As we celebrate today the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, many thoughts come to mind. I often think of St. Elizabeth in terms of beginning the Catholic School system in our country, and rightly so, but something different strikes me today. As I read a little about her life

Wow! This is what I find myself saying today as we celebrate with our dear Sister Mary Clarone her 80th jubilee of profession. That’s right, I said 80! Eighty years of commitment to a vocation as a Sister of Notre Dame! Wow! Sister Mary Clarone has done some pretty amazing

What an amazing combination of life and death this week has been! Once again this year, I find myself a bit jarred by the contrasting feasts of the Church. It seems we just begin to celebrate the mystery of Christ’s birth and we’re abruptly drawn into the feasts of Stephen,

Snowflake pattern. Is that an oxymoron? Isn’t every snowflake unique? Then why was I given a pattern to follow in second grade when cutting snowflakes and hanging them on a thread? We are to pattern our lives on the life of Christ. The author of Philippians writes that he wants

Some events make the headlines on a given day and then are quickly forgotten: others become a part of the fabric of who we are as individuals and as a nation. The tragedy in Connecticut on Friday is one of the latter: we cannot simply turn away and forget what

And what has been done to our children? We watched as horror unfolded in Connecticut on Friday. Little ones … believers in the magic of Christmas … still clinging to the hope that there is a Santa Claus … the innocent ones … whole lives ahead of them … and

Today the Church sets before us the witness of one of the early virgins and martyrs – St. Lucy. Many stories and legends surround this Saint, but in some way all remind us of her joyful fidelity in encounter with suffering. St. Lucy was truly “light” for others. We’ve often

Today is the Christmas play at the school where I teach, St. Richard, Swanton, Ohio. Its title is Bed, Bethlehem, and Beyond. Although the play opens with Mary and Joseph trying to find a bed for the night, the narrator reminds us that the incarnation began at the Big Bang

So a red-shirt frosh has captured the Heisman and set a new record for the books. A winner! He must be full of happiness at such recognition; Texas A&M must be rejoicing along with him. We have a winner in today’s Gospel for the Second Sunday of Advent. John the

The Church celebrates three major comings of Christ during Advent: the historical coming of Jesus born 2000 years ago (Memory), the Second Coming (Majesty), and his coming in to our lives moment by moment (Mystery). There are many reminders of Jesus’ historical coming: manger scenes, Christmas trees, Christmas plays, Advent