One morning in late September 1981, I entered the newsroom of Catholic New York in Manhattan and walked to my desk. On top of it, and on top of every other desk, fresh from the press, lay the first …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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11/16/22
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I read something long ago that always comes back to me at this time of year. It was a comment by an author; I don’t recall which one, but it might have been the English novelist and poet Thomas …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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10/19/22
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A few days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96, I visited another nonagenarian, one whom I know very …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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9/21/22
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Gathering newspapers one evening for recycling, I came upon an article I had saved to read when I had …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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8/24/22
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Like many other Catholics, I subscribe to a monthly prayer book that contains the Order of…
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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7/27/22
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It started with the discovery last summer of an ornate, embroidered canopy in a closet in my parish …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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6/29/22
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It’s springtime, and for many Catholics that means it’s the season for sacraments, especially first Communion. It’s a time of preparation and prayer, of observing beloved traditions and …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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5/18/22
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A shadow lies over Easter this year, dimming, in a way, the light …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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4/20/22
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This year’s Mardi Gras was a special day of celebration for me and for everyone at the two parishes in Larchmont. The pastor whom we share at my parish, St. Augustine’s, and SS. John and …
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By Claudia McDonnell
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3/23/22
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This year’s Mardi Gras, just weeks ago, was a special day of celebration for me and for everyone at the two parishes in Larchmont. The pastor whom we share at my parish, St. Augustine’s, and SS. …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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3/9/22
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I was listening to the radio one morning recently—it was a New York station—when I heard an announcement that caught my ear. It was directed toward persons who are addicted to gambling, but I saw …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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2/23/22
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With the end of the Christmas season a few weeks ago, we returned, liturgically speaking, to Ordinary Time. I know that some Catholics are puzzled by the term, so I asked a faithful and faith-filled …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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1/26/22
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Recently I happened to drive past the house where one of my closest childhood friends had lived. I spent many hours at that house, and the people I met there not only offered me kindness and …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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12/15/21
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In another instance of judging the past by the standards of the present, the statue of Thomas Jefferson is to be removed from the City Council chamber in New York City because Jefferson was a slave …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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11/17/21
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I have been watching with concern the news about parents protesting what their children are being taught in school. The parents say that their kids are being indoctrinated with leftist political …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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10/20/21
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Being part of something new is a great adventure. Catholic New York was something new, and it has been one of the great adventures of my life. It has shaped and directed my life more than I could …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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9/22/21
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When I heard that there was some kind of political trouble in our state capital, my first thought was, “Oh, the Albany follies.” I did not realize right away what kind of folly it was, and how …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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8/25/21
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It was a beautiful summer day, but it began with a few glitches and it only got worse. For one thing, it was hot. I don’t like hot weather, and when it’s really hot all I want to do is …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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7/28/21
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With extra time on their hands because of the Covid-19 pandemic, some people have decided to declutter their homes and discard what they no longer need. This often means tossing items that have …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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6/16/21
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The phone rang as I was getting ready to go to Mass. It was a weekday, not a Sunday, but I didn’t have much time to spare. The call was from my friend Vicki.
“I want you to come over and see …
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By CLAUDIA McDONNELL
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5/19/21
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