Feast of Saint John Paul II
Today is the feast of Pope St. John Paul II, who was pope from 1978 until his death in 2005. As the pope who served at the precipice of the third millennium and who declared the Jubilee year in 2000,...
Category: Feature
Maps and their uses
After switching from German, my language of choice for four years in high school, and taking Italian 101 to fulfill my college language requirement my freshman year, I spent my sophomore year in college in Rome. As an undecided liberal...
Feeding the Catholic Child’s Curiosity
When I was young, one of my favorite places in the house was the cushy, swivel chair right next to the built-in shelves in our living room. Because right at eye-level were my most favorite books including the World Book...
Reconciliation and Right Relationships
As both a high school teacher and parish catechist, I always looked forward to diving into the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some might call me slightly deranged, but I loved being bombarded by the whines and groans of adolescents who just...
The Camino Revisited – Part 5: Community and Hospitality
[Filed 2 October 2021 from the Madrid-Alicante train!] The traditional goal for the Catholic pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela, particularly in a Holy Year, is to visit the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great and gain the indulgences...
Responding to our woundedness and the bruises of daily life
I recently sang at the funeral of a much beloved parishioner who led a full, rich, purpose-driven life. “Celebration” and “Resurrection” were true and meaningful words to the 300 or 400 people who filled the church at noon the funeral...
The Camino Revisited—Part 4: “If God wishes it”
I originally set out to continue walking the Camino de Levante because it is the route that starts from my home province in southeast Spain. I wanted to connect home with the shrine of Saint James during this Xacobeo—the Compostela...
The Camino Revisited — Part 3: Dawn on the Way of Saint James
[Editor’s note: I was surprised when I awoke this morning with an email from Spain, sent to me by the author from a breakfast bar in El Toboso. So enjoy this bonus letter from the Camino. The next episode will...
“A-ha” moments in the journey of faith
Have you ever had an “a-ha” moment? Six decades on this earth have taught me two lessons about “a-ha” moments. One: when they arrive, pay attention. Two: when it passes, spend some time looking back and more deeply. This week’s...
The Camino Revisited – Part 2: Walking out of the dark
This and the next article are coming ‘live’ from the Camino de Santiago during the Compostela Holy Year, as I walk for two weeks across La Mancha to Toledo and possibly as far as Avila. As always on the Camino,...
Books to help Catholic parents teach the faith
I was that kid, even from a very young age. Every fifth word out of my mouth was “why”—why does this work the way it does, why did this happen, why can’t I do or be such and such. My...
The Camino Revisited – Part 1: A place I do not want to go
Everything feels wrong in the hermitage. Apart from the donkeys. They remain the same, with their usual routine and their daily needs, but above all they contribute their sane equine stoicism. They are very calm, centered animals: just what you...
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