St. Jude

War stories
Faith on the line in Iraq and at home
As the conflict in Iraq enters its sixth year, some may wonder if faith lies in fragments along with wounded bodies. But trust in God isn’t among the casualties, the editors of U.S. Catholic discover, as they relay the reflections of soldiers, mothers, a chaplain, and a refugee.

Road scholar
If you think Jesus was an idealist with his turn-the-other-cheek approach, take a look at St. Paul, the apostle of do-it-yourself morality. In this Expert Witness interview, Father Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, O.P. describes the great missionary’s vision for a grown-up church.

Hold your fire!: Is the Holy Family pinned down by the holiday shopping hordes? Give me a break, says Father Paul Boudreau. The war on Christmas is a lot of hype.

Promise of the Promised Land: If Jesus were born in Bethlehem today, he’d experience a new variation on the Roman occupation of Palestine. One difference he would find, however, is the peace work of Melkite Catholic Archbishop Elias Chacour, who describes in this interview the hope he finds in the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian youth of the Holy Land.

Special issue on women!

A league of their own: Though women have often been sidelined in church life and history, U.S. Catholic readers come up with an all-star roster, writes Megan Sweas in this Reader Survey about the women who inspire us. You’re sure to become a fan, too.

Honor your Father and Mother: There are better ways to imagine God than a white-bearded chap in the sky, says theologian Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J. in this interview. New images of God can come from the experience of all God’s people—male and female.

Special issue on Hispanic Catholics!

Ni aquí nor there: Latino American Catholics in search of a church can feel a bit like Goldilocks, with some churches hotly focused on the issues of recent immigrants and others cold to Hispanic Catholic culture.

Catholics without borders: Immigration may be our new national "third rail." Catholics need to step back before they get swept up by the rhetoric, says Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto.

Web special!
That all may be one: Carmen Aguinaco Interviews Sister María Elena González, R.S.M