“We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original ...read more

I was returning to my apartment building one week ago when a 30-something smoker tried to strike a conversation. It was raining and well past midnight, but I obliged by seconding her complaints about the weather. “Would you like some company?,” she then asked. Her name was Donna. By “company” she meant the paid, sexual ...read more

Pope Benedict XVI had a very full and rich Wednesday General Audience catechesis on St. Paul’s teachings of Christ as the new Adam (you can read the Zenit translation HERE). As we work our way through the first week of Advent though, it was the Holy Father’s comments to the Italian speaking pilgrims that caught ...read more

A couple of weeks ago I posted a note about how the organizers of WYD 2011 in Madrid are hoping to “live intensely” the next three years and touch hearts. It looks like they’ve got their work cut out for them. In the northern Spanish city of Valladolid, a judge has ruled that Macias Picavea ...read more

This week on The World I Know we look at Self-Control. In the first segment of this show, our two hosts Ashley Carey and Sheana Correia introduce us to Self-Control lived out in the school community. I remember the first time I visited their school and met their principal at the time. She talked about ...read more

It was around the dinner table at the home of an Austrian friend when I realized that the hills coming alive in Toronto theatres this year is far from being the only Austrian Christmas story touching Canadian hearts. This one may not involve 7 cute children responding to the call of a whistle, but it ...read more

It was indeed enough – and we were all aware of it at last Friday’s Matt Maher concert, which took place at St. Aloysius Gonzaga H.S. in Mississauga, ON. The concert was the kick-off to the very first LifeTeen conference to take place outside of Canada. One of many, I hope. Matt Maher was born ...read more

Some of you may remember the kind face, warm heart and sound priestly advice of our beloved Fr. Gordon Kennedy. If you haven’t seen his signature smile grace our Salt and Light screen these past few months, it’s because Fr. Gordon has been assigned to pastor over the spectacular ‘cathedral of the north’ in Formosa, ...read more

Just this past week the reality of the current economic crisis has hit home with me. For the past few months I have felt eerily detached from the screaming newspaper headlines and endless chatter among TV taking heads about the economic crisis. However, in recent weeks the statistics have finally become people I know, and ...read more

When I visited the Motherhouse of the Nashville Dominicans I learned that each Sister sews their own habit during postulant year. Their habit has three parts, and they say a prayer as they put on each part. Sr. Kateri Rose can put on all three in a matter of seconds. I also asked, “How do ...read more