It’s hard to forget the moment a working dad, trying to remain professional while giving a news report from home, was interrupted by his two kids. The video garnered millions of views and comments from other parents who could appreciate Professor Robert Kelly’s frustration, and his impressive composure. And of course, many delighted in the Read More…

Sleepy, emotional and sore, I gratefully accepted dinner and a dozen homemade muffins from a woman I had only met once before. I was two weeks postpartum with my first child, and the adrenaline of birth and newness was long gone. Adjusting to having a child after not having one was full of growing pains Read More…

Emma Heming Willis posted a reel on Instagram in recognition of her husband’s 68th birthday, which incidentally fell on the feast of St. Joseph, the patron of fathers. In the short video she explains “I have started the morning by crying as you can see by my swollen eyes.” She goes on to share how Read More…

Holy days of obligation in the Roman Catholic Church are set by local bishops’ conferences, while the Vatican does give some general guidance as to the core number of days. Previously most feasts that had the rank of solemnity were considered a holy day of obligation, requiring all Catholics to attend Mass on that day. Read More…

Pope Francis had a light-hearted, encouraging meeting with members of the national union of traveling fairground workers, praising their vocation of sowing joy, reminding people that the path to happiness is “simplicity.” The audience began with a joyous rendition of “Happy birthday” for an 80-year-old nun, in which the Pope joined in, then pointing her Read More…

In the Old City of Mosul, on the Nineveh plain in Iraq, for several hours on March 7, the carillon of the convent of Our Lady of the Hour resounded in the streets. The inauguration of the bells and the clock of the Christian building, in the presence of the Iraqi Minister of Culture, the Read More…

One of the most popular Christian devotions is the Via Crucis. Also known as the Stations of the Cross, the Way of the Cross, or the Way of Sorrows, it consists of a series of images depicting Jesus on the day of his crucifixion that help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts, through Read More…

In a wry moment from The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis notes, “For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step.” With that in mind, why is it that every year hundreds of thousands of people from around the Read More…

On March 22, a group of young Italians will participate in a round-table discussion with politicians from various leanings on how cultural, societal, and political actors can come together to encourage people to have children. Italy has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world — only 5 countries have a lower one — Read More…

World Down Syndrome Day is March 21, a day when we focus attention on the dignity of people with Down syndrome. One of the people who does this 365 days a year is Heather Avis, a mother of three children, two with Down syndrome. Avis is the founder of The Lucky Few foundation, the nonprofit arm Read More…

On World Down Syndrome Day, we’re called to consider the lives of those among us with that special extra chromosome. This celebration also makes us question how we can help to make the lives of those with Down syndrome as fulfilling as possible. One way of doing this is to take a look at the Read More…

One of the many beautiful things I’ve learned from training to teach Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is that very young children can have profound religious experiences.  Somehow they see things with a clear sense of what really matters and what is inessential. It’s an ability that’s been lost or diminished over time for many Read More…

It’s hard to imagine St. Thérèse of Lisieux, universal patroness of the missions, secondary patroness of France, and Doctor of the Church – among other things – being passionate about board games, puzzles, and a yo-yo. And yet her toys, piously preserved at the house of Les Buissonnets where she lived 11 years of her Read More…

The parable of the Prodigal Son has many different lessons we can learn, though it can be tempting to think the parable is meant for other people and not us. However, Jesus gave this example so that we would examine our own lives, to see if our faith is more like that of the “lost” Read More…

The author of this essay series served as an editor on the Wonder series. Read also about episodes one, two, and three. In the fourth episode of Word on Fire’s Wonder, the series takes a closer look at the human animal—this time, shifting from a religious openness to evolution to a secular openness to ensoulment. Read More…

Lauren Daigle has taken the Christian music scene by storm in the last few years, with her monumentally successful “You Say,” which stood atop Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs charts for more than 150 weeks. The 31-year-old Christian music star was only ousted when she released “In Jesus Name (The God of Possible),” which is the Read More…

Pope Francis called for opening more legal channels of migration during a meeting with refugees who have arrived in Europe through humanitarian corridors set up by various Christian and governmental organizations. During the audience held in Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father also denounced the conditions of those detained in Libyan camps. The head of Read More…

On March 19, many countries of Catholic heritage, including Italy, celebrate Fathers Day, as it is the feast of St. Joseph. Pope Francis led those in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday in an “Our Father” prayer for fathers. “And today, we extend best wishes to all fathers!” he said. He offered a prayer that fathers Read More…

There is a certain womanly touch about Christianity, and Catholicism in particular.  Some ways are obvious; others not so much. Look at the obvious one for starters: The Church is a bride to Christ the bridegroom. “In ancient Jewish tradition,” Brant Pitre writes in Jesus the Bridegroom, “as far back as we can tell, the Read More…

A feature film in which Pope Francis meets and converses with a group of young people is set to release on Hulu on April 5, 2023. Titled The Pope Answers, the film will feature 10 young adults between the ages of 20 and 25, each of whom has a different background, life experiences, and opinions Read More…