Paris, France, Nov 15, 2019 / 12:35 am (CNA).- Tensions are reportedly running high between French authorities overseeing the rebuilding of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, as they create plans to rebuild the church damaged by fire earlier this year.

Army General Jean-Louis Georgelin and the architect on the project, Philippe Villeneuve, disagree over whether the cathedral's new spire should look modern or medieval, the BBC reports.

Dublin, Ireland, Nov 13, 2019 / 02:51 pm (CNA).- A group broke into an Irish Carmelite monastery during the daytime, vandalized its chapel and shouted slurs at the elderly nuns who lived there on Monday.

“The poor sisters who live there play such an integral part of life in the area and it’s outrageous that a small group of thugs would target them like this,” a local parishioner who regularly goes to the chapel told the news site Dublin Live.

Venice, Italy, Nov 13, 2019 / 08:05 am (CNA).- The crypt of St. Mark’s Basilica was completely flooded Wednesday, after Venice’s water levels hit the highest level in more than 50 years.

Local authorities have called for a state of emergency after one man died in the worst flooding in Venice in decades. The high water mark reached over 6 feet, the highest level since 1966.

Everyone loves Top 10 lists so here is a list of some of my favorite practical tools and strategies to help you get started or improve (or start) your prayer life (in no particular order).

Maybe you have friends who call themselves allies. Maybe you call yourself an ally. Or maybe you’re unsure of whether or not a Christian should be an ally.

I generally witness and experience male affection and intimacy through fist bumps and bro hugs. While not inherently bad things, I have begun to wonder, “Is this the depth of our ability to physically express our care for one another?” and if so, “What are we so afraid of?”.

The Apocalypse — What does the Bible really teach about the End of the World, Armageddon, the second coming of Jesus Christ and the final battle against the Antichrist? The gospels and the book of Revelation raise many apocalyptic questions for Christians. The Mass readings for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) are Malachi 3:19-20; Psalms 98:5-6, 7-8, [...]

The post Armageddon, Apocalypse and the Final Battle appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

“We must face the reality of death to fully understand it, and we must understand it in order to more fully live.” November is the month of the poor souls in purgatory. We can obtain a plenary indulgence for someone in purgatory during the first eight days of November. The indulgence is obtained, under the usual conditions, by anyone who [...]

The post Thoughts on Death appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

Last weekend, my husband and I schlepped the kids to the park and as we unloaded the kids, the dog, the bikes, and every other bit of unnecessary gear from our vehicle, a passenger van pulled up next to us.  The doors opened and out poured a half dozen kids looking to expend energy on the playground.  The driver of [...]

The post Finding Authentic Connection in a World Where We are Lost to Each Other appeared first on Integrated Catholic Life™.

As you know, on October 13, Pope Francis canonized John Henry Newman a saint of the Church. Like so many others, I have long admired the depth and breadth of Newman’s thought and insight. Yet my first introduction to Newman was not one of his lengthy books or classic works. It was a short but inspiring meditation he wrote on “The Mission of My Life” that I came across by chance at a time when I was discerning my vocation. Here I try to unpack a genuine spiritual classic that deserves to be widely shared to all who are trying to discern their calling or perhaps have forgotten “The Mission of My Life.” “God has created me to do Him some definite service.” God created you and I intentionally and has blessed us with a unique set of gifts and talents that he wants us to use for some service…

My wife, Patti, has been a music director in parish contexts for over thirty years. She is an accomplished vocal performer, an exacting choral conductor, and a gifted composer. She treats her work as a sacred task in service to the majesty and dignity of the divine liturgy, and experiences her work as an act of prayer and as a call to prayer. Anyone who has ever watched her conduct knows it is pure choreography. David twirling about the Ark of the Covenant with unhampered joy—with abandon!—is the best analogy I can think of. Her ebullience and intensity electrify every space she enters. And as any artist knows, the grace of bringing beauty into the world plants the cross of Christ, the origin and standard of all beauty, deep into the core of her being. How grateful we should always be to artists. Patti has brought into our family over…

Today, Matt Nelson sits down with Dr. Brett Salkeld, in-house theologian for the Archdiocese of Regina in Canada. Dr. Salkeld is an expert in the doctrine of transubstantiation and, in today’s interview, he discusses the history and significance of the central Christian teaching in light of the recent Pew Research study that suggested the majority of Catholics today do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It is rare to find someone with a PhD who is not working in academia. Tell us what you do for a living. I am the Archdiocesan Theologian for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina (in Saskatchewan, Canada). I got the job—back in my home diocese—because the previous Archbishop wanted to start a diaconate formation program, but we’re a long way from the nearest seminary or theology faculty. So diaconate formation is the biggest part of my work, but once you…

Margaret was probably born in Hungary and raised at Stephen’s Court, where her father, Prince Edward d’Outremer, was in exile. When she was 12 years old she was taken to the court of King Edward the Confessor in England, but was forced to flee England with her siblings and her mother, Agatha, after the Battle […]

St Peter’s SquareWednesday, 13 November 2019 Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, we now see Saint Paul welcomed in Corinth by a devout married couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who, like the Apostle, were tentmakers by trade. These two spouses – full of faith in God and of […]

On the morning of the Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours, I passed through wide revolving doors and into opulence; a high-rise waterfront hotel in an elegant part of shot-and-beer Baltimore. The location was the meeting point for coffee with a friend; I’m of the Motel 6 set, an heirloom of frugality passed down […]