St. Joseph Church, outside Fort Recovery, has witnessed growth and change since its founding in 1839. Through it all the parish held their patron saint in high esteem and rallied around his strong example of faith, continuing the church’s care to this day, including its century-old ceiling mural honoring St. …

Reverend James J. O’Connor died on May 4, 2022, in Celina, Ohio. He was born on June 26, 1928, in Fayetteville, Ohio. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West, Norwood. He was ordained on August 22, 1954, …

When I was a child, my family prayed the rosary daily, but during June, the month when we honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we prayed the “Sacred Heart Rosary.” This version substitutes, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine,” for the Lord’s Prayer, and …

This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). For several months, I reflected on the “original experiences” explored by Pope St. John Paul II in his Theology of the Body (TOB). Before moving on to other aspects of TOB, …

May Crowning is a longstanding tradition in the Catholic Church, when children don their First Communion attire or Sunday best, gather to sing for the Blessed Mother, present her with spring’s first flowers and crown her with a small wreath of blossoms. It’s a joyous occasion, typically held at schools …

In Amanda Ocariz’s language arts class at Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School in Liberty Township, students learn what it means to be an upstander. “The bystander is someone who stands by and watches. The upstander stands up and does something,” said Ocariz. The books her seventh and eighth graders read …

Ten years ago, my friend was preparing to move to Baltimore. Before the move, she made a request: “Mom is getting a little forgetful. Could you look in on her and bring her Communion?” I agreed and each Friday I met with a remarkable mother of eight who raised her …

I never thought of my mom as a single mother but, objectively, she was. My parents divorced when I was nine. From then on, it was just my older sister, my younger brother and me living at home with Mom. Maybe it was because Dad was still around and we …

We must never lose sight of the basics of our faith. Faith in Jesus Christ, prayer and devotion are about as basic as you get. Religious devotions are little “snacks” for our souls so we can make it through the day with the help of the Lord, His Blessed Mother …