The Solidarity difference
 |  | | | In this photo from 2000, former Polish President and Solidarity founder Lech Walesa stands at the front gate of the Gdansk shipyard. The trade union, which sparked an anti-Communist movement in Poland and Eastern Europe in the 1980s, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2000. |
Thirty years ago, on Aug. 31, 1980, an electrician named Lech Walesa signed the Gdansk Accords, ending a two-week-old strike at that Hanseatic city's Lenin Shipyards. Walesa signed with a giant souvenir pen featuring a portrait of Pope John Paul II. The choice of pen was not, as Marxists might have said, an accident. Neither was the distinctive revolution that unfolded in the wake of the Gdansk Accords, which were forged over two weeks of high drama on Poland's Baltic coast.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 |
| Seeking St. Damien | There's a good reason why the Kalaupapa peninsula was chosen by the Hawaiian government in 1866 as the place to exile Hawaiians and others on the islands with leprosy. It was a difficult place to get to and therefore difficult to leave as well. Some of the highest sea cliffs in the world form a natural barrier behind the tiny peninsula which juts into the Pacific Ocean on the northern side of Molokai like a triangle. Hemmed in by sheer walls on one side and seas on the other two the residents were effectively cut off from the rest of the world.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 |  | | A Critical Distinction | On June 23, 2010, the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Doctrine released a clarification entitled: The Distinction between Direct Abortion and Legitimate Medical Procedures. Since most folks don't read every new posting on the vast USCCB web-site, this helpful statement could be overlooked.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 | | | More Opinions than Facts | Some weeks ago, TIME magazine did a long cover story on Pope Benedict XVI. In this acrimonious and acerbic article, its authors rely on selective reporting and heavy handed interpretation to call into question much of the structure, faith and practice of the Catholic Church and, particularly, to chastise the Pope.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010 | | | Being there, for priests of today and tomorrow |
On June 6, more than 140,000 people gathered for a Mass in Warsaw for the beatification of Father Jerzy Popieluszko, the martyred Polish priest slain in 1984 by communist secret police agents. His mother Marianna, who turned 100 on the same week as the Mass, led the crowd in praying the rosary before Mass. At the Mass, Father Popieluszko was remembered as "simply a faithful Catholic priest," a man who bravely defended human rights and freedom in his sermons, and a man whose life and death played a role in his fellow Poles achieving freedom. Communist rule ended there five years after his murder.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 | | | Toddler Paul is all heart |
When the diagnosis of Down syndrome was first confirmed for our new baby, I read an article that said having a child with this condition is like planning for Italy and landing in Holland, and I heard stories about how these children are more loving, gentler, kinder souls. I'd even taught children with this condition during my time as a special educator.
Thursday, May 20, 2010 | | | Year for Priests | Why have a "Year for Priests?" It is common on Easter Sunday for a priest to implore the congregation, many of whom are not regular churchgoers, to consider making the gift of the Eucharist a regular spiritual practice in their life. One young priest recently told me that after making such a plea this past Easter, he received a letter from a visitor to his church thanking him profusely for his firm, but loving encouragement to receive Jesus more frequently in his life.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | | | BOAST, and profiles in discouragement | Some issues, like providing educational opportunities to poor children and their families, should transcend politics and special interests. After all, what interest is more special than providing hope for a brighter future to children living in poverty?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | | | A pastor and a shepherd | During his homily at the Papal Mass at Nationals Park in April 2008, Pope Benedict XVI's voice became sorrowful as he said, "It is in the context of this hope born of God's love and fidelity that I acknowledge the pain which the church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors. No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention."
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 | | | BOAST needs a boost, from you | When a bill garners the support of students, parents and teachers across the state of Maryland, along with an endorsement by the governor, passage in the State Senate by a nearly two-to-one margin, and more than 75 cosponsors in the House of Delegates, its prospects might appear promising. The BOAST (Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers in Maryland) Tax Credit has gained significant momentum. However, it still faces hurdles before its passage, and the Maryland Catholic Conference is urging Catholics across the state, especially constituents in Montgomery County, to contact their legislators in the House of Delegates and urge them to support the measure.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 | | | Pornography and fidelity | Years ago, when Jimmy Carter was running for president, he got in trouble while an interview to Playboy magazine. In a moment of disarming honesty, he admitted that he had at times "lusted in his heart" after women. The press punished him for his honesty.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 | |
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