Father Aloysius Gerdes was not expected to recover from surgery during St. John the Baptist Church’s construction, but he said he’d be back for another 20 years—and he was! Pastor for 46 years until his death in 1942, Father Gerdes presided over 488  marriages, 688 funerals and 2,080 baptisms. 1872 …

Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). In his effort to show us the true meaning of “purity of heart,” Pope St. John Paul II meditated on Christ’s words in the gospels before pondering St. Paul’s teaching. …

by Lisa Fletcher It takes a village to raise a Family—of Parishes. The head of that village is the pastor, who, through the Beacons of Light transition, was given the responsibility of care and leadership of his parishes. As Father Martin Fox, pastor of St. John Paul II Family of …

Many people have asked me if leading the National Eucharistic Revival deepened my own relationship with Our Lord in the Eucharist. Indeed, yes! It has been a profound grace of the Revival, and I hope that’s true for many others too. In fact, I believe our Eucharistic Revival will only …

In rural South Sudan, there are few places where people from rival tribes can come together in peace and openness. As a South Sudanese, Comboni Missionary Father Louis Okot was aware of this division when he was assigned to the Lomin Mission in Kejo-keji, where he provided pastoral care at …

Why can’t non-Catholics receive Holy Communion in Catholic churches? The Catholic Church ordinarily does not admit non-Catholics to Holy Communion. This practice can be especially difficult for those with close family members who are non-Catholic, especially spouses, children or siblings. This limitation on who is invited to receive Communion does …

1) Catholic Residential Services Prom Saint Ursula Academy students were honored to host the annual Catholic Residential Services (CRS) prom! CRS is a non-profit agency dedicated to fostering the spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical growth of people with developmental disabilities. The prom was filled with conversation, dancing, crafts and a …

In the history of the Catholic Church, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, colloquially called Eucharistic ministers, are a recent development. The Second Vatican Council opened the door for lay people to assist in distribution of communion, and Eucharistic ministers have become commonplace in the decades since. In Catholic high schools, …

As I pondered what to say about the Eucharist for this issue of the magazine, I found that I was at a loss for words—I mean that both figuratively and literally. What can I possibly say that those well versed in the study of the Eucharist and theology have not …