We could say that the first word of the New Testament is “be joyful,” “be happy,” in other words, “joy.” This is the true meaning of Christmas: God is near us, so near that he became a child. — Pope Benedict XVI  That quote, printed in red…

In a rural area of Wisconsin Mary appeared to a 28-year-old woman named Adele Brise 159 years ago this month.  Today the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin, occupies the location of the apparition. It’s the only…

Near the end of May, many of our communities will host Memorial Day parades and solemn ceremonies honoring those who died while serving in our nation’s armed forces. Veterans — young and old — will be visible to all of us as they pay…

My first experience with cancer occurred more than 30 years ago when my paternal grandfather died. I remember seeing how frail he became and how my grandparents’ dining room became his new bedroom to accommodate his care. I also recall…

As the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary this summer, Catholic Digest recommends a pilgrimage to a remarkable basilica. Just a few miles across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Covington,…

Two celebrity suicides. News this week that it's a growing problem in the United States. What does the Church say about the salvation of those who take their own lives? What resources are available for prevention and awareness? What can we…

It’s an image and moment of Good Friday I’ll never forget. More poignantly, it’s the sound that still resonates in my mind and heart more than a decade later. I took an extended break — longer than I probably should have — that particular…

By Paul McKibben Fr. George “Chip” Hines has experienced the power of Christ’s healing from the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick as both a priest and a recipient of it. “This is a grace that I’m receiving, and we cooperate with grace,”…

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) In 2004, a controversy arose in the Indiana community I covered as a newspaper reporter…

My daughter was baptized 10 years ago on this very feast. Wearing a flowing white baptismal gown that goes back several generations in my wife’s family, she was quite the fussy baby, and she cried during the entire rite. Except,…