The Assumption: A Call to Walk with God
Growing up in a parish dedicated to St. Mary of the Assumption, with so many stained glass windows, statues, songs and prayers dedicated to events in the life of the […]
Author Archives: Marc V. Rugani
“He Became Perturbed and Deeply Troubled” – The Com-passion of Christ in the Face of Evil
Two weeks from the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord, and one week from Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, the readings from the fourth gospel, John 11, invite […]
St. Scholastica – Teaching Contemplation in Action
At the outset of this post, I’ll admit that I don’t have a particular devotion to this venerable saint and until recently I didn’t know much about her at all, […]
The Feast of St. Francis Xavier: Becoming a “Companion” with Strangers in the “Joy of the Gospel”
For two wonderful years, I was a faculty member at Xavier High School in New York City. Although no stranger to Jesuits and Jesuit education, I admit I knew little […]
Angels in the Outfield? – The Feast of Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael
Major League Baseball concluded its regular season schedule on Sunday, and the best record in the American League belongs to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Despite its redundant and […]
The Quest for the Lord’s Cup
In Buffalo, New York, there are two predominant religions: Roman Catholicism and ice hockey. Listening to games on my Sony boom box in the church parking lot while reenacting amazing […]
St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr – Poland, Politics, and Preaching the Gospel Today
I grew up a Roman Catholic in Buffalo, New York with a healthy portion of Polish ancestry. From an early age I recognized that some particularly strange sounding names were inextricably […]
The Grammar of Giving Thanks
Last week I hosted a study break for students in my residence hall and screened “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” This was the first time many of them had ever seen […]
Happy Are the Poor. (Yes. Really.)
Just days after his election the Cardinal-Formerly-Known-As-Bergoglio commented that he made the unprecedented choice of “Francis” for his papal name because he was inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, whom […]
Communion of Saints
When I got my current job and moved back to New York City in 2010, I had to go through the painful “re-initiation” into urban life and local neighborhood orientation. […]
