Amen: Dying doing what you love June 17, 2014By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Commentary In attempting his 20th crossing June 8, my cousin began having problems about a mile into the swim. Rescuers could not revive him, and he died at age 58. He leaves behind a wife of 31 years.
Babe Ruth’s diamond February 12, 2014By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Commentary One hundred years ago on St. Valentine’s Day, George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. began his meteoric rise in professional baseball when he signed a contract with the minor league Baltimore Orioles.
Of haberdasheries and ‘Death Dust’ August 15, 2013By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Commentary For years, a tattered and taped copy of the Aug. 30, 1902, issue of The Catholic Mirror has jockeyed for attention on my sometimes-cluttered desk at the Catholic Review.
This Priest Appreciation Day, thank priests who change lives May 29, 2013By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Commentary Father Dale Picarella had just finished greeting a mob of parishioners at the end of Mass when I approached him in the sacristy with a special request. Would he visit my mother at Bayview Medical Center in East Baltimore as she was recovering from cancer surgery?
Pope Benedict XVI offers lesson in humility February 21, 2013By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Commentary The goodness and humility witnessed by the future Baltimore archbishop were on display for all the world Feb. 11 when Pope Benedict XVI quietly announced in Latin that he would step down due to his advanced age and lack of stamina.
Amen: Telling questions for pregnant women January 10, 2013By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Commentary, Respect Life My brother was in line at a local supermarket when he observed a young woman strike up a conversation with an apparent longtime friend. Showing off her slightly protruding belly, the younger woman announced that she was pregnant.
‘I have connections in heaven’ August 30, 2012By George P. Matysek Jr. Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Commentary Mercy Sister Lois Mueller was a bundle of energy when I first met her at The Villa retirement home in Baltimore three years ago. I was visiting for a story I was writing about how retired nuns kept in shape by playing bowling and other Nintendo Wii video games donated by students of St. Joseph School in Cockeysville.
Clarity in Rome confessional February 23, 2012By George P. Matysek Jr. Catholic Review Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Blog, Commentary The Scala Sancta, “Holy Stairs,” are believed to be the passageway Jesus walked on his way to face Pontius Pilate before the crucifixion. St. Helena, mother of Constantine, brought the staircase to the Eternal City from the Holy Land in the middle of the 4th century.
Father Janaites carried burdens for others January 19, 2012By Father Joseph Breighner Filed Under: Commentary, News, Wit & Wisdom Since the strokes in my eyes in 2002, I’ve found that tears come pretty easily. However, I needed no such excuse when I first heard that Father Stan Janaites had died on Aug. 5. I cried again as I stood at his coffin in St. Joseph’s Church in Sykesville.
Two writers duke it out on the subject of school sports January 19, 2012By Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary Catholic Review writer and parent Nancy Menefee Jackson, who volunteers as an assistant JV coach, thinks school sports practices are essential and recognizes the need for practices and games during holiday breaks. Catholic Review writer and parent Suzanne Molino Singleton thinks the opposite – free time is family time when kids deserve a break from school and the rigorous schedule it offers.
Whatever happened to Thanksgiving? December 22, 2011By Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary Last month’s celebration of Thanksgiving invited me to once again go back to the history books to refresh my memory with regard to the historical roots of the holiday. With psychologists giving advice on how to avoid family feuds between quarreling relatives, others who can’t wait for the football games, and still others plotting strategies on how to best maneuver their way through the “Black Friday” sales, perhaps we have lost some of the real meaning of the celebration. In fact, I would go further to say that perhaps we have lost much more than we realize. Let us take a historical glimpse to the roots of this day.
Serendipitous visit to Bon Secours in West Baltimore December 15, 2011By Paul McMullen Filed Under: Baltimore Boomer, Blog, Commentary On this job, every day is a religious experience. I’ve got an article in the Dec. 15 issue of The Catholic Review on Bon Secours Baltimore Health System. In late September, the health care provider in West Baltimore launched a new branding and mission with an ecumenical prayer service at 31 W. Fulton St., at the Cathedral […]
