Today I had a pronounced pilgrim-panic spell. It was early morning here in Jerusalem; I had just come from Mass at the Holy Sepulchre, I had consumed a potent coffee whilst checking my email/ blogging at a little cafe and I had read a good portion of the Jerusalem Post. And it was only 8:30! ...read more

Shalom! I am writing today from the beautiful Holy City of Jerusalem! The city of which all of the Psalms sing; the city where our Lord made frequent pilgrimage and where His Life among us drew to a close only to be followed by His glorious Resurrection. I must first say that today started with ...read more

Last Tuesday was the beginning of the Week for Prayer for Christian Unity. This has been taking place for 103 years and is celebrated around the world. The Holy Father, in his Angelus address last Sunday invited all to join him in “praying earnestly for the gift of unity among the followers of our Lord ...read more

It’s rare that a tourist attraction actually lives up to the hype. I am happy to report that the Dead Sea is one such tourism bulwark. It is genuinely the most interesting place I have ever visited! A few quick facts about the Dead Sea: It was formed 3 million years ago Its waters boast ...read more

I suspected this would happen. I have been rendered speechless. But, when you work in communication, speechlessness is not an option. So off I go… Today had a dreamlike-quality to it. It began like this: I opened my eyes to the sights and sounds of the Sea of Galilee in the town of Tiberias. This ...read more

In my hometown of Deep River, Ontario, my family was usually among the last to put up the Christmas tree. Likewise, we waited weeks before pitching our dessicated fir to the curb. It was not due to the liturgical calendar that we observed the custom later than our neighbhours. We just weren’t in much of ...read more

Salt + Light Director of Programming Gita Hosek called me to her office around the summer of 2009. “One of my dream projects,” she said, “is a production on Fr. Michael Prieur’s book Panes of Glory.” She handed me the book to look at.  Her eyes lit up when she talked about the book, the ...read more

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

The Church is rejoicing today as the Vatican announced that Pope John Paul II will be declared “Blessed.” Our own, Fr. Thomas Rosica penned a message from WYD Madrid meetings noting the excitement at the meetings over the news.  He also explained the significance of the beatification date of May 1st, shared that the Polish ...read more