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, …

By David Ramos ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 12, 2025 / 04:00 am Almost 500 years after the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe — whose feast the Church celebrates Dec. 12 — the image of Our Lady has become the subject of several popular myths and legends, especially in Mexico, where …

In 1531 a “Lady from Heaven” appeared to Saint Juan Diego, a poor Indian from Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City. She identified herself as the Mother of the True God and instructed him to have the bishop build a church on the site. As a sign for the …

By Courtney Mares Loreto, Italy, Dec 10, 2025 / 04:00 am What do Galileo, Mozart, Descartes, Cervantes, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux have in common? They all traveled hundreds of miles to step inside the Virgin Mary’s house, which is preserved inside a basilica in the small Italian town of Loreto. …

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 …

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 …

At the time of this writing, my family of seven plus two mutts are in an Airbnb in our own town. Two weeks ago, a small leak in our bathroom turned into the space being gutted from water damage. We were assigned project managers, contractors, and an adjuster to boot. …

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:

American actor Chris Pratt is currently filming a documentary on the Vatican Necropolis. Produced by Vatican Media, the Fabric of St Peter, and AF Films, it will be released in 2026 for the 400th anniversary of the inauguration and dedication of the Basilica. Vatican News Filming is currently underway in …

Shayne Smith was born into a world of organized crime. He and his three brothers endured abuse at the hands of their step-father and ultimately took after him as full members in a motorcycle gang. Robbery and violent crime became their full-time jobs.  But then, Smith and his brothers chose …