Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. – John 17:17 Congress is facing an emotional debate – should tax dollars intended to support women’s health go to organizations that promote abortion, like Planned Parenthood? Historically tax dollars have been prohibited from directly

“It is the responsibility of the state to safeguard and promote the common good of society,” writes Pope Francis in his recent encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, “Based on the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, and fully committed to political dialogue and consensus building, it p

Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Harrisburg has been assisting families, birth parents and adoptees for over 70 years. Catholic Charities Adoption Services believes in the innate dignity and value of every human life and that every child is entitled to an environment in which he o

In a parable, Jesus tells us that when seed falls on rich soil, it produces fruit, a hundred, or sixty, or thirty fold. (cf. Matthew 13:8) The seeds, of course, are those who hear the word of God, understand it and act in response. Fertile soil and growing seeds are fitting images for

Pennsylvania’s 2009 state budget impasse is over; the result is good news and bad news for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. First, the good news. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin County) and Speaker of the House Keith McCall (D

It is easy to understand the private and intimate nature of marriage between a husband and wife.  Reality TV aside, most of us can clearly draw the line between our public and private lives. It is more difficult to describe the public significance of marriage.  What do we really know

Saint Paul used the tools of communication available to him at that time to spread the Gospel and change the world. As Catholics in the world today, we have remarkable new tools to communicate with others. Following Saint Paul's lead, we should take full advantage of these tools to i

Gimme an “A”…gimme a “C”…gimme an “E.” What’s that spell? Advocates for Catholic Education – a newly energized network of cheerleaders and fans for Catholic education in Pennsylvania.In the past, the Pennsylvania Catholic Con

We live in a remarkable time. The amount of information at our fingertips about the upcoming election for president is amazing. Type “Barack Obama” or “John McCain” into your favorite internet search engine, you get at least 70 million hits each for candidate.

The Sacrament of Confirmation “gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No.