Building a culture of life is not solely the work of bishops and ordained clergy. Laypeople take the lead in diocesan and parish settings, and in independent organizations, to make the case for life.

“Whenever you feel down or if you feel like you don’t have anyone, you always have God,” said Melanie Cabo, a student at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. “He’s there for you.”

“Many of these individuals have lived in the state of Maryland for 15 years or more,” said William J. McCarthy, executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, in response to the DHS announcement affecting Salvadorians.

In his fourth year on the varsity, Epps scored a team-high 14 points, defended wherever he was needed, broke the press and always seemed to come up with a vital assist when St. Frances Academy needed a basket.

St. Paul Church in Ellicott City hosted its annual Cold Weather Shelter outreach to those in need in Howard County Jan. 2-8.

Social media pronounces that there has never been this much discord and downright hate in our nation. I wasn’t around for the Civil War, but do recall the mess that was 1968.

As the General Assembly gathers in Maryland’s Capitol for its session beginning Jan. 10, the Maryland Catholic Conference is poised to provide input from the church’s perspective on a host of issues across the political spectrum.

Atonement Father C. Donald Howard, director of the office of liturgy for the Archdiocese of Baltimore from 1985 to 1988, died Jan. 6. He was 71. A funeral Mass will be offered Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. at Christ the Redeemer in Sterling, Va., the parish he served as associate pastor and then pastor for 25 years until his 2013 retirement.

Father Donaghy’s time at St. Paul included considerable improvements to its worship space. Restoration of the interior of its church, which dates to 1838, was completed in 1992, the year he arrived. Father Donaghy then oversaw an expansion of the worship space, which was rededicated in 2001.

“I am deeply concerned for the safety of the nearly 200,000 Salvadorans, 20,000 of whom are our neighbors here in Maryland, who are being forced to return to a country that is unsafe and is clearly unable to adequately handle their return,” Archcbishop Lori said.