Catholic Writings
All About the Catholic Faith.
As a Catholic, I love discovering new ways to incorporate the Faith into my writing. The following are my published articles.
January 11, 2024
When we despair, the devil wins. We forget to focus on the positive and wondrous gift of God’s grace which, no matter how hard Satan fights, will always triumph. Sometimes, though, we fail to acknowledge God’s goodness even when it’s large and staring us right in the face.
August 17, 2023
It is no secret that J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Catholic whose faith influenced his epic fantasy. About his work, Tolkien wrote, "The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision...the religious element is absorbed into the story and symbolism" (Letter 142).
May 17, 2023
As the Catholic Church’s official voice on the authentic Fatima message, the World Apostolate of Fatima works hard to promote Our Lady’s critical message to a world in need.
May 3, 2023
Growing up, I was used to seeing the Twelve Apostles depicted as middle age or older: Da Vinci’s Last Supper, Ghirlandaio’s Vocation of the Apostles and Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of St. Thomas, to name a few. Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ in 2004 broke away from this with a fairly young actor, Christo Jivkov (around age 29), who played the disciple John. Still, the others were largely in their 40s and 50s — mature, grown adults. It wasn’t until Dallas Jenkins’ The Chosen that I realized the apostles were younger than I ever imagined.
February 14, 2023
I'm chronically late. It's a flaw I struggle to correct every single day. Sometimes it's almost effortless overcoming this shortcoming. When it's not, the hard days seek to weigh me down with guilt, embarrassment, and anxiety. Because when I'm late, the event or activity now seems pointless.
December 23, 2022
As a kid, I remember always lingering on St. Stephen’s page in my book about the lives of the saints. In part, it had to do with the brutal means of his death; my little mind had a hard time comprehending the notion of being stoned. He was also the protomartyr, an immeasurable gift from God, which I spent (and still do) a lot of time reflecting on. I used to think about how afraid St. Stephen was, being the first to die for the Savior, with no model to follow. Or how his heart must have broke for his killers, so in denial that the Son of Man had come that they allowed violence and hatred to twist them. But there was more to it.
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From Radio Shock Jock to Mary: The Conversion of Kevin Matthews
November 11, 2023
Radio personality Kevin Matthews' autobiographical Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope was pitched to me as a conversion story. While is most certainly is a conversion narrative, I would venture to label it one of reconversion. When read as such, Kevin's journey becomes not only admirable but relatable to many Catholics.
August 19, 2022
"Aren't Catholics idolators? My mom always said, "Don't be like the Catholics."
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This is a phrase far too many of us may be familiar with. It doesn't matter if we know this to be false, or if we take the time to explain the truth to others; often, we're dismissed, or even ridiculed. So, when my friend said these words to me, my first response was dread.
May 4, 2022
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR assumed the role of shrine chaplain for the National Blue Army Shrine earlier this year, and is assisted by Br. Pius Marie Gagne, CFR. Fr. Fletcher is a familiar face at the shrine as a regular speaker. He spoke with Soul Magazine about his journey of conversion to Mary.
March 3, 2022
In 2022, the World Apostolate of Fatima/Blue Army celebrates its 75th anniversary. Within its rich history is a collection of relics and holy artifacts housed in the Holy House USA at the Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima.
November 11, 2021
What might Christmas in Fatima have looked like for the three Fatima seers? Portugal has held onto many of its Christmas traditions, according to Ana Reis and Nuno Prazeres, directors of the International Secretariat of the World Apostolate of Fatima in Fatima, Portugal, who shared some of them with us.
August 22, 2021
For centuries, theologians and saints have referenced the holiness of Mary above all of God’s other creatures. Early church writers and Christians acknowledged her privileged status and royal dignity as Mother of the King. In the 18th century, with love and devotion, St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote that Mary was truly deserving of the title ‘Queen’ that the Catholic Church had bestowed upon her. Yet the feast we celebrate today, the Queenship of Mary, on August 22, was not established until the 1954 encyclical of Pope Pius XII, Ad Caeli Reginam.