There’s always a blend of sadness and excitement when I leave Cincinnati to return to my studies in Rome. It’s tough to leave home: family, parishioners, Skyline Chili, and the Midwest’s iconic seasons, especially the snowfalls (Rome only sees snow once every 10 years); but it is exciting and a …

Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.” In his analysis of Ephesians 5:21-33, Pope St. John Paul II highlighted St. Paul’s use of analogy. This passage of Ephesians compares the relationship of Christian spouses with the relationship between …

Angel trembled with fear as she stood outside St. Vincent de Paul’s homeless shelter in Dayton. She wanted to turn around. She wished she had family members she could turn to who would help her. “I was scared to come to a place like this,” she said. “But now, I …

At the time of this writing, my family of seven plus two mutts are in an Airbnb in our own town. Two weeks ago, a small leak in our bathroom turned into the space being gutted from water damage. We were assigned project managers, contractors, and an adjuster to boot. …

Three years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While in Bethlehem, I was deeply moved by a reflection on Luke’s Gospel. Standing in the fields where the shepherds once stood, I imagined myself alongside those shepherds, encountering the angels. As I …

Catholics engage with their faith in bodily and material ways—not just genuflecting, kneeling, and making the sign of the cross but thumbing rosary beads, collecting holy cards, and praying before statues and artwork. Unlike members of some non-Catholic faith traditions, Catholics have long fostered a kind of tactile piety. But …

As Tamara (pseudonym) drove to her abortion appointment, the radio played an ad for Pregnancy Center Plus (PCPlus). Her eyes welled with tears. In that moment, she changed course and drove directly to PCPlus. She was 12-weeks pregnant, her boyfriend had recently died in a car crash, and she was …

The 2025 Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope” has prompted record-breaking numbers of faithful Catholics from all over the world to flock to the Eternal City. Add to those numbers 42 people from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who were led there recently by Archbishop-Emeritus Dennis M. Schnurr. The 11-day Holy Year …

When Kathy Bendall reflects on her life, she does so with a sense of gratitude, peace, and earnestness in her speech. Her story is not defined by her mistakes; rather, it is evidence that by grace her heart was reshaped into new purposes. Bendall highlights the mercy of God and …

In a visually saturated world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and become desensitized to beauty. Visio Divina, Latin for “divine seeing,” encourages us to slow down and engage in visual contemplation, using art as a profound tool for connecting with the Divine. A Guide to Visio Divina Begin by making …