Venerable Henriette Delille is the foundress of The Sisters of the Holy Family. Born in 1812, she was a descendant of enslaved people and a free woman of color. As her grandmother’s namesake (Henriette Labeau), she was “destined for eldercare.” Henriette enjoyed caring for aunts, uncles, great aunts, and great-uncles, as well as cousins who were scattered through the city.  She was also instructed by her mother in the art of nursing.  How to prepare medicines for the sick and using roots and herbs with curative properties was a skill that was passed on from mother to daughter by these colored nurses. After receiving the sacrament of confirmation,  Delille clearly became a woman committed to the Lord. Her guiding motto, written in a prayer book, captures what defined her heart and spurred her vocation: “I believe in God. I hope in God. I love. I want to live and die for God.”

The winter tree is a snowflake dressed with grace and bones, a simple miracle to behold on winter’s lonely road.” — Angie Weiland-Crosby.

Advent and Christmas are coming quickly. On Dec. 1, the First Sunday of Advent, Bishop James Golka will be leading the Office of Vigils at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 5 p.m. I am hoping to convince you to come join us for this beautiful prayer.

It’s October and our nights are much cooler and our days are getting shorter. Before long we will have our first freeze and another growing season will be a distant memory. This time of year, even spiders are looking for a warmer place to live for the winter. While the interior of our home is off-limits to these creepy arachnids there is one “spider” that is beneficial to invite inside.

Those of us who regularly interact with non-Catholic Christians and others who have left the Catholic faith are often puzzled about how to communicate accurate information about Catholicism in a manner that is readily digestible. We either overwhelm friends or inquiring relatives with long explanations or recommend books that are dauntingly theological; other times we are too simplistic or find ourselves ducking the difficult aspects of the faith.