If God wants us to honor our parents, how much more must he desire us to honor his Mother. The angel Gabriel declared Mary to be “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), making her worthy of our highest respect. Moreover, Mary herself stated that “all ages will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). The Catholic Church is virtually unique in obeying and fulfilling this scriptural prophecy.

MORE THAN ANY OTHER CHRISTIAN RELIGION, CATHOLICISM TAKES SCRIPTURE SERIOUSLY. This assertion will surprise those who assume that Catholics are ignorant of Scripture and that the Protestant belief in sola scriptura (accepting “the Bible only” as a source of religious teaching) makes them the only true “Bible Christians.” However, history and logic reveals to us that the Catholic Church both interprets and lives by the scriptures.

Unlike other Christians, Catholics have a fully sacramental understanding of God's saving activity. If Jesus was willing to humble himself by becoming human (Phil. 2:6–7), it’s logical that God would continue working in and through human beings and the material order he himself created. The Catholic Church, with its sacramental emphasis, lives this out through the example and actions of the clergy and the faithful.

Catholics are privileged to be able to receive the treasure beyond all price—Jesus himself—each time they attend Mass. We have to be careful in our self-serving, entertainment based culture to not approach our faith and our church experience expecting to be entertained.

Many people misunderstand what Purgatory is, why we need it and how beautifully hopeful it is. What is it? Who goes there? And how can you help your deceased loved ones pass through it on their journey to Heaven? These questions and more will be answered in this timely ebook. Understanding Purgatory and its place in God’s plan of love and mercy is critical. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to build up the body of Christ and be strengthened in your own faith! Get your free copy of this ebook today!

It is a wonderful gift from God that we are blessed with the original church founded by Jesus Christ himself and established through the sacrificial lives of the Apostles and early church leaders—especially when it comes to knowing and living the truths necessary for salvation.

Some years ago, a recruit was undergoing basic training in the Army. He had no actual religious background, but when told to list a particular denomination, he identified himself as Catholic. The reason he did so was that all soldiers were required to attend church services of their choice each Sunday, and since no Catholic chaplain happened to be available, he—unlike his Protestant buddies—had the freedom to sleep in on Sunday mornings! Read more about how this recruit became apart of the Catholic Church for real and what make the Catholic Church unique!

Did you ever wonder how and why someone could possibly not want to go to Mass, and wonder what excuses that they would give for missing Mass occasionally or on a regular basis? For me when I was growing up it was definitely understood that missing Mass was simply not an option.

God’s blessings to you and your family. I write to you today to convey a difficult decision regarding our longstanding partnership with Girl Scouts in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. After consultation with the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council and Deans, and with the recommendation of key archdiocesan leaders, I have instructed pastors of the archdiocese to discontinue their parishes’ partnerships with the Girl Scouts.

Special indulgences are prayers granted by the Church through the authority of the Pope to free a soul in purgatory from the temporal punishment due to our sins. Father Reutter has provided an article that explains how to move forward with these prayers. Learn more at the link provided!

Loving God with your heart means bringing everything to God. It is the home of caring, but also of character, commitment, creativity, and carry-through. To love God with your whole heart means to love God with everything you've got!

This coming week, November 3-9 is National Vocation Awareness Week, and is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are in Seminary or considering Seminary, all who are in religious orders and discerning their vocation, and for all the ordained deacons, priests, bishops, and religious who have answered yes to the call and entered the religious life.

Saints! Whether we are reflecting on the lives of the canonized saints, or some of the people that we considered saintly among our own family and friends, we are both challenged and inspired to dedicate our lives to holiness, to becoming the people God intended us to be.

Christ’s question to the blind man seems out of place. “What do you want me to do for you?” he queries. What else? Cure him of his blindness, of course! And yet, he lets Bartimaeus ask. He respects the man’s freedom and evokes an explicit act of faith. Read more to reflect on how Bartimaeus's request to Jesus mirrors how our prayer should be personal and sincere.

Planning a funeral after a death can often be very stressful for a family due to all the decisions that need to be made. It's not easy but at one time or another we will all be faced with making these decisions. This is even more important if your family members are not practicing the Catholic faith and you would like a Funeral Mass. Pre-planning a funeral mass can alleviate much of this stress.

All Saints Day is coming up quickly and is the next major feast on the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. It is a holy day of obligation, which means that we treat this day as if it were a Sunday. We are obligated to attend Holy Mass and dedicate the day to rest and prayer. When I was growing up we were farmers and I remember that on All Saints Day we did not do any unnecessary work and considered it strictly a day of rest and prayer.

It is important for us to teach our children and grandchildren about the events that are on the liturgical calendar in order to give them a good understanding of these life giving traditions, feasts, holy days, and seasons. When we understand them, we can more fully enter into and experience what they have to offer us in our life’s journey where we are fixing our eyes on Jesus, striving for eternal life with Him in heaven. Read more about all of the liturgical events coming up!

In order to move beyond the minimum, we must tear down any obstacles that stand between God and us. To be in right relationship with God, we must rely entirely on him, not ourselves. Read more about how you can go "all in" with your relationship with God!

Vocations Chalices are coming to the parishes of Northwest V family of parishes. Right now, there is one Vocation Chalice that has been passed from family to family for over ten years for St. Remy parishioners. St. Remy has been blessed with three vocations to the priesthood in the past ten years.

Today is a good time to pray for marriages. For those of us who are married, we can offer our love and our concern for our spouses to God - asking for God’s help and grace in our relationship with our spouse.