The chipper customer service rep at Enterprise Truck Rental handed me the keys to the van and said, “SO, what are we hauling today?” I smiled. “Actually … my mother’s body to a monastery in New Mexico, where we’re burying her. Well, in her coffin that I built … not just her body.” The pause Read More…

Now that the Tokyo Olympics are over, you might be wanting to bring a little healthy competitive spirit to your own family or parish. While you might not be quite up to the same level as Simone Biles or Katie Ledecky, these Catholic Family Games require a myriad of different talents. These events are perfect Read More…

Have you finished your school shopping? Did you get the right color folders or the ugly ones that left both you and your child crying in the Target parking lot? Don’t worry, the tears are probably more about summer being over and the change of routine than they are about the getting the folders right. Yes, Read More…

In July, my family was able to attend the funeral of a priest friend’s grandmother.  After listening to her loved ones share memories of their time with their Nana, my normally stoic 11-year-old was impressed. “Wow, everyone should have a Nana like that!” he remarked.   One thing was very clear about this grandmother: she loved her Read More…

Today marks the 800-year anniversary of the death of St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order. The Spanish saint was known for his preaching of the Word at a time when there was great disharmony in the Church. The saint gathered followers who embraced his passion for living an apostolic way of life, And Read More…

The pandemic has left many “fathers and mothers who struggle to set the table for their children,” Pope Francis lamented last year in June. “The Jesus the Divine Worker Fund” has been established “for them, and not only for them,” he said, referring to his decision “as bishop of Rome … to establish the ‘Jesus Read More…

The official image of the 10th World Meeting of Families, to be held in Rome from June 22 -26, 2022, was unveiled by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life in a press release dated July 28, 2021. This work bears witness to the close ties that unite the family and the Church. This Read More…

With the feast of St. Ignatius Loyola just around the corner, we thought we’d take a look at the founder of the Jesuits, and how his teachings can enrich you and your family today and for years to come. Considering that St. Ignatius only discovered his faith and love for God in his late 30s, Read More…

Have you ever considered that a third of the Apostles were siblings? With two sibling sets — John and his brother James; Peter and his brother Andrew — four of the Twelve had a brother to call on (or argue with) as they followed the Master. Surely we can learn a lot from reflecting on Read More…

When Joel Wegener’s daughter Mary Kate told him that her dream was to work with him, the devoted dad of 10 did his best to make it happen. With his two adult children who have Down syndrome, Wegener founded “Special Neat Treats” in the spring of 2021. The siblings and their dad are doing the Read More…

It’s the feast of saints and siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus! There are several other sets of canonized siblings—Benedict and Scholastica, Cyril and Methodius, and Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa come to mind—but it’s still uncommon for siblings to be canonized and share a feast day.  In a way, though, this unusual circumstance Read More…

Christians have been celebrating Sts. Joachim and Anne, whose feast day is July 26, since the dawn of Christianity. And rightly so, since Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are partially responsible for the dawn of Christianity.  But their lives have a special message for us in the 21st century. 1. Read More…