Nostalgic evocations of a simpler era or intimate love stories may qualify as the kind of comforting fare that will help to make a dreary January afternoon go by in a more enjoyable way.

Robert Wittman, who grew up in Baltimore’s Hamilton neighborhood and received the sacraments at nearby St. Dominic Church and his grade school education at the former parish school, has recovered countless artifacts and pieces of art, including works by Rembrandt, Goya, Manet and Rodin.

As the new year begins, Pope Francis will be the oldest reigning pope since the early 1900s and the third oldest in history.

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia announced Dec. 1 the appointment of Heather Huot as that archdiocese’s secretary for Catholic Human Services, overseeing three agencies — Catholic Social Services, Catholic Housing and Community Services and Nutritional Development Services — that combine to form the largest faith-based human services provider in southeastern Pennsylvania.

In the past 12 months, an extraordinary level of nationwide activity — organizing, strikes, negotiations and new contracts — has signaled increased influence for American labor unions, which once counted 21 million U.S. workers among their ranks.