The late Sargent Shriver was one of the most admired public servants of the 20th century.  An integral part of the Kennedy administration, he founded the Peace Corps, and later served as President of the Special Olympics which his wife, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, created for children with intellectual disabilities. The devotion Shriver and his wife shared throughout their 56 years of marriage was grounded in mutual respect and love for God.  In the book, A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father,... Read more

The inspirational newsletter Apple Seeds shared the following reflection from EWTN.com about what to give up for Lent this year: “Give up complaining—focus on gratitude. “Give up pessimism—become an optimist. “Give up harsh judgments—think kindly thoughts. “Give up worry—trust Divine Providence. “Give up discouragement—be full of hope. “Give up bitterness—turn to forgiveness. “Give up hatred—return good for evil. “Give up anger—be more patient. “Give up pettiness—become mature. “Give up jealousy—pray for trust. “Give up gossiping—control your tongue. “Give up sin—turn... Read more

Six-time NBA All-Star Jack Twyman, who died in May 2012, achieved some great feats on the basketball court.  His greatest legacy, however, is the extraordinary kindness he showed to an injured teammate. In the Cincinnati Royals’ final game of the 1957-58 season, Maurice Stokes flew over the shoulders of an opponent and hit his head on the floor.  He was left permanently paralyzed. Stokes had no one to care for him, so Twyman leapt into the breach.  He became Stokes’... Read more

Almost 70 years ago, Dorothy Flood was denied access to a train dining car because she was black. Traveling with her grandmother from New Jersey to North Carolina, Flood recalls what happened once they crossed the Mason-Dixon Line:  “The African-Americans would go in the back, and white people would go into separate cars.” When granted a wish to enjoy a meal in that dining car today—thanks to Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime, an organization that grants wishes to adults... Read more

Finding groups of Christians who are committed to spreading the Gospel may not seem odd.  What is perhaps unusual is the focus of one ministry—bikers. The Freedom Biker Church has branches in the Carolinas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, and even British Columbia, Canada.  Its mission—reach out to bikers who would probably not be too comfortable walking into a mainstream church. “Everybody in the world is looking for acceptance, security, significance and a real genuine love from somebody,” explains church founder Mike... Read more

Many adults dismiss schoolyard bullying as a normal rite of passage.  But things have changed in this Internet age. “The explosion of technology in recent years has given rise to the phenomenon known as ‘cyberbullying,’ which involves using the Internet or other mobile devices to send or post harmful or cruel texts or images,” Allyson Bowen, a clinical social worker from Columbia, South Carolina, tells the Catholic Chronicle. According to Bowen, we once imagined a bully to be a burly... Read more

Part-time nurse and mother of seven Molly Beck from Westfield, Indiana, knows how irresistible it can be to want to handle everything by yourself.  However, there was one moment at a school event for her kindergartener several years back which changed this stubborn determination. Beck made her way through the buffet line with her kids and a stroller in tow.  Though other parents offered to help carry food for her and her family, Beck refused all assistance and instructed her... Read more

Back in the 19th century, Cornelia Peacock Connelly, a native of Philadelphia, found herself separated from her husband and living, with her three children, in England.  There she started a Religious Community—the Society of the Holy Child Jesus—focusing on educating the children of English Catholics and Irish immigrants. By the time of her death in 1879, the Society had started in America.  Her vision—transforming lives through education—lives on in schools like Cornelia Middle School (CMS) of the Holy Child on... Read more

In the media coverage of activist Chen Guangcheng’s fight to leave his native China for the United States, some focused on his blindness as a key element in that story, while others thought it peripheral. “His blindness did not give him any particular bravery or insight,” wrote one author.  “It is just a factor in a much larger life.”  Conversely, a journalist saw his lack of sight as “the central fact” of his existence. Blind from a young age, Guangcheng... Read more

You open your eyes to begin the day—and it’s suddenly a disaster.  Maybe your children are throwing a collective “I don’t want to get up!” tantrum.  Or perhaps the morning news program pronounces packed roadways or troubles on commuter trains. Press “rewind” on the day’s start with these three steps. ▪ Find the light.  Stand in a sunny spot in your home for just a few minutes to absorb the brightness and warmth, natural mood elevators. ▪ Shake it off—literally.... Read more