The last Sunday in January marks the kickoff of National Catholic Schools Week, a time set aside by dioceses throughout our country to highlight the importance of faithful, integral Catholic formation and education to the salvific mission of the Church. During this week we also celebrate the feast days of …

On Christmas morning, in the opening prayer of the Mass at Dawn, we ask God to allow the light of faith, which radiates from the incarnate Word, to shine through in our deeds. This prayer reminds us of a beautiful truth: the gift of our faith is not something we …

Love in action. When you hear those words, what images come to mind? On a personal level, those words conjure up for me very concrete moments: of holding my children; of working so I can provide everything they need; of going on a walk with my spouse and listening while …

My wife and I attended Mass on a typical Sunday many years ago, but what happened that day was not typical—in fact, it changed our lives. Our pastor invited a parishioner, Joe, to share a personal witness about the importance of sacrificial giving. Until then, I thought people gave to …

I kept asking myself that question as I endeavored to write this column. Maybe it’s the thought of asking for something (even though we voluntarily and willingly give on a monthly basis). Maybe it’s because talking about money often makes people uncomfortable. In my quest to think more about stewardship …

En la mañana de Navidad, en la oración de apertura para la Misa de la Aurora, le pedimos a Dios que permita que la luz de la fe, que irradia del Verbo encarnado, brille en nuestras obras. Esta oración nos recuerda una hermosa verdad: el don de nuestra fe no …

A few weeks ago, a rather angry woman accosted me after Mass on a Sunday because I had spoken about Issue 1 during part of my homily. “Separation of Church and State!!” she yelled as she waved her finger at me. So I’d like to start my reflection there: separation …

Every day a scared pregnant woman walks into one of Ohio’s 130 pregnancy help centers. She may not have told a soul she is pregnant, or she may have already been scolded that she is too young, too poor, or too incompetent to parent. She may bring the baby’s father, …

In his encyclical Evangelium Vitae on the value and inviolability of human life, Pope St. John Paul II speaks about God’s call for each person to share in the fullness of life for all eternity with Him. Even during our life in this temporal, physical world, we participate in the …

An expectant mother can face many challenges, including lack of support from the father, financial strains, concerns about her own health and that of her child and pressures from family and friends. Every woman should be able to depend upon a community of support. That is why Catholic social service …