houghtful observers of the challenges facing our country cannot help but recognize that serious reforms are necessary to preserve safety and the integrity of our borders, as well as to accommodate needs for labor, family stability and the ability of those at risk of grave harm to migrate.

I will never forget the day I arrived early at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen for the confirmation of my dear friend’s only son, David, in May of 2018. I had been thrown for a loop when his mother, with the full support of his father, honored me by inviting me to stand with him as his sponsor. 

The Loyola School started with a seed of an idea from Jesuit Father William Watters, who has brought such vision and commitment to Jesuit education for children in Baltimore over the decades.

When we willingly serve those with whom we share a common life and a common good, all our relationships are reordered and directed toward charity. The love of neighbor expressed as authentic patriotism can bring this transformation to a societal scale.

Earlier this year, my husband John mentioned that his cousin Terri had something she wanted to give to me. He showed me a photo of a sculpture that included statues of St. Rita of Cascia and St. Therese of Lisieux.

Worried your kids are spending too much time on their smartphones? Beyond the time-wasting concerns, recent studies show frequent smartphone usage is linked to mental health issues, addiction and more.

We drove more than 450 miles, spent more than 10 hours on the road, and did almost everything we wanted to along the way.

Utterly life-changing was the day I learned that the Hebrew word most frequently used for “sin” (hhatah) is understood by scholars to mean “missing the mark.”

A few days before the big day, my sister—the birthday girl’s mom—invited us to join them. She happened to mention that her daughter was hoping to have “Aunt Rita’s Dip” that day, too.

Together “we seek the city to come” – not Baltimore, not Assisi, not even the “eternal city” of Rome – but the City of God, the new Jerusalem. Take courage. We are pilgrims of hope