In the spring and summer of 2014, another viral social media trend was born. People around the world began recording or streaming themselves dumping buckets of ice and cold water over their head, and then challenging others to do the same. The trend has been performed each summer ever since, with participants ranging from community Continue reading
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12 Grads On a Mission to Counsel the World
During this time of year–where young men and women across the nation donned their gowns and tassels with big smiles and walk before their friends and families to receive the degrees they worked so hard for over the last four years–many of those undergraduates will find themselves at a loss, unsure of what their next Continue reading
Remembering the Virginia Tech Shooting
The small town of Blacksburg in Southern Virginia was, at one point, only that: a small town, nestled along the New River Valley. The trip from the cities of the north will lead you witnessing the significant change of scenery as you cruise down I-81, from cityscapes to treelines, from city streets to nature trails, Continue reading
Big Future for Catholic-Christian Psychology
Could you imagine the world without Christian psychology or counseling? A world where a secular approach to mental health would ignore the spiritual importance of their clients? Or a world that would be uncomfortable about the mere presence of a crucifix hanging on a counselor’s wall? Before the integration of faith and psychology was largely Continue reading
Staggering Suicide Statistics
Suicide is not a topic we all like to talk about. But recent incidents have brought more attention to this unfortunate event that’s often linked to severe depression. At Divine Mercy University, we strive to educate our students and the general public of ways to prevent suicide and provide adequate mental health services. Recently, we Continue reading
Honoring St. Patrick With Moderation
When we look at the calendar and see that St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, many of us may salivate knowing that our local pubs and bars will be decorated and playing Celtic music, with Guiness and green beer flowing endlessly like the great falls of some romantic Irish waterfall, and when the Continue reading
Lent: The Season for Habit Formation
There are two things that many of us seem to get wrong: the days leading up to Christmas, and the days leading up to Easter. In the days leading up to Christmas–which can begin as early as May–we find ourselves in a consistent rush: fixing budgets, planning trips, scheduling reunions, flying to pageants and concerts, Continue reading
50 Percent of Marriages End in Marriage
About four years ago, my brother-in-law (before he was my brother-in-law) said something to me that I still think about today. We were sitting in the kitchen of his home in Plainfield, NJ, with his wife standing at the stove prepping a dinner that I’ve long forgotten–except that it was delicious–discussing topics ranging from homeownership Continue reading
Our Lady Shares the Sacrifice of Motherhood
In the mountains of southern Italy, there is a monastery that shelters the iconic twelve-foot high Black Madonna icon of the village of Montevergine, attracting pilgrims from all over the world for hundreds of years. On February 2nd and September 12th–the feast of the Purification of Mary and the feast of the Most Holy Name Continue reading
Spiritual Direction is For You
Spiritual Direction is a practice becoming more popular in the Church today as people seek to know the voice of God with clarity. And with its popularity comes the question: “what is spiritual direction?”. It is first important to clarify that spiritual direction isn’t only for clerics, religious or the super-pious – it is for Continue reading