By Michael Patrick O’Brien– One of the best parts of Catholic life is the opportunity to connect with the saints.  The enduring Catholic tradition of honoring and retelling stories about…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Using online old newspaper archives, I’ve been traveling through a time machine anticipating my landmark 65th birthday. At one stop, I discovered that Don O’Brien—the grandfather…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– My Easter news basket this year included stories about a different kind of resurrection—an apparent American Catholic religious revival putting more young people in the pews…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– I’ve seen death but not resurrection. The Easter notion of life beyond death mystifies me. Church art helps my simple mind grasp this ethereal concept. And…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– The latest episode of the long-running Discovery Road television series includes a poignant visit to the old Trappist monastery in Northern Utah that was my boyhood…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Although I earned a law degree 40 years ago from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, I failed one important test there. I…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– It’s hard to fathom, as my 65th birthday fast approaches in May, that I may not be the most interesting person with my name. Yet, my…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien In one of the best local podcasts, my friends David Noyce and Peggy Fletcher Stack from The Salt Lake Tribune focus on faith and interfaith issues…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– March 1986—four decades ago—was one of the most pivotal months of my life. I was about to graduate from law school, I had an offer for…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Some of my favorite childhood recollections involve monks and Mark Twain. That’s an odd juxtaposition, but likely due to the Tom-Sawyer-like boyhood adventures I enjoyed a…