Natalie HoeferLast Updated: September 22nd, 2022Marian Shrines of Europe, Spiritual Reflections
What month has the most Marian feast days? Surely it’s May, the month of Mary. Or perhaps it’s October, the month of the Rosary? Surprisingly, the answer is September. Three Marian feast days were celebrated this month: the Nativity of the Blessed Mother on the 8th, the Most Holy Name of Mary on the 12th … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: September 15th, 2022Uncategorized
Each year at the Easter Vigil, we recall the pathway of salvation history through a series of seven Old Testament readings. The third reading is from Exodus and recounts the dramatic passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea into safety on the other side. One year, the reader for that reading gave a particularly … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: September 8th, 2022Saints, Spiritual Reflections
Yesterday, the world entered a period of mourning for the longest reigning English monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Her life and death have been marked with all the celebrations and festivities fit for an earthly queen. Over the next few days, or even weeks, there will be news reports, tv programs, special newspaper editions, and the … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: September 1st, 2022Italy, Pilgrims' Stories, Spiritual Reflections
Twenty years ago this spring I traveled to Rome for Holy Week and Easter. I was studying abroad that year and before I left I told all my friends at the Newman Center that I was going to see the Pope for Easter and I’d love if anyone would like to join me. One friend … Read More
Natalie HoeferLast Updated: August 19th, 2022Spiritual Reflections
It’s mid-August, and I just returned from running errands at several stores. They were packed. At the first store I wondered why, and then I saw the overhead sign: “Back to school sale!” While many students now return to classrooms as early as July, I still associate August with “back to school” time. This month … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: November 15th, 2022Featured Pilgrimages, Marian Shrines of Europe, Spiritual Reflections
August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart. This may seem odd nowadays, considering the Feast of the Immaculate Heart is in late spring or early summer. However, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart was once celebrated on August 22nd – the Octave of the Assumption – for a period of about 25 years. Towards the … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: August 4th, 2022Pilgrims' Stories, Spiritual Reflections
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, where the disciples encountered Jesus’ divinity in a profound way. This encounter was so meaningful to them that they wanted to stay there and bask in His glory. The same can happen to us throughout our own spiritual lives. Whether in prayer, on retreat, or even … Read More
Natalie HoeferLast Updated: July 22nd, 2022Featured Pilgrimages, Spiritual Reflections
On July 4, we celebrated the 246th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Resounding through history from 1776 until now are the words the document rightly declares as truth: that each person is endowed by their Creator—God—the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Through the Holy Spirit-inspired words of … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: July 13th, 2022Spiritual Reflections
Throughout the month of July, the Church is especially devoted to the Precious Blood. This comes about from the old Feast of the Precious Blood that was celebrated on July 1 from 1849-1969 (and to this day in churches which follow the old calendar). Though relatively recent and short-lived when the Church’s entire 2000-year history … Read More
A little over a month ago, several seminarians, priests, and lay faithful had the pleasure and privilege of taking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the trip was not like your standard trip (as if a trip to the king of the universe’s stomping grounds could ever be standard). Covid was still hanging in … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: June 23rd, 2022Featured Pilgrimages, Holy Land, Spiritual Reflections
One of the highlights for our pilgrims to the Holy Land is often when they renew their baptismal vows. This occurs in the Jordan River where Christ himself was baptized by his cousin John, whose feast day we celebrate on June 24th. The Catholic Church as a whole also recognizes the value of this renewal … Read More
Bri CampbellLast Updated: June 17th, 2022Holy Land, Italy, Medjugorje, Pilgrims' Stories, Spiritual Reflections
July 10, 2017, was my first day working at Tekton Ministries. Nearly 5 years later, I find myself recounting the memories of my top three pilgrimages. Perhaps you may find inspiration for your next pilgrimage… Italy I went to Italy with Tekton Ministries as I graduated college in 2017. Little did I know, I would … Read More
Bri CampbellLast Updated: July 20th, 2022Saints, Spiritual Reflections
As we transition into the season of summer, we’re greeted by the month-long celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. With the added benefit of beautiful, warm weather, we are also called to draw closer to the merciful and all-encompassing love of our Savior. First revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque through apparitions in the … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: July 20th, 2022Spiritual Reflections
This Sunday, during the Mass for Pentecost, an ancient liturgical prayer will be proclaimed. The Pentecost sequence, also known as the “Veni Sancte Spiritus” is a beautiful call to the Holy Spirit to come into this world in a powerful way. During the Middle Ages, sequences were added to various liturgies to enhance the celebration … Read More
Andrea JoinesLast Updated: June 1st, 2022Camino de Santiago, Holy Land, Pilgrims' Stories
I first learned about the Camino de Santiago my senior year of college. It became a dream of mine from that day on. I never knew how I could make it a reality, given the logistics of needing at least a month off work and the money to cover all the costs. So, the dream … Read More
