Category Archives: Education

Who Put the “Lent” in Valentine?

Happy Valentine’s Day to you! Please accept a gift that has no calories but still has a lot of energy in at least two different forms–my excitement about a little book I produced to make people smile about the deeper … Continue reading

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This Present Is Past and Future

I’m still waiting for one Christmas gift to arrive. Actually, I still have to pick it up from a store. And it’s a gift for the whole family, including me. It’s a hard drive that will contain the digital versions … Continue reading

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Christ the King and the Public Square

The Solemnity of Christ the King is capping the 2017 Liturgical Calendar this Sunday. In spite of, or because of, that term “king”—which sounds so old-fashioned and dictatorial to many Americans, this special feast that ushers in Advent offers tips … Continue reading

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Spanning the Centuries in Photos

South Bend’s Century Center, in an evocative photo by Lou Sabo. A picture for all centuries…. Yes, this picture was taken in 1977 by my friend, a photographer whose great pictures show his love for his native city and the … Continue reading

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Look for Helpers, Make Them Headliners

  Thanks to the USA Today website and the previous reporting of Entertainment Weekly senior writer Anthony Breznican for perhaps the briefest and most powerful “webinar” to instruct today’s journalists.  It’s a simple lesson from Fred Rogers (1928-2003), the Presbyterian minister who hosted “Mr. Rogers’ … Continue reading

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Proud Daddy, Keep on Browsin’

Come Holy Spirit! One of your fruits is joy, and it was joyful to see Mary Schmitt among the CUA students bringing up the Gifts to Cardinal Wuerl at the Mass of the Holy Spirit on August 31. Thank you, … Continue reading

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Marriage and Family: The Power Couple

Don’t miss the current episode of “Franciscan University Presents,” which is a most thought-provoking and grace-invoking discussion of the sacrament of marriage. The guest, Father John Riccardo, sets the stage in the first half hour with a discussion of the … Continue reading

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Affluenza — The 20th Anniversary

(Originally written for the blog of my Secular Franciscan Order fraternity in Mishawaka, Indiana) This is the 20th anniversary of the broadcast of a documentary that has lodged itself in my heart and my mind. May I recommend it to you … Continue reading

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Celebrating Cities & Classic Photography

My friend Lou Sabo, a South Bend native with a love of the historic urban scenes of South Bend and Chicago, recently presented a lecture and slide show at the Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture on Washington St. … Continue reading

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… And Let it Begin with Me (Debate This!)

Patrick Coffin, an insightful and witty broadcaster skilled in interviewing and conversation, is starting his own series of video commentaries about our culture and today’s challenges to faith and reason. I just viewed the first entry in his YouTube series, … Continue reading

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