Catholic

by Marge Hynes, Writer

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I grew up in two very different classrooms of music: one in a church pew, the other on a living room floor.

Sunday mornings were steeped in incense and Latin—the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, where the priest faced east and sacred silence was tangible. Weekday afternoons, however, were reserved for American Idol reruns at my neighbor’s house. Her grandma would make popcorn, and I’d sit cross-legged on the carpet, wide-eyed as young singers stepped into the spotlight. Amid pop ballads and dramatic eliminations, I remember being especially moved by contestants who spoke openly about their faith—Colton Dixon and Lauren Daigle come to mind.

As a praise and worship leader in my diocese serving at retreats, LifeTeen events, and conferences, I often come back to the same question: How do we reach young Catholics in a world of endless scrolling, burnout, and spiritual noise? “Corpus Christi,” a song from Le Concorde’s upcoming album, Second Mansions, offers one answer: Meet […]

The Ordinary Garden: Approaching Easter with St. Thérèse of Lisieux By Franci Revel Eckensberger, Lead Editor St. Thérèse of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower, was a French Carmelite nun. She died in 1897 at the age of 24, leaving behind a wealth of writings and an influential spirituality of the everyday, which she called […]

Blessed Carlo Acutis: 1991-2006Feast Day: October 12 Together, our saints compose a sprawling portrait of devotion and purpose across time and space, each situated in their own unique context. As we wade through an oversaturated, overstimulating modern environment, the crosses we bear often look a little different than those of centuries past–naturally, many Catholics wait […]

From Pain to Purpose: 8 Saints on the Joy of Suffering By Marge Hynes, Writer The road of faith is rarely straight. It twists, it falters, and it leads us into the desert. Maybe you’ve been there—tested in the wilderness like Jesus, tempted and tried. But then, a moment of grace arrives—a whisper, a revelation—pulling […]