Why I don’t regret giving up a scholarship in order to go to Catholic college
The gift of my university was the sisterhood I took with me after graduation. After high school, I attended one of the largest universities in the country on a full academic scholarship. I’d looked at smaller Catholic schools, applied for a few, but the...
Why are Catholics so notoriously bad at fellowship?
In establishing the Church, Jesus made clear that we aren’t meant to navigate the Christian journey alone –
Recently I was asked to speak at a local Catholic women’s group. It had been awhile since I’d put on my speaking shoes, and I was genuinely excited. That is, until I was given my topic. Fellowship, they said. Fellowship? I couldn’t help but wince. Not suffering? Prayer? Family discord? Keeping the faith during crisis?? Nope, fellowship.
My mystifying and miraculous “spiritual childhood” with St. Padre Pio
The more I learned, the more Padre Pio’s presence in my life began to make sense I confess, I have a crush on St. Padre Pio. It’s a full-on saint crush, and I’m not apologizing; just explaining. Had I known what this saint might one day mean to me, I wouldn’t have...
Need help right away? Make St. Teresa’s emergency novena.
For times when you don't have nine days to pray The other day I received an urgent text from a dear friend: “Help, I have a special intention today! I need a good 24-hour novena!” Without hesitation I knew what to recommend: the Mother Teresa emergency novena. It’s...
5 Ways to Put All Those Christmas Cards to Good Use
So many of our Christmas cards are photos, these days, and that can be a prompt for prayer and outreach! Packing up my Christmas decorations always makes for one of the most depressing days of the year. It’s hard to move on from Christmas. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not...
The Mercy of Giving a Mommy Some “Me-Time”
The realization hit: Having a baby means never being alone again. I always wanted to be a mom. Always. I’m sure I scared off many potential suitors by openly admitting I wanted a gaggle of kids. Or if not a gaggle, I’d say, at least enough for a competitive baseball team.