Dr. Mary Marrocco is an associate secretary for the Canadian Council of Churches. She is also a teacher, writer and lay pastoral worker. Morrocco explores the lives and writings of the saints, spiritual writers and theologians‚ and how they relate to contemporary life.

A woman I knew became Christian as an adult. Unlike some of us lifelong Christians who can be oblivious of the strangeness of our faith, she was appalled by one of the Beatitudes. 

Mary Marrocco: Christ, the truth, will set us free

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Who could forget the look on Ingrid Bergman’s face, playing Paula in the movie Gaslight, as she apprehends the possibility that she might be slowly going insane?

Mary Marrocco: The farther we go, the more we will find

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Remember the old fairy tales?  They are told, or re-told, by great story-tellers like the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and my favourite, Andrew Lang — who, back in the 19th century, gathered stories from around the world into the Red Fairy Book, Green Fairy Book and plenty of other colours. 

Mary Marrocco: Christian unity urgent for suffering world

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A spiritual director once surprised me by asking: “What does your little voice have to say?” 

Mary Marrocco: A first step into centre of the universe

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How difficult it is to get out of the centre of the universe. And how painful to find our way there.

Mary Marrocco: Community frees us from fear of death

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Increasingly, I’ve been observing incidents of white-hot anger flaring out on quiet streets or on public transit. To name but one, a pedestrian accidentally crossed in front of a cyclist, the two immediately started swearing at each other and almost came to blows. These strangers were dry tinder, ready to burst into flames of rage.

Mary Marrocco: Superstition has no place in life of faith

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A contemporary government official, in a high-profile speech, once enthused about the benefits and powers of science.

Mary Marrocco: Living sexuality in the Church’s embrace

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A young Catholic couple were not engaged, but hoping to get there. At a certain point, naturally enough, Anne and Simon found it difficult not to engage in sexual relations. Instead, they quarrelled.

Mary Marrocco: We’ll find strength in letting go the ‘littleness’

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One of many arresting moments in J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterfully gripping The Lord of the Rings involves Merry, one of Frodo’s three hobbit friends who accompany him on his journey to destroy the ring of power. Merry finds himself at the centre of a great battle, with one of the Nazgul (dread servants of the Enemy) bearing down on the King whom Merry has sworn to serve. When the King is struck down, with horror all around him, Merry starts to crawl away. Something inside calls him to return — but “his will would not answer” and he keeps fleeing in the other direction.

Mary Marrocco: Learning to ‘redeem the times’ we live in

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During the pandemic lockdown, a bishop spoke to his flock about fears and panic. He emphasized that times were bad, faith was going to be lost, God would leave us and all that remained was to hold tight to our traditions and hope for the best.

Mary Marrocco: Searching for the source of our hunger

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What did Jesus mean by “this is My body”?