by Father Anthony J. SansoneNot too long ago, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio told me a story of the time he was a young priest and how he cared for his grandfather as his grandfather became older and in need of medical attention.
Up Front and Personal
The View From Omaha Beach
Some 75 years ago, my uncle and thousands of other young men, some my age, some even younger, stormed Normandy’s beaches. The barbed-wire frontlines of Hitler’s Third Reich were teeming with landmines waiting to blow, Luftwaffe overhead, waiting to strafe.
Bill Buckner and Bart Starr: Two Sides of the Same Lesson
Yes, great things can happen when we see the good in people and give them a chance.
In Memoriam to My Spiritual Mother, Sister Nellie Daquel
Sister Nellie Annunciata Daquel, MUCP was a Filipino native who made her home on earth at St. Sebastian’s in Woodside. I was honored to be among the last graduating class of RCIA in 2018 with Sister Nellie as our teacher. So please forgive me if I don’t use all the proper Catholic terms. As a newly initiated Catholic who converted from Protestantism and still has much to learn, I will simply speak from my heart.
We All Benefit From Enforcing the Law
Peacemakers include all those honorable law enforcement officers, male and female, who dedicate their lives, day in and day out, to keeping the peace.
The Blessing of a Broken Dishwasher: A Soul Cleanse
As Catholics, our sacramental imagination does not have to be limited to beautiful liturgies or great art. There’s something to be discovered in the mundane tasks of everyday life.
Definition of a Mother
When I was a child, electricity was not available in my town in Vietnam at that time. As I went to sleep, my mom usually made a breeze for me with a fan made of thatch or spathe. Sometimes, it was not hot, but my mom still cooled me off. When I felt a little bit too chilly, I told my mom: “Mom, you do not have to fan me anymore. I am not hot!” My mom gently replied: “I am driving mosquitoes away from you, my son!”
Where Is God When the Tabernacle Is Empty?
On Holy Thursday, I kneeled with the congregation as the priest and a long procession of altar servers moved the Holy Eucharist from the main tabernacle to the side altar, signaling the beginning of Jesus’ passion and death. I never realized how empty it looked without a ciborium. I felt an overwhelming sense of dread and sadness, as if God were no longer with us.
Easter Has Always Been a Time of Peace and Terror
Pregnancy during Lent adds an extra layer of anticipation for new life and the glorious shouts of “Alleluia.”
My Heart Forgives
I was asked to write a reflection of my experience as a survivor of sexual abuse by clergy. This Lent, just as last year, I read from two diaries; the first was that of St. Faustina and the second was The Diary of Anne Frank.
