Monday’s announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that he will resign the papacy at the end of this month because of his increasingly frail health has revealed what we practicing Catholics in America have long understood: Our faith remains a mystery. No time has been wasted stirring up a frenzy of speculation about what will happen […]
The narrative some have come to trust from talk radio or from public personalities like Pat Buchanan, Justice Antonin Scalia or libertarians such as Ron Paul and Lew Rockwell, is that it is in our best interest to return to the vision of the American Founding Fathers, who, in their estimate, were God-fearing men, lovers […]
It started with just one hour of prayer in College Station, TX not even ten years ago. Today, 40 Days for Life has grown to a bi-annual 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting, peaceful vigil and community outreach for more than half a million people in hundreds of cities across America and around the world. […]
He approached from the far side of the table taking the seat next to mine and posed this question, “How did I know that Mary really interceded in my life and could the blessings I encountered really be possible?” Perhaps, I could give him some “concrete examples?” I had just finished giving a little personal […]
Hey, pallie, what the heck happened to romance? I use the word “pallie” in deference to the great Dean Martin. A few summers ago, just before the annual Dean Martin Festival in Dino’s home town of Steubenville, Ohio, I decided to compare today’s hits with his. I started with the No. 1 song on Billboard […]
Years ago, a local newspaper columnist praised the fare of TV prime-time viewing. She supported modern examples of broken families as being the sitcom subject of choice. Betty, the columnist, cheered the portrayal of brokenness in place of idealistic programs such as “Leave it to Beaver,” “Father Knows Best,” or the “Brady Bunch.” There were […]
In early 2012, the Pontifical University in Rome held one of its most important conferences ever. “Towards Healing and Renewal” was an international symposium, sponsored by the Vatican , devoted to the terrible abuse crisis in the Church. What made the event so extraordinary is that is was opened, not by a high-ranking prelate but […]
The Lost Medallion is a new family movie about the value of friendship and self-confidence. It begins with Daniel Anderson (Alex Kendrick-Facing the Giants, Courageous) visiting the home of an old woman who fosters many children. A little girl asks him to tell them a story. He agrees, and incorporates into his tale the some […]
For the past several weeks, Catholics around the Internet have been talking about a scandal, and, surprisingly, they’re more or less in agreement. It is a real-life scandal of a bishop who forgave a criminal for robbing from him. It is a fictional scandal of a criminal who broke parole, became a successful businessman and […]
Oftentimes the seasons of Lent and Advent are filled with our good intentions about what we will do, what we will read, and the changes we will make in our daily lives. The weeks stretch out ahead of us and we begin with great plans and an eagerness to experience the holy season in a […]
It’s hard to decide whether this story should be filed under “The Lord works in mysterious ways” or “Be careful what you wish for; you may get it.” A woman who goes by Pastor Alois Bell of Truth in the Word Deliverance Ministries, a storefront ministry in downtown St. Louis, claims she uses social media […]
Still pining over our combined pilgrimage-vacation to Rome last year, my wife and I decided to participate in the Year of Italian Culture 2013 at the National Gallery here in Washington, D.C. There we were able to gaze upon Michelangelo’s David-Apollo, which is on loan to the Gallery from the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, through March 3. […]
We live in a busy world that is changing at the speed of light. Yet, good manners never go out of style. Most of us parents emphasize the importance of please, thank you, and excuse me, and do our best to insure that our children are polite, but when it comes to the finer points […]
In The Discernment of Spirits, an Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living, Fr. Timothy Gallagher has endeavored to write a “how-to guide” on the reading of the Ignatian Rules. He has broken down each rule and explained what is meant by it. He supports his descriptions with vignettes from the lives of users of the Ignatian […]
Last week at a speaking engagement in Illinois, I asked my audience of parents to tell me about their kids. Not just “tell” me about them, but brag. I gave them permission to boast. Pull out the smartphone, if they wanted, to show off the photos. I had to cajole them into doing it. Hard […]
Straight from My Heart is a collection of fifteen short stories and seventy-three poems, approximately chronological, with each story being independent and individually rewarding. Yet all of the pieces collectively draw the reader to something larger. The stories are engaging, at times fascinating, and always thoughtful. Patricia Devlin’s stories follow an autobiographical journey through the […]
This week I happened across this YouTube video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVUZzgswJaY) in which two strapping young Dutch men experience the joy of childbirth … well, two hours of simulated labor pains. That’s almost the same thing, right? Sure. In his classic work Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen acknowledges that the mystery of suffering will remain […]
In this, 40th year of legalized abortion in America, Hollywood and Planned Parenthood want you to know abortion is no big deal. That’s the message we’re to infer from the recent episode of NBC’s hit show “Parenthood” titled “Small Victories,” in which the teen character Amy casually decides to abort her baby because, as she […]
When I received a review copy of the newly-published book, Facing Infertility – A Catholic Approach, I was a bit surprised there wasn’t already a Catholic book which specifically dealt with the topic of infertility. When I searched online, I could only find secular or Christian books on this subject. Jean Dimech-Juchniewicz’s new book is […]
If you knew beforehand that a gunman planned on going to a kindergarten class at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, would you do everything in your power to avert the violence and save innocent lives? During a news conference on January 16, President Obama expressed that if we could save even one life […]
Frozen Footprints (Tumblar House, 2012) is the latest contribution to Catholic suspense by Therese Heckenkamp, author of Past Suspicion. I freely admit, suspense is not my genre of choice, but Heckenkamp once again managed to keep me interested and invested in this story. Charlene and Max Perigard are twins, raised by their grandfather, a wealthy […]
I’m working my way through a book called Everyday Sanctity, written by Schoenstatt Sister of Mary, M. A. Nailis. With texts from it’s founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, this volume addresses one of the pillars of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement, everyday sanctity, which is the practice of giving everyday life the character of holiness. Although it’s become […]
During the summer of 1998, our family faced the sudden death of our twelve-year-old son. He was perfectly healthy that morning, but during the night, his airways had a spasm and closed up. We discovered him blue and not breathing. I said “faced” because we came face to face with death; waiting for medical help, […]
(Okay, so that’s really an 8-book list.) If you listen my podcast, Among Women, you know I have a passion for three things: first, to encourage women to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and their Catholic faith; second, to celebrate the beauty and genius of their womanhood; and third, to call women to […]
