Laura Vicuna was born just three months after a civil war had erupted in Chile in 1891, so her life was in danger soon after it began. Claudio Vicuna, a relative of her father, was a prominent figure in the war—which left him with many enemies. More »

"In God, whose word I praise,/ in God I trust; I am not afraid." —Psalm 56:4 More »

It has been seventeen years since Pope John Paul II issued his encyclical letter The Gospel of Life. More »

I discerned a call to the priesthood through the many events of my life, some of which were very sad and painful. Yet it was in each one of these experiences that I most deeply felt my call to share the love of Christ Jesus with a hurting world. These events seemed to come together, almost like a puzzle, and in them I was able to hear the Lord’s will for my life. More »

As an idealistic college student, I had all sorts of grandiose ideas about ministering to the poor. They ranged from political action to overseas missions. However, I soon discovered that my gifts do not lie in politics or foreign travel. I’m more comfortable working within familiar structures and programs, as a catechist or liturgical minister. More »

You want to cheer when the magi appear on the horizon in chapter two of Matthew’s Gospel. After all, the Savior of the world, God in the flesh, has been born! History’s central event has taken place! And although Jesus slipped in among us more like an undercover agent than a conquering hero, how right and fitting that a special delegation would make a special effort to welcome the newborn King. More »

Late one evening, a young man was hobbling on crutches down a Montreal city street. A car pulled up alongside him, and a middle-aged passenger in a religious habit leaned his head out of the window. “What happened to you?” he asked. More »

To the ancients, a name was not merely an identifying label, but a revelation of a person’s character and his or her role in society. It is the name that both defines and reveals the inner workings of the individual. More »