Category: Ritual Studies
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The Liturgies Marking the Passing of a Loved One
9/16/2019 – One Year Later It was one year ago this evening that I received an unexpected call from Life Alert saying that my mother had activated her button, thinking that she was having a stroke. Her own mother and sister had died of a stroke and she was always worried that this would be…
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Wait, can I do that?
In a time of pandemic, how do our own ritual practices around the liturgy change? What retains the same meaning with different attire, and what is added or lost?
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Again and again let us pray to the Lord
Through repetition, we “remember the future.”
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Brief Book Review: Human Rites
Dr. Melinda Quivik reviews Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments by Dru Johnson.
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Devotional Prayer and Community
In early October, I was in Nairobi teaching at a program for contemplative nuns, and afterward I spent a few days with the Benedictine nuns at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery outside the city, in rural Kiambu. As I have written about before, this is still a fairly new community, and it is fascinating…
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Monastery Spotlight: Queen of Peace Benedictines, Rutherfordton, North Carolina
While yet a small community, clearly these sisters cherish the beauty of monastic ritual.
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Monastery Spotlight: Abbey of St. Walburga, Virginia Dale, Colorado
I recently had the opportunity to spend a week of retreat with the Benedictine nuns at the Abbey of St. Walburga in the beautiful rocky hills of northern Colorado. What a treat! I commend this community for your interest and support. Founded in 1935 from the historic Abbey of St. Walburga in Eichstatt, Germany, the…
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Liturgical Expressions on the Hill
It’s been quite a week for those interested in the relationship between liturgy and the public life in Washington DC. The Department of State hosted the 2nd annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom that saw over 1000 international participants, not counting side events organized by NGOs and religious organizations. Alongside formal talks and round table…
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The Scrutinies: Embodying the Serious Business of Belief
In the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the prayers of the scrutiny rites attest to the resolve of the Elect to remain faithful, even in the midst of confusion, doubt, or rejection, reflecting the serious nature of faith.