Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Every Christmas the Nativity set is unpacked. The shepherds find their place, and the three Wise Men and their camels join them. It’s likely that one of the Wise Men is Asian, one African, and one Caucasian. The best-informed children will…

Why is it that, when we take the youth group to camp on retreat, we always make sure there is a campfire on the schedule? Why do we put up with the dirt, soot, and smoke of a fireplace in our home when we no longer need it for heat? Why do…

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third part of Fr. Longenecker’s series in which he explains the deeper significance of the elements of the Catholic Mass. Part one is "The Mass: Praising & Processing." Part two is "The Mass: The Living Word."…

Five hundred years ago, the Church and the world plum­meted into crisis. The Protes­tant Revolution split Europe into warring factions. In the wake of Martin Luther’s preaching, Germany erupted in a revolt among the peasants that…

One of the favorite activities for young children is a book at bedtime. When parents, grandparents, or big brothers and sisters curl up with a young child to read a good book, relationships are strengthened, bonds are built, and both heads…

I first met Thérèse of Lisieux when I was an Anglican priest. I had three months free between jobs and decided to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from England. One of my first stops was in the French town of Lisieux. I knew of St. Thérèse,…

All it takes is a few years or even months of dry weather before we realize how dependent all of us are on fresh water for life. When California was hit by drought conditions, the whole nation was affected. Because California grows a huge…

What's the difference?

BY FR. DWIGHT LONGENECKER Do you remember the children’s story about the three goats who had to cross a bridge? There was a troll under the bridge who threatened to devour the goats. Nowadays a “troll” is a nickname for someone who trolls…

BY FR. DWIGHT LONGENECKER It is not always easy to understand and explain our Catholic faith, and the word Mass is one of the difficulties. The Mass is the center of our worship, but what does the word Mass mean? The word is a shortened…