1.  The days are slower. When constantly surrounded by noise, traffic, and other houses, life becomes frustrating and almost claustrophobic.  It seems so busy with everything going on around our little house.  Vacating takes us away from the hustle and bustle, if only for a little bit.  The areas nearby …

It was a perfect day and perfect way to end Sisters Weekend 2013. After sunrise and laughter over coffee on the beach this morning, we found ourselves hanging out on the sofas telling stories, drinking more coffee. Suddenly one of us discovered we were supposed to check out of the …

I just had to share some of the amazing fun and grace I experienced at this past weekend’s Archdiocese of Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. This was my fourth Congress – it gets better every year. Kudos to the amazing staff of the Office of Religious Education for the accomplishment …

Year of Faith Pilgrimage to Italy With Bishop Michael J. Sheridan and Elizabeth Ficocelli 2013 has been designated as “The Year of Faith” by Pope Benedict XVI. What better way to mark this occasion than a pilgrimage, October 14-24, to the heart and historic center of our Catholic faith – …

When our family travels (and we do that a lot, considering our closest relatives are hundreds of miles away), I want to be organized. For ages, I would make lists of what needed to be packed for vacation, then checked things off as they went into whatever bags they belonged …

Friends living in Southern California, I’m happy to share the good news that I’ll be in your neighborhood next week, speaking at my alma mater Mater Dei High School. You’re cordially invited to join me on Thursday, October 4th at 6:00 pm – find all of the event details here. …

These hushed woods once echoed with the rumble of rickety wagons chock full of gold ore. Mining towns, never built to last, set as stunning jewels in precarious mountain slopes, endure.  Just as the spirit of the rugged individuals who carved  communities in the wilderness, endures. Tilted rock formed deep …

Editor’s note: As Colleen points out in her article, the apparitions in Medjugorje have not been approved by the Church. For more information on the Church’s teachings on Medjugorje visit this helpful resource at EWTN. LMH There were many firsts for me this year. For starters, I got a passport. …

  Editor’s note: Today, we continue our two part series with another wonderful excerpt from Faith, Family, and Children with Special Needs by David Rizzo. David’s book is a fantastic resource for any family blessed with a child with special needs – he offers not only tremendous inspiration, but also practical considerations …

Editor’s note: Today, I am thrilled to share a guest post excerpted from the fantastic book  Faith, Family, and Children with Special Needs by David Rizzo. David’s book is a fantastic resource for any family blessed with a child with special needs – he offers not only tremendous inspiration, but also …

Earlier this week, the clouds accompanied me on a journey to Indianapolis, where I have been taking in the 2012 Catholic Media Conference. I can think of no better way to begin my new venture as communications coordinator and editor for the Diocese of Fargo here in North Dakota. My time …

For the past few years, I’ve watched wistfully as Catholic communicators from around the country gathered to attend the Catholic Press Association’s annual Catholic Media Conference. This year, I decided to take the plunge and find the funding to make attending a reality. I traveled cross country to Indianapolis and with a …

After having “studied” abroad for a year in Galway, it had been such a joy to travel back there with my husband. Once an insecure twenty-year-old, it was a thrill to return better than ever—twenty-eight, married, queen of my domestic church. And to my surprise, Ireland looked better, too. The …

Our tiny car slowed to a stop neatly within the parking stall. “Thank you, God,” I breathed as I turned off the engine. My husband exhaled with relief, but before we could celebrate our safe arrival in Murrisk from Galway, our eyes slowly turned upward at the imposing mountain in …

31 churches, 11 hours, 1 city. Our first anual Churchathon was a mix of prayer, fun and getting lost in Rome. Our only mission: pray for the intentions that so many of our friends and family members asked of us. Heres the summary video to give thanks to them, to …

God is so good. My husband and I are in the middle of a six-hour layover at the O’Hare Airport, en route to Rome to meet up with his fellow canon law classmates for a two-week Rome trip with a decidedly canon law flavor.  He’s in a suit; I’m in …

In my Catholic lifetime of thirty-something years, I’ve worshipped in many different places.  I’ve sung my alleluias under the vivid stained-glass of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, with hushed tourists filing their way around the seats.  I’ve listened to the Gospel in an airy modern chapel in Albuquerque.  I’ve recited the …

Saturday, February 11 is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.  It marks the first appearance of Our Lady to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France.  Since it falls on a Saturday this year, it may be the right time to do something special for Our Lady as well as doing …

Having recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to Israel, I am looking forward to sharing many of my adventures with you over the next few weeks. Find all of my Israel reflections here. LMH I’m a frequent flyer these days, so you won’t typically find me getting too …

listen to ‘Israel Day 7: Sung Prayer at the Dormition ’ on Audioboo