In My Father’s House / By Paul Thomas Moore Recently, at my annual dental checkup, my hygienist gave me a refresher in proper flossing technique. We often veer into faith matters when we meet. So, at no extra charge, she provided me with some encouragement to keep my spiritual attitude well-flossed, and thereby steer clear […]
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Elizabeth Ann Seton was a wife and mother who was widowed at the age of 29 in 1803. Despite great hardships, she went on to do amazing work, and eventually became the first American-born saint in 1975. (Photo from setonshrine.org)
Cause of Our Joy / Katie Faley Have you ever had a saint follow you around? As if popping up in the most unexpected places throughout your life to say, “I’m praying for you!” That has been St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in my life. Four years ago, after being accepted into graduate school, I was […]
Continue readingIn My Father’s House / Paul Thomas Moore Some readers may know that before we moved down here to Illinois, my Peoria-born wife Mary Louise and I lived in my Canadian hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for 17 years. When she first arrived there in April of 2000, things were a little rough. She was […]
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The Resurrection window at St. John's Catholic Chapel in Champaign. (Provided photo)
My Vocation is Love / Lindsey Weishar If you’re ever at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center in Champaign for an evening Mass you may detect a light shining through the small Resurrection window behind the altar on the right side of the church. The light’s coming from Room 205; I know this because it was […]
Continue readingIn My Father’s House / Paul Moore My wife and I recently went through the process to receive a plenary indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday in April. We did the prescribed things: confession, Communion, and in a spirit (we pray) that was “completely detached from sin,” recited the Our Father, the Creed, and the invocation, […]
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"When I hold my rosary . . . I sense a cord of connection to Our Lord and Our Lady," writes columnist Paul Thomas Moore.
In My Father’s House / By Paul Thomas Moore Every day I hold on to my health, my happiness, my marriage, my peace of mind, my finances, by the slenderest of threads. There’s no particular matter of concern for me in any of these areas right now, today. It’s just that life has taught me that […]
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Tulips bloom outside St. Hyacinth Church in LaSalle. Columnist Katie Faley says "when the tulips, lilies, and daffodils pop up on their own around Easter . . . it's an easy reminder that, with Jesus, we die and rise with new life." (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
Cause of Our Joy / By Katie Faley The sunny days we have had these last few weeks have me feeling ready to shake off the winter blues. As ambivalent as I can feel about winter when it lingers around a little too long, I am very thankful that I live in an area with […]
Continue readingMy Vocation is Love / By Lindsey Weishar April is a month imbued with the spirit of St. John Paul II for me. This Divine Mercy Sunday (April 11) we celebrate Christ’s revelation to St. Faustina of his desire for all of us to enter into his “ocean of mercy.” Divine Mercy Sunday was established […]
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A woman lights a votive candle Oct. 2 at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal. Founded by St. André Bessette, a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross who was canonized in 2010, St. Joseph's Oratory is the world's largest shrine dedicated to St. Joseph and Canada's largest Catholic church building. The candles spell, in French, “St. Joseph, Patron of the Church.” (CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz)
In My Father’s House / By Paul Thomas Moore My ears pricked up at the sound of my name. “Did you hear that, Paul? “‘Now is the time of St. Joseph,’” said our parish director of faith formation, Ileen Grebner. I’d been half-listening while gazing out the window. Now a memory flashed of long-ago teachers […]
Continue readingCause of Our Joy / Katie Faley Fridays in Lent can be difficult. There are several other days during the year that are not Lenten Fridays when I don’t eat meat — purely on accident. But when I have to purposefully choose to not eat meat? Forget it. The world comes crashing down. I also […]
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