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Welcome!
Here's what's new at JKNIRP --
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What Is the Vatican Saying About Women? Conservative Catholics Might Be Surprised, as it appeared in The Washington Post, by M. Cathleen Kaveny, Sunday, August 15, 2004; Page B03
For most Americans, including most American Catholics, reading an official Vatican pronouncement would be like reading a Supreme Court opinion. The writing is not user-friendly. Accurate interpretation requires familiarity with a specialized vocabulary, context and culture. And a quick reading is likely to result in a misreading. (Click title to read more)
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The Danger of Staying the Same Size
taken from Say Yes To Life —
One of the central prayers offered in the synagogue on the High Holy Days expresses the hope that God’s sovereignty will be established over the earth, and then “every creature will know that You created it; every living thing will recognize that You fashioned it.”
Why is it important that we should each look upon ourselves as God’s creatures? What difference does it really make? (Click title to read more)
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A Priest’s Relationship with Jesus and the Paschal Mystery
taken from Grace Under Pressure: What Gives Life to American Priests
While priests see God as a source of love, they see Jesus as a model. For these priests, Jesus didn’t come to lay a guilt trip on people. His proclamation of the Kingdom and his parables offered the people a different way of looking at things, a different world view. Rick, a Western priest, said, When I was at this one parish, the question was, “Well, how do I carry out the ministry here?’ (Click title to read more)
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Retirement Programs and Retired Priests
Taken from As One Who Serves
The elderly have a right to reverence, but so often all they ask for is the consideration not to be discarded. What they deserve is preference, and yet at times they are deprived of even equality. The care for the elderly is regarded by many as simply a burden rather than an opportunity. It is necessary in our day to labor for revision of attitudes toward and conceptions about the elderly. The true standard to gauge our culture is the extent to which reverence, compassion, justice is to be found in the daily lives of a whole people. Culture is the “style of living compatible with the grandeur of being human.” (Click title to read more)
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A Double Take on Early Christianity
An Interview with Rodney Stark
One of the world’s most respected sociologists of religion, Rodney Stark has, since the early 1960s, studied the phenomenon of conversion, focusing especially on newer religious movements such as Mormons, Moonies, and Hare Krishnas.
He has written or co-authored many books, including The Rise of Christianity (HarperSanFrancisco, 1997), The Churching of America, 1776–1990: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy (Rutgers University Press, 1992), and A Theory of Religion (Peter Lang, 1987). (Click title to read more)
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Vatican says battle of sexes not part of God's design
The battle of the sexes and, particularly, the subjugation of women are the result of original sin and not of God's original design for creation, said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Attempts to advance the cause of women by seeing men as enemies to be defeated or by claiming that no real difference exists between male and female have had "lethal effects," particularly on the family, the congregation said.
The congregation's "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World" was released July 31. (Click title to read more)
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-- The U.S. Catholic population in 2004 was 67,259,768 -- an increase of some 850,000 over the 66,407,702 reported in 2003. Catholics continue to make up 23 percent of the total U.S. population.
Included in these national figures are data from Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, and U.S. territories overseas such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam. (Click title to read more)
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Catholic News Service, It's a well-known scriptural passage describing the permanent nature of priestly ordination: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
For retired priests and those who are fast approaching mandatory diocesan retirement age, those words resonate with both opportunity and anxiety. (Click title to read more)
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A Success Story of charities, and churches in La Crosse working together to help city's poor by David J. Marcou
Catholic News Service
Since the dramatic shrinkage in governmental safety nets, people in need across America haven't always known where to go for help.
But in La Crosse Rodney Loging does know where he can go for the assistance he needs.
(Click title to read more)
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Our inspiration for the National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood stems from a longstanding friendship with Father John Klein, a priest of the
Archdiocese of Chicago. On the day of his passing in 1999 at the age of 49, Cardinal Francis George said "Father John Klein was a model for seminarians and priests. His joy in his priestly ministry encouraged all of us and was a sign of the Lord's constant presence in his life." May we learn from his example and strive to be the presence of Christ in the lives of all those we touch every day as priests and fellow citizens of the world.
Our work is made possible in part by grants from the Catholic Church Extension Society, the Paluch Family Foundation and Our Sunday Visitor. We are also grateful for the prayers of the Madonna House. In addition, The Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation has generously provided us with a grant in honor of Monsignor Ken Velo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago who has been an inspiration to so many for so many years.
If there is any way that I can be of service to you, I hope you will take advantage of the link below to send me an email. I would enjoy hearing from you with any comments or questions you may have.
Father Gene Hemrick
The National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood
Washington Theological Union
6896 Laurel Street, Northwest
Washington, D.C.
Dedicated to energizing the spiritual and intellectual life of the priesthood
through an ongoing dialogue via the Internet.
This Web page was created and is maintained by the National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood. Special thanks to Nicholas Papas for the use of his beautiful icon of Melchizedek.
Please send
comments to Father Hemrick by clicking on his name.
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Last updated September 7, 2004
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