Growing up, the Fourth of July was always a big deal in my little community—friends, fried chicken, and fireworks filled the day. Like most important events at that time, it was always celebrated at church. When I was...

From my earliest memories, Mary beckoned me to relationship with her. When I finally took Mary up on being devoted and praying to her, it transformed my life and continues to do so. Late in the fall of 1972, when I was...

Author’s Note: This article utilizes creative writing to convey a conversation between an old priest and a skeptical lay person. The incense mingled with the age-old wood of the confessional as centuries of prayers...