Archive for October 2024

You’ve probably seen Halloween decorations in stores since summer. Indoor and outdoor decorations are rivaling Christmas décor. The one-day event of October 31 has sprawled through the whole month of October. By November 1 ghosts and witches will vanish with only a trace of Halloween candy 90% off left. Yet the Church Year observes Halloween…

Want a meaningful gift for Christmas? Want to have an impact beyond Christmas Day? Today I received my Joy to the World magazine from Heifer International. I love looking for the best gifts that fit my budget and still lift people in developing countries from their poverty. It’s wonderful to look at all the good…

Since you’re reading this blog, perhaps you have some connection to the Sisters of Notre Dame. Did you know they have an associate program? (Most religious orders do.) An associate feels he or she has something of the Notre Dame charism (spirit) and could assist in the prayer and works in which the Sisters are…

My home is situated on roads lined with the most colorful trees in Whitehouse, Ohio. Looking out my window or walking or driving down the road provides a panorama of spectacular colors. But not this year. My throat doesn’t catch in an intake of surprise. Rather I feel disappointed at the drab, dry red leaves.…

We are in the midst of a Synod on Synodality. Perhaps its outcome will have far-reaching impact for Catholics around the globe. But the full effects of the synod may take years, and historians decades from now may be better equipped to report the synod’s results. The same was and is true of Vatican II.…

Autumn has arrived and with it my annual thoughts about breakfast cereal. (You’re saying “What?”) Well, I can’t help it. When I see straw bales, I immediately think of the Shredded Wheat that I ate as a kid. Anyone remember that cereal? The soft crunch of leaves underfoot reminds me of the crunch of Rice…

In 1850 two teachers at St. Lambert School in Coesfeld, Germany, professed vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They exchanged their baptismal names Hilligonde Wolbring and Elizabeth Kühling to their religious names Sister Maria Aloysia and Sister Maria Ignatia, respectively. And the congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Coesfeld, Germany was born. You…