By Fr. Dwight Longenecker  So often we attend Mass and take things for granted. Not paying attention, we miss the meaning and overlook the significance of the little things. The bread and wine are brought forward during the offertory, and…

by Father Dwight Longenecker Part of the magic of Christmas is giving and receiving gifts. The presents might be simple, homemade, and practical or expensive and luxurious, but they represent the love we have for one another. To put it…

BY FR. DWIGHT LONGENECKER While this is understandable from someone who is simply ignorant of the facts, it is amazing that so many Biblical scholars also believe the New Testament is historically unreliable. Most do not take the extreme…

BY FR. DWIGHT LONGENECKER One of the big problems in sharing the faith today is the attitude most people have to the stories about Jesus. Many people have had no religious instruction at all, and those who have had some education have often…

In this 9-part series, Fr. Dwight Longenecker examines the conflicts of the 16th century through its main players. Each article connects contemporary Church life, showing the origin of the Protestant denominations and the challenges we…

by Fr. Dwight Longenecker At the beginning of the 16th century, the kingdoms in Spain were at war. A young nobleman named Inigo Lopez de Loyola was excited by the romance and bravery of battle. Longing to do great deeds, he played…

By Fr. Dwight Longernecker Very few historical figures have been as hated and admired as England’s Queen Elizabeth I. On the one hand, she is por­trayed as “Gloriana” — Good Queen Bess or the “Virgin Queen.” She is the noble and virtuous…

Five hundred years ago, the Church and the world plum­meted into crisis. The Protes­tant Revolution split Europe into warring factions. In the wake of Martin Luther’s preaching, Germany erupted in a revolt among the peasants that…

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker high drama of King Henry VIII’s love life has provided material for a seemingly end­less stream of books, novels, films, and television series. Henry VIII’s six marriages were swept up in the hurricane of…

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker By the middle of the sixteenth century Catholics in Europe must have thought the entire world was falling apart. Nations that had been Catholic for a thousand years had broken away from the Church. Protestants and…