By Michelle DiFranco If there was ever a moment I desperately wanted on camera, it was when I discovered my daughter and niece taking part in a May crowning ceremony they had put together in our backyard. It was a pleasantly cool, sunny day in May, and I was getting dinner ready in the kitchen. [...]
By Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, and Father Charles Irvin The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the bedrock fact of our faith. It is the heart of the Good News about Jesus. The Easter triduum, which marks the end of Lent, begins at the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and spans three days [...]
By Father Dwight Ezop I hope your Lenten journey has gone well thus far and that your house is in better spiritual order. As we make our way to the conclusion of the season of Lent, I encourage you to take another step to make the celebration of the approaching season of Easter all the [...]
By Father Bill Ashbaugh Those who sow in tears Her silent tears fell down her cheeks. She had lost her child in early pregnancy a few months ago, and she was trying to be strong. She had come into the church that Sunday morning to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but in [...]
By Kathy Funk What is ham and kielbasa doing in an Easter basket? Well, ham and kielbasa, along with other items such as vinegar, butter and salt and pepper, have been found in Easter baskets long before chocolate bunnies and cellophane grass became familiar basket fillers. Polish Catholics began the tradition of filling baskets with [...]
By Father Joe Krupp I’m glad you asked that question: I know that, at first glance, the Holy Week schedule at church can seem quite intimidating and, because we aren’t sure what is happening there anyway, we may be tempted simply to skip it. I hope that, as I share with you each step of [...]
By Joe Pisani Throughout my life I’ve had a lot of “idols,” from Bob Dylan to Henry David Thoreau in my early years, and then Fyodor Dostoevsky and Charles Dickens, when my ambition was to become a literary giant … or maybe just a literary pygmy who made the bestseller list once in a while. [...]
Julia Kudewicz takes a break from her studies at the Catholic Center at Central Connecticut State University, located near St. Francis of Assisi Church in New Britain. Julia was awarded the 2021 St. Joseph Archdiocesan Medal of Appreciation for helping St. Francis of Assisi Parish live stream the Mass during the early days of [...]
By Fr. Dwight Ezop In just a few short weeks, we will mark the start of spring. As the days continue to grow warmer and longer, our thoughts will turn to getting gardens cleaned up and ready for planting, lawns will be raked and readied for their first spring haircut, and grills will be [...]