Revitalizing the Spiritual, Social, and Economic Well-Being of America’s Rural Communities
Once the backbone of American society, today’s rural communities face a number of challenges, both spiritual and material. A decline of priests and religious in the countryside have left pastors of rural parishes stretched thin, hindering catechetical formation and a faith that truly lives. Simultaneously, poverty, unemployment, and an exodus of young people to urban areas have depleted America’s rural communities of its characteristic winsome vitality.
Catholic Rural Life aims to revitalize the American countryside by training and equipping rural men and women to take leadership in their communities, parishes, and households. We believe that rural living represents a way of life worthy of promotion and protection, and is naturally conducive to authentic spiritual and moral formation. We recognize the unique connection between the Church and the countryside, well aware that the majority of priestly and religious vocations come from rural communities. With this in mind, it is no understatement to say that rural communities remain vital to the well-being of not only the country, but the Catholic Church.
A Prayer After the Storm
Deacon Dan Freeman of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa wrote this prayer in response to the devastating storm that affected…
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Confessions of a Rural Music Director
The first time I heard the choir sing at Our Lady of the Valley, I thought I was hearing angels,…
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On Old Lakes and New Eyes
Growing up, we had a word for people who drove up from the Twin Cities to summer in cabins on…
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What is a Novena?
Novena comes from the Latin word “novem”, meaning nine. A novena is a nine-day period of prayer, private or public,…
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“The New Evangelization and Celebration of Rogation and Ember Days”
In November 2018, Catholic Rural Life (CRL) celebrated its 95th anniversary. CRL, originally called the National Catholic Rural Life Conference…
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The Desert Reminds Us of the Importance of Rural Life
This week we, the CRL staff, are at a retreat center in Tucson, Arizona for our second Thriving in Rural…
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St. Brigid – Patron Saint of Dairy Farmers
On February 1, we celebrate the Feast of St. Brigid of Kildare. St. Brigid is not only one of the…
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Street Corner Catholic – Part 2
[Editor’s Note: This is part 2 of a two part blog series. To read part 1, click here.] Several years…
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Street Corner Catholic
[Editor’s Note: This is part 1 of a two part blog series. To read part 2, click here.] I am…
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A Spiritual Winter as a Season of Grace
The winter in South Dakota has gone on long enough. People say, “I am so sick of winter. I can’t…
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