Think Before You Give!
The Lord reminds us it is better to give than to receive. During Lent, I am sure that most readers are focused on the value of giving. But as someone who runs an organisation that...
Category: Raymond Perrier
Why We Have to Plan for Successors
In Durban, we recently rejoiced to welcome Archbishop Abel Gabuza as coadjutor. When, in time, he succeeds Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, he will be only the sixth bishop of the territory in nearly 170 years....
The New Year: A Time for Hope
As we go into a new year, I might be tempted to some degree of despondency. Last year was a tough year. I am put in mind of Queen Elizabeth II who in 1992,...
At Home in the Universal Church
When Pope Francis canonised Archbishop Oscar Romero, Pope Paul VI and five others this month, Raymond Perrier was there. Here he reflects on that experience. The meaning of Catholic is of course “universal”. It...
Open the Church’s Eyes
We all love the image in the Gospel of the eyes of the blind being opened. But are we willing to open our eyes as a Church and see some of what we need...
The Power of the Movies
Films can entertain, thrill, terrify, educate. They can be feel-good, feel-bad and feel-sad. Some are hugely impactful but most films are like the popcorn we consume while watching them. St Ignatius of Loyola, the...
Hear the Ancient Voices of Women
Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know. I realised this recently at the “Amaz!ng” National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. I was thus drawn to a musical programme that was advertised as featuring works by only female composers. The one name I did recognise was St Hildegard of Bingen…
SA is Full of People Who Want to Help! Let’s Structure that Helping
Volunteering and Donating It is fitting to mark Mandela’s legacy with generous acts of volunteering and donating. They express the values of a man who gave so much throughout his life and continues to...
Are Our Parishes catholic?
Happy Birthday to all of us. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Catholic Church and so that means we can all indulge in a piece of cake — and it has got to a pretty large cake to accommodate 1985 candles!
Let the Truth Set us Free
The story of the Church began with a whole evening of unjust trials – Jesus brought before the Sanhedrin and the Roman governor to defend himself against trumped-up charges and in a highly politicised process. The Church’s birth through injustice – condemning not only Jesus but many of the early Apostles – has given it a good basis on which to challenge corrupt policing, biased courts and inhumane laws
Why Do We Pray?
Over the past few weeks, Catholics and people of other faiths have been praying for the rains to come to avert the crisis. I do not want to undermine or diminish the power of prayer, but it is worth asking ourselves what we feel the act of prayer in itself is actually doing.
The Power of Disability
At the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban, we aspire to live up to Pope Francis’ vision of the Church as “the House that welcomes all and refuses no one”. So, as well as providing a safe place for those who are homeless, or refugees, or drug addicts, we also try to be a place where people with disabilities feel welcome.
