Forgive me. A mother can only hold so many scars.

Pope Francis has authorized the organization of pilgrimages to the Marian shrine of Medjugorje, the Vatican announced today.

In an era when Islamophobia is on the rise, it seems especially important for Catholic Christians to know that in addition to sharing our belief in the one God, Muslims also share a reverence for Mary.

Enveloped in clouds of drapery, the Virgin perches between maimed angels

In the wake of the fire, perhaps today’s “cultured despisers” of religion will come to appreciate how devotion to Notre Dame has been a wellspring of Western civilization as we know it.