With joy you will draw water from the fountains of salvation (Is.12.3) Read more…. ______________________________ ..read more

“Christians among the teachers are called to be witnesses and educators of authentic Christian life.” ~ Pope St. John Paul II, Ex Corde Ecclesia Read more…. __________________________ ..read more

“God loveth a cheerful giver” (II Cor. 9.7). ______________________________ Read more ..read more

Riley Children’s Hospital was the help Nick needed, the answer to our prayers. Read more… _________________________________ ..read more

As healthcare continues to evolve, clinicians must have the freedom to practice their professions in accord with their consciences—even if this means accepting the possibility of conscientious objection to some practices or interventions. Read more… _____________________________ ..read more

Dorothy wasn’t interested in the Gospel as a noun: She sought to realize the Gospel as a verb, to do the Gospel and be Jesus for others. Read more… _________________________________ ..read more

My wife, Nancy, and I have been blessed with seven kids…so far. It’s not very likely God will send us any more, but he’s known for doing weird things, and we’re always open to the prospect, so who knows? If he does decide the world needs more Beckers in it, then you can bet they’ll end up in Catholic schools, although we didn’t begin there. Back in the day, we started off homeschooling – rather, Nancy started off homeschooling – but for a variety of reasons, we decided to transition to more traditional educational venues along the way. My older kids put in some time at a private Montessori sc ..read more

“Most grateful are they to those who obtain their deliverance from prison, or even a mitigation of their torments. When, therefore, they arrive in Heaven, they will be sure to remember all who have prayed for them.” ~ St. Alphonse Liguori Read more…. ___________________________________ ..read more

This is Jim Eder, a remarkable man. Among other things, he was a Chicago school teacher who ran a soup kitchen in his spare time. He sponsored me when I joined the Catholic Church, and he became a mentor, a role model, and my dear friend.  Last week, Jim passed away after suffering a stroke, and today his family and friends came together at St. Lambert’s Parish in Skokie for his funeral. Before the Mass began, I was privileged to deliver this eulogy. If you knew Jim, I hope you find that it captures something of his spirit. If you didn’t know him, maybe it’ll spark your interest, in whic ..read more

“And so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord” (Rule of St. Benedict). “We have been placed on earth to learn to love in the school of Jesus,” writes Fr. Jacques Philippe in Interior Freedom. “Learning to love is extremely simple: it means learning to give freely and receive freely. But this simple lesson also is very hard for us to learn, because of sin.” In that short paragraph, Philippe sums up my entire Catholic testimony. I’d grown up in faith, but I lost my way in college. I wanted Jesus, the Jesus of the Gospels, but I couldn’t find him. An abstract Jesus of ..read more