FAITH AT HOME Who doesn’t want the church to grow or the next generation of Catholics to embrace a deep love for their faith? One simple way we can do this is by asking how our parishes are welcoming to families — of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes. Start small. Are electrical outlets covered […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Shepherd or judge? A tale of two sacraments
FAITH AT HOME When I made my first confession, I clutched an index card with sweaty palms. On one side, I’d copied the act of contrition, dutifully memorized — but what if I tripped up in the heat of the moment? On the reverse was a detailed list of my sins, anxiously scribbled lest I […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Remember, it’s not about you
FAITH AT HOME Remember last year when we wanted nothing more than to celebrate with family and friends like usual? Now we’re on the brink of a holiday season with hopes as bright as Christmas lights. But with the return of traditions, travel and time together, we may also encounter the gripes, grudges and jostles […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Five overlooked faith moments
FAITH AT HOME Like students taking a test, we often assign God to boxes without realizing it: God will be present at church, in Mass or in class. But we can forget that Emmanuel is with us everywhere and always. The New Testament uses the Greek word “kerygma” (meaning “proclamation”) to describe the core of […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Start small like God loves to do
FAITH AT HOME How often do you think about how small you are? Not your size or shape, but the fact that you were once tinier than the period at the end of this sentence. Or the truth that you are one of almost 8 billion people on the planet today. Or the mind-boggling statistic […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: A Christmas without?
FAITH AT HOME Flip back through photos and you’ll see how different Christmas will look this year. No Nativity pageant at church. No Christmas concert at school. No company parties. No visits to Santa. No family reunions. With five kids at home, I’ve been hearing a lot of wishing for last year or hoping for […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Love, even around the family table
FAITH AT HOME Religion and politics. The two subjects you’re supposed to avoid in polite conversation. Except that the holiday season is when faith and family collide. Feasts like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s bring moments ripe for conversation with relatives — for better or for worse. What can we do when talking about our […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Sharpen your pencils for the school of love
FAITH AT HOME Did you know the family is a school of love? The Second Vatican Council declared this teaching, St. John Paul II deepened it and Pope Francis affirmed it. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church spells it out clearly: The family is “a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Food for the journey
FAITH AT HOME “Bring double the snacks. Leave half the clothes.” When I was a brand-new mother, preparing to bring our first baby on his first plane ride, a wise friend with older kids shared her advice for packing for family vacations. I stared down at the tower of onesies I’d folded, next to one […]
Laura Kelly Fanucci: Ten pockets of prayer
FAITH AT HOME January dawns, fresh and clean. The beginning of a new year. Although Advent is technically our new year in the church, January offers another jump-start — a chance to change and a renewed resolve to eat better, exercise more or waste less time online. Making time for prayer is a common resolution. […]