Dear Father: I have a question regarding godparents. It seems mandatory that a godparent be a Catholic. I could have a Catholic be a godparent and move three years after the baptism to another state. The child would only rarely see them, possibly only on holidays. I could ask a non-catholic …

A friend of mine began discerning priesthood soon after his First Communion. From the age of eight, he dreamed of the day when he could be a priest and celebrate Mass. This was not me. I did not consider a vocation to the priesthood until the end of my junior …

Un amigo mío comenzó a discernir el sacerdocio poco después de su Primera Comunión. Desde los ocho años soñaba con el día en que pudiera ser sacerdote y celebrar la Misa. Ese no era yo. No consideré la vocación al sacerdocio hasta el final de mi tercer año en la …

“The Body of Christ.” “Amen.” Step to the side. “The Body of Christ.” “Amen.” Step to the side… For most Catholics, this is the ritual at Mass. We are trained to, at the proper time, stand, fold up our kneeler, wait in line for our turn, receive Jesus, then walk …

By Andrea Tornielli “God’s mercy is our liberation and our happiness. We live for mercy, and we cannot afford to be without mercy. It is the air that we breathe. We are too poor to set any conditions. We need to forgive, because we need to be forgiven.” If there is …

For these past fifteen years it has been my great privilege to serve as the Archbishop of Cincinnati. With the acceptance of my resignation and the appointment of the next archbishop, an opportunity presents itself to reflect on these years of priestly ministry. This is a bittersweet moment for me. …

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “The desire for God is written in the human heart.” We long for God, for His grace. This echoes St. Augustine’s famous declaration to God that “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” I believe this to be …

She was sitting with three other ladies, also in wheelchairs, when I found her at the nursing home. She was over 100 years old. “We can’t do much anymore,” she said about herself and her friends. “I bet you can still pray,” I said. They nodded. “How about an ‘Our …

From: Vatican News After 38 days Pope Francis leaves the Gemelli Hospital. By Andrea Tornielli 38 days have gone by since February 14, when Pope Francis left the Vatican to be hospitalized at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital. These weeks have been challenging for an 88-year-old patient battling bilateral pneumonia. Medical …

In this Jubilee Year we can celebrate the way the liturgical year is divided. We have two regular seasons (Ordinary Time), two playoffs (Advent and Lent) and the championship games (Christmas and Easter). So while the nation is to be enthralled in March Madness, we are in the teeth of our …