A few weeks ago more than 70,000 people live and more than 100 million at home watched the Baltimore Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers in a classic Super Bowl contest. My wife and I on the other hand didn’t see a single snap. It’s not that we don’t like …

Dear Friends in Christ, From the time that we were very young, perhaps too young to fully understand the words, we have known that Lent is a penitential season. Throughout these 40 days of preparation for Easter, the church calls us to a sober re-examination of our lives and our …

In April of 2005 when Blessed John Paul II passed from this world, it was a totally new experience for me.  I was less than one year ordained to the priesthood, but yet I had never known another name to be prayed during his spot in the Eucharistic Prayer.  (I …

In response to Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement Monday, I give my take on the Paul Harvey classic speech “So God made a farmer” as used in the Ram Truck Super Bowl commercial.   So God made a Pope And some time considerably after the 8th day, God looked down on …

By Sister Mary Ann Barnhorn February 2013 Monthly Reflection We are deep into winter here in the Midwest.   It’s cold and dark and damp.  We tend to isolate ourselves in these months, staying warm and safe within the walls of our houses.  We feel alone.   Sometimes we feel …

From the Greater Catholic League to Xavier and Dayton universities’ athletic programs, sports are a major part of life for people in this archdiocese. The appeal of athletics is not limited to Catholics, of course, but our faith allows us to view competition in special way. Sports fans have been …

I’m a sinner. That’s the theme of every Lent. I’m a sinner. I have failed. I have fallen. I can go into “reasons.” I can justify my sin. I can say “Well, I wasn’t so bad, at least I’m not like dude down the street.” I can rank order the …

Driving home this past weekend from visiting my in-laws, the highway had grown increasingly flat and monotonous. Even with the window down and radio on, I was starting to tire. What I needed was a caffeine boost to get me through the last hour and a half of the drive …

It is dangerous when beginning something new, such as this column, to enter an area as controversial as the sacred liturgy. I received the following question from a man from Dayton: “The Eucharist is about intimacy with Christ. Would our hearts minds and souls be better served if music ministries …

I attended Catholic grade school in the halcyon years when pastors wondered where they were going to put so many children. Our playground was so crowded the older boys were assigned a driveway that curved past a side entrance to the church and the rectory main entrance. We played unruly …