As facilitator of my parish spiritual book club, I am always looking for books to discuss that promise to inform and inspire. Father Robert Hater’s latest book, The Parish Guide to the New Evangelization: An Action Plan for Sharing the Faith, does both.

Few Catholics following the events of the conclave that elected Pope Francis can forget the pontiff’s first public appearance. Standing above St. Peter’s Square, he addressed us as brothers and sisters, and acknowledged the surprise of many that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had been elected pope.

Recently, while working in a parish to get the public school kids to sign up for Sunday morning religion classes, a young mom looked at me with a face of a woman about to panic. Overwhelmed, she said, “I can’t manage one more thing. We had three soccer games this …

As I write this, I am currently attending the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors convention in Dallas. It is a week of formation, learning, friendship and sharing of stories regarding how the work of vocations is going across the country.

It’s a sight that fills every cradle Catholic with dread: Walking into church for Mass the first few pews are not only filled, but nicely dressed people are seated in them. Trouble. Something’s not right. Looking more closely the culprit is spied—a baby. Infant Baptism. Are you kidding me? Mass …

By John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph  Catholic youth athletics and Catholic youth ministry are often two separate entities. In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati a major diocesan initiative is underway to help merge those sometimes competing groups into a cohesive unit. In addition to those efforts is the work of an …

By Patricia McGeever For The Catholic Telegraph  If you ask Geraldina Jeronimo, 6, what she likes about the first grade, she will tell you “reading and writing.” When prompted, she adds, “recess.” Geraldina attends Holy Family School in Price Hill and her parents are thrilled she’s there. “It’s very important …

By John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph  Leaders from business, faith and law communities came together Aug. 28 for a pair of roundtable discussions on immigration at the Freedom Center in downtown Cincinnati. The event was sponsored by the Bibles, Badges, and Business (BBB) network, an alliance of conservative business, law …

A Letter from The Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, In his World Mission Sunday message for 2013, Pope Francis writes, “Everyone should be able to experience the joy of being loved by God, the joy of salvation! It is a gift …

Question: Why do Catholics care about the difference between a natural and a Sacramental Marriage? Answer: With all the confusion these days about what constitutes a marriage, it’s no wonder that there is further puzzlement when we speak of marriages as sacramental.