John the Baptist spent his adult life preparing the way for Jesus, and proclaiming that “the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.”. He was born to Zachary and Elizabeth, an elderly married couple. The Angel Gabriel had visited Zachary and told him that his wife would bear a child, …

This column previously explained researching and documenting your ancestors. Now, it’s time to delve into genealogical resources at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Archives (resources.catholicaoc.org/offices/archives). GENEALOGY RESOURCES Sacramental records are one component of the archdiocesan archives. To protect privacy, baptism and marriage records are closed for 100 years after sacramental reception; …

“In every age and culture, communities have raised up men and women who lived saintly lives in the movements of their day. In every continent, the Church has canonized men and and women to whom we can acknowledge the possibility for everyone to aspire to live as excellent witnesses of …

Father Aloysius Gerdes was not expected to recover from surgery during St. John the Baptist Church’s construction, but he said he’d be back for another 20 years—and he was! Pastor for 46 years until his death in 1942, Father Gerdes presided over 488  marriages, 688 funerals and 2,080 baptisms. 1872 …

Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). In his effort to show us the true meaning of “purity of heart,” Pope St. John Paul II meditated on Christ’s words in the gospels before pondering St. Paul’s teaching. …

by Lisa Fletcher It takes a village to raise a Family—of Parishes. The head of that village is the pastor, who, through the Beacons of Light transition, was given the responsibility of care and leadership of his parishes. As Father Martin Fox, pastor of St. John Paul II Family of …

In rural South Sudan, there are few places where people from rival tribes can come together in peace and openness. As a South Sudanese, Comboni Missionary Father Louis Okot was aware of this division when he was assigned to the Lomin Mission in Kejo-keji, where he provided pastoral care at …

God our Father, We give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old. We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation; May they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice. We pray for our own Fathers around the world whose children …

My life’s greatest regret happened during a baseball game my nine-year-old son was playing in. It’s a day I hate to remember, and yet I can’t forget it. Bottom of the last inning, my son’s team was up by one run, with runners on second and third base and two …