As the days grow darker, both cosmically and metaphorically, the encouragement of the Holy Spirit shines forth with renewed clarity.

The other night our son was outside with his father, scanning the heavens, when a shooting star streaked across the sky.

Even with all the worry about the weather, we got in a beautiful night of trick-or-treating, winding our way through our Halloween-happy neighborhood.

Father Kenneth Doyle fields questions about proselytism and how frequently a priest is required to celebrate Mass.

Rain is in the forecast for Halloween night, so our neighborhood created a poll. Suddenly, I found I was allowed to vote on which night Halloween would be.

This is the season when the Catholic world celebrates the feast of All Saints’ Day, followed by All Souls’ Day. The night before All Saints’ Day, the cultural world celebrates Halloween, literally the eve of All Hallows.

Our friend Theresa invited us to go to the Maryland Million with her, so our boys and I headed down to Laurel for a few hours at the races.

We communicate with the dead when we pray to the saints, canonized or not. So it is not a far stretch to believe that souls are close by and in touch.

The dying parts of the Church are those still misreading John XXIII.

I grew to know him as a friend, a fervent advocate for the poor, and as a quintessential leader and civil rights icon who fought for justice and equality for all, especially those he served.