NSS Blog

Discovering the Divine in the Everyday

Not Strictly Spiritual celebrates 17 years

January 24, 2025 • writing

It was 17 years ago today — on the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists — that I launched this blog. (You can read my original blog post from this date in 2008 HERE.) So, happy anniversary to me! And thank you to all of you who have ...

No results found.

Miscarriage: love and loss 24 years later

August 6, 2022 • parenting

My annual tribute to the baby I lost 24 years ago today, the baby I call Grace: For the past few days I’ve been looking at the numbers on the calendar, ...

‘This is how you do Church.’

August 5, 2022 • Life Lines

As I settled into my pew at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago one recent Sunday morning, I gazed up at the beautiful interior, a feast for the eyes, and hoped ...

Be like a jellyfish. Go with the flow…

July 25, 2022 • Nature

When I saw these jellyfish at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, I was mesmerized. Apparently, so was everyone else, because the crowd around their tank was ...

No results found.

9/11: Remembering like it was yesterday

September 11, 2018 • Life Lines

Here’s the Life Lines column I wrote 17 years ago, in the days following 9/11. So much has changed since that time. Our world has changed. My family has ...

Hanging by a thread: What we need our priests and bishops to know right now

August 19, 2018 • Life in My 50s

For the past few weeks, and especially in recent days, I have been hearing from readers of my monthly Life Lines column, from colleagues working for the ...

On a lighter note…

August 9, 2018 • Life in My 50s

This week our diocese held its fourth annual Concert for Vocations, which has become a favorite among the faithful. More than 600 people turned out at St. ...

Miscarriage: Love and loss 20 years later

August 6, 2018 • family

My annual tribute to the baby I lost 20 years ago today, the baby I call Grace: For the past few days I’ve been looking at the numbers on the calendar, ...

McCarrick scandal proves to be a tipping point #timesup #reformthechurch #whoknew

August 4, 2018 • Life Lines

Typically, I post my monthly Life Lines columns here without comment, but there is nothing typical about this column. I wrote it in the wake of the McCarrick ...

Shoes tell a story. A love story.

June 6, 2018 • Life Lines

If eyes are the windows to the soul, I think feet may be the doorway to all understanding. That revelation came to me recently when I was in the front pew of ...

load more posts

No results found.

NSS Blog

Discovering the Divine in the Everyday

Pin It on Pinterest