ARCHDIOCESAN PRISON MINISTRY There was a time in Kathy Bendall’s life when she questioned not only her faith, but her very worth. She credits Catholic prison ministry with helping to restore both. Raised Catholic, Bendall’s faith was challenged as a child amid family issues of alcoholism and constant arguments. “I …

Youth and parishioners are coming together at Our Lady of Lavang Vietnamese Community to both encourage each other and support the greater Cincinnati community. It began last fall when Father Vincent Pham Minh Châu, the parish priest, suggested reviving the church’s youth program. Twenty years earlier there had been a …

As Catholics, we love our saints. We have a patron saint for just about everyone. Barkeepers (St. Amand), fireworks manufacturers (St. Barbara), mule drivers (St. Limbania) and dog handlers (St. Hubert of Liege) all have their designated saints. Name an occupation, medical condition, state in life or source of difficulty …

Married only six months, we learned we were expecting our first child, but were both working at low-paying jobs while searching for full-time careers. Of course, the news brought complete joy and overwhelming excitement! But we admit to feeling stress too. Thousands of questions ran through our minds as we …

Years ago, Milwaukee’s auxiliary bishop spoke to the confirmation class at the parish where I was a youth minister and opened the floor to questions. A student asked, “What is the purpose and meaning of life?” Perhaps the youth tried to stump the bishop, who answered without missing a beat, …

This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). I began several months ago to explore the three “original experiences” Pope St. John Paul II pondered in his Theology of the Body. In these reflections, we saw that the original …

The following is a statement from the provincial ministers of six provinces belonging to the Order of Friars Minor in the United States regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Feb. 24, 2022 — We are horrified at the unfolding violence in Ukraine and the death and destruction unleashed on the …

Photos by Jeff Unroe

Just before Christmas, I gratefully received the book Shreveport Martyrs of 1873: The Surest Path to Heaven, which recalls the Yellow Fever epidemic that devastated Shreveport, LA, wiping out one-fourth of its population. As the Daily Shreveport Times stated: “Whole families were swept away, and commercial firms, partners and clerks, …

by Susie Bergman Growing up around Dayton, David Burkhardt frequently heard of the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, but never explored it. In 2019, his wife, Somporn Mary, was diagnosed with lung cancer and, throughout her journey, he introduced her to the Catholic faith and reacquainted himself with …