Everyone is familiar with the story in the book of Genesis about Noah, the ark, and the great flood that destroyed the world. But is the story true, and if so, how did it happen? Father Chris Alar, MIC, explains, revealing the underlying message of repentance and acceptance of God’s mercy. Then hear Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, tell how he is steering the “ark” that is the Catholic Church in the United States.

As Fr. Chris Alar explains, the evening we now call Halloween began not as a pagan ritual, but as a sacred Christian vigil—All Hallows’ Eve, the holy night before the solemnity of All Saints’ Day. This feast, instituted in the 700s, has always been a time to honor the saints and pray for the faithful departed. The Church’s ancient practice of vigils reflected the truth that holy days begin at sundown, anticipating the joy of what is to come.

Of the 45,000 different Christian denominations in the world, what makes the Catholic and Orthodox Churches different from all the others? Only those churches have all the Sacraments. In a preview of his new book, Understanding the Sacraments: God's Grace Guaranteed! from Marian Press, Fr.