by Father Michael A. PerryI’m writing this on July 3, perhaps with a sense of nostalgia because l am not home to celebrate our Independence Day with my people. I’m in Ukraine, where my ancestors came from 100 years ago.
Up Front and Personal
Attention in an Age of Distraction
“Behold” is my favorite word in Scripture. Every time it shows up, we’re summoned to snap to attention and take notice. God is about to do something new. Let’s not miss it.
A Prayer in the Face of Loss
This year, my husband and his sisters are facing what so many families must. Their elderly parents, unable to live on their own, and with great memory loss, have been moved to a residence for people with dementia.
Priests Need Other Priests
Not 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.
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.
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!”