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The Planned Parenthood Federation of America came out with its 2011 annual report this week and unlike many struggling organizations in this battered economy, its numbers are trending upward and it is doing quite well, thank you. According to Planned Parenthood, its affiliated clinics performed 333,964 abortions in 2011, up 4,519

The man who opened the door was Monsignor Arthur Valenzano. He smiled, greeted me warmly and helped me with my luggage. He put me immediately at ease and made me and my priest secretary, Father Marcello, feel right at home. Before long we were talking, trading stories, and enjoying one another’s humor, almost as if we had known each other for many years.

God, our Father, protector of the poor and defender of the widow and orphan, you called your priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, to be an apostle of Christian family life and to lead the young to the generous service of their neighbor.

  Maybe it’s because I’m reading more Catholic blogs, but this year I noticed a few bloggers mentioning marking their doorways with chalk on the Feast of the Epiphany for a house blessing. I had never heard of this tradition. Around here we can use all the blessings we can get. And

  For more than a year I sang the same two lullabies to Daniel. Night after night, I sang “Toora Loora Loora” and “Away in a Manger.” Then our little guy turned 3. And he decided he was going to pick his bedtime songs. He still wants “Toora Toora,” as he calls