Here’s a story and reflection from one of The Christophers annual “Three Minutes a Day” books: The Potato Famine of 1848 forced many families, including James and Maggie Fitzpatrick, to flee Ireland. Destitute, the Fitzpatricks and their infant daughter, Phoebe, left for Canada on a “coffin ship,” so named because 20 to 40 percent of passengers perished on the voyage. James and Maggie died, leaving Phoebe an orphan. A young sailor was ordered to throw Phoebe overboard along with the... Read more

A column from The Christophers’ Jerry Costello: Bill R. is a prisoner, confined to a correctional facility in a midwestern state. At The Christophers we had a letter from him not long ago, and although he’ll remain anonymous in this column I assure you he’s very real. So is the reason that he had for writing. It all stems from our Christopher News Notes, the popular short pamphlets that we regularly send out on timely topics–always with words of hope... Read more

Christopher Closeup Podcast – Guests: Maura Byrne, Part 1 / Emilio Estevez “I don’t think I would be alive today if it wasn’t for the hope God had to offer that there is so much more to life than the suffering I was going through at the time.” For 26-year-old New Jersey native Maura Byrne, that suffering stemmed from 15 years of physical abuse, an eating disorder and serious self-image issues. Maura revealed to me on Christopher Closeup that her... Read more

The Christophers have a longstanding connection to the New York Foundling, one of the city’s most successful child welfare agencies that provides shelter for abused, abandoned and neglected children. Both its longtime medical director – the late Dr. Vincent Fontana – and founder of the hospital’s Blaine Hall Initiative for children with behavioral problems – Sister Teresa Kelly – are winners of Christopher Awards for their work. For the past few Christmases, our staff has contributed toys and clothing to... Read more

“Not one day in anyone’s life is an uneventful day, no day without profound meaning, no matter how dull and boring it might seem, no matter whether you are a seamstress or a queen, a shoeshine boy or a movie star, a renowned philosopher or a Down’s syndrome child. Because in every day of your life, there are opportunities to perform little kindnesses for others, both by conscious acts of will and unconscious example. “Each smallest act of kindness –... Read more

On the night of January 2, 2009, Kevin Wells—a healthy 40-year-old husband and father of three— lay his head on his pillow to go to sleep when a malformed tangle of veins and arteries in his brain suddenly burst. The sharp pain from the blood and other fluids that were filling his head grew quickly and increasingly worse. Thankfully, he was able to wake up his wife, Krista, who called 911. Still aware of what was going on around him,... Read more

Author Jon M. Sweeney is a convert to the Catholic faith who’s always had an interest in history and the Middle Ages – and in Church figures from that era like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare. One of the other figures from that time that also piqued Jon’s interest was Peter Morrone who became Pope Celestine V, the only Pope in the history of the Church to resign from the papacy. Jon shares that story in the book,... Read more

1. I was watching the top 12 girls perform on “American Idol” the other night when contestant Shannon Magrane sang a song about lighting candles in the darkness. In light of the Christopher motto which you see in the banner at the top of this page, my ears perked up. I hadn’t heard the song before, but thought it certainly captured the essence of what The Christophers are about. It turns out Shannon was singing a song by Kathy Troccoli... Read more