Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so …

Deacon Willard “Bill” Brunsman, a deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, died on September 28, 2025 at the age of 89. Deacon Brunsman was ordained September 26, 1976 by Archbishop Joseph Bernardin. He served the Archdiocese as a permanent deacon for forty-nine years. Upon ordination, he was assigned to St. …

by Marybeth Sproull It’s common to see a squirming child during Mass and to smile. Perhaps you offer a prayer for the parents doing their best to corral the child’s energy. Some children outgrow their Mass wiggles, but some retain for life that inability to focus or sit still. It’s …

Two of the most intriguing women characters in all of world literature are the eponymous protagonists of Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina (1878) and Sigrid Undset’s trilogy Kristin Lavransdatter (1920, ’21, and ’22). Both novels deal with similar themes: Christian faith, wealthy families, stormy marriages, and the cultural and social …

Each spring across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, remarkable stories quietly unfold in high schools— stories of young people and educators who see a need and respond with compassion, creativity, and persistence. This year’s Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Award recipients embody what it means to live as missionary disciples in …

In June 2025, a Franklin County judge ruled Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship program unconstitutional. The program had expanded statewide in 2023 and remains in place during the appeals process, but the decision introduced uncertainty for families and schools across the archdiocese that rely on the scholarship. This past May, Kent Halaby …

For decades, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Girl Scouts of Western Ohio have worked together in the character and leadership development of young girls. At the present moment, however, we find ourselves with areas of significant differences.  The Catholic Church is a religious organization, and Girl Scouts is a secular organization. Nevertheless, …

This book review starts with a two-part quiz: In the New Testament (1) what is the earliest appearance of the words in the Consecration of the Eucharist, and (2) who said them? If your answer is (1) one of the synoptic Gospels as the earliest appearance and (2) Jesus—of course!—is …

At the moment of , the most marvelous and terrifying event occurs, we are drafted into military service. Just as a civilian’s status changes to “Active Military” as soon as he or she begins Basic Training, so too do we become soldiers of Christ and full-fledged members of the Church …