“Try that in a Small Town” boasts lyrics about Grandad’s shotgun, handed down and waiting in readiness in case any miscreants currently shoplifting, sucker-punching and otherwise diminishing our cities show up on his turf.

Perusing the offerings at the exhibit hall open throughout each day of the 13th National Black Catholic Congress was a welcome task for attendees.

Heresy consists of an obstinate — that is, persistent and stubborn — rejection of Catholic teaching by a person after they were baptized.

When the children are younger, you struggle with how to display their artwork because it’s all so personal and sweet. Then when they get older, it can be even harder to know what to do because their work is so beautiful.

Hormonal contraceptives do not belong on drug counter shelves.

A great act of charity is to accompany a person or family who is thinking of coming back to church.

As Catholics, we believe that God created us with free will, meaning that we decide for ourselves to love God and seek to follow his commandments; or we can choose to reject or ignore God.

Maybe this is not your parenting approach. You do what works for you. I’ll be over here watching a happy child lick his spoon.

How do you come up with thousands of column ideas over the course of half a century even as you are devoting your life to so many other ministries – including an immensely popular radio show that reached audiences across the country?

Whether you are young, like Mary, or older, like her cousin Elizabeth, this summer set aside some time to reach out to someone who is not from your own age cohort. If you do, your life, and the lives of others, will be richly blessed.