Welcome back to our Starting Conversations series, a short shareable article for staff, councils, small group studies, and more to discuss. This one may be controversial, which can make for a spirited time together! May God bless your conversation. Let’s begin at the beginning. What does it take to be better at what matters? I…
Why can’t we recruit volunteers? I don’t know a parish–or non-profit of any sort–that isn’t short on volunteers. Some have more of a volunteer deficit than others, but it seems to be universal…or at least the norm in the United States. If you are reading this article, I don’t have to tell you how difficult…
I’m pleased to announce I have an article on parish evangelization, “Stuck in Neutral: When Parish Evangelization (Still) Fails,” published in May 2023’s Homiletic and Pastoral Review. A taste below, and you can read the rest on HPR’s website: It has been five years since the four-day United States Convocation of Catholic Leaders on Evangelization…
St. Ignatius of Loyola took seriously Jesus’ admonition to “keep awake” for the coming of the Lord in every moment. You can, too, by practicing his Daily Examen. The following article is abridged from the introduction to The Daily Examen Journal: A 30-Day Spiritual Retreat. St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), the Spanish soldier turned spiritual…