Julia Smucker, at Vox Nova, correctly points out that in critiquing bishops, we need to avoid stereotyping them.  Skipping to the end, her key point is that:

“there is an important distinction to be made between specific critiques and blanket stereotypes.  To suggest that the bishops may be mistaken or misguided on a particular point is sometimes justified, but to suggest that they are the enemy of social justice or of lay involvement or of women, or whatever other sweeping accusations are being thrown in their direction, is wildly inaccurate and divisive.

The bishops are not the enemy.  Partisan polarization is.”

BTW, Vox Nova is a new site I’ve begun reading, and I have put on the blogroll.  It’s worth checking out!

Fr. Greg Boyle, Homeboy Industries:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ17HXPg3jg

This video made me think of a just-graduated student whose research interests in ex-gang members first introduced me to Fr. Greg Boyle and his Homeboy Industries.  Yes, Adriana, that’s you!  I hope you enjoy the video and are doing well back home in LA!

–hat-tip Mark Gordon at Vox Nova

I thought I’d share some personal good news with readers, and also give a shout of congratulations to one of our contributors- Lucas Sharma.

First, I wanted to brag about my new niece– Corinne Christine Roche (pictured with her mom)- who was born last Monday.  She weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 oz, and both mom and baby are home now and doing well.  According to Andrew and Yoli (the new parents), she is sleeping very well (which has left Jen and I very jealous).

Second, I wanted to congratulate Lucas Sharma on being accepted by the Oregon Province Jesuits.  Lucas told me that he will begin the novitiate in LA in August.    They are blessed to have him.  In fact, in his e-mail, he indicated that he was currently down in LA for ordinations– maybe he will post some pictures for us on the CC.

Lucas, we will keep you in our prayers and  hope that you will do the same for us.  Anytime you want to check back in at the Catholic Conversation with a post, you are welcome to do so.  Keep us updated!  Thank you for answering God’s call to grow deeper in your own vocation.  We need priests and religious who can witness to the transforming power of Christ.

Gary Adler recently mentioned his research finding that a majority of Catholic parishes in the U.S. allow full membership for openly gay and lesbian couples in a committed relationship. He ended his post with two points for consideration– first he noted how his research suggests many parishes are open to homosexuality “in a way that is in tension with Vatican teaching,” then he added that gay and lesbian couples may still not feel fully welcome in most parishes. He asked followers of the Catholic Conversation to reflect on this in light of their own experiences and asks how they have seen sexuality addressed in local parishes. Continue reading →

Last time: The Catholic Research Forum method of estimating the Catholic population was described. This method makes use of the percentage of babies that are baptized, and the percentage of people that die and receive Catholic funerals. In this article the Catholic population derived from this methodology is compared to the results from The Official Catholic Directory and telephone polls.

Continue reading →

Many people, such as the media, who comment on the number or percentages of Catholics assume a Protestant model of church membership: someone is considered a member when he/she is officially registered in a parish. This emphasis upon registration within our culture is taken for granted. After all, people register for the social security system, drivers’ licenses, library cards, fraternal organizations and, other religious denominations. Why not assume the same with the Catholic Church? Continue reading →

By now it is clear that sexuality is one of the most controversial issues facing religious organizations. The Vatican has promulgated a theological teaching, rooted in one stream of the natural law tradition, which mandates sexual abstinence among homosexuals. Much has been, should be, and surely will be written about this theological teaching of the Catholic Church.  However this is dealt with by the Vatican, in this instance, official teaching cannot inform us as to how Catholic life is being lived at the local level in the United States.

How are homosexuality and homosexuals a part of the local life of the Catholic Church?

Earlier this month I published research studying whether Christian congregations are open to gays and lesbians. My research used the National Congregations Study, a representative survey of American congregations. Continue reading →

Catholic devotions are external practices such as prayers “attached to particular times or places, insignia, medals, habits or customs” that “manifest the particular relationship of the faithful with the Divine Persons, or the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . or with the Saints . . .” (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 2001).  I believe new life could be breathed into parishes and families if popular devotional prayers were practiced with great fervor and conviction because the need for affective, nonliturgical, communal prayers remains, and because it is an excellent means in and through which to pass on the Catholic faith to the next generation. Continue reading →

As I mentioned in my previous post/shameless use of this blog for research assistance, I am in the final stages of finishing my dissertation on Catholic school closures. I have always struggled with the temptation to spend days reading wonderful existing scholarship instead of doing the much harder work of putting words on the page.  Recently, I decided that it would actually be negligent for someone with my research interests not to read John Seitz’ (relatively) new book on parish closures No Closure: Catholic Practice and Boston’s Parish Shutdowns (Harvard University Press, 2011). I couldn’t put it down as I got swept up into the ethnographic account of the many faithful Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston who took over and held constant year(s) long vigils at their parishes rather than see them close. Continue reading →

I have some sad news–the Pastoral Planning Office of the Diocese of Cleveland has been closed. David DeLambo, a contributor to this blog and most recently the Associate Director of that Office, confirmed the news to me in a personal e-mail: Continue reading →