Spirituality

St. Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was a scholar who focused primarily on studies of Church history and the Church Fathers. In response to the Protestant Reformation, much of his efforts went toward organizing Church doctrine for clarity…

“The family that prays together stays together.”  These words, so simple yet so iconic, have come to define the life and legacy of Ven. Patrick Peyton, CSC.  Known to millions around the world as “the Rosary priest,” Fr. Peyton was born…

John isn’t exactly a funny name to us but when St. John the Baptist was born, his relatives were scratching their heads over it. “Where did that come from? Nobody else in the family has that name.” “Elizabeth dear, shouldn’t the boy be…

When I was growing up, one of the local television news channels had the upbeat brand “Eyewitness News.” They prided themselves on being on location as news events unfolded, providing sharp analysis and snappy interviews with those who had…

Who was the gray-haired little lady tidying up the sanctuary before the 6 o’clock evening Mass? She puttered noiselessly in and out, setting up this, removing that, sometimes smiling a little to herself. She disappeared during Mass, but at…

If you are like me, it is easy to forget how “God provides” if you are too focused on others’ blessings. We live in a culture that incessantly prompts us to want more and more of what others have – and INSTANTLY! Temptations are thrown in…

The parishes I serve in southern Door and Kewaunee counties in Wisconsin are surrounded by bodies of water. One is close to the Bay of Green Bay, off which, many of my parishioners live. The other is situated closer to Lake Michigan. In my…

Subscribers to the print edition of Catholic Digest probably already saw the Apollo 11 moon landing cover story for the June/July/August 2019 issue. With the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 this week and thinking about outer space, I thought…

Have you ever been with someone as they passed from this life to the next? As a priest, I have been. I also hear many stories about someone’s last moments before drawing their dying breath. The richness of our Catholic tradition preserves…

I was 9 years old when Apollo 11 made history. Throughout the 1960s, it was nearly impossible to miss the excitement of America’s program of space exploration. Not all of it was triumphant. I remember looking at the front page of the New…