Two heroes: St. Ignatius and Spider-Man August 2, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Whether you’ve been bitten by a radioactive spider or Ignatian spirituality, you might be called to live your life differently as a result.
Thwip! Faith lessons from Spider-Man August 2, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Spider-Man can teach us a few lessons about living as Catholics. He’s committed to self-sacrifice and service to others.
A Birthday Glimpse of Heaven July 28, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window That room full of people singing to me brought home for me how connected we all are to one another in the Communion of Saints.blog
The Joy of a Train Ride July 21, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Trains are magical, and steam locomotives are full of history. And a train ride is exhilarating.
St. Katharine Drexel parishioners close the school year with a gift to eliminate public school lunch debt July 20, 2026By Rita Buettner Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Western Vicariate Feeding the hungry has become an important part of the outreach at St. Katharine Drexel in Frederick. The parish is especially focused on making sure students at Yellow Springs Elementary, which is nearby, have food to eat on the weekend.
Dogs Go to Heaven July 16, 2026By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Maybe they’re chasing squirrels or enjoying steaks every day. Maybe they’re spending time with our loved ones who’ve gone before us.
A big birthday July 14, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church Life is short, after all. Life is worth celebrating. And life is better because of the many people who laugh and cry with us, listen to us, share their stories and accompany us along the way.
A Dinner Disaster July 7, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I tasted it, and it wasn’t just too salty. It was terrible. Even though I had followed the recipe, the dish was inedible.
Major relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque attract throngs of faithful to the Baltimore Basilica July 7, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Archbishop's Ministry, Baltimore Basilica, Feature, Local News, News, Saints Hundreds of people venerated the major relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque during a July 5-6 visit to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore.
Happy 250th to the USA, climbing the Empire State Building, a Cookie Monster geode & more (7 Quick Takes) July 4, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window July is my favorite month of the year. It’s my birthday month, so that adds to the joy, but July is also the heart of the summer—and summertime is the best.
Faith, freedom and the founders: How Maryland Catholics helped shape a new nation July 1, 2026By Rita Buettner Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: America's 250th anniversary, Feature, Local News, News At the time of the American Revolution, Catholics may have comprised only 1 percent of the total population of the colonies – with the majority of them living in Maryland. Despite their small numbers, Catholics played a role in the founding of the United States of America.
A Fourth of July Memory June 30, 2026By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I was making coffee early on the Fourth of July when I heard the ping of a text message.
