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Living Our Faith with Bishop Reed
Freeing the Church from scandal
By now we know that the abuse of children and vulnerable adults crosses many boundaries. Not only has the phenomenon reared its ugly head in various Catholic dioceses around the world, it is definitely not limited to the confines of the…
Proclaiming the Gospel on air
My first experience in the field of communication was radio. I was invited to direct the radio apostolate for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1994. Although the archdiocese did not own its own radio license, there were a number of regular…
The summer of ’69
I was devastated when my Aunt Isabelle said to me: “Bobby, if you actually believe men walked on the moon, you need to have your head examined.” How could anyone think that this complex and heroic achievement was nothing but a Hollywood…
The beauty of motherhood
My mother had a love for things that were simply beautiful. Our family home had touches of Japanese artwork, and the backyard was laid out more like an Asian garden than a typical New England landscape. Reflecting back, I think my mom had a…
This Advent, enter into God’s time
Very often, the first Sunday of Advent comes so soon after Thanksgiving that we hear ourselves saying, “Is it Advent already? Where does the time go?” We have been so immersed in the spirit of autumn — from the back-to-school routines to…
Aiming lives toward the joy of love
God’s voice is never silent — he is always calling to us to come nearer, to go deeper, to respond to the love he has for us every day. What’s more, he never stops calling people to religious vocations — to the priesthood, to religious…
Respecting life and the vocation of marriage
Catholics in the United States have, for many years, celebrated the days of October as “Respect Life Month.” This year a special event is taking place in Rome that is somewhat related. On Oct. 14, Pope Francis will canonize two great men…
Doing penance for the Church
Below is an excerpt from a column that Bishop Robert Reed, our editor-at-large, wrote this past weekend to his parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston. You can read the entire column for Aug. 26 here. These days, I find myself deeply…
Refreshing your own faith during the summer
The summertime, for me, is really the most wonderful time of the year. I begin waiting for its return from the first cold morning in the autumn, and then in earnest just after the Christmas rush. Taken together, the summer months, with…
Parents and life aren’t perfect, but love makes a house into a home
My parents were both raised in Boston. My mom was of Irish Catholic descent, and my dad was a Scottish Presbyterian. Both were hard workers and great dancers who loved a good party. In the late 1950s they built a house in a new development…