Posts Tagged

Jessica Rinaudo

It’s the question we ask when those we care about are overwhelmed. Whether in celebration or in mourning those we love want to make things easier. And what’s the first form of help that usually comes to mind? If you’re like me, your brain probably locked onto food. Food is …

For retiring superintendent Susie Gibbons, Catholic education has been with her nearly every step of her life. From attending Catholic grade school, high school and college, to teaching, administering, then leading the charge for the fourth largest Catholic school system in the U.S., Gibbons has done it all. Her vocational …

Do you remember what it was like to be a teenager? I ask myself this question at least once a week. My oldest is only one year from entering her teens, and already I find myself trying, and often failing, to remember my own experiences at that age—maybe, it’s because …

Suffering looks different for everyone. For some it’s going to a job every day that they hate, for others it’s battling mental illness and for many it’s a physical injury or illness. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of suffering, it’s a topic we can all, unfortunately, relate …

Lent looks a little different this year thanks to social distancing and health and safety protocols. And while some parishes will keep their fish fries going by means of carry out and drive-thru options, many churches are opting to skip this year’s Lenten tradition. But all hope is not lost! …

If you’re anything like me, when you hear the word “evangelization,” you tend to immediately curl up on yourself and consider hiding under a table. The term can conjure images of mega-churches, religious pamphlets and people approaching me to talk about religion and make me uncomfortable. That’s not a great …

Rick Brandell, a member of St. Maximilian Kolbe parish in Liberty Township, was inspired to write a children’s book about faith while praying the Rosary one day. He mulled over that seed of inspiration for six months before deciding it was time to act. “The idea was that I should …

“In every age and culture, communities have raised up men and women who lived saintly lives in the movements of their day. In every continent, the Church has canonized men and and women to whom we can acknowledge the possibility for everyone to aspire to live as excellent witnesses of …

“What made you decide to convert to Catholicism?” This is one of the main questions I’m asked when people find out I’m a convert, especially friends in Catholic circles. There are a lot of factors I can point to in response. I married a cradle Catholic who had a reversion …

She was 19 years old when she found out she was pregnant. Afraid of disappointing her parents, Sarah (name changed to protect identity) and her boyfriend decided to abort their child. “We were in quick and then the baby was gone,” she said, “and it was something I never talked …