By Michael Patrick O’Brien– (Editor’s note: In 2023, the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky celebrates its 175th anniversary.) Like the rest of us, Trappist monks celebrate round number anniversaries with…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– (Editor’s note: In 2023, the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky celebrates its 175th anniversary.) I understand the concept of being there in person, or in spirit.…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– (Editor’s note: In 2023, the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky celebrates its 175th anniversary.) Gethsemani Abbey near Louisville, Kentucky celebrates its 175th anniversary this year. For…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– (Editor’s note: In 2023, the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky celebrates its 175th anniversary.) During an unusual boyhood that followed a difficult family divorce in the…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– On a cold late December morning, Maria Domingo delicately laced her threadbare Reeboks, hoping to get one more day of wear from the tattered old walking…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– “O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Trappist monks watch for Christmas differently than the rest of us, without colored lights, yard decorations, or holiday parties. And instead of Bing Crosby or Mariah…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– The Advent and Christmas seasons, unfolding in the Northern Hemisphere during the coldest and darkest days of the year, herald the hoped-for arrival of light. The…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– There’s a palpable sweetness in the air at Our Lady of the Mississippi monastery near Dubuque, Iowa. The source might be the abbey’s famous tasty caramel…

By Michael Patrick O’Brien– In rural eastern Iowa, floating in the middle of a sea of corn fields, red barns, and silver silos, there is a wee bit o’ the…