Church – Peter Darcy

Christianity is not a private way of salvation and a guide to a pious life; it is a way of world salvation and a philosophy of total life. This makes it a sort of dynamite. So when you send missioners out to preach it, it is well to get ready for some explosions.
~Bishop James Edward Walsh, Founder of the Maryknoll Missionaries

An Unexpected Refresher Course on the Sacraments

It was a bit shocking to read recently about the Detroit priest who discovered, three years after ordination, that he had never been validly baptized. The invalid baptism meant he was not a priest. As [...]

By Peter Darcy|2021-08-08T00:31:52+00:00November 20th, 2020|Comments Off

Matter and Form of the Seven Sacraments

Matter and form are to the sacraments what money and a purchase agreement (contract) are to buying a house. These two elements (money/contract) are the minimum conditions for a legal act and allow the [...]

By Peter Darcy|2021-08-08T00:32:09+00:00August 27th, 2020|Comments Off

Undoing the Knot of Clerical Scandals

The Catholic priesthood is undoubtedly experiencing a profound crisis at this moment. The vast majority of good priests are tainted by the scandals, but Our Lady, Mother of Priests, does not give up hope for [...]

By Peter Darcy|2021-08-08T16:19:52+00:00July 1st, 2019|Comments Off

The Church’s First Novena

Ascension Thursday begins what we may call the Church’s first novena. It is the nine-day period between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday in which the disciples were locked in the Upper Room, united in prayer [...]

By Peter Darcy|2021-08-08T16:20:15+00:00June 1st, 2019|Comments Off

Clerical Contraception – the Other Priestly Scandal

Among the many hard teachings of Christ that is deeply “offensive” to the dominant secular culture today is the Church’s age-old prohibition of the use of all forms of artificial contraception, which is a clearly-defined [...]

By Peter Darcy|2021-08-08T16:21:03+00:00March 7th, 2019|Comments Off

Undoing the Final Knot of Death

As we enter the month of November, the Church reminds us of our duty to pray for souls who have departed this life, both those who are related to us and even those we never [...]

By Peter Darcy|2021-08-08T16:28:20+00:00November 2nd, 2018|Comments Off

A Dozen Simons, One Peter

Some years ago I walked into a Christian bookstore and a fascinating poster caught my eye. From a distance, it looked like an image of the holy face of Jesus, but as I drew closer [...]

By Peter Darcy|2021-08-08T16:38:24+00:00October 30th, 2017|Comments Off