Exactly 100 years ago this week, in the first months of the Great War that would begin the bloodiest century in human history, something miraculous happened. All along the Western Front, spontaneous pockets of truce broke out between German and Allied soldiers. The guns would fall silent through Christmas, and in some places, for days afterward. Enemies put down their weapons and openly fraternized, sharing food, drink and stories. Officers finally had to force their men to return to the fighting.

Hace exactamente 100 años esta semana, en los primeros meses de la Gran Guerra que comenzaría el siglo más sangriento de la historia de la humanidad, algo milagroso sucedió; a lo largo del Frente Occidental, espontáneas treguas estallaron entre soldados alemanes y aliados. Las armas se silenciarían durante la Navidad, y en algunos lugares, pasados […]

Advent, more than any other season of the year, is rooted in the virtue of hope.
For Catholics, the real new year begins not on January 1 but on the First Sunday of Advent, the day when the Church begins her annual new cycle of Scripture readings and worship.

El Adviento, más que cualquier otro tiempo del año, es arraigado en la virtud de esperanza. Para los católicos, el año nuevo real no se inicia el 1 de enero, sino el primer domingo de Adviento, el día en que la Iglesia comienza su nuevo ciclo anual de lecturas de las Escrituras y veneración. El […]

Today is one of great joy for our Archdiocese, our City, our Commonwealth and our country! It was a privilege to be in the presence of our Holy Father this morning in Rome when he announced to the world that he will be with us in Philadelphia next year for the World Meeting of Families.

One of the tasks we all have as adult Catholics is to deepen our faith by daily prayer and to form ourselves more fully in what the Church believes. That means we need to seek out and take advantage of learning opportunities that come our way. The archdiocesan Office of the New Evangelization, led by Meghan Cokeley, has done a great job of creating those opportunities. Two of them this week deserve our special attention.

One of the great needs we have as adult Catholics is to deepen our faith and stay current in its application to issues we face as a culture. Providing ways to do that is the motive behind the “Archbishop’s Lecture Series,” organized and led very well by Meghan Cokeley in our Office for the New Evangelization.

At this time of year, it is my annual pleasure to greet the local Jewish community on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I join the clergy and people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in extending to area Jews our prayerful best wishes at this sacred time. These two solemn observances carry with […]