We are the children of God, called to be holy. But it’s often difficult to feel that holiness in the midst of daily life—and that’s even more true now, as we adjust our lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, than it was even a mere two weeks ago. Before, it was merely easy to get caught up in the minutiae of things—the dry cleaning, the coworker talking loudly on the phone, soccer practice, forgetting to buy tomatoes at the market; these days, it’s easy to get caught up in...

Covid-19 is on everyone’s mind these days. What saint can better help us than Joseph, whose feast is March 19? Saint Teresa of Avila wrote about him, “I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to the glorious Saint Joseph, for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God. I do not remember that I have ever asked anything of him that he has failed to grant.”Saint Joseph can help us especially in these areas:1. Overcoming fearIn a crisis people ...

Finally, a film on St. Patrick that's not about snakes and shamrocks—not that there’s anything wrong with that! Welsh actor John Rhys-Davis (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Lord of the Rings) does a superb job as the older St. Patrick who tells us about his life and journeys. I wish I could say the same about Robert McCormack, the young Patrick, but thankfully his screen time is limited.The film’s successful and accurate portrayal of Ireland’s favorite son relies on its ...

Teaching the faith within the digital media culture can be an immense challenge. Parents and teachers wonder how to communicate the essence of what we believe while competing with Snapchat, Minecraft, Netflix’s Stranger Things, and every superhero film that exists. Our catechesis does not need to be removed from these cultural experiences. Instead we have to make them integral by teaching our youth how to think about media consumption and the messages it communicates. Media mindfulness is ...

Maybe you’re the mom in the grocery line frantically trying to keep one kid’s hands off the candy bars while the other kid erupts into howls from the cart, and feeling the judgmental stares of people behind you… people who see the disruption, but who don’t see you trying. Maybe you’re the teacher who hasn’t been to the washroom all day for trying to keep your students safe and learning in a rowdy classroom, and just got yelled at by the parent of a child who ...

(Interview with Sr. Mary Leonora Wilson, FSP, author of a new novena to St. Mary Magdalene)Hello, Sister! Thanks for taking this time. So let's start... I understand that you are the author of St. Mary Magdalene: Novena and Prayers, released just in time for Lent. How did you first come to know and connect with Mary Magdalene?I first connected with Mary Magdalene when I was stationed in Germany, and I was going through a very difficult time. Traumas from my childhood were surfacing. One day,...

Author of The Perfect Blindside and Extreme Blindside, Leslea Wahl kindly took some time away from writing this week to chat with Pauline Books & Media.First, let’s talk a little about your life.I live in Colorado. In fact, I’m a Colorado native, even though my husband and I moved away for eight years… our families were here, though, and we were happy to be able to come back and live near them. I have three children, the youngest is in college now!  I’m a writer...

In the musical production of Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks his wife, “Do you love me?” She struggles to answer him: “For twenty-five years I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house…” Tevye is not satisfied. “But do you love me?” he asks repeatedly.The expression of true love in the nitty-gritty of daily living is many-faceted. Certainly the things we do for others are demonstrations of our love, but there must be somet...

by Sr Nancy Usselmann, Director of the Pauline Center for Media StudiesThere is so much buzz in Los Angeles about the Oscars, even after the event. Last week I brought one of our Sisters who has never been to Hollywood to Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard and to see the Walk of Fame. The entire street was closed off as they were setting up the red carpet and canopy leading into the Dolby Theater for Hollywood’s biggest night. Sister was fascinated by everything: the na...

If you only knew how good the Blessed Virgin is! If people only knew! (Saint Bernadette)High in the Pyrenees, the ice-cold water of the river Gave rushed along on the morning of February 11, 1858. Fourteen-year-old Bernadette had stopped to take off her stockings before wading across. Her younger sister, nine-year-old Toinette, and their friend Marie Abadie had already waded across the river. The three girls were collecting branches for firewood.Bernadette suddenly heard a strong wind whistling ...