And this is what Jesus offers us; the comfort we need to get through our hard times without necessarily experiencing his physical presence.

Every year, during our back-to-school liturgies, I scan the pews and say a prayer of gratitude and a petition for a successful school year for each of my colleagues. This year my task was more difficult because as I scanned the congregation, I was forced to recognize that one of us wasn’t there and never would be again.

The reality is that the cross we as Catholics have chosen and have been chosen to bear is heavy and growing heavier.

I turn 35 tomorrow and have been thinking about how I want to live in this new phase of my life. There are two philosophies that people use as guidelines for making decisions about their life’s experiences. I am posing a third.

When Deacon Ray Van Pelt announced at the end of Mass at St. Joan of Arc in Aberdeen that the church was looking for altar servers, Collin whispered to me, “I want to do that!”Collin has been attending Mass weekly (barring the occasional snow storm or stomach bug) since he was 5 days old. Unlike […]

Even now as I write this, I am overwhelmed by the radiance of this sacred gift. It has inspired me to consider offering the invitation to vocations to each of my children as they proceed the course of their sacraments of invitation.

Even though we have been hurt and scarred, we recognize the fact that he or she who wronged us may not have done it on purpose. Even if they did, we must never forget that they are human, a sinner not unlike ourselves.

I held a North Bay essay contest for my 6th grade class and, though every essay was a work of art, I thought  this one really captured the layers and depth of personal growth that occurred for many of my students at North Bay.

I wasn’t there because I’m a big fan of Gravedigger (though an enormous remote control version patrols our house regularly), I was there because my boys were into monster trucks, and I’m their biggest fans.

Robyn Barberry laments the loss of a venerable toy store chain.