The student body, faculty and staff at our children’s Catholic school have experienced more than their fair share of devastating tragedies this past year. One staff member had a stroke; two lost their parents. A teacher’s niece died; a student’s parent passed away unexpectedly. There’s nothing anyone can say to …

Cultivating students’ personal, social and academic growth is the highest priority at Bishop Fenwick High School in Franklin, OH. As with all schools, it takes a village to support every student, and Fenwick’s president, Blane Collison, said counselors at Fenwick are vital to achieve this goal. They strive to support …

by Kary Ellen Barger “Never say never.” That phrase is true for Judy Back Gerwe, a Mount Notre Dame alumna and current president of the school. Gerwe always knew she wanted to be a teacher in a Catholic school, but leading one was not in her original plans as she …

To look at her picture on the cover of Hope: An Invitation, you would not think that Sr. Josephine Garrett — a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth—hails from what she described as a hopeless childhood. “I am a woman full of hope,” she states frankly …

by John Stegeman While some young adults lose their faith in college, others, like Rachel Hess, find it anew and share it with others. A graphic designer turned Director of Religious Education (DRE) for the St. Henry Family of Parishes in the archdiocese’s northwest corner, Hess first felt called to …

Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). The New Law of the Gospel given to us by Christ calls us to conversion of heart. External conformity to the moral law is not sufficient. God desires the whole …

If you have Catholic ancestors, many of your families’ “who, what, where, when and why” have been recorded since the late 16th century. Church records help link children to parents— which is exactly what genealogists seek to do when researching family lineage. Imagine the thrill of tracing your family through …

In June 2023, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (the “Board”) approved an application from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to create a virtual Catholic school, St. Isidore of Seville. Like all other virtual charter schools in Oklahoma, St. Isidore will be tuition free, …

What is the origin and meaning of the Sign of the Cross? The holiest of signs is the Sign of the Cross. As Catholics, we make it so often that perhaps we take it for granted. It is a profound and powerful act that invokes the Trinity, Jesus’ crucifixion, and …

What does the Church believe happened to the souls of those who lived before Christ? Many presume that those souls who lived before Jesus had no opportunity to attain heaven, but the Catholic Church teaches that salvation is a gift from God offered to all people. Those who lived before …