Whether carefully reflected upon or chosen at random, picking a confirmation name is a personal and spiritual journey for Catholics, reflecting a connection to the saints or a loved one and a commitment to embodying their virtues.

In young people preparing for confirmation, I see a yearning for something more in their lives, beyond the noise and distractions of technology and social isolation.

I had hoped she would want to be confirmed, but I also know that this step in her faith journey is not about me.

The examen carved a space between me and the compulsion, just enough to breathe, to think and to make a deliberate choice.

What surviving cancer—for now—taught me about life.

“You do not have to believe in Marian apparitions to be a good Catholic,” Father James Martin writes. “But I do. I’ve never had a problem believing in them.”