Civil Rights activist, Paul Bokulich, marched with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In the short documentary You Have to Have Light to Dispel the Darkness, he reflects back on the effects of his years in Selma and Eutaw, Alabama living in a shack house, falling in love,...
Catholic social teaching is rightly called “social” because it pertains to how we organize ourselves as a society. Rather, I should say as individual societies that are gathered up into one human family.
For anyone old enough to remember when the movie Dead Man Walking was released in 1995, they might recall how it became a defining moment in the American consciousness around the issue of capital punishment. Sr. Helen Prejean's story of faith and accompaniment on...
When we hear Bible words like “salvation”, “redemption”, and “covenant”, it can be easy to file them away as relics from another time and place that don't actually affect us anymore. It is easy to forget that these religious words really do mean something for us here...
If you missed Part 1 of this series, find it here! Gray Areas? The center of Catholic Social Teaching is the heart of Christ. Our love for the poor and a desire for true justice is at the heart of the Gospel. Over the course of history there have been hundreds...
Deep within the Christian debate over sin lies a conflict between two recurring themes in the Bible: judgment and mercy. On the one hand, Jesus says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be...
In this first part of a two-part series on Catholic Social Teaching, we explore the seven main themes. This is a bird’s eye view of Catholic Social Teaching and only begins to scratch the surface. The Heart of Christ The social teaching of the Church is a rich...
In early March, our group of 27 students and missionaries from the country embarked on a week-long Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) Mission trip to Mexico City. As we piled off the bus at the city dump on our first day, no one was prepared for what...
Blessed Pope Paul VI and Blessed Oscar Romero will be canonized. Many expect this will take place in October at the Synod of Bishops. Find out more in this video! [video width="852" height="480"...
How does the Catholic Church feel about immigration, refugees, and border walls? We have a few resources that will help you grow in your understanding of Catholic Social teaching. What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Immigration and Border Walls? 1. We start with...
Today’s society has radically changed from the morals of the past. We’ve gone from traditional marriage to other forms of civil union, from the defense of life to abortion, and from freedom of expression to a cancel culture. We know that men change constantly, but, is...
Remember the refreshing feel of that ice cold drink of water after you mowed the lawn or ran a marathon or woke up realizing you are thirsty beyond compare? At times, nothing else can really satisfy us like a glass of clear, pure, clean water. God has provided us the...
We’re already halfway through the Year of Mercy, a time when the Church (that’s us!) is invited to discover God’s mercy for ourselves, as well as for those around us. Pope Francis has been very clear on the importance of this and has encouraged us to “assist others...
This past weekend George Clooney (and his wife, Amal Clooney), Salma Hayek and Richard Gere were presented with an award, the "Olive Medal" of peace, from Pope Francis in a ceremony that took place at the Vatican. Even movie stars get excited when given the...
Like every good Catholic, surely you have had to explain the Pope, the Virginity of Mary, priestly celibacy, and refute the nonsense that appears in tabloids and on TV – which includes everything from claiming Jesus had children to conspiracy theories about the...
“The 33” is a movie based on the true story of 33 men who were trapped in a copper mine for 69 days. You may recall the event from 2010 that had the whole world watching and praying for the men from Chile living 200 stories below the earth. This is a powerful story of...
”The poor are thirsty for water but also for peace, truth and justice. The poor are naked and need clothing, but also need human dignity and compassion for those who sin. The poor have no shelter and need shelters made of bricks, but also of a joyful heart,...
The Good Lie is an eye opening, inspiring and heartwarming film based on the true stories of some of "The Lost Boys" of Sudan. From the years 1983 to 2005 over 20,000 boys were orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War. This film does an excellent job of...
Have you ever given a homeless man money and wondered what he did with it? Have you ever stopped yourself from giving because of this hesitation? The idea that a homeless man or woman might be using your money for drugs, alcohol, or other things you wouldn’t want is...
Frida, Ludvig, and Anniken are 3 young Norwegians who love fashion, avidly following the latest trends. Their closets are full of shoes, dresses, and make-up from the hottest brands around the world. Together, they were invited to participate in a reality show run by...
The video we see portrays the internal struggle of a family who is unable to provide for all of their children. Seeing that they do not have enough food in order to feed each of their three girls, the family makes the painful decision to abandon their youngest...