More than 400 parish leaders from the archdiocese attended Pastoral Staff Day hosted by the archdiocese’s Institute for Evangelization at Church of the Nativity in Timonium Oct. 27.

There are some things to celebrate but others to bewail about “The Banshees of Inisherin.” In fact, this bleak combination of black comedy and rural drama incorporates elements that make it acceptable for only a small number of grown movie fans.

Among the subtly lit arches of the undercroft of the historic downtown Baltimore basilica, about three dozen people gathered Oct. 24 for a votive Mass of Mary, the Mother of the Church, to celebrate new “Custodians of America’s First Catholic Cathedral.”

A true love for the divine Creator means acting on behalf of his children who are neglected by the powerful: the poor, the unborn, the elderly, the infirm and migrants, Pope Francis told representatives of different religious faiths and international leaders.

I felt the resilience of a people struggling to retain not only their territory, but also their faith, culture and national identity.