Your Stories

For Dancile Nshimirimana, being a member of the Catholic Church has always been like being part of a family.

“The Lord said, ‘Go.’ And I said, ‘Who? Me?’ And He said, ‘Yes, you.”

Father, protector, worker, patron – they all describe St. Joseph, a quiet man who put his trust in God and played a key role in salvation history.

“Let’s see. There’s Fran, JoAnne, Diane, Turk, and Roy.” Father Philip Clement, administator of St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Machias, has no problem naming the regulars who attend Mass at St. Timothy Church in Welshpool.

Cecile Beaulieu has been going to school for 41 years, and that’s not counting her time studying in the classroom.

Choose life. It’s a message that three men have been working to bring to others for decades.

“A little metal crucifix as plain as it can be, but only God in heaven knows how dear it is to me.” So begins a poem penned by a soldier more than 75 years ago

You know that soon you will likely be among those on the front lines of a global health crisis. There are questions and concerns and not a lot of experience from which to draw since the infectious assailant is one no one has confronted before.

Father Alexander Boucher searches for the right words to describe what it’s like to be serving as a priest of the Diocese of Portland.

Emily Morris of Yarmouth describes herself as a “rookie Catholic,” one who had to wait a little while to officially join the team.

At age 19, Peter Cusack’s resume is already stacked with awards and accomplishments.

“I’m always trying to look and see how God is acting in my life.” Brendan Fedrizzi, an 18-year-old from Waterboro, says he tries to let faith be his guide in all aspects of his life.

A leader who “strives to defend the faith” and brings others along with her on her journey.

Lucy Frenette, a senior at Saint Dominic Academy in Auburn, proudly points out the variety of crops growing in a new garden that has taken over a corner of the school’s campus.

One by one, vehicles pull into the parking lot of St. Anne Church in Gorham on a Saturday in June. They line up in neat rows guided by orange cones and cheerful volunteers.

From drawings on driveways to posters in doorways, students from St. Brigid School in Portland used their creativity to express thanks to those who serve on the frontlines and continue to perform essential jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alycia Walsh and Luke Cote of Minot were looking forward to celebrating a September wedding at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Scarborough.

Dixie Shaw, the director of Hunger and Relief Services for Catholic Charities Maine, has been working to feed the people of Aroostook County for nearly two decades.

Deacon Rick Huot of Biddeford always begins his workdays the same way, by asking the Lord for His help.

“When there are obstacles, it is not those who give up who succeed but those who are able to pick themselves up and push forward.”

Dr. Claire Morissette Girardin grew up caring for pets. “We had ducks, guinea pigs. I had a rat at one point, turtles,” she says. “We had cats when I was little.”

“It’s just learning their stories, what brings them here.” Mary Hazzard is a Catholic lay chaplain at Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland. 

Many gathered to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Sister Aurelie Michaud’s profession to the Daughters of Wisdom.

“It’s a feeling of loss, of wondering what is going to transpire.” Lee and Millie Noddin of Lewiston know the pain of having a loved one behind bars.

It’s ten o’clock in the morning, and customers are alread

Positive. Confident. Motivated. Helpful. Surrounded by splashes of color, those are among the words that greet you as you enter Holy Cross School in South Portland.

With her kindergarten class gathered on the floor around her, Kathleen Curry shares the Gospel story of the feeding of the 5,000.

“You build a stack of special blocks, and then, you have to push them into a circle. If it’s the same color, you get more points.”

 “I know in my heart that this is where God wants me.” That is how Deacon Donald Clavette sees his vocation as a permanent deacon

“The coats that we ordered are for kids in grades 2 through 8.” Bob Frederick from Moosehead Lake Council 2368 shows other Knights of Columbus two of the 27 coats the council purchased for children attending Greenville Consolidated School.

On Sunday mornings, the first-floor hallway of St. André Health Care in Biddeford is a busy place. In wheelchairs, with walkers, or with an arm to lean upon, around 30 residents are making their way to the community room for the celebration of Mass.

Bishop Robert Deeley joins in celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Rose of Lima Church in Jay.

Two members of the Dominican Sisters of the Roman Congregation, jubilees with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley at Holy Cross Church in Lewiston on Sunday, August 25, 2019,

I start with the centerpiece and then go to the bottom and then around.” Roger Jean of Augusta explains his technique for making rosary beads, something he has been doing for more than a quarter century now.

If you’re looking for Jeffrey Quinn on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, you’ll most likely find him behind a keyboard at Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in Skowhegan. 

 “If you know how to do it, and God has given you the gift, you should.” That is the mantra of Avis Fleck, a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Windham.

Enter the St. Thomas Aquinas Gift Shop in Madawaska and you will be surrounded by faith-inspired treasures filling every shelf and tucked into every corner.

At age 17, Jean-Daniel Liwanga says he already understands the importance of keeping God in his life.

As he approaches the second anniversary of his ordination to the permanent diaconate, Deacon Michael Augustino says he feels privileged to have the opportunity to serve God.

Fourth of July celebrations are known to end with a bang, but in Freeport, they start with a sizzle. 

While the closure of the Monastery of the Precious Blood is still keenly felt by many in the Diocese of Portland, two beautiful pieces from the monastery’s chapel will now grace another faith community.

Unity, friendship, and charity.  They are the principles at the heart of the Daughters of Isabella, an international Catholic women’s organization, and they are words to live by for members of St. Thomas Circle 546 in Madawaska.

“This is what we call the base fabric, so that is what we lay down on the base. Then, everything else would be an accent.” It’s not often that you hear a priest sharing sewing tips with parishioners, but that is what you’ll find happening at St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Machias.

“It’s not easy.” Ask Michele Guillemette of Waterboro what it takes to raise a family in the Catholic faith in today’s world and that is what she will tell you. 

A new ministry at the Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth seeks to open doors for those in their community who have special needs.

Imagine the possibilities.  That is what Catholic Charities Maine is hoping emerging entrepreneurs will be able to do through a new creative marketplace called “Fikiria.”

“One month, 19 days.” Even before Lent arrived, Jocelyn Carr of North Yarmouth was counting down the days to Easter.

Father Gabriel Muteru cheerfully calls out to anyone he sees passing by his office at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in Standish.

“Hey there. How ya doing?” Dixie Shaw, the director of Hunger and Relief Services for Catholic Charities Maine, cheerfully greets driver after driver as they pull up next to a truck loaded with boxes of food.

It’s early on a Sunday morning, and there is a flurry of activity in the hall of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook.