We always drank beer from stemmed glasses in Farrell’s Bar and Grill. We were college kids, hair creeping down our necks, and we would meet in the crowded, gleaming bar in Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace to plan the evening or our lives. 

I had a break between my morning classes at Hunter College one day during the spring semester last year, so I walked to a nearby Dunkin’ for a coffee and doughnut. Walking back to school, breakfast in hand, I stood on Lexington Avenue waiting for a green light when I turned to see a man with half his body in a garbage can, apparently rummaging to gather food.

When she needed it the most, Sister Ave Clark believes that a stranger brought the light of an angel into her life. 

No memoir of a priest or Christian can truly touch on their journey without referring to some stories of their interaction with others “on the Way.” 

On April 8th, I was ready to take part in my first Easter Vigil. 

My devotion to Divine Mercy started during the pandemic. Like many people, I felt anxious about all the things I couldn’t control, which, at that time, seemed like everything.

My curiosity peaked at a Deanery B9 meeting months ago when it was explained Bishop Robert Brennan hoped to initiate a Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage with Eucharistic Adoration at station churches. This sounded like a great idea, given there is a National Eucharistic Revival. 

If God had a sneaker company, the motto might be “Just Say Yes!” And on the Feast of the Annunciation, Father Lawrence’s homily at St. Peter’s Church in downtown Manhattan prior to the International Gift of Life Walk reflected beautifully on Mary’s fiat — her Yes!

At 5:30 a.m., the tuk-tuk wagon pulled up in front of Chhaya Apartments in Battambang, Cambodia.  The night man got out of bed and unlocked the front door. It was pitch-dark. DJ, the driver, and his little son, Ceemy, waited for me to climb in. 

I recently was a member of the New York State Legislature, where I represented around 130,000 people. I am also a practicing Catholic. Part of the reason I decided not to run for re-election after six years in office was the fact that remaining in the State Legislature prevented me from truly devoting myself to picking up my cross and following Christ.