May 14, 2026 | Emily Long, Local
By Emily E Long For most of my life, I’ve been at war with my mind. My mind is a battlefield in which intrusive thoughts and my real self, the one who wants to enjoy her life, are adversaries. Every day, I would wake up to face the battle of Obsessive Compulsive...
Apr 30, 2026 | Emily Long, Local
Experiments in Catholicism By Emily E Long In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, about a father and his two sons. One day, one of the sons decides that he is ready for his inheritance. His father gives it to him, and he sets out into the...
Apr 16, 2026 | Emily Long, Uncategorized
By Emily E Long At the Easter Vigil on April 4, 2026, a record number of people in the Diocese of Syracuse were received into the Catholic Church. How amazing is that? Even better — this number isn’t an anomaly limited to Syracuse. All around the world, people are...
Apr 2, 2026 | Emily Long, Last week in the sun, Local
Experiments in Catholicism By Emily E Long Contributing writer On the Tuesday before Lent, as I was stuffing my face with chips and dip, an informal office Fat Tuesday tradition, I asked, “Is it weird that I’m a little excited for Lent?” My coworkers looked at me like...
Mar 19, 2026 | Emily Long, Local
Experiments in Catholicism By Emily E Long It was a cold fall morning when I made my First Reconciliation. Although we had been preparing for weeks in Religious Ed class, I was still nervous. When we were called to line up outside the confessional, I tepidly joined my...
Mar 5, 2026 | Emily Long, Local
Experiments in Catholicism By Emily E. Long Contributing writer Last week at Dinosaur Barbeque in Syracuse, 100 people gathered to hear Bishop Lucia deliver a talk about prayer. As you read that sentence, who were you picturing as the audience? Priests and...
Feb 19, 2026 | Emily Long, Local
Experiments in Catholicism By Emily E. Long Last summer, I had the opportunity to attend the Jubilee of Youth in Rome, a gathering of 1 million young Catholics to celebrate Mass with Pope Leo. The jubilee was an optional outing on our pilgrimage, and I wasn’t quite...
Feb 5, 2026 | Emily Long, Local
Experiments in Catholicism By Emily E Long Contributing writer If you’ve turned on the news over the past few weeks, it’s not content that lowers your stress levels. Everything feels like it’s so much to deal with. I can’t help but mumble to myself, “Y’all need...
Jan 22, 2026 | Emily Long, Last week in the sun, Local
Experiments in Catholicism By Emily E. Long Contributing writer In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is visiting the house of two sisters in Bethany. As Jesus was teaching those who had gathered in their home, one sister, Mary, sat rapt at His feet, listening to every word He...
Jan 8, 2026 | Emily Long, Local
By Emily E. Long Have you ever sat in a pew on Sunday morning and all you can think about is having a donut after Mass? Or maybe you pray a Rosary every day and the prayers feel meaningless. You even question why you are a part of the Catholic Church in the first...
Jul 10, 2025 | Emily Long, Last week in the sun, Latest news, Local
ABOVE: From left, Hope Appeal staff members Jim O’Neill, Emily Long, Executive Director Beth Hoey, and Elyse Simon. Sun photo 2024 Impact Report illustrates a successful Hope Appeal campaign By Elizabeth Landry, staff writer In recent years, the Diocese of Syracuse...
Mar 20, 2025 | Emily Long, Uncategorized
By Lucia A. Silecchia Like so many during Lent, I found myself last Friday night at a small parish church for the Stations of the Cross. In the evening quiet, the last light of day still glimmered through the windows, reminding us that spring, like Easter, is both...
Dec 12, 2024 | Emily Long, Local
ABOVE: Hundreds of youth from across the diocese attended DCYC recently at Sacred Heart Church in Cicero. By Emily E. Long, contributing writer More than 500 teenagers from every corner of the diocese came together Nov. 23 for a day of prayer, fun and renewal at the...
Mar 28, 2024 | Emily Long, Last week in the sun, Local
By Emily E. Long |Contributing writer Photos by Mary Angela Fisher For Catholics, Lent is an opportunity to grow deeper in faith. Many parishes hold retreats, missions, and events to help lead their flocks through the Lenten season. For young adults, the Office of...
Dec 7, 2023 | Emily Long, Local
Generation Z learns of the power and the love of God By Emily Long Contributing writer On Nov. 18, 450 high schoolers from across the Diocese of Syracuse gathered at Sacred Heart Church in Cicero for the Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference. Run by the Office of...
Nov 30, 2023 | Emily Long, Local
By Emily E. Long, Contributing writer When you slouch into your office chair on a Friday morning thinking Thank God it’s Friday, how often does your thanks go beyond saying a simple prayer that by the grace of God, you got through the week? One group of young adults...
Jul 13, 2023 | Emily Long, Local
Get to know this vibrant ‘kaleidoscope of people’ from across diocese By Emily E. Long Contributing writer If you look in the pews on Sunday morning, you might struggle to find young adults. If you are looking for some hope for the future of the Church, meet the...
