Religious Education - Children
Catechist BlogPeter the Rocky Apostle
Peter is given many different names in the New Testament. Jesus calls him “Rock” (Cephas) after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. In the very next scene Jesus calls him Satan as Peter refuses to accept that Jesus is to be a Crucified Messiah:...
The Memorial of St. Irenaeus of Lyon
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them. (John 17:25-26) “You know them Catholics -...
Remembering Freedom
OK, pop quiz time. Who were the “Freedom Riders?” My random (and quite small) sample yielded some interesting answers. The most common was a speculation that it was an organized motorcycle ride akin to the “Rolling Thunder” ride in Washington D.C. around Memorial Day....
VOICE – Did you know? Laws that burden the Poor
Each state sets a statutory definition of which thefts are felonies (punishable by longer sentences in prison) and which are misdemeanors (punishable by shorter sentences in jail). But in many states, the dollar amount separating felony theft from misdemeanor theft...
VOICE – Did you know? Crisis Stabilization Unit
Any family that has experienced mental health challenges knows that mental health services are needed across a spectrum of capabilities, especially during a crisis. A call to “911” results in a response by police officers. If the family is lucky, they will encounter...
VOICE – Did you know? Covid Eviction Crisis
During the housing crisis, Prince William County (PWC) had the highest foreclosure rate in Virginia. Poor families were especially victims of predatory lending. VOICE acted then. The circumstances of the Covid pandemic and ensuing job loss has again raised the...
Jesus Welcomes Outcasts
What is God’s Will? Jesus shows us God’s Will through his words and actions. The leper in today’s Gospel challenges Jesus: “Lord, if you wish (will), you can make me clean.” In Jesus’ day people avoided lepers, viewing them as outcasts and unclean. Jesus goes...
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
John and Jesus are similar and yet so different. Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. The Gospels picture John as the forerunner of Jesus, sent to prepare the way. In today’s second reading, St. Paul, preaching in the synagogue of Antioch, describes...
The Fruit We Bear
“…every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Jesus was speaking about false...
Whose we are
Today is the Memorial of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, the latter of the two who is more popularly known as he was the central character of the movie, “A Man for All Seasons.” The film depicts the final years of Sir Thomas More, the 16th-century Lord Chancellor...