There aren’t too many nuns who are also water engineers. Marella Rebgetz, is a water engineer nun. She has a degree in water management. She is employed by the government of Kiribati to help address that country’s critical water needs caused by the rising sea level and the increasing salination of drinking water. One of the Read more
When Marshall McLuhan’s ground-breaking work in mass communication theory catapulted him into the spotlight more than 30 years ago, the internet and social media were faint blips on the world’s technological radar screen. What many people do not know is that the late University of Toronto professor and Roman Catholic convert also referred to the Read more
A traditional religious response in times of trouble is to pray. Not in expectation of divine intervention, instead it’s a way of expressing pain, recognising our shared humanity and dreaming of a hopeful future lived within the Earth, the only home we have. At one of the workshops during the ‘Let’s Pray – Kia inoi Tatou’ symposium hosted Read more
In his seminal 1974 book Models of the Church, theologian Avery Dulles offered five paradigms, or “models,” each of which called attention to certain aspects of the worldwide Christian church. The church, Dulles wrote, is in essence a mystery — a reality of which we cannot speak directly. Thus we must draw on analogies to Read more
The Second Vatican Council called for a revision of Catholic Liturgy and an increased use of the vernacular. In 1969, under the authority of Pope Paul VI a revised Missale Romanum was promulgated. This was the Novus Ordo – the new rite of the Mass. It incorporated features called for by the Council, including dialogue, Read more
“Sometimes I feel like the last ambassador to the Republic of Venice.” These words, pronounced by a European ambassador to the Holy See, testify to the stress that both sex abuse scandals and the economic crisis are creating in diplomatic circles in Rome. Being appointed ambassador to the Vatican still gives a very prestigious status. Read more
Most of us, at one time or another, send up a prayer and hope against hope for the answer we want. And more often than not, we wait and wonder, as we continually check our spiritual inbox for some sort of sign, if perhaps our prayer fell on deaf ears, or on any ears at Read more
For a variety of reasons, coherent approaches to life in the digital age remain elusive, especially for major, culturally significant institutions. And among America’s great institutions, the Catholic Church looms large as another arena for the reconciling of our physical and digital experiences. The American Catholic Church represents nearly a quarter of the population; some Read more
The stunning Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, known as the Christchurch Basilica suffered considerable structural damage to the two towers flanking the entry portico, and to the main dome during recent earthquakes in Christchurch. However a plan to temporarily remove the main dome may help save large sections of the building. Opus International Consultants was Read more
As the season of Ramadan draws closer, the difficulties of practising in a country where Muslims are often a minority can become more pronounced, particularly for the younger generation. Yet for some the UK is more receptive to Ramadan than others. Shanon Shah, a Malaysian who is currently studying for an MA at Kings College Read more