Archbishop William E. Lori and Mayor Catherine Pugh were among those pausing to pray for peace and consoling the families of victims as the deadliest year in the history of Baltimore City neared an end.

After being displaced from a house fire, the Hendersons continue to serve the homeless population of Baltimore.

The D’Orazio family, parishioners of St. Ignatius in Baltimore, see their infant son, Leo, as a gift from God. Leo suffers from a rare condition that is likely to make his earthly life brief.

Jack Pundt’s personal train set collection has become an Advent tradition at Our Lady of Victory School, putting students in the Christmas spirit.

Close to 500 people weathered a steady snowfall the evening of Dec. 9 to participate in the archdiocesan celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. John Church.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which celebrates the dogma that Mary was preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception, will be celebrated Dec. 8.

For the third year in a row, Archbishop William E. Lori joined the Maryland Knights of Columbus Dec. 5 to distribute coats to children in Baltimore.

Giving time, talents and resources via spiritual and corporal works of mercy offers a way for Catholics to serve while preparing for the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord.

“We’re a little parish choir in Westminster, invited to perform at Carnegie Hall,” said Regina McCurdy, director of liturgical music for the largest parish in Carroll County. “This is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity.”

The archbishop noted that last year, parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore contributed $205,800 to the collection. Nine self-help, poverty-level income groups within the archdiocese received $405,000 in national and local CCHD grants.