stceceliastgabriel

God’s Architect

During his recent trip to Spain, Pope Leo visited Barcelona to bless the newly completed “Tower of Jesus,” of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. The basilica was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, who began working on it in 1883, and today it is the city’s most iconic building. Its exterior currently features facades that depict the birth of Christ and His crucifixion, with the final judgment facade still unfinished. Inside,Continue reading “God’s Architect “

Wanna Bet?

Last year, there was an article in The Atlantic by journalist McKay Coppins, who received $10k from the magazine to try his hand at online sports betting for a year and report on the experience. Having no prior experience of sports betting, he was surprised how quickly it took over his life. He began obsessing over point spreads and prop bets and would look for opportunities to hide from his family toContinue reading “Wanna Bet? “

Heart of Jesus

There is a small town in Italy called Lanciano where, in the year 750, a priest was experiencing intense doubts about the Eucharist as he was saying Mass. Even as he prepared to say Christ’s words of institution, he found it impossible to believe that the elements of bread and wine could turn into the living Body, Blood, Soul, andContinue reading “Heart of Jesus “

We Worship a Working Man

In recent months there have been many reports about what seems to be a growing interest in Catholicism among young people. Catholic campus ministries across the country received a record number of students into the Catholic Church this Easter. Several parishes in New York City have “standing room only” at Masses attended by young professionals searching for God (and perhaps a spouse). This is certainly a welcome development. But in a recent article featured in The NationalContinue reading “We Worship a Working Man “

Sharing Hidden Grief

Years ago, I asked my confessor if I should include in my confession my habit of watching boxing and mixed martial arts matches. “It’s definitely immoral,” he said, while adding, with a smile, “unless it’s a really good fight.” Not exactly the most helpful counsel I’ve ever received. But if you have a Netflix subscription, you will have noticed over the past several months aContinue reading “Sharing Hidden Grief “

Help a Mother Out

“It’s Mother’s Day in the U.K. today. So, I would like to dedicate this [award] to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart. We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds. Thank you for honoring me with this award.” So said the Irish actress Jessie Buckley upon receiving the Academy Award for best actress this March. The joy and admiration with which sheContinue reading “Help a Mother Out “

Beiberchella

Coachella is a 6-day music festival that takes place in California each year, drawing crowds of 250,000 people over the course of two weekends. Over the years, it has featured top performers and has become a magnet for lifestyle influencers and celebrities. Full disclosure: I have never attended Coachella. In fact, I probably would not have known it was happening if I hadn’t come across a video by Fr. Mark Mary Ames, CFR in which he offered aContinue reading “Beiberchella “

What Gives Hope

About a week ago, I attended a fundraising gala for my elementary school alma mater, St. Theresa’s in Trumbull. The guest of honor was Fr. Mike Schmitz, who is the chaplain of the Catholic Center at the University of Minnesota in Duluth and a popular speaker whose talks and homilies have many millions of online views. At the gala, he spoke about how his workContinue reading “What Gives Hope “

“Do No Harm”

Back in the early 1990s, the “Weekend Update” segment of Saturday Night Live was hosted by comedian Norm MacDonald. Among other things, MacDonald was famous for telling jokes in the segment about O.J. Simpson, which, despite being hilarious, ultimately got him fired from the show. Another one of MacDonald’s infamous targets was Dr. Jack Kevorkian, an outspoken proponent and practitioner of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, nicknamed “Dr. Death.” On the show, the fakeContinue reading ““Do No Harm” “

A Generous Heart

Ian Bravado wants to be a priest. A senior at Plainville High School, where he is the captain of the varsity soccer team, Bravado was the subject of an article featured in The Stamford Advocate last Sunday (4/5/26) that’s well worth reading. From a young age, Bravado showed deep interest in many things, particularly his Catholic faith. To his own surprise, during his freshman year of highContinue reading “A Generous Heart “