Columnist.
"Happy March for Life!" More than a few people said that to me as I arrived here for the annual pro-life rally in our nation's capital.
Since the Knights of Columbus recently became a political issue, I've seen a constant refrain on social media that goes something along the lines of: "What do you mean, the pancake breakfast guys?" The point being: Could you be picking on nicer guys? But the Knights' goodness goes far beyond breakfast items. The Knights of Columbus are about virtue and service. The United States — and the world — would not be the same without them.
On the third day of the new year, the Indianapolis Convention Center transformed into a place of worship.
I'm a little fascinated around this time of year with the fact that we seem to be drowning in joy.
"Your relentless hopefulness and positivity are no good here," a millennial colleague of mine tweeted a few days before Christmas.
The Nashville Tennessean newspaper explained the details of how David Earl Miller's execution went down.
"It was June 1, 2006. I will never forget that date." That was the day Angela Jozwicki had an abortion.
"We waited six-and-a-half years to have children, and within seven months we became a family of four." That has been the real-life experience of Malka Groden and her husband, Mendel; they gained an "instant family," much like Mark Walberg and Rose Byrne in the movie "Instant Family" currently playing in theaters.
Wayne and Sean were the answers to a girl named Brittany's prayers.
"An 18-year-old girl walks into a Methodist hospital in Philadelphia and she says, 'I'm pregnant.' And she literally almost delivers me in the elevator.
"I shouldn't be getting this award — my kids should be getting this award," Delilah Rene Luke said as she was being inducted in the National Council for Adoption's Adoption Hall of Fame.
When you Google "Cecilia Paul," the top result is the Simon and Garfunkel song "Cecilia." This breaks my heart, because Cecilia Paul lived a life that was a glorious song of a different sort.
Doctors see it all. Dr. Anne Nolte is one of the founders of the National Gianna Center for Women's Health and Fertility. At the Gianna Center's annual fundraising dinner, she celebrated mothers and fathers who had love, sought love, and gave love.
The West can be a bit patronizing to other parts of the world. This attitude was on full display when French president Emmanuel Macron declared, "I always say: 'Present me the woman who decided, being perfectly educated, to have seven, eight or nine children."
There's a scene in the new movie "Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer," that should launch candid conversations around the country.
Perhaps the most pernicious thing that was said in recent weeks was when Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii literally told men to "shut up" in regard to determining the truth behind differing accounts of high school memories involving Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
The other day I checked my high school yearbook to see what might keep me from confirmation to the Supreme Court. In it, there is a quote from former education secretary William J. Bennett: "Saints are not born through other people's sins."
You don't need to spend time on Twitter to realize that politics is not bringing out the best in us, to put it mildly.
I've been thinking a lot about priests lately. In truth, I often do, as some of my best friends do happen to wear Roman collars. Of course, you know why I'd be thinking about them even more lately. For priests who seek holiness in loving service to God's people — striving to see God in every person they encounter, these are grueling times.
"When you get where you're going, don't forget; turn back around. Help the next one in line. Always stay humble and kind."
