Before I was a mother, I thought Christmas countdowns were cute and decorative and fun. Now I think they exist so parents can direct their children to the nearest countdown feature.

Archbishop William E. Lori recalled that midnight Mass was the highlight of the family Christmas celebrations. The parish where he grew up had a particularly beautiful choir that helped make the Mass a memorable event, even as a kid.

This week we are lighting the pink candle on our Advent wreath as we say, “Gaudete!”

In this time of Advent, we are not just waiting for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but preparing for our role as a member of His Kingdom.

Running underneath this complex story of love and conflict is religion, more precisely, Catholicism.

I’m big on celebrating birthdays, but Daniel challenges even me to appreciate the awesomeness of birthdays.

Father Doyle fields questions about the burial of unbaptized persons in a Catholic cemetery and the role of deacon in parishes.

He couldn’t wait to bring that snowman to life.

We are powerless, conversely, to stop acts of nature – God. We are, however, in position to help with the cleanup caused by both the divine and humanity.

In the case of First Reconciliation, we just need to do the very best we can to prepare our children and trust that God will take care of the rest.