Catholic New York

No Cell Phones, No Problems: Saluting the Digital Minimalists

It started with news from Camp Wapo, the Bible camp I’d attended as a kid. The camp counselors in Amery, Wis., enforce a strict no cell-phone policy: Ditch your iPhone when you arrive, get it back … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 11/2/22

Counseling the Counselors: Providing More Support
to Our Priests

Is there still a stigma around mental illness? Is that stigma more pronounced among priests? The answe … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 10/5/22

Rising Each Morning With Holy Curiosity

Sometimes gold flakes surface along the periphery. The first or last picture in a photo shoot is the winner. The opening or final page of a book delivers the line that you hold to your heart. Or the … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 9/7/22

‘Reflecting on Creativity Fills Me With Hope’

During his down time at work, a Minnesota surgeon often browses the New Yorker in the hospital library. One day he … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 8/10/22

Discovering ‘The Duty of Delight’

Here we are, in the thick of summer, this deep and gentle place … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 7/13/22

Feminine and Modest: Designing a Better Swimsuit

For years, Catherine Huss’ twin passions were evident: faith and fashion. The 30-year-old Catholic never felt that her faith was at odds with her penchant for apparel. But the career path she … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 6/1/22

When Catholic Entrepreneurs Take the Leap

Matt Martinusen lost his job at a precarious time. He was the sole breadwinner, and his wife, Lisa, a stay-at-home mom, had just had their third baby. The non-profit Matt had been working for was … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 4/6/22

Writing in the Attic: the Catholic Call to Creativity

The idea came in a dream. It was just like the movies, the fantasy of every writer who has slogged away at a keyboard, awaiting inspiration. Haley Stewart’s came. “I woke up, and I was … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 3/9/22

Frost Fair: Creating Anew in the Dead of Winter

The latest book by Sam Usher stopped me in my tracks. I’ve devoured the children’s books brilliantly illustrated by this Chicago dad, and the title of his new release immediately drew me in: “A … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 1/26/22

The Thrifting Catholic: Giving New Life to Old Things

Emily Hannon was surprised by the children’s clothes she saw at big-box stores and popular websites when she became a mom. And not in a good way. Obnoxious graphics, offensive messages, neon … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 12/29/21

Bread, Wine and a Norway Spruce: the Sacramental Life

Before there were any buildings in Rockefeller Center, there was a Christmas tree. At the peak of the Great Depression, construction workers hungering for holiday cheer pooled their money to buy a … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 12/1/21

Rejection Letters and the Spiritual Life

Just as “Tiger King” became a defining show of our early quarantine days and “Bridgerton” carried us through the first Covid winter, “Squid Game” has dominated … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 11/3/21

Bedtime Stories of Saints: Comfort and Companionship

We never really outgrow the desire for a bedtime story. It just takes different forms when we’re older: Netflix, the evening news, Instagram Stories. But the original cannot be improved upon, … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 10/6/21

The Hidden Power of Play: How to Be Young at Heart

Every fall the push to do more intensifies. Sharpen your pencil and dig in. Produce more, study more, socialize more, exercise more, volunteer more. The calendar becomes the battlefield, its … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 9/8/21

Life Is Just Beginning: Expansion at Any Age

I submitted two articles tonight, and moments after I hit send, I was struck by the parallel. Sure, they both involved retired Catholics. But in my focus on the specifics of their work—the … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 8/11/21

Living in Largo: In Praise of a Slower Pace

There is an art and a science to slow living. This summer I’m trying to learn both.In music you can measure it. The tempo called largo—Italian for slow and broad—clocks in at 40 to … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 6/30/21

Finding God in the Wilderness

The sense of place and pull to the wild that inspired Nick Ripatrozone’s new book are tucked in his very name. The rip-roaring surname is the name of a mountain town in central Italy, which the … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 6/16/21

‘Hello World!’: Advice for Grads From a Curious Catholic

George Corrigan never met a person who didn’t fascinate him. The delivery guy. The plumber. The barista. He wanted to know their names and their life stories, which came tumbling out when he … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 5/5/21

The Hand-Me-Down: a Love Letter That Endures

There are echoes of Romeo and Juliet, but the ending is happier. This story of forbidden love took place long ago on a Mediterranean island—1870s Sicily, to be exact. Elizabeth Lagudice was a … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 4/7/21

Learning From Horton: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say

Dr. Seuss’ fourth book was published in 1940 and met with critical acclaim. It features an elephant whose large ears and long trunk provided the ideal infrastructure for the artist’s distinct … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 3/10/21