July’s saint may have a funny name but let me tell you, Saint Olha (890 – 969) was no joke. Just ask the Drevlians. They murdered her husband so she murdered them — 5,000 of them. Mafia style. That was before her conversion to Christianity. Olha, whose feast day is July 11, was a Viking […]
Saint Olha: Mafia Godmother Read More »
“Was it your child we could hear ALL during Mass?” the lady demanded to know. She took me by surprise. Who was this person? I’d never seen her before at the Latin Mass. I blinked a few times to adjust to this rare greeting. Then it became clear: she was talking about two-year-old Joe. It had
It took me twelve years to complete this modesty article. Why the rush? Let’s just say I enjoy this topic about as much as men enjoy talking about childbirth. Would it surprise you to learn that I’m not alone? Many of my friends feel the same way. I’m not talking about my neighbors who wash the car
How to Teach Modesty Modest-ly Read More »
How do these conversations get started? My seatmate on the flight was a sixteen year old cowboy named Cody. The flight attendant had come around handing out wine which I accepted with delight. Traveling stresses me out. Cody, who looked twenty-five, said no thanks. “I don’t drink,” he told me. “I’m a Christian.” “I do,”
So, What Exactly ARE Your Sins? Let’s Talk Catholic Confession Read More »
We all have our plans but God has his. Read about St. Patapius, an early Christian hermit gathered crowds wherever he went and became a reluctant celebrity. It always happens. You go off to be by yourself and the kids find you. You just want to pray and savor the silence but it’s, “Can you
Saint Patapius: Early Christian Hermit and Reluctant Celebrity Read More »
There is just too much to tell about this month’s saint so let’s start with the one thing no Catholic can resist, a gift shop. If you are a fan of St. Bernadette of Lourdes, you probably own a little plastic bottle of miraculous healing water. Mine is shaped like the Virgin Mary and was
Saint Menas: Bottled Miracle Water Read More »
“Hey, when are we going to have that Shakespeare party again? That was fun!” Kid audience member. “You rock!” Adult audience member. “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” Teenage boy on chair. “Where are the tomatoes?” Adult audience member who later played Shylock. Go figure. “This is MY cup of tea!” Joseph Pearce, best selling author and
Shakespeare Party Testimonials Read More »
Shakespeare Karaoke FAQ’s Where do you find this party? You host it! It goes anyway from your church social hall to your homeschool co-op to your own backyard on a midsummer night. How about your next family reunion? Or a theme birthday party? It’s a little like downloading a mystery dinner party. How much lead
Shakespeare Karaoke FAQ’s Read More »
On February 13, 2016, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a man of tremendous influence in the world, unexpectedly passed from it – into eternity. His son, Father Paul Scalia, a priest with the Diocese of Arlington (Virginia), celebrated his funeral Mass. Standing before Justice Scalia’s family, friends, and peers in the Basilica of the National
Father Paul Scalia Remembers His Father Read More »
Alejandro Monteverde is a pro at making little things big. He’s the voice and direction behind the magic of Bella, a small-budget film that surprised even him by winning the biggest award at the Toronto Film Festival in 2006. Monteverde’s second film is Little Boy. It may also be a small-budget film, but it boasts some
An Interview with Catholic Film Director, Alejandro Monteverde Read More »
I’ve kissed a lot of relics as a Catholic, but one never kissed me back – until now. I’m talking about the daughter of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Gianna Emanuela Molla, who is in attendance at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia all week (this article originally appeared in The National Catholic Register, 9-24-15),
A Visit with a First Class Relic, Gianna Emanuela Molla Read More »
Mother Teresa passed into eternal life in 1997. Many people had the good fortune to meet her personally, (like Susan Conroy, pictured) but I never did. Or did I? On a family visit to Washington, D.C., in 2007, our missionary friend, Patrick, took us to an AIDS hospice run by Mother Teresa’s order, the Missionaries of Charity.
Meeting Mother Teresa of Calcutta Read More »
Who was this lady of refinement, so different from the Belgian farmer turned priest, who dared waste herself in that forsaken place?
St. Marianne Cope: Mother of the Lepers Read More »
The people on Hotel Impossible are all alike. They are hard working people with a simple dream: like running all the operations of a hotel even though they’ve never even been to a slumber party. They tend to make the same mistakes over and over – because they’re so good at them. Reminds me of
Homeschool Impossible: The Clutter Episode Read More »
I love being middle aged. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t love the mousy gray hair which loiters at my temples, even though Miss Clairol and I kick it out every ten weeks. I don’t love my matching set of grandma hands – why oh why didn’t I soak my hands in Ivory dish detergent
Why I Love Middle Age Read More »
Some spiritual works of mercy are more popular than others. “Comfort the Sorrowful” and “Counsel the Doubtful,” for example, have their own line of greeting cards with flowers and small, fuzzy animals on them. People buy them by the millions. But then there’s “Admonish the Sinner.” Has anybody bothered testing the market for this one?
Admonish the Sinner: An Unpopular Mercy Read More »
Do we really get Mother Mary? We know God made her perfectly sinless. She needed to be perfect, because Jesus would take his human nature from her. That’s why she was humble, meek, and so, so good. And that’s where we get stuck. Everybody focuses on Mary’s goodness. Some see her as a model disciple
The Genius of Mother Mary Read More »
If you haven’t read P. G. Wodehouse, you have no right to say that you have lived and you really should remove such claims from your business card. What matters it, if you have read the entire Summa backwards in Latin, or the Complete Works of that Bard chappie, Will Something Something. Sir Pelham Grenville
The Pointless Peerless P. G. Wodehouse Read More »