“Prayer is a launching of the heart toward God.” – St. Thérèse of Lisieux I have a front row seat to intense suffering these days. A friend just delivered a stillborn son. Another friend’s husband was laid off just months after they moved out of state for his job. Still …

Why is St. Peter considered the first pope? The apostle Peter has long been recognized in Catholic tradition as the first pope, having been given a unique leadership role by Christ himself. It is believed that after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter traveled to Rome where he became the local …

Editor’s Note: Father Joseph Beckman passed away on Monday, July 19. Funeral Arrangements are pending. This article appeared in our Bicentennial Edition. World War II veteran. Journalist. Advocate for the poor. World traveler. As he approaches his 100 birthday, Father Joseph Beckman, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s oldest living priest, reflects …

Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). Last month I raised the problem of shamelessness and how, in the face of concupiscence, a healthy sense of shame is essential in preserving the dignity of the human body …

Isaiah 25:6 is perhaps the keynote scriptural passage accounting for Heaven as a great banquet: “On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines,” declares the prophet. Isaiah associates this feast with the reconciliation and salvation of …

The faithful of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati rejoiced today, May 20, 2023, as Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr ordained seven men to the priesthood. The ordination Mass took place at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Downtown Cincinnati. The seven men are: Patrick Blenman, Isaiah …

“God, today is like any other. The sun rises. The winds blow. Rain falls. Rain does not fall. People are born. They laugh. They cry. They dance. They die. Today “chronos” time is as it has been since You gave it beginning, and will be as it is until you …

Editor’s note: Ordination 2023 will be Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains Patrick Blenman Coming from a family of six, I grew up in Sidney, OH, and attended Holy Angels Church. My parents were attentive to bringing us up in …

May is a month of transitions. Children celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer break. College students return home or perhaps begin an internship related to their area of study. Families gather for First Communion and Mother’s Day celebrations and look forward to upcoming vacations. …

Explore the traditions of this joyous time in pictures For coverage of the 2021 ordination, click here. This article first appeared online in May 2018. Tradition of the first blessing Waiting to receive a blessing from a new priest is a longstanding ordination day tradition. After Mass, the new priests …