There is much to be said about going on a pilgrimage with an open heart. Few seasoned pilgrims will admit just how dangerous this can be for fear of scaring prospective pilgrims off.  A pilgrim (especially of the Holy Land variety) runs the risk of a complete spiritual reprogramming. I feel like this might be ...read more

Have you ever considered Jesus a refugee? Speaking in his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI reminded the faithful of the Holy Family’s escape to Egypt: On the Feast of the Holy Family, immediately after Christmas, we recalled how even Jesus’ parents had to flee their land and take refuge in Egypt to save the ...read more

In February 2009 my wife and I drove my colleague, Kris Dmytrenko, to the Buffalo, New York airport. He was flying to Rome for work, and giving him a ride to the airport gave us the opportunity to visit a few shrines in the upstate New York area. One of the shrines we visited was ...read more

It seems strange to be talking about 2010 when already so much has happened in 2011! With less than one month under our belts, 2011 has already become a memorable year. This morning, for example, we all learned that our late, beloved John Paul II will be beatified in May, 2011 (on Divine Mercy Sunday, ...read more

The tortoise and the hare. You know the story: a hare and a tortoise race.  The cocky hare feels the tortoise is an easy challenge, so he runs some of the race, then decides to play in a field, gets bored with that, and so he takes a nap.  Of course, while the hare is ...read more

Pope Benedict XVI’s Wednesday general audience this week highlights the life of St. Catherine of Genoa. Two things stood out for me about this talk: the 15th century saint’s words on purgatory and also what the Holy Father said about mystics.  He recounted the “profound union” Catherine had with God, but that she also cared ...read more

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Pope Benedict sent his prayers and spiritual closeness to the Haitian people on the anniversary, a message that was delivered by his envoy, Cardinal Robert Sarah. The president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum traveled to the country on Sunday and among his ...read more

“Good morning Jenna,” a friendly male voice chimed. “It appears that you have drawn the short straw!” These were the warm words I heard as I picked up the first phone call of the day on the morning after one of the best days of my life. The voice belonged to Mr. Jerry Adler at ...read more

If you’re like me, you’re done with New Year’s resolutions. Still, I’d like to spend more time in prayer and dedicate more time to fitness – I am not that young anymore! But sometimes I feel I have to choose. If I have half an hour a day, should I spend it in prayer, or should I spend it working out? Do I split the time? Do I try to combine them? Sometimes, when I swim, I’ll say a decade of the Rosary, one Hail Mary per lap… I know a lot of people do this while jogging. I am curious to know what your strategy is to integrate prayer and fitness. ...read more

This year we celebrated Brother André’s first feast day as Saint André. There were many special celebrations throughout Canada, and at Ottawa’s Notre Dame Cathedral there was a bilingual Mass of Thanksgiving for Canada’s newest saint. Ottawa’s Archbishop Terrence Prendergast was the main celebrant.  In his homily, he spoke of the qualities that make Brother ...read more