Sister Pamela Smith

Let us hope that, as this column is read, we are not embroiled in something like the hanging chads fiasco of the Y2K American presidential election. Or something worse.   To put it far too mildly, […]

Fratelli Tutti” (literally “Brothers All”) is the way Pope Francis opens his latest encyclical, quoting the way St. Francis of Assisi addressed everyone — rich or poor, male or female, Italian or non-Italian, Christian or […]

The script that forms the title of Christie Purifoy’s 2019 work of non-fiction looks at first glance like the word “Peacemaker.”  So someone surveying the book rack might expect that this book will be about […]

We’re all familiar with the title phrase from Ecclesiastes 3.  It’s part of a frequently used first reading at Masses of Christian Burial and is quoted in eulogies. If one listens to golden oldies, it […]

Every summer except this one, my religious community has gathered sisters from around the country and held workshops at our motherhouse. These include theological updating, reports on outreach, ministerial ventures, and reflection on what we call […]

Three priests and 11 deacons: that’s how many clergymen were at a recent funeral. With all the coronavirus restrictions, the congregation was, apart from the many watching the livestreamed Mass, relatively small. So the number […]

Some years ago my brother Steve was sent on overseas jaunts to create text for promotional brochures for his then-employer, a travel agency. Several of them allowed for side trips into less inhabited areas, along with […]

To say that recent months have been stressful and strange would surprise no one.   For those of us in ministerial roles, the unthinkable has happened: We’ve been called to provide service with minimal physical presence […]