My kids seem to love their faith. And why not? The church packs the calendar with dozens of reasons to party. To our family's way of thinking, "practicing Catholics" are those who celebrate the most. More »

When I celebrate baptisms, I love to ask for the help of a child in the congregation, preferably an older sibling of the baby being baptized. I ask, "Have your parents taught you how to do anything?" The reply is usually a "yes" or maybe just a nod. Then I ask, "What have they taught you to do?" Typical answers are "how to make a bed" and "how to tie my shoes" and "how to catch a baseball." More »

The first Christians who did this found that there was something powerful in actually being at these holy places. But because not everyone could travel there, some churches and monasteries in Europe began to establish reproductions of the holy sites, where people could pray and meditate on the events of Holy Week. Thanks especially to the Franciscans, this devotion has continued and come to us as the Stations of the Cross. More »

There is a niche on my living room couch that has been carved out over the years by an after breakfast "plop." Right next to that spot sits an end table stacked with a Bible, meditation books, prayer cards, and a journal. Each day I go there to do my readings and to meditate. More »

Decide how much TV coverage to allow, but be realistic: Unless they're very young, your children will probably see disturbing images and hear scary news elsewhere. More »

Like most young couples, my husband, Dave, and I began our married life full of hope and plans. We'd been blessed in many ways, and our lives had been relatively free of sorrow and hardship. More »

"Never give up hope!" Our friends, Bill and Cynthia, were crying for joy as they shared some remarkable family news with my wife and me. We had shared many things over the years—we were neighbors and fellow parishioners, and our children all attended the same Christian school. But for a long time, our friends' news had not been good. Despite their best efforts, their children were getting caught up in a wild life of parties and drugs and falling away from their faith. More »

I have been a mother for about thirty years. With the birth of my first child, my maternal instincts began to surface. I loved my children and wanted to do a good job raising them. I wanted to see them happy, successful, and secure. More »