There’s always a blend of sadness and excitement when I leave Cincinnati to return to my studies in Rome. It’s tough to leave home: family, parishioners, Skyline Chili, and the Midwest’s iconic seasons, especially the snowfalls (Rome only sees snow once every 10 years); but it is exciting and a …

 

Tip-Toe Twinkle, the name of our Elf on the Shelf, arrived in our house by surprise one December day a few years ago. For the remainder of the month, he would occasionally cause mischief about the house while we parents grumbled about the mess left behind. However, the next year, …

Catholics engage with their faith in bodily and material ways—not just genuflecting, kneeling, and making the sign of the cross but thumbing rosary beads, collecting holy cards, and praying before statues and artwork. Unlike members of some non-Catholic faith traditions, Catholics have long fostered a kind of tactile piety. But …

From Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology: God willing, I will be ordained a deacon at the end of this school year, a big step on the road to the priesthood. That milestone feels both exciting and humbling, and it’s possible because of the people and experiences that …

Three years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While in Bethlehem, I was deeply moved by a reflection on Luke’s Gospel. Standing in the fields where the shepherds once stood, I imagined myself alongside those shepherds, encountering the angels. As I …

After eight years of serving as executive director of St. Vincent de Paul in Dayton, Michael Vanderburgh’s last day was yesterday. We are grateful for his servant leadership as he shepherded the organization through unimaginable challenges from the Memorial Day tornadoes to a global pandemic. Through it all, he prioritized …

In honor of Saint Nicholas, here’s two videos about the life of this Saint from Catholic.org, and the longer video entitled History of real Saint Nicholas:

Hope is a funny thing. Most people think of it like a wish… “I hope the traffic isn’t bad.” “I hope the Bengals win.” “I hope it doesn’t rain.” But real Christian hope isn’t a feeling or a wish. It’s a conviction. St. Augustine once said that hope has two …