Catholic Life

Sinner or saint, perfect we ain’t!

Portrait of 20th Century Ukrainian Martyr as Bishop Nykyta Budka

Ukrainian Catholic Martyr Blessed Nykyta Budka: Die with your Boots on

The rugged life of Ukrainian Catholic Martyr Blessed Nykyta Budka (1877–1949) shows that Christianity and grit run deep in the Ukrainian soul. When you read about the Eastern Rite saints who lived under Roman persecution, you might wonder if they were really as heroic as their biographers say they were. It was so long ago. …

Ukrainian Catholic Martyr Blessed Nykyta Budka: Die with your Boots on Read More »

St. Gianna Molla, happy, in her wedding dress

St. Gianna Molla Told her Future Husband “I Love You” First

St. Gianna Molla embraced life with gusto. She was adventurous and passionate by nature. Her oldest child, Pierluigi, remembers that his mother loved to drive fast. If the roads were clear she put the pedal to the metal. She was that way with love too. Whatever or whomever she loved, she loved daringly with her whole …

St. Gianna Molla Told her Future Husband “I Love You” First Read More »

Cartoon woman with unruly kids in church

Mass Cops

“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 …

Mass Cops Read More »

woman kneeling in confession

So, What Exactly ARE Your Sins? Let’s Talk Catholic Confession

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 »

Justice Antonin Scalia official portrait

Father Paul Scalia Remembers His Father

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 »

Giana Emanuela Molla talking to Susie Lloyd

A Visit with a First Class Relic, Gianna Emanuela Molla

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 »

Admonish the Sinner: An Unpopular Mercy

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 »

Scroll to Top