Whenever I lead Lenten retreats, I remind people that often the sacrifices we set out for ourselves at the start of this journey through the spiritual desert are nothing compared to what God has in mind for us. Every so often, we come up against a Lent that tests our faith and puts us on a path we didn’t want or expect. It is in those moments that we realize h...

After a recent trip to Florence to visit our youngest, who is studying abroad, my husband, Dennis, and I took a bullet train down to Rome in order to attend the Papal Audience the next morning in St. Peter’s Square. We arrived in the Eternal City in time to grab lunch at a favorite spot,

When I first met Walt Chura 18 years ago, it was by phone to express my concerns that the silent retreat I’d signed up for (and which he was leading at Pyramid Life Center) might not be a good fit for me. He encouraged me to attend and reminded me there was a reason I had registered. Then he added a caveat: not only were we not allowed to speak, but we also could not read, wr...

It was 18 years ago today — on the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists — that I launched this blog. (You can read my original blog post from this date in 2008 HERE.) So, happy anniversary to me! And thank you to ...