By Lucia A. Silecchia The groundhog spoketh. I rarely attach much weight to the opinions of rodents. Yet, when February rolls around, I do pay some amused attention to the prognostications of a certain Punxsutawney Phil — not to be confused with his less renowned colleagues, Staten Island Chuck, Essex Ed, Buckeye Chuck, and the […]
By Lucia A. Silecchia With a new year still in its infancy, I find myself surrounded by new calendars. In so many different ways, these are tangible reminders of the importance of time. Scripture speaks often about the sacredness of time, with the assurance that “[t]here is a time for everything, and a season for […]
By Lauren Revay I remember as a child having a weekly coloring page depicting a different scene from Scripture. In a sense, the scene came alive well before I could read or understand what was contained within the rich words of the Gospels. Little did I know that many years later those scenes would not […]
By Lucia A. Silecchia Several years ago, I was standing in a checkout line behind two women deep in conversation. I couldn’t help overhearing that one was recently widowed and struggling to adjust to this new season of life. Most of their conversation, however, was drowned out by the lilting strains of “It’s the Most Wonderful […]
By Lucia A. Silecchia “Over the river and through the woods …” “From Atlantic to Pacific, gee the traffic is terrific …” Popular songs in our canon of carols and songs have travel as a key theme. The jarring reference to traffic is a realistic acknowledgement that those travels have their challenges! In the days ahead, […]
By IHE Intern Noah Sell The role of the Liturgy in the life of a Catholic is something not often discussed. Although it is generally acknowledged that the faithful should do more than just attend Mass on Sunday, often the proposed remedy is encouraging the faithful to personal prayer. While that is a fine endeavor, […]
By IHE Fellow David Cloutier Saint John Paul II terms the universal destination of goods “the first principle” of the economic order, and Francis names it the “golden rule of social conduct.” The principle itself is not well-known among ordinary Catholics, and it can easily be confused with socialism at first glance. But socialism is […]
By Lucia A. Silecchia On Veterans Day a number of years ago, a cafe chain offered a free coffee drink to any veteran who visited on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. My Dad, a 1950’s Army veteran, went to claim this gracious token of appreciation. He came home, coffee in hand, but a […]
By IHE Graduate Scholar Meghan Duke On October 7 we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. St. John Paul II described the rosary as the “school of Mary,” in which we learn from Mary as we contemplate the mysteries of Christ’s life “to discover his secrets and to understand his message.” Mary […]
In September, the Catholic University community gathered for our annual Mass of the Holy Spirit to mark the start of the new academic year. I prayed for my students and my colleagues – and I hope that they prayed for me. This year, a rare chalice from 15th century Ireland was used in our celebration […]
620 Michigan Avenue, NE 339 Caldwell Hall Washington, DC 20064
202-319-5892
ihe@cua.edu
© 2024 The Institute for Human Ecology. All rights reserved.
