In my search for good music and celebration, I found Catholicism and a yearning for community.

The people of Indonesia believe in gotong royong, literally, “joint bearing of burdens,” carrying something together, shoulder-to-shoulder. This ethos was lived to its fullest in the days of this holy visit.

First, remind yourself that extreme forms of hopelessness are not coming from God.

One girl told me that the congress ‘has been a sneak peek into heaven.’

"One of the lessons that I learned from Sept. 11 was a new and deeper appreciation for what we celebrate in the Eucharist," writes Bishop Kevin Sweeney.

Any decision requires some development in the church’s understanding of the tradition.