Home of the Mother

From Slave to Priest Father Augustine Tolton was born a slave and became the first U.S. diocesan priest of African descent. He was being called to the priesthood at a time in American history when black people were free, but still treated harshly on account of their race. His fortitude and patience allowed God to work in His own time and bring a plan to fruition that was much greater than could have conceived.  He hoped against all hope to reach the grace of becoming a priest, with heroic patience... Read more...   In the Heart of World Youth Day 2011 World Youth Days give the young people an opportunity to have a real encounter with Jesus Christ, who is the chief end of each WYD. It's not just a big party. Everything that is organized is meaningless unless it leads young people to Jesus Christ. And when young people are lead to Jesus Christ, He can talk and ask them to surrender themselves to Him, to become apostles for the youth in their environments. As Pope John Paul II said, the young people are the future of the Church.... Read more...   The Way of St. James In Matthew 5:41, Jesus says: "If someone asks you to walk with him a mile, walk two." And when your former college roommate asks you to walk 500 miles, what do you do? You go! At least that is what I thought in the early months of 2004, when my former college roommate told me about walking across Spain on a pilgrimage known as the Way of St. James. Little did I know that in agreeing to accompany her, I was becoming a “complice” in God's plan to turn my entire life "upside down."   Read more...   Missionary in Sudan The question that secular culture constantly puts before a young person is: what do you want to do with your life?  So, for me to hear the call to follow Christ in a special vocation I needed to experience a personal “reorientation” if you will, a conversion of mind and heart, first of all to the Person of Jesus. That happened for me at a Catholic youth conference at Franciscan University (then College) of Steubenville in the summer of 1982, when I was 18 years old.  Once I encountered the Person of Jesus in a living way, and made a decision to follow Him, the question became: what does He want me to do? Read more...