Matt Kappadakunnel

Matt Kappadakunnel is the author of The Catholic Church and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Paulist Press, 2024). He has a background in investment management and investment banking. He spent multiple years studying to be a Catholic priest and graduated from Creighton University.  He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

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Smoke rises as the wildfires burn in the Los Angeles area Jan. 9. One of the biggest fires, the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., badly damaged the Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre. (OSV News/Reuters/Ringo Chiu)

The Catholic response to the LA fires is care for neighbor and planet

Pope Francis offers guidance on evaluating and responding to disaster through his encyclicals Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti. Care for our common home, in conjunction with care for our neighbor, is the necessary response to the Los Angeles fires. 

Statue of Devasahayam Pillai at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Kottar, Tamil Nadu, India (Wikimedia Commons/Kumbalam, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

India's first lay saint, martyred for preaching social equality

Commentary: On May 15, the pope will canonize Devasahayam Pillai, India's first lay saint and the first recognized martyr of Indian origin. His life and death challenge the church to turn away from clericalism and casteism.

A child in Washington writes in chalk, "End racism," as people rally to protest recent violence against people of Asian descent March 21, 2021. (CNS/Reuters/Erin Scott)

How to be an Ignatian anti-racist this Lent

Commentary: A sin that continues to wound and divide is racism. This Lent, Catholics should read Ibram X. Kendi's How to Be an Antiracist, and connect his reflection with the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and the Examen.

Worshipers at St. Antony's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church in Ollur, Thrissur city in Kerala state, India (Wikimedia Commons/Mamichaelraj)

A call to communion: Pope Francis' letter to the Syro-Malabar Church

Commentary: I believe Francis' reiteration of a unified liturgical practice, both in the Eastern and Western churches, includes a call to reflect on areas of disunity and "missing the mark" in the Catholic community.

The cast of "Family Karma" includes (left to right) Rishi Karamchandani, Bali Chainani, Monica Vaswani, Brian Benni, Anisha Ram, Amrit Kapai, Vishal Parvani, Shaan Patel, Dillon Patel. (Courtesy of Bravo/Juan Manuel Garcia/Tommy Garcia)

Bravo's 'Family Karma' gives Indian Americans space to be themselves

TV review: By presenting a cast of Indian Americans telling their own unique, varied stories, "Family Karma" debunks many Indian stereotypes while allowing viewers to become more aware of the Indian American experience.

Holding the dhol (drum), Sunny Jain, founder of Red Baraat, jumps during a concert. (Courtesy of Red Baraat/Sachyn Mital)

Invite exuberance into Palm Sunday, Easter celebrations with the music of Red Baraat

Commentary: Red Baraat's music, joyous and rich, can teach us new ways to worship and praise God. It can inspire Catholics to think more deeply about the Divine and how it intersects with different faith traditions.

The baptism of the Lord is depicted in stained glass at the Cathedral of Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Teresa of Calcutta in Baruipur, West Bengal, India. (Dreamstime/Zatletic)

As 2020 ends, reject a whitewashed Jesus and encounter the real Christ

Commentary: Images of white Jesus promote a false idol that leads us further and further away from the Gospel. We as a church, especially in the U.S., need to welcome the real Jesus into our minds, hearts and churches.

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