On my birthday in October, I learned that my grandfather, Bob, had fallen and had five broken ribs and a brain bleed. His prognosis was grim, and my heart was heavy. There were many ups and downs for over a month while we were left unsure of his life expectancy. …

I did not grow up Catholic, and living in the Bible Belt meant Catholicism was a bit of an anomaly. I’ll never forget the words of my former bishop, Most Rev. Michael Duca: “You’re not Catholic by accident in Shreveport, Louisiana!” My only early-life memory of Catholicism was of once …

I was blessed in July with the opportunity to attend the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) in Indianapolis. When scrolling through available talks, I gravitated to a series on “Renewal”—sessions directed toward those who work for the Church. While I certainly expected the wonderful advice that was shared about taking time …

This was a wonderful, albeit busy, summer for the U.S. Catholic Church. The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s Seton route processed through the Archdiocese of Cincinnati during July 1-8, followed by the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) in Indianapolis shortly thereafter. Across the country, NEC and its pilgrimage revitalized and evangelized faith in …

When I moved to Cincinnati five years ago, locals gave a brief overview of what to expect. For instance, there is a distinct difference between East-Siders and West-Siders, you don’t speak ill of Cincinnati chili, and goetta is delicious and needs to be sampled often. But perhaps, the most prominent …

While working at my previous diocese many years ago, a coworker and I talked about taking a pilgrimage. Overhearing the conversation, our bishop asked where we were going. After we tossed around ideas for Rome, he considered our words for a moment then said, “And what’s the purpose of your …

As I pondered what to say about the Eucharist for this issue of the magazine, I found that I was at a loss for words—I mean that both figuratively and literally. What can I possibly say that those well versed in the study of the Eucharist and theology have not …

“Let’s talk about Mary,” I said, sitting in the office of my former Director of Religious Education (DRE). While I discerned whether to convert to Catholicism, my husband and I met one-on-one with our parish DRE for a couple of months. I still had a few things to clear up …

My husband, Mark, and I sat in the dark room at the doctor’s office, excitedly waiting for the ultrasound technician to show us a glimpse of our first unborn child. The tech grabbed the wand, reached for the bottle of gel, asked me to roll up my shirt, and secured …

As I write this article, I’m surrounded by children with the flu. Coughing, fever, body aches and calls for more Tylenol and water have been part of our hourly routine for the past five days. Even now, I’m fighting off the inevitable congestion and body aches and know my time …