Faith

February is Black History Month. Take some time to learn about two prominent black Catholics. One is the patron saint of African-Americans, and the other is an American priest who is being considered for sainthood. St. Benedict the Moor…

by Bert Ghezzi One week after the tragedy of 9/11, my wife, Mary Lou, and I were traveling to visit family in Pittsburgh. At the Orlando International Airport, we stood in a long security check line. When we reached the agent, he asked for…

January has a decided lack of saints with funny names. Imagine my disappointment when the 2018 Eastern Rite calendar came in. What did I see? Paul, Gregory, Anthony, and a dozen more perfectly normal red-blooded American names. You and I…

One shivery November night in northern Indiana we went to my brother’s house for a family celebration. My brother worked construction and was still on the job when my sisters, parents, and I arrived. While my brother worked late we and his…

by Nicholas Senz Where do feast days come from? Often the answer to this question is simple. Usually feast days commemorate the life of a saint. Sometimes they commemorate events, like the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran (the…

Every child’s eyes focused on the altar, watching the annual Christmas pageant in rapt attention. Mary and Joseph entered, carrying Baby Jesus. The chorus of fourth and fifth grade girls sang, “Gloria in excelsis Deo.” This poignant family…

Every December and in every country on the planet, people celebrate Christmas. There may be caroling, candles, decorated trees, Nativity scenes, candy canes, Advent wreaths, mistletoe, wrapped gifts, social gatherings, gift giving,…

One of the things I love about Christmas being celebrated for an octave (or twelve days, or right up until the February 2 Presentation of the Lord if you’re diehard) is that it takes the pressure off December 25th to be the one and only…

During my high school years, I believed the Immaculate Conception was the conception of Jesus. I was taking instruction in religion from a teacher who had a master’s degree in Catholic theology. On Dec. 8, he stood up in front of the class…

by Matt Archbold  Every story answers a question. The good ones do, anyway. In fact, the greatest story there is begins with one young wom­an’s response to the question of love and ultimate sacrifice. Mary, the Blessed Mother, said “yes.”…