Dec 12
A SEASON OF HOPE Who is your ray of hope this season? The grief and changes in your life have brought darkness and turmoil. Like a ride on roller coaster you are experiencing thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms that are like a rude intruder. You yearn for the love… you miss the familiar. You are …
Nov 24
A question commonly asked by bereaved people at this time of year is, “How can I get through the holidays?” There is really no single answer of what one should or shouldn’t do. One guiding principle: do what is comfortable. The key to coping with grief during the holidays is to find the way that …
Nov 21
Have you ever walked a road at night with your path lit only by starlight? In the barrios of the Philippines, stars are the lamps that guide the nighttime traveler. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, one will find parols (star lanterns) hanging from windows. Bamboo sticks and rice paper form a three-dimensional star in …
Nov 16
Catholic Charities gives thanks. We truly appreciate all of our volunteers and our donors who support the work we do. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Nov 09
Remembering those who have gone before us in faith Nothing can make up for the absence of someone whom we love, and it would be wrong to try and find a substitute; we must simply hold out and see it through. That sounds very hard at first; but at the same time it is a …
Sep 11
Dear God, Source of all goodness and grace, We come to you on the 10th Anniversary of the events of September 11. The terror and shock of that day renews pangs of pain and loss. Likewise, we are buoyed as we remember the courage and strength of those who came to the aid of so …
Aug 29
BISHOP GEORGE V. MURRY, S.J. ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF YOUNGSTOWN AND BISHOP ELIZABETH EATON NORTHEASTERN OHIO SYNOD EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA In these days of Ramadan, we send our greetings to the Muslim community in northeast Ohio. We pray that this will be a time of blessing for you, your families and your global …
Aug 14
Patricia Sánchez holds a master’s degree in literature and religion of the Bible from a joint degree program at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in New York. A reflection for this Sunday.
Jun 13
The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) reports that there are approximately 64.8 million Catholics in the United States today. Approximately 33% of this group are not practicing their Catholic faith. Based on research done by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Evangelization most Catholics drifted away from the Church because they: did not …
May 26
Why are so many Catholics reluctant to invite others to consider exploring the Catholic faith? Many fears loom in the minds and hearts of Catholics that can create a paralysis of sorts: fear of intruding, of being rejected, of being labeled a fanatic, of not knowing how to respond. Some of the fear resides in people’s …