A Memorial Day Prayer from The Christophers

Last updated on: May 22, 2015 at 9:09 am By Tony Rossi

Heavenly Father, Today we honor those who gave their life for their country on foreign battlefields and here at home. Though they would have preferred peace to war, they responded to the call to serve and made the ultimate sacrifice defending the ideals in which they believed, defending their brothers-and-sisters-in arms, and defending innocents from violence. May their courage be honored and remembered; may their example influence current and future generations; may their legacy be one of love and sacrifice;... Read more

Sirius-XM’s The Catholic Channel (129) to Air Christopher Awards Ceremony on May 26

Last updated on: May 21, 2015 at 1:05 pm By Tony Rossi

NEW YORK, May 21, 2015 — The 66th annual Christopher Awards ceremony, which took place in New York City last week, will air as a two hour special on Sirius-XM’s The Catholic Channel (129) on Tuesday May 26th at 2:00pm and 9:00pm Eastern. The program will also feature original interviews with award winners and The Christophers’ Director of Communications Tony Rossi. Comedy writer Tom Leopold (Cheers, Seinfeld), who won the Christopher Spirit Award in 2014 for helping families struggling with... Read more

VIDEO: Father Jonathan Morris on Overcoming Envy

Last updated on: May 21, 2015 at 8:23 am By Tony Rossi

Envy is a common human emotion we all feel from time to time. Something good happens to someone else and we might wish it had happened to us instead. Or we might even get angry, thinking, “That person doesn’t deserve that!” That’s why envy can lead to an overwhelming sense of unhappiness and even ill health if we don’t move past it quickly. In the video below, Father Jonathan Morris reflects on the negative effects of envy and offers two... Read more

What a Subway Ride Taught Me About Evangelization

Last updated on: May 19, 2015 at 9:33 am By Tony Rossi

A few months ago on this blog, I shared a story about a subway ride to work during which the conductor asked everyone to smile and be more friendly to the strangers we encounter every day. Well, today I’ve got another subway story, this one having to do with evangelization. It started when a man stepped onto the train and asked for everyone’s attention. When you’re jammed into a subway early in the morning, this kind of greeting usually results... Read more

The 2015 Christopher Awards: Pictures Galore of a Hootin’ and Heartfelt Good Time

Last updated on: May 14, 2015 at 3:31 pm By Tony Rossi

(Photos courtesy Paul Schneck) Every year I look forward to the Christopher Awards because I don’t know of any other event like it. We bring together people from publishing, film, television, and philanthropy for a fun time in one room to celebrate everybody’s good work. And what’s more, since we honor projects that have a faith dimension and others that simply highlight common values, there’s an incredible amount of diversity in that room. While I didn’t poll everyone who was... Read more

Israeli and Palestinian Youth Find Harmony in Music

Last updated on: May 12, 2015 at 11:56 am By Tony Rossi

Establishing peace and harmony between Israelis and Palestinians seems like an impossible task, but the Jewish, Christian and Muslim members of the YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus have done just that amongst themselves. And they hope to spread that harmony to others through their music. Here is an excerpt of a press release about their upcoming U.S. tour as well as a video of them singing the Phillip Phillips hit “Home.” The YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus is bringing their message of... Read more

VIDEO: Father Jonathan Morris on the Benefits of a Prayer List

Last updated on: May 7, 2015 at 8:39 am By Tony Rossi

Do you have a list of people that you pray for? Father Jonathan Morris does, and he believes it’s a great way to nurture our relationship with God and develop hearts of compassion for the needs of others. Prayer lists can also go beyond the spiritual and lead to concrete action, making you a true reflection of God’s goodness in someone’s life. For advice on starting a prayer list, watch Father Jonathan’s video below. Read more

How God Led a Doris Day-loving Irish Woman to Save Homeless Children in Vietnam

Last updated on: May 6, 2015 at 8:59 am By Tony Rossi

(Photo: Christina Noble with director of “Noble” Stephen Bradley. Courtesy Aspiration Media) “I’ll walk. You lead.” That’s what Christina Noble tells God when she’s trying to figure out what exactly He wants her to do for the orphan children of Vietnam in 1989 – and it reflects the unusual mission this humanitarian has taken since she was a homeless child in Ireland many years ago. Americans may not be familiar with Noble’s name yet, but that could change after the... Read more

Christopher Award Winner for “The Flash” Notes Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” as Influence

Last updated on: May 5, 2015 at 11:51 am By Tony Rossi

As I wrote about recently, one of our Christopher Award winners this year is the pilot episode of “The Flash,” which brought old-fashioned heroism back to the TV landscape. Patheos blogger Kate O’Hare is also a fan of the series and recently interviewed the show’s writer and executive producer Andrew Kreisberg about the Christopher Award. I got on the phone with Kreisberg, who said, “Winning any award is humbling and amazing, but winning the Christophers Award just feels the best.... Read more

The Truth About Angels, Messengers from God

Last updated on: May 5, 2015 at 7:31 am By Tony Rossi

The following is the text of the Christopher News Note “Angels: Messengers from God” (which was written by a freelancer). If you’d like a pdf or hard copy, see the end of this post: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” —Hebrews 13:2 What comes to mind when you think of angels? A tall, graceful figure in a white robe with large wings? A babyish cherub with a... Read more