The Gift of a Cursillo Weekend

It was a warm summer evening on the night of July 10, 2014. I pulled up to the parking lot of Jesus of Nazareth Retreat Center, where the Women’s Cursillo #274 was being hosted. I remember arriving and feeling a sense of apprehension. What was I doing here? 

A Faith Vocation Grows in Brooklyn

A novel that was required reading for students beginning in the 1940s was “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. In it the character, Francie, loves her neighborhood and refers to a tree that is growing out of the concrete as the Tree of Heaven.

The Spirit of Ordinary Time

If you enter a church and find the sanctuary decked out in red flowers, chances are that, unless it is Christmas, the parish has just celebrated confirmation. This is particularly true in spring when so many such celebrations take place in the wake of Easter. 

Remembering Farrell’s Jimmy Houlihan

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. 

The Day I Almost Passed By My Angel

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.

Remembering a Good Priest, Msgr. Geraghty

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.” 

Divine Mercy Will Strengthen You

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.

Inspiration Found in My Lenten Journey

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.