As a faithful Catholic, you understand the importance of giving back to God and the Church. Have you instilled this habit in your children? The future of the Church relies on the generations to come being generous with their God-given blessings.

The woman’s answer made me smile. Her answer came in response to a question I asked readers of The Criterion—a question originally posed by Holy Cross Father Robert Dowd when he became the 18th president of the University of Notre Dame last year.

From time to time—and mostly in face-to-face encounters—I receive thanks for these monthly columns. Often, these thanks are accompanied by: “I look forward each month to your column.” Or “I find the content inviting me to explore another religion.” Or “many of the columns remind me how important it is to find a sense of oneness in our divided world.”

For more than 10 years now, each of my five sons in turn have taken piano or guitar lessons. Most of the time, my wife Cindy has been the one to take our boys to their weekly 30-minute lessons.

Earlier this month, Pope Francis took the unusual step of writing to the bishops of the United States about the Trump administration’s policies regarding deportation of illegal immigrants. Noting that “this is not a minor issue,” the pope outlined 10 points for prayerful consideration by the bishops as they minister to the people who are affected by these actions.

Bishop Joseph N. Perry, a retired auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, visited Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis on Feb. 18 to help the diverse student body on the city’s east side observe Black History Month. He continues in retirement to be the principal promoter of the beatification and canonization cause of the Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, the first Black Catholic priest in the history of the U.S.

Engagement announcements will be published in the July 11 issue of The Criterion for couples planning to marry between July 12, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, in a marriage that is recognized by the Church as a valid sacramental or valid natural marriage.

The archdiocesan annual Wedding Anniversary Mass, to be celebrated by Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, will take place at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, 1347 N. Meridian St., in Indianapolis, at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24. A reception will follow across the street at the Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Catholic Center.

Three marriage preparation programs offered in the archdiocese—the Pre-Cana Conference, Tobit Weekend and One in Christ—help prepare engaged couples for the sacrament of marriage as well as the challenges of married life. Early registration is recommended for all programs, as each fills up quickly.

“No one in the Church is talking about this—I feel so alone.” I hear that often in my pastoral work serving marriages and families, usually during phone conversations with individuals who have called the archdiocese looking for support. Whether they were referred by their pastor or found us by searching online, they call looking for understanding and hope.

“As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.” So said St. John Paul II during a homily in Australia in 1986.

GREENSBURG—Rebecca Harpring was heartbroken when she saw her online lab results. As a nurse, she knew what the low pregnancy hormone levels meant: she was going to miscarry the cherished 6-week-young life within her. In the following torrent of emotions and thoughts that day in February 2016, one urgent desire rose to the top.

Each year, The Criterion offers a special Marriage and Family Life Supplement announcing recent engagements and weddings submitted to the newspaper, accompanied by marriage-related articles. For more information on the archdiocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life, go to marriageandfamily.archindy.org.

Cuando ores, entra en tu aposento, y cuando hayas cerrado la puerta, ora a tu Padre que está en secreto, y tu Padre, que ve en lo secreto, te recompensará. (Mt 6:6)

When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. (Mt 6:6)

Among St. Joseph’s many patronages are families, fathers and expectant mothers. In light of these patronages, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) created an online novena to St. Joseph for those on the path to adoption, available in English and Spanish. The novena begins on March 10 and ends on March 18, the day before the saint’s feast day.