Keeping Things Simple and Finding Newness of Life

Last updated on: July 31, 2024 at 8:29 pm By Patrick Laorden

My wife and I purchased our first home in 2020 and moved in the week everything shutdown because of COVID-19. Talk about timing! Since then, we’ve embraced milestones in adulting: sharing a space together, getting married, learning to fix a home, cultivating routines, and creating family traditions. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot about ourselves individually and as a couple. As a Catholic husband and father, I’ve learned about myself through plants! Learning to Keep Things Simple One summer,... Read more

Learning to Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Last updated on: July 24, 2024 at 9:31 pm By Patrick Laorden

Earlier this week, I texted my older brother to see if he and his family attended the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN. Lo and hold, I get a shower of texts with photos of him and the family (with five kids) at Lucas Oil Stadium gathered with 50,000 Catholics! What a sight to see! While I was not there in person, I was praying for them and everyone else from afar! The Eucharistic Congress came at a time when our... Read more

“With a Father’s Heart” Reflection Pt. 4 – In the Shadows

Last updated on: July 9, 2024 at 12:11 pm By Patrick Laorden

“Fathers are not born, but made. A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but taking up the responsibility to care for that child, “ writes Pope Francis in Padris Corde. This gets at the heart of our four-part series. In part four, we’ll explore what it means to be a father in the shadows. A Father to Others When I was in the seminary, I had brief impressions of what being a... Read more

“With a Father’s Heart” Reflection Pt. 3 – Courage and Work

Last updated on: July 9, 2024 at 12:09 pm By Patrick Laorden

We’ve arrived at part three of the reflection series on Padris Corde (With a Father’s Heart). Here, I’d like to highlight creative courage and work. In my previous post, I talked about how embracing challenges forges us into men because we take responsibility for the outcome. After we’ve embraced a challenge, how do we navigate it? How do we navigate challenges in family life and in the workplace? Creative Courage In Padris Corde, Pope Francis speaks of creative courage. Creative... Read more

“With a Father’s Heart” Reflection, Pt. 2 – It is What It is

Last updated on: July 9, 2024 at 12:09 pm By Patrick Laorden

“It is what it is” is a phrase that I often come across during difficult exchanges, whether it be with family or coworkers. I understand, yet struggle with it. On one hand, it makes sense to acknowledge the situation and not read too much into it. On the other hand, it’s not the easiest thing to do. As we continue reflecting on Padris Corde (With a Father’s Heart), I’d like to explore two more great dimensions to St. Joseph, obedience... Read more

“With a Father’s Heart” Reflection, Pt. 1 – Tenderness

Last updated on: July 9, 2024 at 12:10 pm By Patrick Laorden

June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart. I have a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart, but this year I find myself rereading Pope Francis’s apostolic letter Padris Corde or “With a Father’s Heart, written on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of when St. Joseph was proclaimed patron of the Universal Church. Throughout this month, I will be doing a four-part series reflecting on Padris Corde and how it speaks to us Catholic men. Growing up, I... Read more

Who Will Step Up?

Last updated on: May 31, 2024 at 11:32 am By Patrick Laorden

Since 2019, I’ve been a part of the Knights of Columbus, a decision I never regretted. I’m in my mid-thirties and this age is a time of transition for Catholic men who perhaps are straddling a young adult and young family group. Looking at parish life, I think the 30-40 year age group is underrepresented, understandably so, because of family responsibilities. For my local Knights of Columbus council, the fraternal year begins in June. The new year is marked by... Read more

The Meaning of Pilgrimage

Last updated on: May 31, 2024 at 11:31 am By Patrick Laorden

In my previous post, Living the Eucharist as a Family, I mentioned that pilgrimages from four corners of the United States are taking place, ending in Indianapolis, IN for the Eucharistic Congress in July. Our Sunday Visitor notes this being one of the largest Eucharistic processions in history, roughly a 1,000 mile route! I live in Connecticut, where the St. Elizabeth Seton route began after the Pentecost Vigil Mass at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven. St. Elizabeth Seton is... Read more

Let the Children Come to Me

Last updated on: May 31, 2024 at 11:26 am By Patrick Laorden

Since last year, my family has been attending a ministry called Children’s Rosary at our parish. Every second Sunday of the month, families come together for thirty minutes to pray the rosary before Mass, led by the children. What’s unique is that Children’s Rosary is an international movement, growing in multiple countries! It’s been a learning curve figuring out how to keep our two-year-old son still for a whole half hour before Mass! However, each Sunday gets a little bit... Read more

Living the Eucharist as a Family

Last updated on: May 31, 2024 at 11:22 am By Patrick Laorden

Living the Eucharist as a Family The Eucharistic Revival is coming to a close with the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN this July. How can we live the Eucharist as family? As a Catholic husband and father, I find myself reflecting on the phrase: Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Shared. This takes me back to the passage from Luke 24: 30-31: “And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it,... Read more