A Season of Special Joy
Dear Reader, When we are young, a year takes so long that when the Advent wreaths go up again, we barely remember last Christmas. For me, and...
Gunther Simmermacher
Cribs: A Brief History of the Nativity Scene
The Nativity scene that forms such an important part of our celebration of the Christmas season was invented by St Francis of Assisi. GUNTHER SIMMERMACHER takes a...
Go on Virtual Holy Land pilgrimage this Advent
This Advent, the faithful can make a virtual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. ( The “Star of Wonder Advent Pilgrimage of Peace” started on the first Sunday...
Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard: Tough Questions for Ourselves
The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard’s lesson holds both good and difficult news for us, Gunther Simmermacher reflects. The central objective of our faith is...
Remembering Well
Dear Reader, During the month of November, we Catholics remember our dead. Our feature article in this issue on how we relate to our departed loved ones...
Why Does the Church Transfer Feasts?
Question: Why does the Church transfer our great solemnities, such as the Ascension in May or the Assumption of Our Lady in August, to the following Sunday?...
Lessons from a Troubling Video
A video clip is currently circulating which accuses Cardinal Stephen Brislin of racism for not embracing and kissing an African cardinal in the way he greets two...
St Francis of Assisi: The ‘superstar saint’ who sought poverty
As a youngster he lived the high life, but now he is known as the ‘beggar saint’. This is the life of the much-loved St Francis of...
Cardinal Stephen Brislin’s Thanksgiving Mass
A day after receiving the red hat from Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square, Cardinal Stephen Brislin of Cape Town presided over a Thanksgiving Mass in St...
When did Mary and Joseph Get Married?
Question: Your Saint of the Month article on St Joseph (March 2023) states: “Joseph and Mary are not yet married when they go to Bethlehem where she...
