St. Peter’s Square, as well as thousands of pilgrims visiting from around the globe, got a gentle washing today in preparation for Ven. Pope John Paul II’s beatification. And thousands more lit up the night at a candlelight vigil at Circus Maximus.

The steady drizzle during the day couldn’t extinguish the enthusiasm of the pilgrims. The line to St. Peter’s basilica snaked out the square and around Bernini’s colonnade. Vendors offering ponchos and umbrellas saved the day for many pilgrims caught unprepared (me being one of them).

The display in the square today spoke volumes about the vibrant faith of the universal Church. It was another refutation of mainstream media reports that...READ MORE

It’s my first day in Rome. Ever.

A day of no sleep and geographic and linguistic disorientation was easily eclipsed by the mood surrounding the beatification of our beloved pope. That this trip came together like it did is nothing short of a minor miracle. (But that’s a whole ’nother story.)

I’ve seen plenty of movies with Rome and the Vatican as a backdrop, and seen hundreds of photos and heard so many stories about the place, but there really is no adequate way to describe being here, especially at a time of so much anticipation and joy.

After deplaning and getting situated at the hotel, and after a quick prayer to my patron saints (Thomas Aquinas, Matthew the Apostle, Robert...READ MORE

My attendance — both in Washington and at the 2011 March for Life — was as a first-time pilgrim.

My official title yesterday was chaperone, accompanying a group of more than 50 pilgrims from the St. Anne Shrine for Mothers in Waterbury, Conn. I was confident that Tim Drake, Steven Greydanus, John Burger and Joe Pronechen would admirably fill the bill by getting our readers the comprehensive coverage they deserve.

I had decided that, for me, this was to be a “come-and-see” event. I was going as a witness.

On the bus trip southward, friends — veterans of the event — prepared me for the rigors of the day. Less than one year removed from major back surgery, and armed with my rosary, hand...READ MORE

I usually petition my patron saints (Thomas Aquinas, Matthew the Evangelist and Robert Bellarmine) every day to pray for me.

On this day, however, I give special recognition to all of those (including one daughter) who make up the communion of saints. It’s one of those mystical components of our faith that I really love.

This post is pretty simple: Who is your favorite saint, or what member of the communion of saints has had a profound impact on you?

This started out simply as a “Status Update” on the Register’s Facebook page and got a bunch of responses in the first few minutes. I just had to pose the question here.

Personally, St. Francis de Sales and St. Paul of Tarsus have helped...READ MORE

It was nothing short of providential to be part of two amazing Catholic conferences last week — the Catholic Marketing Network/Catholic Writers Conference in Philadelphia and the Catholic New Media Celebration in Boston.

Just to get it on the table, I’m not really a conference guy. But it was impossible not to get charged up spending time with both current colleagues and the bloggers and podcasters I previously had only read and heard.

Philadelphia and Boston — the cradle of Liberty — were perfect to recapture that revolutionary spirit, only this time the revolution is missionary. It’s about setting captives free.

In Philadelphia, along with Rick Hinshaw, editor of The Long Island...READ MORE