Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 223

A Habit, A Nun and a Conversion

  by Guest blogger Deacon Richard Ballard I grew up in Western North Carolina, an area dominated by Protestants and not known for having plentiful numbers of Catholics. For the first several years of my life I had never met a Catholic and didn’t even know what one was. My first brush with the Catholic [...]

Where’s Fr Longenecker?

Dear Blog readers, I’m sorry for my absence over the last few days. Here was my schedule: June 15-16 – Birthday and Father’s Day and some celebrations with friends and family. June 17-19 – Three days holed up at lakehouse with no internet to finish Slubgrip Instructs –the sequel to Gargoyle Code. During this time I [...]

Myths, Marvel Comix and Men in Tights

I know the pressure will be on for me to take the boys to see Man of Steel. To tell the truth, I am rather weary of superhero movies. It seems what was once a fine and developing art form–cinema–has suffered a coup d’etat by the comic book folks. I recall a meeting I had [...]

The Sacred Sacrifice

One of the universal practices of humanity around the world in ancient times is the ritual of sacrifice. The reasons and methods of sacrifice are complex and varied, but what remains is that in virtually every religion in every part of the world in one way or another a sacrifice was offered. Sometimes the sacrifice [...]

Pope Francis and the Lavender Mafia

Go here for my piece for Aleteia on Pope Francis and the “gay lobby.”

Be Encouraged to Encourage!

St Barnabas was first called Joses, but because of his positive, energetic and generous nature he was given the new name “Son of Consolation” or “Son of Encouragement.” So today on his feast day why not stop and ask yourself how much encouragement you do of others? Ask yourself how much time you spend criticizing [...]

Francis the Reluctant Pontiff

The editors at Aleteia website have commissioned me to be their official Pope Watcher. My job is to watch when Pope Francis pops up in the secular press, and provide comment. Here is my latest:

South Carolina Stands For Religious Liberty

This video of a high school kid tearing up his approved valedictorian speech and proclaiming his Christian faith instead–then defying the atheist bullies by reciting the Lord’s Prayer in public has gone viral. Proud to say that this took place not only here in upstate South Carolina within my parish. Liberty High School in Pickens [...]

Have You Accepted Jesus into Your Heart?

A friend of mine was showing a Southern Baptist neighbor around the Catholic Church. She explained the Stations of the Cross, the crucifix, the image of the Blessed Mother and the saints. Then they came to the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Baptist was bemused. “Why do y’all have a statue of [...]

Punchy History

Review by guest blogger and Standing on My Head book reviewer Christian LeBlanc. I love history. And I also love not just books about history, but reference books about history. They clog my bookshelves because I learned it’s cheaper to own them than check them out of the library over and over again. They do [...]