I have one living grandparent. My mother’s father is a spry 97-year-old who still makes the trip between his home in New York and his sisters’ home county of Donegal, Ireland. The stories he tells are a charming weave of Irish exaggeration and straight facts, though it’s occasionally hard to …

“What do you do with a broom when you are finished sweeping? You put it back where it belongs, behind the door.” This is the response St. Bernadette gave when asked about the many apparitions she received in the year 1858. This simple, frail young girl was just 14 when …

I recently received real help in the thick of a personal difficulty. The support came from a dear friend, who happily gave of herself so I could experience restoration. This kind of help calls for self-sacrifice and encountering real pain, but ultimately yields a deeper love and understanding for the …

The core problem underlying end of life care, and our treatment of the aged and medically vulnerable in our society, is a lack of love. Our failure to love, individually and societally, defies our Lord’s desire for us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. As Pope St. John …

“Confident that great good may be done in this city by the establishment of a female orphan asylum under your zealous and charitable care, I have written to the Rev. Mr. L. Deluol of Baltimore, your Superior, to beg him 3 or 4 of your pious Sisters who are well …

“Everyone gets a Jesus welcome.” That’s how Father Rob Waller, a retired priest of the archdiocese, describes the way Archbishop Leibold Home for the Aged, operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, receives residents, their family members and visitors. “In addition to the three traditional vows of poverty, celibacy …

Twenty years ago, during the AIDS crisis, many Africans said, “You’re either infected or affected.” In this time of pandemic, many could say the same. If we haven’t personally suffered the loss of a loved one, we know someone who has. Everyone has seen the death tolls of those who …

For Sheila Munafo-Kanoza, life has not been the same since 1993. That is when her husband lost his 10-year battle with cancer, leaving behind her and their three children. Shortly thereafter, Munafo-Kanoza began helping others grieve by creating Companions on a Journey. As Munafo-Kanoza explained, everyone grieves differently. For her, …

When Todd Forman began corresponding with Bill Evans of the 2nd Chance Cross ministry, he never imagined he would one day lead the program. It all started several years ago when Forman reached out to Evans to learn more about his ministry that re-purposed scrap wood into small crosses. “I’ve …

In college, my friends and I asked one another, “If we were superheroes, what super power we would choose?” I picked “control.” I wanted to be able to control my energy level after a long day of work and school. I wanted to be able to control time so I …