On a hot August day nearly 20 years ago, I arrived at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Ill., for my first day of teaching. One of my most vivid memories of that day was seeing the massive window of…
“Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me. And before I’d be a slave, I’d be buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free.” The lyrics from this post-Civil War African American spiritual resonate with…
Associate Pat Maddux with his son and father. This will be my first Father’s Day without my dad. Clyde’s battle with Alzheimer’s ended in September. He was an amazing man, bigger than life, the center of attention, and full of…
One of the many flowering trees at Mount Carmel Trees I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks…
What is the meaning of mother? A mother is a female parent; mothers nurture and mother children. It’s also a term for an elderly woman or mother superior. Your mother is a woman who gave birth to you; mothers are…
April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The first Earth Day was the brainchild of Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson and began as a national teach-in on environmental issues. It was held on April 22 to maximize the number…
Easter was my Mother’s favorite holiday. She loved dying, decorating, and hiding eggs. She always cooked a delicious dinner and set a beautiful table. All the kids loved Easter, thanks to Mom. And we always knew attending Mass on Easter…
In a chaotic time surrounding an election, health fears, and technology overload, I pause and reflect about a simple group of believers and family who experienced the same. A messenger of justice, freedom, and charity, Jesus chose to die knowing…
Say to daughter Zion, See, your king comes to you, Gentle and riding on a donkey, On a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea.” -Zechariah…
“Ain’t I a woman!” was a statement attributed to Sojourner Truth in her address to the Women’s Rights Conference in Akron, Ohio, in 1851. Sojourner was an African American woman who was born into slavery but escaped and “walked away…