During World War I, Pope Benedict XV made repeated, but forlorn, pleas for peace. Finally, in May 1917, he made a direct appeal to the Blessed Mother to intercede for peace in the world. Just over a week later, Our Lady began to appear at Fatima, Portugal, to three shepherd children: Lucia dos Santos, age [...]

Story by Joe Pisani I suppose it’s a measure of my intelligence that I find some of the deepest thinking on bumper stickers. In fact, I’d rather read bumper stickers than plod through Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, or Stephen Hawking. Who wants to spend hours, trying to get through a 400-page tome when you can be [...]

Feast Day: May 16 By Jan Rynearson One of the great leaders of Irish Christianity, Brendan was born in Ireland around 464. He was raised by St. Ita, after which he completed his education with the bishop of Kerry. As St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, monastery life became a popular vocation, and Brendan became a [...]

By Michelle DiFranco A short time ago, I met up with a couple of friends for coffee at a small café, and ordered an egg tart. I wasn’t too excited about my choice, but it ended up being really tasty, so I went home to search online for recipe ideas to make my own. I [...]

By Veronica Szczygiel I think that if we asked any mother what she wanted most for her child, she would likely answer, “to be happy.” Mary, as Jesus’ mother and, by extension, our own mother, wants the same for each of us, with one addition – to be happy and holy. For us as Christians, [...]

By Sister Ann Shields May is traditionally the month in the calendar year set apart for special devotion to Mary. But as you can see from the list of feast days below, almost all of the months celebrate some aspect of Mary’s life. What a way to honor our heavenly mother! But, sadly, I find [...]

By Michelle DiFranco May is an exciting time of year for my husband and me. Summer is around the corner, and we are in full planning mode for our outdoor space. May also happens to be the month of Our Lady, and, coincidentally, among our favorite of outdoor spaces is our Mary garden. A trellis [...]

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 [...]