Al Smith is a writer with Catholic Exchange Magazine and is the editor of three best-selling books available from Sophia Institute Press: The Cries of the Jesus from the Cross: A Fulton Sheen Anthology (2018) Lord, Teach Us To Pray: A Fulton Sheen Anthology (2020) and Archbishop Sheen’s Book of Sacraments: A Fulton Sheen Anthology(2021).He is a husband, father, grandfather, a man of trade, and a business owner. Al has served the Church for fifteen years as a Catholic evangelist, radio host, writer, Internet broadcaster, and retreat director. He is the founder and director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Mission Society of Canada and has served on the Board of Directors of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation in Peoria, Illinois, which promotes the cause of Fulton J. Sheen’s canonization process. Al is the creator of the website Bishop Sheen Today, which features the life and works of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
Viewer beware: This Netflix series contains language, scenes of rape, normalization of same-sex romance, teen partying, graphic suicide, assault, and substance abuse. It does not depict a healthy teen culture and in fact contributes to a culture of toxicity, even...
"You can be the most pro-life person in the world, but until you sit there and you... you hear those words and you look at your future going forward, that's when you have got to face the reality and make your own decision.” - Royce Young Those are the powerful words...
This is Us, a hit television series, has a unique comedy-drama story line that has captured the hearts of millions of viewers. I'm not typically one who gets drawn into television shows, but something about this one has captivated me. Because of its popularity, it can...
In sitting down to write on this video, I am more aware than I have ever been of how little there is to add to the excellent and well-reasoned words of 16-year-old Autumn from StudentsForLife.org. All I can say is, go, go and watch the video for yourself! Still, I...
How does the Catholic Church feel about immigration, refugees, and border walls? We have a few resources that will help you grow in your understanding of Catholic Social teaching. What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Immigration and Border Walls? 1. We start with...
While it is not a requirement for a president-elect to use a Bible for the inaugural swearing-in ceremony, the majority of US presidents have chosen to do so. The Bible (or, in many cases Bibles) chosen has symbolic and personal meaning to the future President. The...
This short video from Speak Life shares a brief but beautiful insight into the life of a mother and her daughter Leeva, who has Down’s syndrome. Leeva is taking part in a Nativity play, and all her cast-mates also have Down’s syndrome. It is explained that the play...
We’ve found ourselves in quite a bit of a hot mess with the upcoming Presidential Election. The world is watching what choice American voters will make. Will we elect a woman who has no regard for the sanctity of life and who will make it her mission to further...
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. If you haven't already done so, try to make an extra effort to reach out to a friend or family member that has experienced this type of loss in his or her life. A thoughtful card or phone call is all that is...
There is no denying that this election has most Catholics perplexed. Neither candidate is an ideal choice to lead the people of the United States of America and despicable behavior has been displayed by both sides. It is difficult to envision our Nation in the hands...
Recently, my parents and I were away for the weekend for vacation. When we walked into our house Sunday afternoon, it smelled horrible in our kitchen. There was a strange pool of liquid, and I saw pinkish-red splatter all over the sticky floor. While we stared at the...
*Spoiler Alert: this commentary does not hide details about the movie. I’m not going to lie. Despite the unfortunate pro-euthanasia end, I loved the first hour and a half of the movie. I would almost dare to affirm that the first half and the second half are two...
July 25th is the anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the papal encyclical which explains the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage, sex, and responsible parenthood. It is estimated that 87% of Catholic women use a method of contraception instead of practicing Natural...
In the United States, the number of single dads continues to increase. In the 1960's there were just 300,000 households led by single fathers, but in the most recent survey by Pew Research that number rose to 2.6 million. As a Catholic faith community, we must show...
Courtney Baker is a courageous mother who not only chose life for her daughter, Emersyn Faith, but also answered the call to let the specialist know that she is more than happy that she did not succumb to the pressure to abort her baby just because of a prenatal...
Have you ever accepted something as truth and after coming to a better understanding of the issue, changed your mind? It happens with little things in day to day life all the time, but occasionally it happens with the bigger issues too. I remember a time when I would...
What do I think about abortion? I’ve asked myself this question many times...As Catholics we know it’s wrong, but what do we really know about it beyond that and do we truly understand why it’s wrong? I’ve found many people who consider themselves Catholic...
During a special Mass held in 2015 to mark the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, the Holy Father referred to “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the past century. “The first, which is widely considered the first genocide of the twentieth century, struck...
What do you do on the weekends? Host a party? Play a sport? Visit friends while you take a road trip? You’d probably never guess how Mary spends her weekends. Watch the video below to find out. If you want to spend your weekend like Mary, first get your junk mail....
"We used to talk on the phone ALL the time." This is my favorite quote from the WhatsUpMoms "Friends Without Kids" video. I stopped talking on the phone once unlimited texting was made available. Actual talking on the phone means that others can hear...
When someone identifies themselves as pro-life, you might immediately envision them holding a sign outside of an abortion clinic or marching in support of life at the March for Life. Those things are both important and necessary, but may not be what all of us are...
Have you ever simply sat and observed how others look? I am not referring to their outer appearance, rather to how to they look at what's around them. Where and how a person looks can tell you a lot about who they are and where their heart is. Every glance is filled...
Human life begins at the moment of conception; this is a scientific fact. Twenty-three chromosomes respectively from the mother and father unite in this moment to create a new being with 46 chromosomes, with unique characteristics and an unrepeatable history in...
Brother Terrorist: Tell me, what did you feel? When you looked into the terrorized eyes of your brother and you triggered his absence in this life… when innocent men and women begged for mercy, cried out to the humanity that runs through your veins, and you denied...
Torn. The feeling of contradiction within yourself. This video shows the possibilities between two different choices that this mother can make. A young single mother struggling between abandoning her baby child or not is faced with an intensely difficult decision. As...