Current Issue

Caring for Our Common Home

As the Church this month concludes its special fifth anniversary year celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si – and while the earth comes to life around us – it is worth reflecting on what it says about caring for God’s creation. The document introduces a religious point of view to the global environmental crisis. 

In this issue, New Hampshire Catholics share their deep appreciation for creation and their duty to care for it. Learn about Ryan Burke of Portsmouth who walked the 500-mile ancient pilgrimage through Spain known as the Camino de Santiago. Guest columnist John Carroll writes about why every Catholic should know Laudato Si. Read about four New Hampshire Catholics who discuss how they apply the 'simple daily actions' that Pope Francis speaks of to their daily lives.

Want to learn more about Laudato Si and how New Hampshire Catholics are responding? Please click here to learn how you and your parish can receive Parable.

Dear Father Kerper

Dear Father Kerper: On Christmas Eve, my family and I viewed the Vigil Mass broadcast from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Pope Francis, whom I greatly admire, was the principal celebrant. My daughter noticed that Pope Francis and the cardinals were close to the altar and elevated. The many religious sisters present at the Mass sat among the laity. My daughter wondered why the pope, who often speaks of equality and the dignity of women, tolerates what seemed to her a rejection of equality.

Your daughter has a keen sense of how seating arrangements may reveal the “pecking order” within institutions, especially the Catholic Church. When contemporary Catholics note the position of people within large liturgies, they believe they’re seeing the Church’s true “power map.” Fair enough. Yes, the Holy Father and cardinals sit in “Big Power Land,” whereas the sisters occupy the outskirts of power, spaces far away from the altar. Indeed, some would say that these old customs manifest and even perpetuate inequality and the exclusion of women from Church power.

Want to read more of Father Kerper's response?  Please click here to learn how you and your parish can receive Parable.

Pandemic pets: A Primer on Caring for God's Creatures

Last summer, to ease ourselves through the pandemic, we brought home a little boxer named “Sonny.” The pandemic, of course, persisted, and now we have a cat, a dog, a parakeet and a bearded dragon in our little house, along with 11 people. It’s fine. Everything is fine!

Want to read more about caring for God's creatures? Please click here to learn how you and your parish can receive Parable.

Other Columns in the Current Issue

Bishop's Message - A Gold Star for Catholic Schools
Faith on Fire: Profiles of NH Youth - For Clara Jude, It’s All About Trusting God
Dear Father Kerper - Decoding the Church’s Ceremonial ‘Pecking Order’
On Call With Dr. Pepe - Making the Last Round
Marriage and Family Life - Pandemic Pets: A Primer on Caring for God’s Creatures
Journeying with the Saints - The Story of St. Juan Diego
Cover Story - Laudato Si Special Anniversary Year 2015-2021
Catholic Charities Report - A New Era for Liberty House
Catholic Quiz
Calendar of Events
Your Faith - God Gives Us Signs of His Love Every Day
Special Report - Pope Francis Fulfills Pope St. John Paul II’s Dream with Iraq Visit
Local News
7 Days a Pastor: Reflections From Father Andrew Nelson - Dueling Men in Black
Mission Moment - St. Joseph Hospital Provides Vulnerable Seniors Much Needed Services