Today marks the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patroness of our beloved Basilica in Baltimore. I am continually surprised that the Basilica remains somewhat of a “hidden gem” in Maryland. After all, as the first Catholic cathedral erected in the United States, the Basilica is considered the “Mother Church” for...Read More

By any measure the Pope’s recent visit to Brazil for World Youth Day was a resounding success. The visit also offered a few surprises, something we are becoming accustomed to expecting from our new Holy Father. Now, with World Youth Day in the rearview mirror, our challenge is to not overlook all that the Pope...Read More

If last week’s World Youth Day is any indicator then the future of the Catholic Church looks bright, very bright indeed! In spite of security concerns that kept many nations from sending their typical delegations, an estimated 3 million people attended the World Youth Day Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the beach at Copacabana...Read More

Last month I had the pleasure of visiting the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville where I gave a talk on religious liberty during the Fortnight for Freedom. Charlestown is located on the site of the former St. Charles College, the first minor seminary in the United States that closed in 1977 after educating seminarians for...Read More

Many people today are concerned about how much information is being gathered about good, law-abiding citizens. Huge information-technology firms such as Google continue to collect vast amounts of data from millions of people the world over. The IRS will amass even more information about individual citizens and families once it begins to fulfill its role...Read More

Earlier this month, the whole Church marked the 100th day of the pontificate of Pope Francis. While it may be hard to believe that it has been 100 days since the dramatic election of our new Holy Father, it may be even more surprising how he’s been received. One of the reasons for this is...Read More

I. Introduction Dear friends, for but a moment let us enter the scene described for us in the Gospel passage that was just proclaimed. Let us take our place with the disciples. If we do so, we will enter the presence of Jesus absorbed in prayer, in prayer to His heavenly Father. No one knows...Read More

Last Friday, we were privileged to host a wonderful celebration of the national Opening Mass of the Fortnight for Freedom at our Basilica in Baltimore. There was a tremendous turnout and a lively spirit present as we prayed together in support of the religious freedom we cherish as Americans and people of faith. The Mass kicked...Read More