For those who have read my previous articles, you might recall that here in Italy I began learning to drive for the second time since
Italy is a wine country; every region has at least one special wine made locally, often to accompany some home-grown dish. This does not necessarily
I recently returned to Italy after spending over a month in the Middle East. Having never been in that corner of the world, I wasn’t
Years ago, during a cold Michigan November, as a freshman in college, I was surprised by call from my mom. She wanted me to know
A great deal has been said of late about the upcoming Synod on Synodality: there have been a lot of positive comments, a great deal
Let me be clear from the beginning: I really do love living in Italy. The country itself is beautiful, the people generally friendly, and the
November is traditionally considered the month of the faithful departed because November 2nd is the day entirely dedicated to prayer for all those who are
We know that the Church honors saints because they give us an example of how to follow the will of God and seek perfection, even
Recently I had the privilege of visiting my community’s mission in Luxembourg. The country of Luxembourg itself is quite small; thirty minutes suffice to drive
One of the nice things about being an associate pastor of a wonderful parish in a poorer area was that I got to see many
Here in Italy we recently changed our edition of the Roman Missal, the book that guides the priest through the celebration of the Mass. Priests
What would you say is the most expensive thing in the world? If you ask the mass media, the Wall Street Journal, or Google, you
The abbey where I live faces east, like many older churches. In the winter this detail goes unnoticed but, as spring comes and the sun
As the only native English speaker in a community replete with Italians and Argentinians, I often get requests to clarify the pronunciation of certain English
With Saint Patrick’s Day having just passed, I was able to reflect on the evolution of my observance of the day. At Catholic elementary and
In addition to its early Gothic architecture and stunning simplicity, my residence in Fossanova Abbey also boasts the chapel where Saint Thomas Aquinas died. While
The month of January takes its name from Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings, gates, and doorways. With one face looking ahead and the other
One of the most useful liturgical texts at the priest’s disposal is the ordo. Taken from the Latin word for “arrangement” or “routine”, the ordo
In 2020 I will celebrate my second Thanksgiving in Italy. The previous year I was fortunate to be invited to two Thanksgiving dinners in Rome,
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he led me out . . . and set me in the center of the broad
