Laura Loker

Aug 29, 2024 | wau.org | Laura Loker

It was late, very late, even for a college student. I had been doing homework for what felt like an eternity, and I was still puzzling over an assignment. As the computer screen in front of me began to glaze over, I felt a small voice in my heart say: Go to bed. Text Size Comment () Print Email Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest But I’m not finished, I protested. Go to bed, it repeated. I went to bed.

Jul 26, 2024 | pillarcatholic.com | Laura Loker

It’s no secret that there’s a crisis in higher education. The cost of attending a four-year college has increased 180% in the last four decades, and the national student loan debt has reached $1.75 trillion. Meanwhile, skilled trades like plumbing, electrical work and construction are facing labor shortages, losing workers to retirement at higher rates than young people are joining them.

Jun 7, 2024 | pillarcatholic.com | Laura Loker

Nancy Stroud had been faithful to personal prayer for years. But at a certain point, the Charleston, South Carolina resident told The Pillar, she felt a need for accompaniment in her journey of faith. So Stroud began to consider spiritual direction. Spiritual direction pairs a trained, prayerful individual — the spiritual director — with the interested directee.

Apr 27, 2024 | pillarcatholic.com | Laura Loker

Among the sometimes daunting tasks facing newly ordained priests is that of getting to know a church full of unfamiliar faces. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s newest shepherds have found a way to bring a spirit of fun to their efforts: The priests ordained in 2022 are competing with those ordained in 2023 to see who can bless the most parishioners’ houses during the Easter season. House blessings include praying for the home and its occupants, reading from Scripture and sprinkling holy water.

Apr 17, 2024 | americamagazine.org | Laura Loker

Independent Catholic school “hybrid” programs straddle the line between homeschool and traditional diocesan schools, featuring in-person, formal instruction and independent study days. But though these programs typically emerge from the homeschool movement, their affordability is beginning to attract a new demographic. St. John Bosco School, a hybrid 7th through 12th grade program located in Sterling, Va., opened in 2019 with a group of 20 homeschooled students.