April is usually a beautiful time of year here in New England, the snow starts to melt and the crocuses show their tiny faces. I received the sacarment of Confirmation in the month of April, so it's also a time of special gratitude for the Spirit and of remembering the event that jump-started a new space for God to work inside me.I'll never forget the first of our Confirmation classes. Our teacher, a very nice woman probably in her 40s, laid down the law: "If you miss even one class...

Growing up, I loved the idea of love, thanks to a steady diet of Disney magic and, later, romantic comedies. Fast-forward to college, and I realized my younger self’s concept of romance was little more than infatuation when compared to what it could really be.St. Pope John Paul II introduced me to another view, and I fell in love with love for real.My college boyfriend and I decided to attend a summer retreat in Allenspark, Colorado, where the pope stayed when he came to Denver for World Y...

Dear St. Gianna,I wanted to write to you today on St. Valentine’s Day and thank you for your friendship and what you have taught me about real, true, and lasting love.I smile when I think of the day we met in the hallway of the publishing house. It was two-and-a-half years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. There you were, so visibly pregnant, dressed in your white lab coat, surrounded by your beloved husband Pietro and three of your children—right there on the cover of th...

A couple years ago I went to a Theology of the Body (TOB) Congress in Philadelphia. One thing stood out for me: so many people I talked to said that learning about TOB had made their life happier. I recall one man who was an ordinary Catholic guy—I’ll call him Joe from New Jersey. He said that his wife had started listening to talks about TOB and was very enthusiastic about it. He wasn’t too interested at first. His wife, however, would play the CDs when the two of them were in the car. After...

Do you know someone who has left the Church?  Who do you ask to pray for your loved ones? Sometimes St. Monica is invoked on behalf of children who have strayed from the faith. And she definitely can be a powerful intercessor. But there is another intercessor we should never forget when we pray for friends and family who have left the Church: our Blessed Mother. Here are some reasons why: 1. Mary is Our Loved Ones’ Mother:  I once had a very strong prayer expe...