Franciscan Spirit Blog

Lent with Padre Pio: Easter Sunday

As we celebrate Sunday, let us remember to move forward in the spirit of Padre Pio—caring for and serving others so that they may come to know Christ.
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Jesus risen

Easter and the Coming of the Holy Spirit

After the crucifixion of Jesus, Scripture tells us that the disciples were in the Upper Room and the doors were locked “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).
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St. Gianna Beretta Molla is seen with her children in this 1959 photo. The Italian doctor and mother, who sacrificed her own life for the life of her child, was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004. (CNS photo/courtesy Diocese of Springfield)

Gianna Beretta Molla: A Saint for Mothers

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about being a mom, it’s that it’s not always easy. And that while we relish the tender moments, sometimes it involves making tough choices. Enter Saint Gianna Beretta Molla—pediatrician, wife, mother, saint.
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Eucharist | Photo by Laura Allen on Unsplash

Letting the Eucharist Work in Us

Sister Holda, my Franciscan sixth-grade teacher at St. Peter’s in Skokie, Illinois, made all of us memorize Anima Christi.
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Pope Francis blesses a young fan | Photo: Paul Haring

Encounters with Pope Francis

And even that wasn’t the worst. “I was really emotional in a moment where really no one saw,” Boehner said in a press conference.
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Christ's crucifixion is depicted in the chapel reredos at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, N.Y. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Lenten Penance: Getting Back on Track

Our understanding of penance is based on our understanding of sin.
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Eucharist and chalice

Eucharist: Jesus Always With Us

The majority of weekday Masses that I attended in the 1950s were “Low Masses” that involved no singing.
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