Writings (Author: Cassie Schutzer)

Hope was my word of the year for 2022. I chose it after hearing a homily from my hometown priest where he said, “Until you truly hope for something, God will remain impersonal to you.” It struck me that I never really hoped for anything with my whole heart, and that I truly did not […]MORE

The crowd in today’s Gospel has set out on a journey, coming from all corners of the land in a common quest. They have come from nearby neighborhoods, from Jerusalem, from Tyre and Sidon, from the region beyond the Jordan. They have heard that a man has been freed from a demon. Another has been […]MORE

True confession—I didn’t want to study Augustine when I began graduate studies. An Augustineseminar, however, was required in my very first semester! There, I was captivated by the great value hispreaching places on the lived Christian experience. Like the psalmist, he understands that those whowalk in God’s ways are truly blessed (cf. Ps 128:1). Augustine […]MORE

This summer I had the most profound experience of Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. How could I have known what Jesus had in store for me during the Women of the Church regional forum?  I knew this gathering would be powerful. It would be the manna I needed for my ministry. Women gathered to […]MORE

In June of 2020, life had taken an extremely unexpected turn and it was only half-way through the year. Practically everything that seemed normal and routine had been shut down and many were isolated, fearful for what was to come.  Many were unable to attend Mass or adoration for weeks. The best one could do […]MORE

Becoming a grandparent brought tremendous joy into my life—a joy I did not foresee or take for granted, knowing that only my young adult children and their spouses could be agents of it. Today, we celebrate the memorial of Jesus’ maternal grandparents, named by tradition as Joachim and Anne, and venerated as saints. I wonder […]MORE

While organizing my Women of the Church files this spring, I realized that we celebrated a very important milestone in May—the 10th anniversary of our very first planning meeting for Women of the Church! Sr. Jeana Visel, OSB, Agnes Kovacs, Sr. Traci Stutz, OSB, and I met on May 9, 2014, for that initial meeting. […]MORE

Just before the pandemic, I attended the 2019 Women of the Church national conference at Saint Mary’s College in Indiana with a friend. Though hopeful, we weren’t sure what to expect. Both of our experiences with Catholic women’s programming had been hit or miss in the past. I’m happy to report that the conference knocked […]MORE

The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States established November as BlackCatholic History Month in 1990. This month is a time to celebrate and remember the lives,contributions, and history of Black Catholics. Here are some resources to help you learn moreabout the history of Black Catholics: Books to Read Subversive Habits: Black Catholic […]MORE