It’s been about six week since my grandfather died, and little by little, I’ve been finding some peace.
The night I received the phone call from my mom, though, I felt a sense of panic that I wasn’t used to. It wasn’t grief initially, but fear. I was gripped with near-terror over...
In his apostolic letter “Door of Faith,” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI cites Vatican II’s frequently quoted teaching: “The Church . . . clasping sinner to its bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal” (Dogmatic Constitution on the...
It’s not surprising that Franciscan scholars and others who have spent a great deal of time studying and emulating the life of this saint dismiss what they refer to as the saint of the garden birdbaths, something of a fairy-tale figure in distinctive brown robe, usually surrounded by birds and woodland...
The first follower of St. Francis of Assisi was Bernard of Quintavalle. Bernard admired Francis and felt a deep desire to follow him. But before taking his first step to become a committed follower, Bernard wanted to make sure that Francis was truly a holy and pious man.
So Bernard came up with a plan. He...
Living in Ohio gives me the wonderful opportunity to enjoy the four seasons. I have to admit that I am a fair-weather fan, never liking it too hot or too cold. So spring is one of my favorite seasons. After a cold winter, I anxiously look for the signs of the warmer weather that spring brings.
This morning,...
On April 6, Pope Francis appointed Father Jose Rodriguez Carballo, OFM, as the Secretary for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, thus also naming him an archbishop. It was the pope’s first appointment within the Roman Curia.
Father Jose had been the...
