Leading schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and the nation into Catholic Schools Week on Jan. 29 – Feb. 4 is St. Thomas Aquinas, the “intellectual and prayerful “giant” of the Catholic Church, whose feast day is Jan. 28.

Since  the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Dec. 31 there are people who think he should be named a future doctor of the church. Cardinal Thomas Collins, archbishop of Toronto, said on Vatican Radio that “he is an amazing man.” He said, “I don’t know whether he will be named a doctor of the church; certainly he should.”

This year I will … Filling in the blanks looks easy on Jan. 1 but as the year goes on those blanks remained unfilled.

Simbang Gabi, a Filipino word meaning “Night Mass,” is a long treasured devotional, nine-day series of Masses attended by Filipino Catholics in anticipation of Christmas, and is a revered Filipino Advent tradition.

On Dec. 13, lights sparkle through the “darkness” of the Advent season from the Scandinavian countries to Acadiana territory in Louisiana in festivals celebrating of the feast of St. Lucy.