“I don’t want to go to the Easter Vigil. It’s too long. My Church back home has the readings in two different languages. I will fall asleep.” This response to an invitation to go to the Easter Vigil is extremely common. I have used it many times before, especially mentally. However, this just shows that […]

In a world so subscribed to cynicism, it’s hard to be anything but a pessimist. Everyone’s glass is always half-empty, and if anyone dares to believe otherwise, the half-emptys descend upon the poor optimist, either relentlessly changing their mind, or shattering the glass altogether. How does one stay an optimist in a culture adamantly opposed […]

Two years ago, I had the privilege of spending the Triduum, or at least most of it, in Rome with my boyfriend, and now fiancé. On our ten-day trip with the school, about a month and a half earlier, we had the chance to ascend the Holy Stairs on our knees. Because the Holy Stairs […]

Have you ever had a conversation with someone you barely know where you walk away knowing just a little too much about them? These conversations, where you didn’t ask for their testimony or a play-by-play of their latest telephone call with God, are often difficult to handle charitably. Do you rejoice at their vulnerability and […]

Winnie the Pooh said that “A friend is someone who helps you up when you’re down, and if they can’t, they lay down beside you and listen.” This goes hand in hand with the idea of a friend being there for you, always believing in you. My best friend lives across the United States and […]

Whether performed privately or communally, in silence or aloud, prayer serves as a grounding force that nurtures inner peace, strengthens resilience, and deepens one’s sense of purpose and connection. In a world of noise, social media, judgement, and even chaos, prayer is an essential way to find the true, good, and beautiful both in yourself […]

“She’s not who I thought she was.”   Those words are enough to stop anyone in their tracks. We spend so much time on impression management, making sure that the “me” everyone else sees is acceptable, good, and even holy. But when someone sees past that, when we slip up, when a shred of unplanned vulnerability […]

“Ever since discernment became fashionable, no one has made a decision.”   This popular quote, often attributed to Rev. Bob Bedard, casts an interesting light on how Catholics—particularly those of us on this campus – view discernment. Phrases like, “let me discern it first,” or “I’ll pray a novena and then get back to you,” are […]

All of us have been called to holiness, and yet everyone’s way of living out holiness is different. However, all humans have at least one thing in common: both the body and soul are called to sanctity.  Pope Francis said in his apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate” that, “you cannot grow in holiness without committing […]

By Tatum Oxenreider Assistant Editor As October comes to an end, Halloween comes flying around the corner with cooler weather, treats from the harvest season (or Walmart), quality time with friends and a cozy, spooky energy buzzing about.  Yes, the holiday has changed greatly as time goes on and stems farther from the Catholic roots […]