At Easter, 23 adults and children at St. Thomas More Parish will join the Roman Catholic Church. All of them have faith journeys poles apart that led them to the Church.

One decided to become Catholic after escaping injury when a table fell on his head. Another was intrigued by the writings of Pope Benedict. A third has been looking for the right church since she was six.

NEW YORK — The graphic depiction of Jesus as the suffering Man of Sorrows is not a crowd pleaser but is a crowd draw, according to a Jesuit art historian.

"No one would dispute the importance of Christ's sacrificial death in Christian theology, but we are less inclined today to decorate our living rooms with bloody representations of him," said Jesuit Father Gregory Waldrop.

The great accomplishments of the Western world have come at the cost of our faith, says the archbishop of Winnipeg.

"Our world has a very difficult time believing in God," Archbishop James Weisgerber told a recent Theology on Tap session.

In 2003, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued a report calling for the construction of 1,000 to 1,500 new nuclear power plants around the world by 2050. The rationale? Those plants could displace 15 to 20 per cent of the expected growth in carbon emissions.

By the grace of God, the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns have so far had only local implications for the health and safety of people. With roughly 450 nuclear power plants in operation today, it seems unlikely that future nuclear accidents will always be so localized.

FR. RON ROLHEISER, omi

In one of James Carroll's early novels, he offers this poignant image: A young man is in the delivery room watching his wife give birth to their baby. The delivery is a difficult one and she is in danger of dying. As he stands watching, he is deeply conflicted: He loves his wife, is holding her hand and is frantically praying that she not die.

Yet the impending birth of their child and the danger of his wife's death conspire to make him acutely aware that, deep in his heart, he has not forgiven her for once being unfaithful to him.

One of the realities that Passion Week points to is the depth of love that motivated Jesus to, as Paul tells us, empty himself of his God form "taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness." In that human form he humbled himself and became obedient, to the Father, even to death on a cross.

I find it difficult to grasp that reality because the radical difference between the nature of God and the nature of the human person makes it hard to comprehend the degree of gift that is inherent in Jesus' action.

BISHOP FRED HENRY

"What the world needs now is _______."

If most of us were asked to fill in the above blank, we'd likely say "love" and would likely echo the Luther Vandross lyrics of "What the world needs now, Is love, sweet love, It's the only thing, That there's just too little of."

JOE GUNN

Will you vote on May 2? Are the issues that touch your life being discussed by the candidates in ways that represent your values? Does your faith have any bearing on how you vote?

Canada's Catholic bishops hope your answers to these questions are all a resounding "yes." So they have released a guide for voters eligible to participate in next month's federal election.

FR. RAYMOND DE SOUZA

Michael O'Brien, the leading Catholic novelist in the English language, has sent millions of words into print. He has painted numerous sacred images which tell their own stories, pictures being worth thousands of words.

Yet the words he spoke on March 28 at Saint Paul's University in Ottawa had an uncommon power, for they were a personal testimonial of grace.

When my goddaughter was very young, I took her to Mass at my church. She sat quietly on my lap, absorbed in contemplation. It was Jesus who lived in that little gold house behind the altar. She frowned in puzzlement as she pondered this mystery, obviously wondering why she couldn't see him.

Suddenly, her face cleared. With a delighted smile, she turned to me and exclaimed with childlike logic, "I know why Jesus is hiding. He wants me to come and find him!"