I captured some of the very early excitement of the thematic park at the National Catholic Youth Conference. Enjoy this short videoRead More

If this doesn’t get you fired up, nothing will. Father Matt Buening, pastor of St. Paul in Ellicott City, delivers this passionate homily to the 280 Archdiocese of Baltimore pilgrims last night at St. Ignatius in Ijamsville. https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F28251858 Father Matt Buening passionate homily on eve of NCYC by The Welcome MattRead More

It’s 7:10 and we are boarding the bus here at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex. I’ve got my Pizza Johns adequate, but kind of overrated, pizza at my side.  The 12-hour ride (am I underestimating??) will end in Indianapolis, but we’ll switch buses at St. Ignatius in Ijamsville. It’s go time. See you...Read More

Pope Benedict XVI minces no words when he describes the medieval judges who interrogated and sentenced St. Joan of Arc to death 580 years ago. The French clergymen were aligned with St. Joan’s political opponents, the pope said in a Jan. 26 general audience, and they “lacked charity and the humility to see God’s action in...Read More

Donald Davis talks with his 2007 team. The Cardinals football program has come a long way since and has a chance to win its second consecutive MIAA A Conference title. Donald Davis knows that if he sat his players down four years ago and told them they were going to shut out perennial national and...Read More

Father Gerard Francik has the right approach to introducing the new English translation of the Roman Missal.  Instead of taking an “I-don’t-want-to-do-this-anymore-than-you-do” stance, the pastor of St. Mark in Fallston is encouraging his parishioners to embrace the translation as an opportunity to deepen their understanding and love of the Mass. Young St. Mark parishioners seem...Read More

The Catholic Review In the recent Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Benedict XVI invites us to advance the new evangelization in the context of migration by “seeking ways of fraternal sharing and respectful proclamation, overcoming opposition and nationalism. For their part, the Churches of origin, of transit and those that...Read More

Ken Hackett and I were passing time at Miami International Airport  Oct. 23, waiting for a connection to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, when I asked how many nations he had visited."It's easier," he said, "to list the ones I haven't been to."Hackett, a Peace Corps veteran, faithful employee of Baltimore-based Catholic Relief ServicesRead More