One of the reasons that the Hallmark Channel series “When Calls the Heart” has resonated with its devoted and ever-increasing fan base, called Hearties, is because it’s family friendly: it’s part Western, part chaste romance, part comedy, and part soap opera. When I interviewed the show’s co-creator Brian Bird last year, he compared it to TV classics like “Little House on the Prairie” and “The Waltons.” While the show’s setting of Hope Valley has its share of intrigue, the town... Read more
Since we’re in the season of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to cover the topic of love on our “Christopher Closeup” radio show and podcast: how to find it, what to do once you have found it, and what role God can and should play in your relationship. Joining me to share her insights was Monica Gabriel, the relationships editor for Verily magazine. Monica’s been doing that job for several years now and, when she started, she was a single, unattached... Read more
Mother Mathilda Beasley, a pioneering African American nun from Savannah, Georgia, is getting some extra recognition in her adopted home state. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will be adding her portrait to the wall of Arnold Hall, along with nine other prominent women who made a difference in the state. Born into slavery in New Orleans in 1832, there is no record of how she gained her freedom. But the website GeorgiaWomen.org offers important biographical information: In... Read more
Sometimes, supporters of The Christophers share with us their personal stories of important incidents or spiritual epiphanies in their lives. We recently received just such a letter from a woman named Martha in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. She revealed a lesson she learned during a religious retreat from a completely unexpected source: a june bug. Here is her story in her own words (with a few minor edits). Twenty years ago. I started participating in weekend retreats at Saint Emma Retreat House... Read more
UPDATE 2: Now the Vatican is saying Pope Francis won’t be acting in the movie after all. The original press release said he would “play himself,” but those may have been poorly chosen words when “appear as himself” would be more appropriate. Technically, there’s a difference. “Play” makes it sound like acting, while “appear” could mean film of him meeting some children from the movie will be used. But at this point, who knows whether the pope will show up... Read more
Mahtob Mahmoody was dying. The auto-immune disease lupus was making her own blood largely incompatible with her body. Doctors worked feverishly to find a solution, and finally figured out that she needed a transfusion of a special type of blood. Their local search in Michigan turned up nothing. After checking nationally, only two units of that blood type were available in the entire United States, so they were airlifted in, which saved Mahtob’s life and allowed her health to improve.... Read more
New York City photographer Michael Friedman posted some pictures of nuns going sledding in Central Park yesterday in the aftermath of the blizzard. ABC’s “Good Morning America” picked some of the pictures up, which is how I saw them. I’m posting one pic here and linking to the rest if you need a smile while you dig out of your cars and homes. Stay in touch! Like The Christophers on Facebook: The Christophers Read more
The 1976 film “Rocky” won both a Christopher Award and a Best Picture Academy Award because it movingly presented the story of an underdog boxer who, through grit and determination, strives to be a champion. The new movie “Creed” is a follow-up to the original that once again offers Oscar-worthy performances and a dynamic story about a young boxer (Adonis Creed) learning the ropes with the help of an older mentor (Rocky Balboa). But if you look deeper, it’s about... Read more
Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton and comedian/talk show host Stephen Colbert are two of the entertainment industry’s most prominent Catholics. So when they met on Colbert’s talk show, naturally they had to try to “out Catholic” each other. Whose family includes more kids? Who has a sister who is a Dominican nun? How many places did the Virgin Mary appear after she was assumed into heaven? All these questions and more are answered in the clip below, which is pretty... Read more
From WCBS New York: NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A Brooklyn monsignor’s desperate plea for a kidney transplant got the gift of life from parishioner attending his service. “I prayed like crazy, and sometimes I felt God was just not listening,” said Monsignor Theophilus Anthony Joseph of St. Ephrem Church in Dyker Heights. Joseph had suffered with kidney disease for eight years. And when four donors were not a match, he began to stress out. “I was so frustrated. I wasn’t... Read more
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