse on Friday, March 23, to protest the contraception and abortion mandates in the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for the new federal health care program. Mark Haney/Catholic Times
By Mark Haney
The Catholic Times
FLINT — Hundreds of people — including students from St. Thomas More Academy, who were given the day off — stood Friday, March 23, for a hour in the parking lot of St. Matthew Parish to listen to speakers before marching to “God Bless America” to the adjacent federal courthouse.
They were part of a national effort in front of U.S. courthouses, state capitols and historic sites to support religious freedom and protest a federal mandate they say violates that freedom by requiring most religious employers to provide no-cost contraceptive coverage even it is contrary to their beliefs. (more…)
This is one in a series of Lenten reflections.
By Emily Bartell
Special to the Catholic Times
We often look at life as a journey and in a smaller sense Lent is a journey into and out of the desert. While we are journeying through our own deserts in this season I would like to expand on this analogy.
Each one of our journeys in life is like wandering through a forest, but no amount of maps, compasses or hard pushes will take you to the end of the journey. It is only once your guide leads you out that you will reach your destination, Heaven.
This is one in a series of Lenten reflections.
By Sr. Chris Gretka
Special to The Catholic Weekly
Have you ever had a strong desire to meet a certain person? Perhaps you asked a friend to introduce you to someone at one time or another in your life. Or maybe you sought out the individual yourself.
We seek out other individuals for any number of reasons: sometimes as mentor or teacher, or sometimes as one who can perform a service for us (sell our house, help us get a job, etc). Maybe it is someone whom we admire and whose virtues we want to emulate. In other instances, we seek to meet a person because we want to join an organization, obtain funding for a project, solicit the endorsement of a group for an important cause, etc. The list could go on. In some cases when we desire to meet another, our motives are noble and in other cases they are not; we may be sincere, or we may be trying to manipulate a situation. (more…)
This is one in a series of Lenten reflections.
By Fr. Steve Gavit
Special to The Catholic Weekly
French anthropologist René Girard has done the most extensive work on the cross from an anthropological standpoint and he says it is the most important moral event in history.
Everything we do centers around the cross. It is something we are still absorbing through the centuries. We don’t quite have the full meaning of it yet, but we are slowly getting it. For example: It took 1,800 years to finally see slavery was wrong. It took 2,000 years before the equality of the sexes happened with respect to voting. It took 2,000 years before any pope (John Paul II) finally spoke out and said capital punishment is wrong. (more…)
Lansing priest follows a call to non-violent change worldwide
By Mark Haney
The Catholic Times
LANSING — These days, Fr. C. Peter Dougherty is at peace.
Actually, he is at the Michigan Peace Team’s office in the former convent at St. Casimir Parish on this city’s south side.
Fr. Dougherty is a man of peace, and non-violence. But while he felt always drawn to the priesthood, peace was not something he considered when he was younger.
“If, when I was ordained, I was to see a film of me 25 years later I’d be shocked and horrified,” he said. “‘Oh my God, I’ve lost the faith, or whatever.’ But the world changes. I have adopted cars with electric windows and locks and things called cell phones. I never dreamed of all of that. We accept all kinds of new stuff. We also have to accept the way we describe reality. I didn’t know the universe was made up of billions of galaxies containing billions of stars, I didn’t know that when I was ordained. There was a lot I didn’t know then.” (more…)
By Rachel Neumann
Special to The Catholic Times
If you had the choice between a fleeting trophy or permanent honor and respect, which would you choose?
Sportsmanship brings the latter which correlates to strong characteristics and work ethic. These will, in turn, yield successes throughout all the years of an athlete’s life. (more…)
EAST LANSING — Rachel Neumann of Fr. Luke M. Powers High School in Flint is one of nine Class B student-athletes chosen by the Michigan High School Athletic Association to receive scholarships through its Scholar-Athlete Award program.
The daughter of Michael and Diane Neumann is a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Flushing. She joins fellow winners Sara Marie Barron of Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Kathryn MacDermid Bollman of Williamston, Julie Buursma of Holland Christian, Jordan S. Daley of Grand Rapids Christian, Craig Zebell of Dowagiac Union, Andrew Kelley of Allegan, Nathaniel P. Gaynor of Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and Nicolas Huston Parnell of Spring Lake. (more…)
This is one in a series of Lenten reflections.
By Alicia Patterson
Special to The Catholic Times
“God uses challenges to call us deeper into faith,” a priest once told me. Well, freshman year of college I had plenty of challenges but I instead of reaching deeper into faith I was getting stuck. Lent was the catalyst to join those challenges and my faith together and move me towards the best version of myself. (more…)
Draw strength from abstaining from what we enjoy
By Sr. Yvonne Marie Loucks
Special to The Catholic Weekly
The holy season of Lent approaches each year and a certain dread or reluctance accompanies its arrival in many Catholics.
During Lent we participate in a time of solemn fast and abstinence for 40 days, by following certain regulations concerning this form of penance. (more…)
One in a series of Lenten reflections.
Bt Fr. Andy Booms
Special to The Catholic Weekly
Some of us might be feeling like we are in the middle of a marathon. We are not yet at the mid-point of Lent’s 40 days. The increased attention we give to prayer, fasting and almsgiving can be tiring if we are running the course alone.
Our spiritual practices of Lent are meant to prepare us for the communal celebration of Easter. So we do not have to go it alone — stubbornly bearing each day of Lent as a personal test of endurance or proudly keeping track of how much time we have spent praying, fasting or giving alms. (more…)