Christmas gifts made by hand offer many benefits, artists and crafters say, no matter if they are baked, painted, sewed or melted. They are one-of-a-kind and mean a lot to both the givers and the receivers.

At the Blue Peak Center for Applied Behavior Analysis, the aim is more than just working to modify the behavior of young children with autism. It is also to help them and their families thrive and learn to cope with the world around them.

Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talks with Jason Cherubini, an executive-in-residence at Loyola University Maryland about the business behind holiday movies and why there are so many of them. It’s good business, he says, because people are searching for connection and comfort at this time of year. But the ones that become classics are those that resonate with people year after year.

Musicians and musical directors have prepared a wide array of performances to treat worshipers during the Catholic calendar’s most joyous time of the year.

The parish, once dubbed the “Polka Capital of Maryland,” used to host as many as 40 polka parties a year and was one of a handful of parishes in the region to offer polka dance classes.

Brad Seiss and Loyola Blakefield’s passing game were on target against archrival Calvert Hall in the first half of the 104th edition of the Turkey Bowl at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium on Thanksgiving morning in front of 7,128 fans and a local television audience.

A funeral Mass for Sister M. Melissa Hester, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was offered Nov. 25 at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Dunmore, Pa. Sister Melissa died Nov. 20. She was 101.

Several parishes involved in the Seek the City pastoral planning initiative offered Masses of thanksgiving and remembrance in Baltimore City and some parts of Baltimore County over the last few weeks.

Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talks with Dominican Father Ambrose Little about a new online program offered by the Thomistic Institute called “Aquinas 101,” which helps viewers go through short videos about various concepts, aimed at the search for truth. Father Little notes that truth is not subjective, but enduring.

Based on the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, IVC volunteers commit to working eight to 16 hours a week for 10 months. They also commit to attending monthly meetings, two days of reflections and an opening retreat to reflect on their spirituality.