The goodness and humility witnessed by the future Baltimore archbishop were on display for all the world Feb. 11 when Pope Benedict XVI quietly announced in Latin that he would step down due to his advanced age and lack of stamina.

 When I say I knew John was going to propose, I’m not boasting about my great detective work.I mean I knew.We had met with Fr. Lawrence Adamczyk that morning about celebrating our wedding.We had reserved the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen and booked the reception site.And John had made reservations

My brother was in line at a local supermarket when he observed a young woman strike up a conversation with an apparent longtime friend. Showing off her slightly protruding belly, the younger woman announced that she was pregnant.

Mercy Sister Lois Mueller was a bundle of energy when I first met her at The Villa retirement home in Baltimore three years ago. I was visiting for a story I was writing about how retired nuns kept in shape by playing bowling and other Nintendo Wii video games donated by students of St. Joseph School in Cockeysville.

The Scala Sancta, “Holy Stairs,” are believed to be the passageway Jesus walked on his way to face Pontius Pilate before the crucifixion. St. Helena, mother of Constantine, brought the staircase to the Eternal City from the Holy Land in the middle of the 4th century.

Since the strokes in my eyes in 2002, I’ve found that tears come pretty easily. However, I needed no such excuse when I first heard that Father Stan Janaites had died on Aug. 5. I cried again as I stood at his coffin in St. Joseph’s Church in Sykesville.

Catholic Review writer and parent Nancy Menefee Jackson, who volunteers as an assistant JV coach, thinks school sports practices are essential and recognizes the need for practices and games during holiday breaks. Catholic Review writer and parent Suzanne Molino Singleton thinks the opposite – free time is family time when kids deserve a break from school and the rigorous schedule it offers.

The last time I saw Bob Flynn was in the summer of 2006, during Baltimore Ravens’ training camp at McDaniel College. Flynn was the men’s basketball coach there, literally had the keys to the gym, but he was like any other fan, excited to see professional athletes honing their craft.Jan. 13 marks the fifth anniversary […]

Last month’s celebration of Thanksgiving invited me to once again go back to the history books to refresh my memory with regard to the historical roots of the holiday. With psychologists giving advice on how to avoid family feuds between quarreling relatives, others who can’t wait for the football games, and still others plotting strategies on how to best maneuver their way through the “Black Friday” sales, perhaps we have lost some of the real meaning of the celebration. In fact, I would go further to say that perhaps we have lost much more than we realize. Let us take a historical glimpse to the roots of this day.

On this job, every day is a religious experience. I’ve got an article in the Dec. 15 issue of The Catholic Review on Bon Secours Baltimore Health System.  In late September, the health care provider in West Baltimore launched a new branding and mission with an ecumenical prayer service at 31 W. Fulton St., at the Cathedral […]