Mary Hood Hart

I’ll never forget when my sons were elementary school age, and they went to confession to a visiting priest. After leaving the reconciliation room, Jimmy turned to me and said, “You were wrong. Fear isn’t […]

The anniversary of my mother’s death is approaching. While time is never a good measure of grief, I don’t feel as if I’ve truly come to understand that my mother has died. Part of the […]

Some experiences exceed our best efforts to describe them. Being a parent for the first time is one of those. Words fall short in describing the way our lives are turned upside down, and our […]

When I was a small girl, I became disturbed by change. If my mother moved the furniturearound in our family room, I was upset. One of my earliest memories is crying, distraught, as I watched […]

It was after 1 a.m. when I drove Jimmy to the airfield for his departure to Afghanistan. At least a hundred soldiers gathered in a large hangar where their family members had congregated to say […]

Last night, I dreamed that a massive oak fell on my roof during a fierce lightning storm. In my dream, I was unharmed. But trying to escape, I discovered my only exit blocked by the […]

Last night, I dreamed that a massive oak fell on my roof during a fierce lightning storm. In my dream, I was unharmed. But trying to escape, I discovered my only exit blocked by the […]

Recently at my parish, I met with some young families to discuss ways to retain the spiritual side of Christmas in the midst of the secular frenzy so common in our society. Three themes were […]