Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. We often think of May as the month of Mary, but October is also devoted to the Blessed Mother and the Rosary. On October 7, we …

The return of students for the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year highlights the grave responsibility that clerics, employees and volunteers serving in schools and parishes of the archdiocese share: protecting the children entrusted to our care. Because of our commitment to safety, I recently placed a priest on leave …

Later this month, more than 40,000 students will begin a new school year at the 110 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. That simply could not happen without the generous support of thousands of people. Most obviously, many parents must sacrifice to pay for their children’s tuition because they …

Every Catholic should know the definition of a sacrament as “an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.” And what s grace? The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” calls grace “participation in the life of God.” That is a font that never runs dry. Moreover, the grace poured out …

June marks the end of the school year and the beginning of the vacation season. This summer, I invite you to do something on vacation that may be new to you – go to church, and not for the liturgy alone. It is, of course, an important precept of the …

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ordains men to the priesthood each May. This is also a popular month for weddings. That is probably a coincidence, but an appropriate one. Matrimony and Holy Orders (which includes the permanent diaconate) are both important sacraments that, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, …

We are only halfway through Lent, and retail stores are well into offering Easter candy and sales on Easter outfits. This is only natural. We all want to skip death and get to the resurrection. Perhaps that desire is even stronger in difficult times. And we are living in difficult …

For many Catholics, 2018 will be remembered with pain and anger because of the new revelations that emerged about the sexual abuse of minors. There is reason to hope, however, that 2019 will be a watershed year in dealing with this evil around the world. My brother bishops and I …

The season of Advent, which we enter in December, is a period of watchful waiting in preparation for the Nativity of the Lord at Christmas. In this, as in so many things, the Church is counter-cultural. Some stores have been decorating for Christmas since before Halloween! It is common during …

In early November, the Church calendar calls us to celebrate the saints and to pray for the faithful departed. We should take this seriously. The month begins with All Saints Day, on which we honor and seek the help of all those in heaven, including those not officially recognized by …