By Michelle DiFranco A couple of months ago, it all began. Cancellations of large events, followed by cancellations of schools and then … the cancellation of Mass. News of the pandemic was changing every minute for the worst … it was something that, for most of us, felt unreal. I vividly remember one day needing [...]

By Elizabeth Johnson   The long, hazy days of summer may be “ordinary” time in the Church year, but the liturgical calendar for July and August reads like an All-Star line-up of the saints, including some heavy hitters like Mary Magdalene, Benedict, and Maximillian Kolbe. Here’s a look at some of the key players on [...]

By Father Dwight Ezop   It usually happens sometime during the first week of June each year. I find myself excitedly thinking that summer is finally here and that things will slow down just a little bit around the parish. After all, by then, most of the major parish events of the spring have been [...]

By Michelle DiFranco I love summer, but in Michigan, by mid-August, I’m over the humidity and ready to embrace autumn. That’s right, goodbye air conditioning and hello colorful foliage, pumpkin spice lattes and apple-picking. There is absolutely no reason not to love the fall season! Well, except for one thing … the nights gradually get [...]

Story by Joe Pisani It rarely snows in Rome, and certainly never in August, the hottest month of the year … except once. According to a pious legend, which inspired one of the oldest devotions to Our Lady, a patrician Roman couple had no heirs so they prayed to the Blessed Mother and designated her [...]

By Dr. Cathleen McGreal Q: It’s summer and my kids are out of school. I remember the lazy days of summer in my childhood, but these days, it seems as if everyone’s kids are at camps or summer enrichment opportunities. Should I be structuring my kids’ vacation more? How much is too much? A: As summer [...]

By Sheri Wohlfert Hooray for summer! Ice cream, swimming pools and bike rides are familiar things on the summer to-do list, but a few things will look a little different this summer. And since there may be no Vacation Bible School (VBS) at your parish, why not try an at-home VBS with your children on the [...]

By Sister Ann Shield This month, we are going to do a bit of a different reflection. June is so rich with tremendous feasts: Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ) on June 19; the Feast of the Sacred Heart (June 24); and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (June [...]

By Sister Ann Shields Everyone asks themselves: What do I do with my life? We are free to choose whatever we wish, but, first, we should take time to ask the Lord in prayer: What do you will for me? How can I best use the gifts you have given me? Posing these questions to [...]

By Sheri Wohlfert Helping teens plan for life after high school is a mighty task. It’s mighty because it’s emotional for parents to think about their kids growing up and taking on the world. It’s mighty because society has given teens a pretty tilted view of what success and future success look like. I’d like [...]