by Marybeth Sproull It’s common to see a squirming child during Mass and to smile. Perhaps you offer a prayer for the parents doing their best to corral the child’s energy. Some children outgrow their Mass wiggles, but some retain for life that inability to focus or sit still. It’s …

Two of the most intriguing women characters in all of world literature are the eponymous protagonists of Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina (1878) and Sigrid Undset’s trilogy Kristin Lavransdatter (1920, ’21, and ’22). Both novels deal with similar themes: Christian faith, wealthy families, stormy marriages, and the cultural and social …

Each spring across the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, remarkable stories quietly unfold in high schools— stories of young people and educators who see a need and respond with compassion, creativity, and persistence. This year’s Spirit of Sister Dorothy Stang Award recipients embody what it means to live as missionary disciples in …

In June 2025, a Franklin County judge ruled Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship program unconstitutional. The program had expanded statewide in 2023 and remains in place during the appeals process, but the decision introduced uncertainty for families and schools across the archdiocese that rely on the scholarship. This past May, Kent Halaby …

For collaboration between different religious traditions Let us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice, and human fraternity.

Little is known about the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents. Neither Joachim nor his wife, Anne, is mentioned in the Scriptures. They are, however, referenced in extra- Biblical sources like the Protoevangelium of James, a non- canonical text of unknown authorship that originated in the second century. This text is not …

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, When I think of Christ’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations,” I never imagined it would bring me to Trinidad and Tobago. I was born and raised in Maria Stein and spent my high school years involved in the Northern Vicariate …

As Alex walked home from St. James Middle School with his grandfather one fall afternoon, Grandpa could tell something was on Alex’s mind. “Everything went okay at school today?” Grandpa asked. “Yeah,” Alex replied. The two walked along in silence for a few moments. The one-word answer wasn’t lost on …

As a child, I shared a room with my younger brother. I have fond memories of waking up in the morning to the sound of our mother coming into our bedroom and pulling back the curtains on the window. She would sing to us, “Good morning! Time to rise and …

The first creation account in Genesis 1 is among the most misunderstood chapters in the Bible. The confusion comes less from the words on the page than from a prejudicial determination of what Genesis 1 is trying to tell us. But it is in its very literary form that the …