More young adults than ever doubt they can find real, lasting love. In today’s throw-away culture, a “forever love” that can endure the ups and downs of life can seem unrealistic, even unattainable. Yet, we all feel a deep need for love. In fact, scientific research...
I couldn't help but notice that there wasn't much secular news coverage of this year's World Youth Day celebration in Lisbon. Maybe it's because the media couldn't twist Pope Francis' words out of context as easily as they usually do with our Holy Father? Throughout...
My whole life, I have stated I am a member of the Catholic Church. I specifically remember learning in youth group that the word “catholic” meant universal, but the definition didn’t mean much to me until I partook in World Youth Day 2005. It was the summer before my...
A lot happens between the ages of 12 and 14. I call it the magical age, the ethereal age, the age of heroes and anything’s-possible. We’ve all passed through that moment. For some of us it was just another year, for others it was the turning point that made every...
The question teenagers constantly ask is, “Why does this matter?” And if they don’t feel it matters, they won’t participate. (Or at best, they will drag their feet.) Math homework and cleaning often fall into this category. And unfortunately, prayer, Mass, the...
Congrats! Your child (or godchild, niece, or nephew) received the sacrament of Confirmation, sealing them with the same Holy Spirit who moved upon the watery void of Genesis and convicted the hearts of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost almost 2,000 years ago! ...
World Youth Day will take place August 1-6, 2023 in Lisbon. The motto chosen from Luke 1:39, "Mary arose and went with haste," is one that will speak to the hearts of the thousands of young people expected to join Pope Francis in prayer during this international faith...
Boy Scouts of America – A Love Letter to a Organization of the Past I am an Eagle Scout and a former Scoutmaster. I loved Boy Scouts of America. As a young boy and then a teen, I went to Boy Scout summer camp almost every summer. I went to the National Scout Jamboree...
Teens are hungry for God. They want to know what is true. They yearn to experience authentic encounters with the risen Lord. Many may have faith in their hearts, but are still trying to figure out what is real for themselves. They need proof. They want to know...
It's always so much fun filling a child's Easter Basket. There are many great Catholic children's books to choose from, Shining Light Dolls, Catholic coloring books, Saint stickers, and saint games available that help keep the focus of Easter on Jesus. Throw in a...
I was married with a few kids by the time Tinder became a thing. Never having used the app myself, I had no idea how much it is has impacted the culture of dating and romance until I had the chance to view The Dating Project. This documentary, produced by Paulist...
Michael Cygan, recent graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, has been working on Fatima: The Musical for the past four years. In partnership with the Morning Star Family Holy Hour and Daybreak Television Productions, the performance premiered on...
Although I barely listen to any pop music, even I couldn’t fail to notice this single that has spent seven weeks in the UK charts and made it to number one two weeks in a row here in Britain this summer. Dua Lipa’s track “New Rules” is undoubtedly catchy, but it’s the...
Back to school! Now is the time for endless school supply sales and thinking of cooler weather. As happy as the commercials make it seem, school can be full of negative experiences for many people. Like the video below shows, students struggle with rules,...
When I made my Confirmation, I did not fully understand the significance of the Sacrament. While I’m certain my teachers did a wonderful job preparing me in an academic sense, my mind and heart were just not completely open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit...
I'm hoping that I have at least a few years until my kids enter the world of dating. My older boys (thankfully!) still turn shades of red at the thought of liking a girl, but my first grader is a self-proclaimed "ladies' man." Though they are young, it is not too...
There is a lot of well-founded emotion in this Buzzfeed spoken-word video “I Am Not That Girl”. There is honesty, and not a trace of self-pity as the narrator says: “having a lack of male attention in this world is seen as an abnormality, is seen as less than womanly....
People tend to complain and grumble about teenagers who have no manners, no values, spend all their time on cell phones, and just don’t “do things the way they used to.” Teens often get a bad reputation in today’s world, but a group of young men and women from...
The LOL Generation. Life is a playground, carefree, free of authority, free of rules, free to be "me". Don't speak to me about what was in the past, about my parents, or even about my country. I live in the now. In the now, I am king of my own life. A brief...
