Montana’s Bishops Issue a Call to Defend Life
Letter from the Catholic Bishops of Montana on the Abortion Amendment Constitutional Initiative (CI-128) As Catholics, we treasure life as a precious gift from God and recognize our sacred duty to nurture and protect every human life from the moment of conception through natural death. Created in the image of God with a dignity not […]
Continue the Mission
I recently attended a showing of the Angel Studios movie Cabrini, based on the inspiring true story of our first American Saint, Frances Xavier Cabrini. As she struggles to build an Empire of Hope through serving poor immigrants, the Pope asks her how she will fund her endeavors. Her reply is simple: “Begin the mission, […]
On Our Way with Camino
The Church takes recordkeeping seriously, and for good reasons. From my family and I in our pew on Sunday to pilgrims at the Vatican, there is a need for good records and data. On a global scale, the Secretariat of State at the Vatican annually requires diocesan and archdiocesan statistical reports. These require data from […]
MCC Reissues Faithful Citizenship Video Series
As we move further into the election year, Matt Brower of the Montana Catholic Conference has produced a fantastic reissue of his 8-part series seeking to address various issues related to faithful citizenship. Throughout the series, Brower will highlight various aspects of the intersection of faith and politics, and what every Catholic should know when engaging […]
Pope Francis Declares 2024 Year of Prayer
In his Angelus address on Jan. 21, Pope Francis announced a year of prayer that will lead up to the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year. He described it as “a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one’s personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the […]
A Qualified Nostalgia
Sometimes, I’m nostalgic for the vigorous spiritual life I pursued in my twenties. What memorable and intense times I had at late-night adoration, daily Mass, and personal prayer. When I was 22, the beginning of Lent and the fact that this Lent is during the Year of Prayer would have had me amped baby. Bring […]
A Guide to Lent & Lenten Observances
What is Lent? Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving celebrated by all Catholics, and most other Christian denominations, that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. Why Do We Celebrate It? Lent is a special time to refocus ourselves on God and seek to follow His […]
Embracing the Sacred: The National Eucharistic Revival
We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in the life of the Church in the U.S. The USCCB launched a 3-year National Eucharistic Revival initiative in 2021 to help the faithful revive their understanding and devotion to the Eucharist. This divine journey is set to reach its zenith at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, […]
National Marriage Week 2024
The observances of National Marriage Week (February 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, February 11) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. The theme for 2024 is “Love Beyond Words.” Below you’ll find links to various resources that can […]
St. Joseph and the Hidden Grace of Family Life
A few months ago, I stumbled upon a homily written by Father Jon Vander Ploeg, Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Paul Seminary where we are blessed to have four seminarians studying. Father Jon preached about the profound hiddenness of the life of St. Thérèse. So simple was her life that as she lay on […]
News of Great Joy: A Christmas Reflection
“And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you news of a great joy which will come to all people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find […]