Sitting across from bespectacled Josh Ingraham, it’s hard to imagine that he was once “quite a handful,” as he calls it. The earnest young man, a junior this year at St. Philip Catholic Central, seems more interested in discussing his latest adventure camping trip than in causing trouble. But it was his troublemaking, he says, that got him kicked out of two public schools before second grade — a series of events that led his mom, Renee, to enroll him at St. Joseph Elementary School in Battle Creek.

This October, the legendary coach Lou Holtz will come to Kalamazoo for an evening of inspiration and words of wisdom. Southwest Michigan Catholic spoke with Holtz who shared an interesting tie to Kalamazoo and insight into how his Catholic faith has been at the center of his life.

It might have been helping out at the Tootsie Roll Drive or delivering baskets to the homebound. Whatever the reason, it was Brother Fred Cabras’ love of service, cultivated from the time he was a young boy tagging along with his parents, that eventually drew him to consider joining the Capuchins.

On April 17, I attended a lecture at Notre Dame University presented by Mary Meg McCarthy. She is the director of the National Immigration Justice Center and a strong human rights advocate for immigrants. I was inspired by her talk and commitment. I spoke with her after about how I might see for myself the reality of the crisis at the border. She gave me a connection with Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Laredo, Texas.

“Stewardship is perhaps one of the most misunderstood words in the Church today,” said Tom Dowdall, director of stewardship and development for the diocese. “Some people think it is all about giving money. Others think it means only time, talent and treasure. Some wonder if it is just another word for fundraising. In reality, stewardship is the word that describes our entire relationship with God.”