for the modern catholic woman

The Blessed is She Blog

Go Ahead, Take the Time for Talking - Blessed Is She

Go Ahead, Take the Time for Talking

Coffee and conversation: both blessings to behold. Together, they can create community. I recall such good conversations over coffee in college: with my favorite English professor, with my sister and...
My Spiritual Father, My Priest - Blessed Is She

My Spiritual Father, My Priest

My own earthly father (whom I love very much) was, out of his own brokenness, ill-equipped to be a spiritual father. Growing up, my dad claimed he didn’t believe in...
The Seven Churches Pilgrimage for Holy Thursday - Blessed Is She

The Seven Churches Pilgrimage for Holy Thursday

“ …About to hand Himself over to death, [He] entrusted to the Church a sacrifice new for all eternity, the banquet of His love…” The opening prayer for the Mass...
How to Bring the Gifts of the Holy Spirit into Hard Conversations - Blessed Is She

How to Bring the Gifts of the Holy Spirit into Hard Conversations

I walked along the edge of the water, approaching the park bench with trepidation. The sun reflected off the lake and covered the top of the water in bright bursts...
Building Cultural Memory - Blessed Is She

Building Cultural Memory

In my years teaching in public schools, I started to notice a subtle but steady presence of cultural orphan mentality. I talked with 5th graders who did not know anything...
The Importance of Spiritual Mentoring - Blessed Is She

The Importance of Spiritual Mentoring

The word "mentor" is defined as "a wise and trusted counselor or teacher." To me, a female mentor is supposed to share the Gospel and her life, just like a...
The Relationship Between Personal Holiness and Social Wholeness - Blessed Is She

The Relationship Between Personal Holiness and Social Wholeness

I attended a retreat for women writers in 2008 and had the privilege to study under Kentucky’s poet laureate at the time, Jane Gentry Vance. She shared thoughts on poetry...
A Day in the Life of a Sister of Life - Blessed Is She

A Day in the Life of a Sister of Life

As I approached the steps of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, I saw white and blue fabric billowing in the wind, fabric from the habits of the Sisters...
The True Christmas Presence // A Poem - Blessed Is She

The True Christmas Presence // A Poem

It’s so easy to become wrapped up in shopping for the perfect Christmas presents. In our attempts to beat the crowd and to ensure everyone on our list is gifted...
BIS Reviews // Call the Midwife - Blessed Is She

BIS Reviews // Call the Midwife

I joined the party almost a decade late, but Call the Midwife is a BBC TV Series that you can begin now without feeling behind. The show is based on...
Our Lady of Guadalupe's Miraculous Tilma - Blessed Is She

Our Lady of Guadalupe's Miraculous Tilma

"Sister. That was a mic-drop class." That's about as high of a compliment as it gets from middle schoolers. It was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and we...
Slow Down, Make the Connection - Blessed Is She

Slow Down, Make the Connection

This time of year stirs our hearts to be generous in how we give and to whom we give, but there is another facet of this desire to be charitable...