As the familiar strains of Christmas hymns fill the air these days, it occurs to me that, in the canon of our most popular Christmas songs, Saint Joseph is inexplicably missing. As these songs describe the earliest witnesses to the Nativity, we sing of angels, wise men, little drummer boys, shepherds, sheep, and barnyard animals […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia If you become a teacher, you will receive a lot of advice along the way.  In the many years I have been blessed to make a living and a life in the classroom, I have also been blessed with much good advice.  Perhaps one of the wisest and simplest things I […]

For over thirty years, I have been a very frequent traveler on the train between New York City and Washington DC. In the beginning, it was an adventure. Yet, as the decades passed, it became a mundane journey during which I stopped noticing the scenery pass by and distracted myself with reading, videos and, best […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia Three more years. As we celebrate Independence Day this year, I can’t help thinking that we are now in the three-year run-up to our nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. In some ways, three years seems like a long time away. Yet, if advancing years have taught me anything, it is that time passes […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia If it is graduation season, then it is graduation speech season, too. High schools, colleges, and even elementary schools seek out high profile speakers to impart their wisdom to graduates – or, at least, they aim to. I am a bit dubious about what a pampered celebrity or popular sports figure could […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia With the arrival of Easter, one of the greatest joys in the lives of parishes around the world is the opportunity to welcome new sisters and brothers in Christ through the sacred celebrations at the great Easter Vigil. To all who celebrate this profound moment this year, welcome! May the graces […]

By IHE Scholar Lucia A. Silecchia Every year, when I flip my calendar to December, thoughts of Christmas overwhelm me with anticipation of the joys to come and the great gift of Christ’s Nativity. Yet, when I open that same calendar to the month of March, my initial thought has never been, “The Solemnity of […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia The groundhog spoketh. I rarely attach much weight to the opinions of rodents. Yet, when February rolls around, I do pay some amused attention to the prognostications of a certain Punxsutawney Phil — not to be confused with his less renowned colleagues, Staten Island Chuck, Essex Ed, Buckeye Chuck, and the […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia With a new year still in its infancy, I find myself surrounded by new calendars. In so many different ways, these are tangible reminders of the importance of time. Scripture speaks often about the sacredness of time, with the assurance that “[t]here is a time for everything, and a season for […]

By Lucia A. Silecchia Several years ago, I was standing in a checkout line behind two women deep in conversation. I couldn’t help overhearing that one was recently widowed and struggling to adjust to this new season of life. Most of their conversation, however, was drowned out by the lilting strains of “It’s the Most Wonderful […]