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Bishop's Pastoral Letter: Prayer and Small Faith Sharing Communities

From the National Catholic Register:   Cleveland Bishop's Pastoral Letter Puts Prayer at Forefront The faithful are encouraged to take 15 minutes to commune with the Lord daily  to ‘draw closer to Christ’ and ‘do more than the minimum.’ “It’s simply a letter about how we can draw closer to Christ, and there is no controversy in that,” Bishop Malesic said. “Let’s just pray 15 minutes a day; join a small group; invite your Catholic neighbors and friends together to have a cup of coffee and talk about ‘Why are you Catholic?’; ‘How can you become a disciple of Jesus?’ I think these are the basic things.”  A Flourishing Apostolic Church Fifteen Minutes in Prayer Each Day I have already mentioned above that I encourage every Catholic in the diocese of  Cleveland to spend at least fifteen minutes in prayer each day. It may not sound like much, but  carving out fifteen minutes during which one puts aside everything else and dedicates that time  to one’s relationshi...

DECEMBER 2024 Why We Need Graveyards

Models for Reinventing Commonweal Local Communities

by Jack Rakosky "These (CLC) groups are for learning about and discussing far-reaching topics in local spaces. Your conversations may focus on the recent issue of Commonweal Magazine, it may focus on recent news or events, or you might take advantage of our Conversation Starter Series. Overall, we recommend establishing a common vision for your CLC at the first meeting of each year. Each community determines their goals, set-up, meeting times, and the readings best suited for them." -  From Commonweal website:  Tips for Planning Meetings Restarting the Cleveland CLC after the pandemic should not be left up to who happens to attend the first meeting, especially since many on our CLC list have found it difficult to attend meetings because of conflicts and travel distances.  Thoughtful email discussions and additional posts on this website are an important prelude to reopening. Therefore, I have used the skills gained as a researcher and planner in the public menta...

NOVEMBER 2024 COMMONWEAL CENTENNIAL

OCTOBER 2024

JULY-AUGUST 2024 Grief as a Medical Disorder

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 Thinking about Grief (and Other Emotions) as Medical Disorders Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Mat 5:4) One Year to Mourn Should grief be considered a Medical Disorder? Paul Lauritzen, Mathew A. Crawford Paul Lauritzen is emeritus professor of theology and religious studies at John Carroll University. Interested in discussing this article in your classroom, parish, reading group, or Commonweal Local Community? Click here for a free discussion guide: Discussion Guide: Should grief be considered a medical disorder . "In March 2022, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced a revision to its widely influential Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The revised manual, known as DSM-5-TR, included a new diagnostic category: prolonged grief disorder (PGD). The announcement ignited a firestorm of controversy. The criteria for categorizing PGD, for example, are very clear. For an adult who has had someone close to them die, PGD can be...

SEPTEMBER 2024