Mary, my mother: The power of Marian consecration
It happened in the back of a cop car: the Blessed Virgin Mary showed me her motherly care. It began while I was stuck in traffic on a daytrip bus…
Why we call Mary ‘co-redeemer,’ and what that means for us
A few weeks ago, we had a visitor in our home who went straight for the jugular. “You Catholics are going to hell because you believe in a religion instead…
Catholic Hispanic traditions made me feel at home
If you grew up like I did with a lot of Caucasian friends, particularly Irish ones, then until recently, you, too, may have grown up with St. Patrick’s Day being…
What Our Lady of Sorrows can teach us about the heart of women
A few months ago while tucked into a coffee shop booth with my best friend, I found myself filling her in on the sweetness and sorrow of the previous month….
When I’m stretched beyond my limits
Before my son was born and then for some time after while we were still in the hospital, my husband and I binged “Survivor.” On the show, contestants all have…
Praying with the Seven Sorrows of Mary
I was raised Southern Baptist, with an aversion to the Catholic faith. When I met and fell in love with a Catholic Marine, I was as horrified as my parents….
Praying in solidarity with Ukraine through iconography
Despite war raging in Eastern Europe, it can be easy for the conflict to feel worlds away. With or without an extra intercession during Mass, the minor inconvenience of higher…
Praying in the everyday like our Blessed Mother
I’ve had many different experiences with prayer as a Catholic woman. Sometimes, I’m blessed with moments of incredible intimacy with the Lord where conversation with him comes naturally. But honestly,…
A guide to the woman we all want to become
Women — the muse of choice for poets, painters and songwriters — are beautiful. Not only do women inspire art; they are, themselves, works of art. To be a woman…
When dependence is beautiful
As the surrounding trees lost their golden leaves, my sister-in-law swayed near the group of our family, gently rocking my infant nephew in her carrier. The rest of us warmed…