“Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.” …

In The Gospel of Life, Pope St. John Paul II writes, “[T]he deepest element of God’s commandment to protect human life is the requirement to show reverence and love for every person and the life of every person” (EG, 41). By “every person,” the Holy Father especially named those who …

Bicentennials are a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past and build on the stellar work of many. We walk on the shoulders of religious men and women and lay people who radiated Christ in our communities throughout the years. As women and men religious gathered to plan their role …

Rich with choices and newfound autonomy, many students are determined to “find themselves” in college. Our culture measures success in terms of our ability to obtain the perfect job, most prestigious title, or most glamorous relationship. College students are sold the idea that freedom means greater choice and control of …

When I think about my dearest friends, I recall friendships that began in grade school, my first years of teaching and my marriage. These friendships are ones that have lasted through happy and sorrowful times and shared experiences. These are people I know I can count on because they have …

Growing up Catholic and Cuban-American in the Bible Belt of the Deep South in the late 1960s proved challenging. I experienced the awkwardness of passing on that tasty Sloppy Joe sandwich on Fridays and the humiliation of being picked up early from slumber parties because my parents couldn’t wrap their …

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 …

During this time of pandemic, it has been very important to me to persevere in my work as a sacred musician. Not only do our liturgies still need music, but it seems to me that during this time, in which much of our focus has been on bodily survival, the …

Serving the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as superintendent of Catholic schools, I could never have imagined the effects a global pandemic would have on our nation, state and Catholic schools. On Mar. 12, when Governor Mike DeWine announced statewide school closures, I was stunned, taking a very deep breath and instantly …

Caroling. Festive parties. Charming decorations. Cookies. Gift-exchanges. The message is all around us: We should be happy because it’s Christmas. Indeed, to be anything other than effusively joyful means running the risk of being labeled a scrooge. So, no matter what is going on in our lives – or in …