Author name: Thomas Gardner

I have Edith Stein on my mind and heart this Sunday. She was a German Jewish philosopher in the 20th Century who ended up eventually converting and becoming a Catholic nun and a great saint. Her conversion was a bit of a long road with many stops along the way. I want to tell you […]

Today I want to tell you about how a look transformed one man’s life. There is actually a good chance that you have seen this look if you’ve seen the movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” I have seen it many times, but only recently heard the story of Pietro Sarubbi, the Italian actor who

Blessed Carlo Acutis is one of my new favorite Saints. He is the first Millennial Saint, which – as a fellow Millennial – makes me feel drawn to him even more. I think we would probably have been friends if I had grown up in Milan, Italy. Carlo was born in 1991, and from an

It’s hard to believe that we just recently passed the 23rd anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. Those who are old enough to remember that day probably know just where you were when you heard the news. I was in Mrs. Montenero’s French Class at Bexley High School. Fr. Mychal Judge was in

When I was in seminary, one of the things I looked forward to most every summer was the week I would spend at Catholic Youth Summer Camp. CYSC is a weeklong, overnight high adventure camp for middle and high schoolers. As a seminarian, I had the privilege of serving for a week as a counselor

Today my thoughts are on The Lord of the Rings as we ponder the readings the Church gives us this Sunday. For those few people who may not be familiar with the story, The Lord of the Rings follows the grand adventures of Frodo, a member of a short race of people known as hobbits.

Let me tell you about a miracle and a martyr. The miracle happened to a friend of mine when he was in high school. We will call him Michael for the sake of anonymity. Michael was a bit of a wild child during his high school years. Even though he went to a Catholic all-boys