Reflections – Contemplatio

Through Mary’s Eyes
We are all quite familiar with the saying, “the eyes are the windows of the soul.” Upon meeting a familiar face or a complete stranger, we can learn a great deal about a person’s state of mind simply by observing their eyes. When we live closely with someone over time, we come to understand their […]

Mary, Model of Courage
How appropriate it is that the feast of the Sorrowful Mother, which we celebrate today, falls immediately after the commemoration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It speaks to us of how closely the heart of Mary was entwined with that of her crucified Son.

Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel: An Anniversary of Faith
Tomorrow is September 11. Where were you 24 years ago, on 9/11? I suspect that all of us recall exactly where we were on September 11, 2001. That day of horror and tragedy is seared into our hearts and into our memory. Now… where were you on September 10, 2001? Do you remember that day? […]

Feast of Saint Augustine
A portrait of St. Augustine of Hippo. Photo Credit: Saint-augustine.org St. Augustine, whom we honor this day, spoke these memorable words back in the fourth century: Late had I loved you, O Beauty so ancient yet ever new, late have I loved you! Behold, you were within and I was abroad, searching there for you. […]

St. Rose of Lima
St. Rose of Lima lived on this earth for only 31 years, and yet she has left a great and lasting “heart-print” not only in Lima, Peru, but throughout the world. She was born in 1586 of noble parents, a beautiful child, full of God’s grace. She was destined to touch the lives of countless […]

Feast of St. Dominic, 2025
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring Glad Tidings: What a perfect quote to describe St. Dominic. As a young woman looking to enter this Congregation, I was clueless about St. Dominic. Other than the fact that he was the founder of the Order, I knew nothing about him. During […]

Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Art by Katy Olsen Who was this woman, Mary of Magdala? There have been many debates and misidentifications about her. She was neither the woman caught in adultery (John 8) nor the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and dried them with her hair (Luke 7), nor even the sister of […]

SOWing Hope: Albertus Students Make a Difference
From June 28 – July 3, ten students from Albertus Magnus High School, accompanied by Mrs. Maureen Costello and Sr. Diane McSherry, participated in Summer Outreach Week (SOW), a summer service experience organized by Capuchin Family Ministries. They were part of a group of sixty-five volunteers who worked alongside each other in various ministries to […]

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha whose feast we celebrate today is generally known as the “Lily of the Mohawks.” While she is a patron saint of ecology, the environment, and Native Americans, I would like to also suggest that she could be a patron of persistence. Kateri was born in 1656 in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon […]