It is that time of year when many will write an article lamenting the crass commercialism of Christmas. In like fashion, it is also the time to dwell nostalgically on the days when Christmas was a more spiritual time than today.

A series that answers questions about a subject relevant to the Catholic Church, local or global. This week's topic: Miracles

I know it is still a few days away, but Merry Christmas ( a bit early)!  I am sure that we are all very busy with so many details.  Christmas is a joyful and wonderful season, but it is also a time of great stress for many.  There is so much shopping to do, both for the ingredients of our favorite Christmas treats and of course thoughtful gifts for loved ones.

A friend once asked me, “What are you GIVING this Christmas?” Honestly, the question caught me off guard. We are often asked what we want for Christmas, but focusing on what we are giving is a much better representation of the true meaning of Christmas. This simple twist on the usual question makes all the difference in how we exude a spirit of joyful giving. St. Paul reminds us that “…God loves a cheerful giver” -2 Corinthians 9:7.

MOBILE – McGill-Toolen Catholic High School Coach Kate Wood has helped set the “standard of excellence” for the Dirty Dozen volleyball team and her accomplishments have been recognized statewide.

After a few years of close calls and disappointments, 2023 proved to be Knight time. The Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School football team captured its first state football championship in program history, beating Cherokee County 35-0 on Dec. 8 in the Class 4A championship game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Montgomery Catholic had come up just short of a state title the past years.

As we begin the Season of Advent and look forward to the birth of the Prince of Peace, we do so in a world lacking peace.

Knights! Fairies! Dragons! Unicorns! Nutrition!  Wait! What? Nutrition?

MONTGOMERY — An unimaginable trek by the Sisters of Loretto in 1873 sure turned out to be worth it.

Whether it’s visiting Church in the Pines on Lake Martin in Tallassee or at 51 other churches in the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, author Daniel Markham feels called to be there.

The Sisters of St. Joseph, Rochester, are a household name in Dallas County and the county seat, Selma, where the poverty rate is above 25 percent. Today that name is associated with Sister Pat and Sister Kathy who have been ministering with the Edmundite Missions in this area for over 20 years.

August 2021

Father James E. Coyle died on August 11, 1921, in Birmingham, Alabama. It is more correct to say that he was murdered. It is perhaps even more correct to say that he was martyred.

BATTLES WHARF — Mobile Bay’s history dates to a Spanish explorer’s discovery in the 1500s. 

MOBILE — Priests in completely new roles were advised to remember they are not alone in the Archdiocese of Mobile. 

MOBILE — Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi celebrated Mass on July 16 at Carmelite Monastery in Mobile to commemorate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

SELMA — Alabama has one of the nation’s lowest rates of vaccination against COVID-19.  Rates are especially low for the state’s poor and rural populations.  

The last few weeks have been great for me in terms of my family life. Three of my five children are grown and no longer live at home. In fact, each of them is at least 13 hours driving from my house. All three of them were home around the Fourth of July. It was fantastic having everyone home. I miss having my whole family together. I mourn for what the family used to be, but that is not the real point of this article.

July 2021

This year, 2021, has a special significance for our Archdiocese and for three Religious Orders whose members serve here. In 1911, 110 years ago, the Vincentian Order, officially known as the Congregation for the Mission, arrived in the Archdiocese of Mobile at the invitation of Bishop Allen. In 1921, 100 years ago, the Trinitarian Fathers and Brothers, officially known as the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, was established with the approval of Bishop Allen. In 1931, 90 years ago, the Trinitarian Sisters, officially known as the Missionary Servants of the Blessed Holy Trinity, submitted their request to the Vatican for official recognition as a Religious Order. (It would be granted in February 1932). The histories of these three Religious Orders are interwoven.