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Ever since she appeared in a BBC documentary on the National Gallery 19 years ago, ?Sister Wendy Beckett has taken the art world by storm. A familiar face on PBS, the surprisingly straight-talking contemplative nun is well-known for her unique insights into art and art history.  Sister Wendy is the author of more than 25 books, […]

John Harbaugh (Photo by Owen Sweeney III) As Christmas approaches, Joe Flacco has one thing on his mind: the Cleveland Browns. According to transcipts from the Baltimore Ravens’ Wednesday media day, quarterback  is not too worried about other matters. Asked  what Christmas means to him, Flacco said: “Just time to spend with your family and have a nice […]

If you haven’t yet done it, I encourage you to read my story on Nathan and Kate Kleintank’s adoption of their son, Joshua. Be sure to check out the Dec. 23 print edition, which includes some incredible photos by Owen Sweeney III and a beautiful design by April Hornbeck. Their story is inspiring during this […]

Between 1977 and 1995, my parents welcomed 17 grandchildren. My wife Mary and I will host that extended family the day after Christmas, adding to the joy of a year that saw three of those McMullen grandkids get married. The last of the three weddings occured Oct. 30, at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception […]

I’m going to to use the blog to post pictures and videos from vivid Christmas displays from all around the Archdiocese of Baltimore. If you have festive display videos and photos, please feel free to send them to mpalmer@CatholicReview.org or post them in the comments section below. We’ll update this post as we get entries. […]

Remember these feel-good stories here and here about the Baltimore-based School Sisters of Notre Dame obtaining a rare Honus Wagner baseball card that went up for auction? Well, the person who won the auction apperantly never paid. Someone else has stepped up, though, paying the amount it took to win the auction. It seems a […]

Two years ago, I profiled Baltimore Ravens’ Head Coach John Harbaugh for a feature story in The Catholic Review.  The gracious NFL coach gave me great insights into his Catholic faith, but there was plenty that didn’t make it to the printed page.  Below is a video report I put together using portions of the Harbaugh interview  […]

A week ago, I shared my list for top five worst Christmas songs. Now, here’s the best part, literally. These are my favorites, a list to surely debate below in the comments section. Merry Christmas. 5. Welcome Christmas: Narrator: And he puzzled and puzzed, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something […]

Mercy Medical Center’s impressive new hospital tower in downtown Baltimore is all set to open tomorrow, Dec. 19.  Amid the fanfare, hospital leaders have added a nice Christmas touch that hearkens back to the days when Mercy’s “old tower” first opened nearly five decades ago. Back when the 1963 building was the new kid on the block, Mercy employees […]

In the Dec. 23 edition of The Catholic Review and on CatholicReview.org, you’ll be able to read a story on Loyola Blakefield senior Dwayne Thomas. He’s an inspiring, selfless young man. Here’s a two-minute video that introduces you to him and stayed tuned to CatholicReview.org for more. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x61R_fcbqw&fs=1&hl=en_US]

John Mitchell John Mitchell has impacted my family since before I was born. He’s been the director of music at DeMatha Catholic High School in Prince George’s County for the last 41 years. He taught my cousin and godfather, Daniel Miller, when he attended DeMatha in the 1970s, my cousin John Martin in the 1980s […]

Loyola University Maryland Loyola University Maryland’s six-year graduation rate of 86 percent tied for second in the nation among private, master’s level universities, according to federal data recently analyzed by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The release said “Loyola’s graduation rate is significantly higher than the median rate of 53 percent for all four-year institutions, […]