Christine Lenahan

New York

Writer at America Magazine

advocate of the Oxford comma | o'hare fellow with @americamag | she/her

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Articles

Gloria Purvis on Juneteenth, racism and the Catholic Church: ‘Sin can outlive those who commit the sin’

Jun 19, 2024 | tntribune.com | Christine Lenahan

Juneteenth derives its name from June 19, 1865, when the Union Army emancipated the enslaved peoples of Galveston, Tex. One year later, the Black community in Texas gathered to celebrate their freedom, thus beginning an annual commemoration that spread nationwide. In 2021, President Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday. For U.S. Catholics, Juneteenth serves as a moment of reflection as the church continues to grapple with the sin of racism that plagues our politics, our nation and our ministry.
The Met Gala, fast fashion and Pope Francis’ ‘Laudato Si’’

May 8, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

Loading... Click here if you don’t see subscription optionsBad Bunny, from left, Lana Del Rey, and Zendaya appear at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" exhibition on Monday, May 6, 2024, in New York. (Photos by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)The Costume Institute Benefit—better known as the Met Gala—took place on May 6 in New York City.
Prayer vs. manifestation: A TikTok trend about praying for your future husband helped me know the difference

May 3, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

Indulging in a midnight scroll on TikTok, I paused my twiddling thumb amid cooking videos and New York City apartment tours at a video of a young woman. She spoke directly to the camera and said, “So what you and I are going to do is pray for your future husband. Get ready.
President Biden’s broken promise on the death penalty

Mar 1, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

When President Joe Biden first ran for office in 2020, his campaign website stated that should he be elected, he would create “legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.” But as Mr. Biden campaigns for his second term, he has yet to fulfill that promise. The Department of Justice announced on Jan. 14 that it will seek the death penalty for Payton Gendron.
We are more than the worst thing we’ve ever done

Feb 27, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

A Reflection for Monday of the Fifth Week of LentFind today’s readings here. “Let the one among you who is without sinbe the first to throw a stone at her.” (Jn 8:1-11)The readings for this Monday of the fifth week of Lent are incredibly extensive and dense. In the Gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisees’ hypocrisy by forgiving a woman caught in adultery and urging her accusers to examine their sins before passing judgment. Verse seven stirred up a memory for me.
Controversial artistic depictions of Jesus are nothing new

Feb 15, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

A Holy Week poster depicting a young, fresh-faced Jesus in a loincloth has sparked controversy in Seville, Spain, with many conservatives and Christians calling the work “homoerotic” and “inappropriate.”Unveiled on Jan. 27, 2024, and designed by renowned Spanish artist Salustiano García, the image of Christ against a bright red background was intended to invite people to church during the Easter season.
The Catholic Case for Galentine’s Day

Feb 13, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

This year, both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day will take place on Feb. 14—an unusual event in our calendar system that last happened in 2018 and after this year, will happen only one more time—in 2029—before the century ends. Feeling conflicted about whether you should be eating those chocolate candies out of a heart-shaped box from your beloved on the same day you begin to abstain from sweets for 40 days?
A prayer for death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith

Jan 25, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

Loading... Click here if you don’t see subscription optionsI want to pray for Kenneth Eugene Smith. I want to pray for the soul of a man who is scheduled to be executed by the state of Alabama at 6 p.m. tonight for a crime that he has been found guilty of. I do not know Mr. Smith.
Review: Jill Lepore’s reasons to panic (or not)

Jan 18, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

“Panic is not evidence of danger,” Jill Lepore calmly notes in her newest work, The Deadline, “it’s evidence of panic.” But Jill Lepore has reason to panic. Lepore, a staff writer at the New Yorker and a professor at Harvard, has penned the 46 essays that comprise The Deadline during an unprecedented decade. Every day, Americans are lost in the relentless onslaught of headlines spurting out of the ever-changing political opinions of our country’s leaders. There is seemingly no reprieve.
How David and Jonathan model a knowing friendship

Jan 18, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Christine Lenahan

Loading... Click here if you don’t see subscription optionsA Reflection for Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary TimeFind today’s readings here. What does it mean to know someone? And I mean really know them—not just their middle name or favorite color. Is it when you share your deepest secrets? When you know their greatest hopes and fears? Or is it when you know the minute details of their life, like their superstitious rituals before getting on an airplane or their first summer job?