Every year church sanctuaries around the world mirror our hearts as they prepare to receive the newborn King. Red poinsettias, flickering candles and the smell of fresh evergreen are reminders of the joyous season. To make that possible, many parishes have a dedicated group of sacristans and decorators who donate …

My brothers and I, who normally don’t get along, prayed together. My last chemo treatment is done. We are going to figure out a way to help your child at school. I’m finally able to fly and see you after having to cancel twice because of the pandemic. He got …

I traveled to Iceland in August. After years of wishing, planning and saving, I was at last on board a 757 headed east to Reykjavik, to start a six-day solo trip across the Icelandic south coast. During my years of preparation, the trip became a beacon of hope. When overwhelmed …

I heard that during Advent’s final days the “O Antiphons” are prayed as part of Evening Prayer. What are these antiphons? As Catholics go through the liturgical year, no day is the same as another. As you mention in your question, one example of this variation is the “O Antiphons,” …

by Mary Farrow Denver Newsroom, Dec 9, 2021 / 15:00 pm For the past 16 years, Elf on the Shelf has become a tradition, both hated and loved, for families in the days leading up to Christmas. Based on a book and accompanying doll, the elf is a scout for …

Friday, November 26 – Saturday, December 25 Franciscan Christmas 2021 St. Francis Seraph Courtyard, Liberty & Vine Sts., Cincinnati 45202 This year the displays of A Franciscan Christmas are coming back to the church and friary. The nativities from around the world will be displayed in church in the alcoves …

In the U.S., we often refer to the time frame spanning Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day as “the holidays.” In reference to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is indeed appropriate to think of the two holidays as joined by a common leitmotif of giving and receiving. Thanksgiving is, obviously, the day …

CINCINNATI – December 2, 2021 – St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati will host its second winter coat distribution of the season on Saturday, December 4, from 9am to noon at the Central Parkway YMCA (1105 Elm Street). All members of the media are invited to attend. The event is …

One of our great treasures as Catholics is the rhythm of the Church calendar in which the hopeful message of God’s great love for us is renewed each year in a way that is familiar yet always new. A new Church year has just begun with the First Sunday of …

St. Andrew Nov. 30 The scriptural stories of St. Andrew the Apostle are compelling. He was the first to tell his brother St. Peter about Jesus. Fishing alongside Peter, the two abandoned their work when Christ beckoned them to be “fishers of men.” Later, when Jesus chose His 12 disciples, …