As I stared transfixed at what I instantly understood to be a symbol for the Holy Trinity, I realized that long before I had even been aware of Him, I had unwittingly branded myself as His; I belong to God and He calls me beautiful.

Letters, IdentityCorynne StaresinicFebruary 15, 2019Beauty, Belonging, Nature, Hiking, Creation, Identity Comment

How Deployment Has Given me a New Appreciation for the Universal Church

During the very first Mass I attended in Afghanistan, this was all I could think about. I looked around the small chapel with tears in my eyes thinking 'this is the universal Church.' I may be on the other side of the world but, during that hour of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, my soul is at home.

Letters, Church, LeadCorynne StaresinicJanuary 23, 2019Deployment, Belonging, Solidarity Comments

There's Room for Each of Us at This Table

I knew Jesus had room for me—he hung out with my crowd, loud mouth recovering know-it-alls trying to figure out how to follow Him. That wasn’t my issue. It was the Church, with its pearls and stained glass, its rules about candle height and liturgical music and specific wordings—that was where I wasn’t sure I was welcome.

Letters, Church, LeadCorynne StaresinicNovember 21, 2018Claire Swinarski, The Catholic Feminist, Belonging, Staying CatholicComment

Cultivating Communities of Compassion

"I was sitting in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the other day - it was a women’s only meeting - and I was struck by how honest, vulnerable and real everyone’s shares were. I wondered if I had been to any Catholic women’s gatherings where…"

Church, Letters, NurtureCorynne StaresinicAugust 24, 2018Community, Gossip, Womanhood, Belonging, Resolutions, community, Cultivating CommunityComment

Letter to Caregivers

Those with disabilities and their caretakers live every day as champions of intrinsic human worth. Let’s learn from them, join with them, and take steps to expand their space in our Church.

Gratitude for Our Home

"Dear Sisters, On the move again, boxes filled with 'home', bare walls, empty closets, eating out of to-go-boxes… all to the unknown..."

Nothing is Ever Wasted

"Dear Friend, I am writing to you who feel, or have ever felt, unworthy, unloved, misunderstood, alone, or adrift..."

The Church Needs You

"Dear Sister, I write to you from a bed and breakfast in Portland, Maine. It is 7 am, and I am in that lovely time between waking up and sitting down to breakfast (which is my favorite meal)..."