In 2011, The Christophers were happy to honor 21-year-old Shannon Hickey with our James Keller Award (named after our founder) for her work creating Mychal’s Message when she was only 11 years old. Mychal’s Message is a ministry for the homeless that was inspired by the death of family friend Father Mychal Judge on Sept. 11, 2001. (Read the full story here.) Shannon, her mom Kelly, and her family continue their ministry, coming to New York City every year on... Read more
It was just a few weeks ago when the world marveled at the sportsmanship of Olympic runners Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin as they tripped and fell during the qualifying round of the women’s 5000-meter race, but supported and encouraged each other to finish anyway. For a while, at least, everyone realized that winning isn’t all that matters. With schools back in session and youth sports kicking into high gear, is that a lesson that will be remembered? Well, if... Read more
(Photo © 1986 Túrelio (via Wikimedia-Commons), 1986 / Lizenz: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.0 de) In light of the Christopher motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness,” this excerpt from a New York Times story ahead of her canonization stood out: When the Rev. Sebastian Vazhakala, the co-founder with Mother Teresa of Missionaries of Charity-Contemplative Brothers, sought a place to live in Rome in 1979, he moved to a run-down area — just off what was once... Read more
“We have to do something about it.” As a child, that’s what Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu would say when her mother took her and her siblings out to serve hungry people in the streets of Macedonia. Agnes grew up to be Mother Teresa, who will become St. Teresa this Sunday Sept. 4. And she certainly did “something about it” by devoting her life to serving the poor and marginalized in a spirit of love. There’s a new book out titled “A... Read more
(Photo via Laura Bretan on Twitter) Fourteen-year-old Laura Bretan was blessed to grow up in a multi-generational household. Her grandfather lived with her family, and they grew so close that she called him her best friend. When he got sick and passed away last year, she grieved his loss deeply. But at the same time, the budding opera singer, who is a semi-finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” still draws strength from him as she pursues her dreams. On last night’s... Read more
One of the joys of the Rio Olympics has been seeing the joy on the face of gymnast Laurie Hernandez, who has been dubbed “the human emoji” because of her bright smile and easy display of emotion. That joy wasn’t just there when she, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian, and Gabby Douglas won gold in the team finals, but also whenever her teammates did well in individual events. Laurie looked just as excited for their success as she would... Read more
It appears that my friend Abby Fuhrmann has something in common with the late screen legend Maureen O’Hara: they both found (and find) spiritual consolation in saying the “Hail Mary” before going to bed. On this day, Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. Abby reflects on the reasons for this in a blog post at “United in Love.” Here is a brief excerpt: This Holy Day of Obligation* commemorates that the ever Virgin Mary, having... Read more
UPDATED Aug. 22, 2016: Following one of the toughest weeks of her life, Missy Franklin wasn’t sure what kind of homecoming to expect because she felt she’d let down her family, friends, and neighbors. Well, as the video on Missy’s Instgram page shows, they still love her just as much as they did before. And they displayed their own class and grace in the process. I am beyond blown away by this love and compassion. Following one of the toughest... Read more
Over at Verily magazine, Mary Rose Somarriba shares an insightful interview with Christopher Award winner Jeannie Gaffigan, who discusses her marriage to husband Jim, being a mom to five kids, comedy’s power to lift people out of despair, integrating real life into “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” her approach to being a successful and empowered woman, being a “Shiite Catholic” (her husband’s joking description of her), and more. Here are a couple of excerpts, but go read the whole thing: MRS:... Read more
Trash talking sometimes happens in sports. One competitor says something derogatory about the other, who then may respond in kind. It’s the kind of thing that creates drama and attracts media coverage, but it sets a poor example for young people in terms of sportsmanship. At yesterday’s Rio Olympics, however, the world got a lesson in good sportsmanship from two of the toughest competitors in their field: swimmers Katie Ledecky (USA) and Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden). On Sunday, Ledecky earned a... Read more
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