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In May, we celebrate Mother’s Day. In June, Father’s Day. So, across both months, why not celebrate Catholic Family Day? A family of ten once lived near the constant sea breeze sweeping in from the Atlantic. Occasionally a long weekend away from work allowed the father to indulge in his...
As we make our way through Lent and prepare for Easter, our Lord gives us a glorious opportunity to reset and repurpose our lives. Now is the time to cleanse and renew. Now is the time to revive ourselves in the holy Eucharist. We are in the midst of a...
The Palm Sunday and Good Friday proclamations of Jesus’ passion can feel overwhelming. There is so much for our souls and our liturgy to take in. The arrest of Jesus, his interrogation, scourging, crowning with thorns, condemnation, the carrying of the cross, and his crucifixion can overload our liturgy and...
The Catholic Church recognizes the crucial role St. Joseph assumed in the lives of Jesus and Mary. We celebrate his feast on March 20 this year and honor his many virtues by addressing him with several illustrious titles. In fact, we have an entire “litany” of more than twenty distinct...
Let Easter be the day you break open a new way to see the Real Presence of Christ. Many Easters ago, my family drove to the city where I ministered to attend Mass and allow us to spend the holiday together. To spare my mom from preparing a big meal...
Horses Help Clients Hurdle Struggles Ride On St. Louis uses equine-assisted services to help people with disabilities. Cofounder Marita Wassman explains. Q. Please provide a brief history and the mission of Ride On St. Louis. A. Ride On St. Louis promotes health and enriches lives through love, joy, and holistic...
A Christian marriage is a sacred covenant between three parties: a husband, wife, and God. A husband and wife who are filled with Christ’s love will seek union and peace with one another. Keeping Christ at the center of your relationship is the one principle that promotes all others. The...
Over the past few decades, many dioceses have taken on the hard task of closing and merging parishes in urban areas. Too many buildings and not enough people have led to right-sizing, downsizing, renewal, planning, restructuring, or reimagining. As well-intentioned as efforts may be, they are often met with mistrust,...
In the Old Testament’s Second Book of Maccabees, there is an account of high priest Eleazar’s final words before his death. In his bold profession of faith, he reveals the mystery at work in the heart of every martyr: “I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body…but also...
With a wooden ladle in one hand and her plastic recipe card in the other, Mrs. J. made her way from the kitchen stove to the hall corridor. She elbowed open the door leading to their finished basement and shouted down the stairwell to ensure that her voice could be...
In this final article of Liguorian’s yearlong series on permanent deacons, we wrap up with some common questions and history about this calling and how these men contribute to God’s people and his Church. Q. What are deacons? A. The diaconate, as a permanent state in life, had its origins...
Why do we call upon Jesus Christ in the mess of our lives? Because he did what we are trying to do. It has been said that while Lent is akin to spring cleaning, Advent is more like sprucing up before a beloved house guest arrives. In our home, cleaning...
Let’s make a pledge to pray for change in the hearts and minds of those who would willfully destroy the sanctity and dignity of human life. Our prayers may help lost souls living among us. Christ and the saints teach us that every soul is worth saving for the Kingdom...
A synod is an event that takes place for a period of time, in a designated place, and for a purpose. An example is the 2014–15 synod on the family and its mission and vocation in the Church. That synod experience helped produce the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (“The...
The Rest of 2021–22 Readers’ Choice Awards, Comments on Content Recently we asked you to name your favorite 2021–22 Liguorian articles for our Readers’ Choice Awards. We printed some comments in October; the rest follow. We thank all the readers who replied! Series, First Place: “Alcoholism,” Fr. Ted Lawson’s comprehensive...
Four models of holiness overcame societal prejudices against females to influence Catholicism and the world The four women who are recognized as doctors of the Church belong to a small, elite group. To date, thirty-seven saints have been honored as doctors. Church doctors are saints with a significant body of...
Readers’ Choice Awards, Comments on 2021–22 Content We asked you in our May-June magazine to name your favorite recent Liguorian articles for our Readers’ Choice Awards, which we are announcing below with a few of your comments. Thanks to readers who wrote, including one who said, “I can’t choose a...
The month of October is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the colors, cooler weather, and the hustle and bustle of fall festivals and chili cook-offs. Though I’ve never had much affinity for Halloween’s secular festivities—especially the gory décor that accompanies it—I do have an attic...
“Any success I have…is due to the Holy Spirit.” Q. How did you discover your vocation? A. My dad attended the Franciscan minor seminary for the first two years of high school. He and the friars discerned that the priesthood was not for him at the end of the second...
The parish council was having a heated discussion about the church bulletin. Should we print or not? Should we even continue it? What are the options? How will we reach people if we don’t have a bulletin? What about our advertisers? Our bulletin editor does such a great job, how...