May is a special month in the Church—it’s a time when we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God, honor our own mothers on Mother’s Day, and reflect on the beauty of vocations. At St. Max, we recently asked a group of moms: How has Mary influenced your vocation of motherhood? Their answers were heartfelt, honest, and deeply moving. Here are some of their reflections…

When you arrive at the festival, excited to enjoy the music, food, and fun, it’s easy to overlook the incredible work that happens long before the gates open. Behind every successful festival is a dedicated team of volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure everything runs smoothly. These unsung heroes put in countless hours preparing the grounds, setting up infrastructure, and keeping things organized so attendees can have an unforgettable experience…

An Easter Reflection by an anonymous St. Max Parishioner

Egg hunts, special chocolate eggs picked out from the department store, a new dress for church, singing Alleluia, an Easter basket with more goodies and counting up coins from the hunt…

By Elizabeth Walsh

I recently experienced something wonderful about making a commitment…

By an anonymous St. Max parishioner

For anyone who has dealt with mental health issues, the aforementioned anecdotal response is all too familiar…

By an anonymous St. Max parishioner

I was raised in a very devout Catholic family. My father was a lector for as long as I can remember…

By Kate Zink & Family

A year ago I was dragging my feet. There were frequent announcements at Mass about joining the Festival committee, becoming a booth captain, signing up for volunteer spots to support the Festival, and donating basket items…

By Mary Diehl

I was born into a beautiful family, the last of eight children. My parents were devout Catholics who truly lived their faith through their daily lives…

By an anonymous St. Max Parishioner

Around 35 weeks pregnant, I felt something dark try to take a hold of me. I suddenly became out of control, all I could think about was death and terrible things happening, and how I wanted the baby inside of me out…

By an Anonymous St. Max Family

Each day in our house, we are thankful for two courageous women who chose life…

By Karen Borgemenke

Saint Josemaría Escrivá, while at speaking engagements, would take questions. While answering questions related to vocations, he would often inquire if the person was married…

By Sarah and Matt Lewis

When we first sat down to write about our marriage, we couldn’t help but chuckle- what do we know about marriage?

By Evelyn Cullen

In July of 2018, 2-3 days after Fr. Jim arrived in the parish, he was scheduled to visit my husband who had Alzheimer’s Disease…

By an Anonymous St. Max Parishioner

Our family has attended St. Max since the mid-1990s. In the beginning, our homeschooling family met with many other homeschoolers from the eastern Butler County area at St Max for social, academic, and  religious activities…

By Zach and Amanda Hinger

Our family’s relationship to St. Max has been a constant thread that has tied together the most important parts of our lives both individually and as a family…

By Matthew Bare

Hello, my name is Matthew Bare, and I have been a parishioner at St. Max my whole life…

By Debbie Lackey

My name is Debbie Lackey and I am the mother of two adult sons, Jeremy and Tyler. My oldest son, Jeremy, had started in his RCIA program in 2021…

By Abigail & Michael Bambrick

When I first got pregnant in 2014, I had just turned 30 and still wasn’t sure if I ever wanted kids…

By An Anonymous St. Max Family

These are words I felt God speaking to me in the midst of the pandemic, pregnant with my second child, and undergoing another Hyperemisis Gravidarum pregnancy…