Author page: Joe McAleer

Reflection for 1 March 2026: 2nd Sunday of Lent (Year A) “Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” (2 Tim 1:8) Dear Marian Helpers and Members of our Marian Family, It’s usually around this time of Lent where we start second-guessing our Lenten penances: “Did I say no sweets during Lent?…

Reflection for 22 February 2026: 1st Sunday of Lent (Year A) “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous” (Rom 5:19). Dear Marian Helpers and Members of our Marian Family, We usually think of Lent as a dour time; a…

By Fr. Alex Pumphrey, MIC If Advent is my favorite time of year (which it is), then I’d have to say that Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, 18 February, is probably my least. But not for the reasons you think! I’m disciplined enough, for the most part, to stay true to my Lenten regimen and fast, but the reason…

By Marian Friedrichs When we look at the Divine Mercy Image, the Lord meets our gaze as He steps forward, a living white center of light out of the gray darkness. We see the signature, with its simple words of trust in the Merciful Jesus. The rays of mercy reach toward us, streaming pale and red from His breast. All…

“Bearing the pain of the other” One of the oldest and most common questions in theology is what we call “theodicy”: Why does a good God allow bad things to happen, especially to good people? I’m sure that we ourselves have asked this question either concerning something in our own lives or the lives of our loved ones, family, and…

Listen to Fr Alex Pumphrey, MIC’s homily for today’s feast! Blessed George Matulaitis-Matulewicz, pray for us! Learn more about Blessed George here.

Reclaiming Mary’s Dowry For centuries, the Marian devotion of the English people was strong. Almost every town or village had a church or shrine dedicated to Our Lady, and those that didn’t, always had a town nearby that did. Pilgrimages to cathedrals, abbeys, and other religious sites were commonplace, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, by some accounts,…

2 February: World Day of Consecrated Life By Deacon Patrick Lynch In the first chapter of The Story of a Soul, St. Thérèse of Lisieux (above) recounts that when she was first told to write about her life, she prayed to the Blessed Virgin and asked for the grace to speak about her vocation well. She found the answer to…

By Chris Sparks The world may think that Christmas ends at midnight on Christmas Day, but the Church knows better. We celebrate an eight-day Christmas Octave, stretching from 25 Dec. to 1 Jan., which is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. In those days between the two great feasts are a number of other special feast days, including…