Some Catholic traditions are strange. After all, our “big tent” of traditions includes relics—oftentimes the body parts of saints—apparitions, weeping statues...
Saints
According to no less an authority than Etsy, the patron saint of cats is a woman named Gertrude of Nivelles. Not to be confused with St. Gertrude the Great (of...
My friend Teresa tells an endearing story of her second-grade self beaming with pride as she returned home from school one day carrying a picture of St...
On the desk in my home study sit several objects that point to various aspects of my journey of faith. There is an icon depicting the raising of Lazarus, a...
You may have seen the meme on social media: “A Muslim, a Jew, a pagan, and an atheist all walk into a coffee shop. They laugh and joke, drink coffee, and...
I was born in a Little Italy in upstate New York, where my aunt and uncle ran a small grocery and a large apartment building. When I was 5, my uncle gave me a...
I believe in the communion of saints. These words take flesh in the early morning quiet of my apartment. I sink into the worn recliner and flip open my Bible...
My 15-year-old daughter has recently begun asking how my day was at work. The first day she asked, I stammered an answer, “Um. Fine. I had some meetings.” As...
The great fun of being a Catholic catechist is that people treat you like the Answer Lady. They turn to you in all sincerity and ask: “What does the Bible have...
St. Benedict is a wise guide and presence in my life through the teachings he left in his Rule for monasteries. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy and died at...
