What’s New
Forgiving with Perfect Charity
by Mike Goggin The Twitterverse reveals to us every imaginable thought under the sun. Here’s one that caught my eye just yesterday, from Brazilian lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho. “Be strong enough to forgive without hearing an apology.” I would like to make that...
Clinging on by Letting Go
by Linda Zimmerman My mother woke me early to get ready for church. It was Ash Wednesday 1963. At Christ the King Church, I remember that the priest talked about the solemn purpose of Lent. He explained it as a time when Catholics traditionally follow three Lenten...
The Way of the IVC Pilgrim
by Noreen Manzo Can you believe it? Every IVC volunteer in the New England region traveled the Camino de Santiago de Compostela last year. Well, at least that’s what we invited them to figuratively do during our annual retreat. Although we didn’t travel...
SAVE THE DATE! MAY 1, 2019
Bright Star, Illumined Hearts
By Margot Meier Howard It was sunset and the small, brown field sparrows were huddled under the broad corner eaves of the front porch against blowing winds of chilling snow and ice. Safe inside a warm home full of Christmas lights, I watched their rusty capped heads...
Finding Consolation in God’s Forgiveness
by Erin Benson I was recently asked to give a talk on the issue of simplicity. The topic is close to my heart and usually brings a lot of energy and joy when I share with others how simplicity can be applied as a matter of faith in our lives. But as I was preparing...
Finding Joy: A Lesson from Mama Dreads
by Karen Martin My new friend, Mama Dreads, has taught me so much in the past year just by being herself. She is easy to spot in a crowd. She wears a straw cowboy hat decorated with silk flowers and campaign pins. She loves mixing tie-dye, camouflage and plaid to...
Saying Yes: Choosing Action Over Indifference
by Tiffany Nelms Severely disabled, 9-year-old Sara had been denied medical care and was alienated by her community in Latin America. Her mother, hoping to find a cure for her daughter, crossed the desert between the United States and Mexico with Sara on her back. ...
How I Followed Two Fathers to a Life of Service
by Al Rowley Faith of our fathers, holy faith. It’s a refrain that echoes in my life, where two fathers — my dad, Allan Rowley, Sr., Esq., and my uncle, Father James Colford, S.J. — handed down to me a living faith. My uncle was insightful and funny and always ready...