Category: Essays & Profiles

The Hidden Monk by Michael Ford

I had, in fact, noticed the little hardback in my library for years but had never taken much notice of it. I couldn’t remember where I had bought it or how it had got there. But there are always surprises on retreats, and suddenly this lonely little second-hand tome burst into life for the first time. . . .
October 12, 2020/by tac

Pro-Life and Pro-Choice by Fr. Louis Arceneaux, C.M.

The reality is that many who declare that they are pro-life still remain in favor of the death penalty and of war, and do not stand up for the rights and dignity of the poor, the homeless, the undocumented, and even the life of our planet.
October 12, 2020/by tac

From the Archives: Why Men Need Initiation by Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M.

As part of an ongoing series spotlighting the history and mission of TAC through our archives, we share a reflection on men's initiation by Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., from 2004.
October 12, 2020/by tac

An Encounter with Dorothy Day by Douglas Lavine

An author's recollection of his meeting with Dorothy Day in 1973, featuring never-before-heard audio clips from their conversation.
October 12, 2020/by tac

Covid-19 and the Climate Crisis by Lorraine Villemaire

The great lesson learned from the experience of Covid-19—that each person is part of a whole—also applies to our destructive treatment of the Earth.
October 12, 2020/by tac

Editorial: Solemn Promises: The Case of Amy Coney Barrett

Parsing the various public concerns about Amy Coney Barrett's faith, jurisprudence, and deference to corporate power.
October 12, 2020/by tac

Fostering Compassion by Anne Kerrigan

We were informed that the department did not do cross-racial adoptions, and so our request was not an option. We were heartbroken. We begged, begged again, and begged some more, but to no avail.
October 12, 2020/by tac

“The Devil Was Running Things Then”: The Rwandan Genocide and the Poetry of Witness by Andrew Kaufman

A poet processes a global atrocity, bearing witness to a world in which violence, mendacity, and prejudice can somehow coexist with expressions of solidarity and love.
September 1, 2020/by tac

Sinners Don’t Cast Stones by Gene Ciarlo

There must always be room for repentance and openness to grace, for rooting out the desire for revenge and cultivating in its place a desire for forgiveness.
September 1, 2020/by tac

The Child of Fear by Paul Nyklicek

Our primitive fear has served its purpose. Our evolutionary journey needs to continue toward a rational compassion that excludes no one.
September 1, 2020/by tac

“Killed Just for Living in Your American Skin”: Bruce Springsteen and the Role of the Artist in the Nation’s Racial Reckoning by Christopher Pramuk

In Springsteen’s telling, it is not the perfectly heroic life or high-profile actions where light and hope typically breaks through. Fragments of light find their way through in the struggle itself, day in and day out, even and especially when we do not see immediate results.
September 1, 2020/by tac

Editorial: The Double Standard of Justice: A Catholic Response to Kenosha

Too close an association between law enforcement and armed vigilantes does not bode well for democracy, de-racialized policing, or public safety.
September 1, 2020/by tac

From the Archives: “Jose Hobday Loves the Church, Tiptoes Around”

An ongoing series of articles from the TAC archives, beginning with an interview with Native American Franciscan Sister Jose Hobday.
September 1, 2020/by tac

Discerning How to Vote as a Catholic by Fr. Louis Arceneaux, C.M.

Catholic voters need to reflect and decide how they will form their personal consciences based on what they learn from our bishops as well as other sources of Catholic social teaching.
July 9, 2020/by tac

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