Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Some people’s lives seem to epitomise the suffering of millions, but also to shine with a Christian response to it.  One such person was Maximilian Kolbe, 1894 – 1941, a Franciscan priest of Poland, and publisher extraordinary. Maximilian was born at Zdunska Wola, near Lodz, where his parents, devout Christians, worked in a cottage weaving...

“And this is my prayer: …that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. (Phil 1:9-11) It is not always easy to discern what is best or tell genuine from false. A friend of mine asked me for some advice about a letter...

Let’s not take our cathedrals for granted Churches in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) call for help to fight Ebola outbreak Ukraine church leaders decry ‘sacrilegious’ war National unity and global challenges discussed in final meeting of General Synod  Celebrations to mark 250th birthday of Welsh hymn writer Scripture Union launches podcast focused on children’s...

The story is told of porters who were hired to carry a group’s possessions on a jungle safari. The pace increased until the head porter called a halt: ‘We’ve come so far, so fast we need to take a break and allow our souls to catch up with our bodies!’ How often do we feel...

The Church of England has recently apologised for its role in historical adoption practices, particularly in mother and baby homes. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said: “We are profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced – and still carried – by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes affiliated to...

The Church responds with a resounding ‘Yes’ to that question, as we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15thAugust. (Usually her feast day is on the 16th.) An ancient name for this day is the transition of Mary – her crossing over to eternal life – or the assumption of Mary. But her story begins...

You see a lovely plant at the garden centre and bring it home.  Within weeks you are watching it die.  Why? There are eight possible reasons. Over- or under-watering When you water to an arbitrary schedule of your own (e.g. on your day off), rather than when the plant actually wants it. Over-watering gives the...

Have you done something bad which haunts you?  Does the memory of it still follow you through each day – and keep you awake at night?   If so, then Laurence Loricatus (c. 1190 – 1243) is the saint for you.  He was born at Facciolo (Apulia) and as a youth he killed a man. After...

It was: 250 years ago, on 2nd August 1776 that the formal signing of the US Declaration of Independence took place. 175 years ago, on 12th August 1851 that the American inventor Isaac Singer was granted a US Patent for his sewing machine. Since then, well over 100 million various models of Singer sewing machines...

 The Mother’s Union is celebrating its 150th anniversary. At a recent service in St Paul’s Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury said she had seen first-hand the profound impact” of its work in communities around the world, “in family life, healthcare, education, social projects — challenging poverty, injustice and violence. . . In fact, I often...

It was 65 years ago, on 13th August 1961 that East Germany first sealed the border between East and West Berlin with barbed wire. Construction on the Berlin Wall itself began two days later, on 15th August. The Wall grew rapidly to become a 96-mile (155km) concrete barrier. It became the physical embodiment of the...

The story is told of porters who were hired to carry a group’s possessions on a jungle safari. The pace increased until the head porter called a halt: ‘We’ve come so far, so fast we need to take a break and allow our souls to catch up with our bodies!’ How often do we feel...