News - January 2026 RSS Feed

Emily Simpson wrote an article that was published in the January 31, 2016, issue of Our Sunday Visitor. Unfortunately, Our Sunday Visitor ceased publication in 2025. In her article, “Corporal Works of Mercy: Let the Saints Be Your Guide,” Emily paired together a corporal work of mercy with a saint who exhibited this work of mercy in a particular way. When I read her article again recently, I was reminded that it was still very timely a decade later. Let me list the Corporal Works of Mercy and the saint whom she linked with that work of mercy.

We celebrate Catholic Schools Week from the last Sunday of January through the following Saturday. In other words, today marks the start of Catholic Schools Week 2026. As I think back to my time as a student at St. Paul School in Butler, Pennsylvania, I remember that my teachers, Sisters of Mercy, were originally from the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. They came from cities and towns like Altoona, Bedford, Ebensburg, Johnstown, New Germany, Portage, and Spangler. A few were even from Butler! The students at St. Paul School in my time often heard stories about the Johnstown Flood and Prince Demetrius Gallitzin (1770-1840). I want to devote this column to Prince Gallitzin, who spent many years as the sole priest in Western Pennsylvania.

I want to continue listing some good advice on parish etiquette as we are at the beginning of a New Year. These reflections were first presented by Barbara Budde in a pamphlet (which is no longer in print) for the National Pastoral Life Center. Today I want to make some suggestions about what to do if Mass has already begun or if you need to leave early.

The beginning of the year is a time when we make resolutions about things we could put into practice in the New Year. To that end, let me offer some good advice on parish etiquette as we are at the beginning of a New Year. These reflections were first presented by Barbara Budde in a pamphlet (which is no longer in print) for the National Pastoral Life Center. Let me mention some things that we could do to prepare well for the Sunday liturgy.

As we celebrate the Epiphany today, I find myself thinking about the Holy Family. When they had to flee to Egypt to avoid the raging King Herod who wanted to murder the Christ child because Herod feared this child under two years of age was destined to seize his throne. The Holy Family was fleeing for their lives from murder and violence—just as many families are doing today. Herod wanted no rivals, so this child had to die. As we know so well, the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem perished instead.