by Jen Owens “God was the first to cry for your son.” These words were put in the mouth of Dr. King as he attempted to comfort an aging protestor who had lost his son at the hands of a state trooper in the film Selma, and this […]
The year I started kindergarten, my parish school began to undertake the installation of a statue of Mary outside our classroom. Much of that first year of school, my tiny classmates and I were instructed to stay away from what they called “Mary’s area” because the workers were […]
Dear Pope Francis, When I heard that you were planning to visit the United States next year, I was almost as excited as I was to hear about the synod on the family, currently meeting in Rome. Thank you for being present to your people, in our needs. […]
by Jen Owens I remember sitting in the office of my spiritual director Fernando one morning near the end of my sophomore year of college, bemoaning the fact that one of my dear friends was about to graduate in just a few short weeks. If any of you […]
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. When my siblings and I were growing up, my family decorated the house in Advent and Christmas colors. The branches of the tree were enticing to the eyes of passersby, […]
As an adolescent, I had a lot in common with my youngest brother in terms of my approach to my faith. I was constantly seeking what I called “a spiritual experience.” Ever on the lookout, I became a pretty overinvolved teenager, participating in and facilitating retreats at my […]
“This is awesome,” Hannah[1] said as the five of us picked ourselves up off the floor. “I’m sorry—what is awesome exactly?” I responded, willing my knees to cooperate. “This. Talking about being Catholic, together. I go to public school. We don’t do this at public school. And you […]
