AMID THE FRAY “I think it’s a great opportunity.” I was bemoaning the state of a country divided almost down the middle. The election that so many people thought was for the soul of the country or for its future instead revealed that we are divided almost 50-50. The priest I was talking with agreed. […]
Greg Erlandson: A rosary for our nation
AMID THE FRAY I’ve found myself praying for my country a lot these days. As a family, we remember to do so when we say grace at dinner. At other times — usually after reading some terrible headline or seeing the latest total of fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic — I’ll say a silent prayer […]
Greg Erlandson: The pandemic’s grace notes
AMID THE FRAY It is always impressive to hear the stories of people who rush toward danger when others are fleeing. Remember Ventura County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus? He lost his life when without hesitation he rushed into the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, to stop a mass shooter. Remember Lt. Jason […]
Greg Erlandson: How far is too far for Mass?
AMID THE FRAY How far would you drive for Mass? I don’t know if anyone has ever done a study of such a pedestrian topic, but it is a question that will become increasingly relevant. Once upon a time, driving farther than your local parish was simply a matter of choice. For example, when I […]
Greg Erlandson: Selling the sizzle at a parish near you
AMID THE FRAY “Marketing is a contest for people’s attention.” — Seth Godin I heard about a parish recently. It has regular eucharistic adoration, but only the old-timers show up, and their numbers are shrinking. There is some handwringing over this fact. Nobody wants to see it disappear when its current devotees disappear. The funny […]
Greg Erlandson: A letter in the inbox of every young Catholic
AMID THE FRAY Attention Catholic young people, by which I mean everyone under 30: Pope Francis has written you a letter. Called “Christ Is Alive,” it is a historic document in that it isn’t just a letter about young people. It is to young people. Whether you are in high school or in college or […]
Greg Erlandson: Guardians of truth
AMID THE FRAY Fifty-three journalists were killed worldwide in 2018. Some died in war, but a shocking number died exposing corruption, covering protests or just doing their job. Time magazine called them and their harassed and persecuted colleagues “Guardians” of truth, and named them collectively “Person of the Year.” In the United States last June, […]
Greg Erlandson: Getting real about our challenges
AMID THE FRAY Tracking the Catholic zeitgeist these days can be a dizzying experience. It helps to have a sense of history, and perhaps a sense of irony as well. Once upon a time, it was liberal Catholics who were upset at the pope, who wanted more democracy in the church, who railed against the […]
Sex abuse crisis: Greg Erlandson | Our hope remains in the Lord
AMID THE FRAY People ask how I can do my job as a Catholic editor and journalist these days without being depressed. Actually, it is depressing. How could it not be? The church I was baptized into when I was two weeks old, the church that I have attended, wrestled with, studied and love is […]
Greg Erlandson: Crisis: Church authorities and clergy sex abuse
COMMENTARY When Catholic News Service posted a short video of the Pennsylvania attorney general’s Aug. 14 news conference announcing a grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse in six dioceses, its editors had to add a warning about the graphic language viewers would hear. The actual 900-page report chronicling 70 years of child sexual abuse […]
