Hurricane Katrina destroyed the homes of thousands of victims, but it didn't destroy people's spirits. Instead, the devastating hurricane forced people to reflect on what life and God really are all about. "I have rethought everything I ever thought I knew about religion, and I'm in the middle of a religious rut," says Trish Carter, 17, Biloxi, Miss. Trish and her brother, Gavin, were among surviv

Most people in the United States saw what happened Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers steered two airplanes into the World Trade Center and one into the Pentagon. Many Americans were scared, many were mad, and many were worried -- and not just about the terrorists. Many adults worried about the short- and long-term impact on children, considering the massive media coverage of the disaster. Indeed, man

Parents always wonder if they are doing the right things for their children, especially when they're trying to talk about traumatic events such as Sept. 11, 2001. Judith Myers-Walls, a child development specialist at Purdue University, said one of the most important things adults can offer children is a sense of security. "It's important for parents to do something about those important issues so

Just a little more than a month ago, I was up in the World Trade Center towers looking out at Manhattan. To see them disappear in a waterfall of concrete, dust and bodies is like seeing your past disappear. I had been there and I've seen how many tourists visit. They come from every corner of the world, old and young. It's just horrible to think of the parents who have lost their children and the

Think back to when you were younger. You might have had a stuffed animal or doll that went everywhere with you. It was your buddy, your best friend. It was anything you wanted it to be. We all remember the events of Sept. 11 and the relief efforts for the victims. But the people who worked at the World Trade Center -- as well as the firefighters and police officers who died -- weren't the only one

"I was going to the mosque once, and I usually . . . wear a scarf when I go to the mosque. I was at a stoplight, and there was this man in a truck, and he got out and came up to my window and gave me the finger, and just stood there for like two minutes. "And I didn't know what to do because I was all alone in my car, and there's this big guy and I'm this little girl. And so I just sat there and d

According to recent news reports, the tsunami in South Asia has killed an estimated 212,000 people, with thousands more still missing. People all over the world have reacted by donating money to many relief organizations. Locally, many children are also contributing to the relief effort. Parochial schools Cardinal Ritter: For two weeks, students at this Westside school used competition to solicit

L ike many people, I am affected by my environment. I didn't realize how much until my family's latest trip to Pakistan in December. Both of my parents are Pakistani, and I was born there. My family moved to the United States when I was 5. Growing up in Carmel has never been hard for me. Even though I am a Pakistani citizen, I have rarely felt out of place and was always proud to tell others that