Patty Breen

Patty Breen McNeil

Patty Breen McNeil is a writer, storyteller and worker in Catholic healthcare. On the weekends you can find her writing on Substack, lifting heavy back squats and discovering West Michigan with her husband.

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Bruce Springsteen poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" during the London film festival in London, Oct. 15, 2025. His single "Streets of Minneapolis" released Jan. 28, 2026. (AP/Invision/Scott A Garfitt)

Bruce Springsteen provides a soundtrack to the liturgy of the streets

In his latest single, "Streets of Minneapolis," Bruce Springsteen offers Americans a soundtrack to the liturgy of protest.

Michigan Central Station opened in 1913 and was the arrival point for thousands of immigrants who came to work in the automotive plants. The last train left the station in January 1988 and the station sat empty and decaying for decades before Ford Motor Company purchased it in 2018. The renovated station opened to the public in June. (Ford Media Center)

Finding God in Detroit's revitalized Michigan Central Station

Buildings can sometimes be opportunities to encounter God, who meets us in all types of places. The Divine presence is not bound to one particular method of finding you and me, of connecting with us.

A lifelong Catholic, Shane MacGowan was also devoted to the teachings of the Buddha and had a deep love for the Madonna. He is pictured here in a 2006 photo. (Wikimedia Commons/David McMahon)

The life and legacy of Irish musician Shane MacGowan

Shane MacGowan, who died on Nov. 30, was known for his exceptional songwriting ability, as well as his many struggles with alcohol and drug abuse. Through his messy but poetic life, MacGowan's lyrics have something to say to each of us about beauty, hope, strength and peace.

Lights shine on an empty stage.

What improv class taught me about the spiritual life

Patty Breen couldn't believe how much fun she had in an improv comedy class. She also found countless insights for her personal, professional and spiritual life.

The interior of Duc in Altum Church in Magdala, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel (Wikimedia Commons/Ovedc)

My life went off script. Mary Magdalene showed up to help.

There were many sacred moments on this trip to the Holy Land. But the most healing and powerful place was Magdala, the small seaside town right on the Sea of Galilee, home to a follower of Jesus named Mary.

Then-Pastor Carl Lentz leads a Hillsong NYC church service in New York City on July 14, 2013. (AP/Tina Fineberg)

'The Secrets of Hillsong' serves as warning to Catholics, too

The FX documentary "The Secrets of Hillsong" chronicles the rise and downfall of "influencer pastor" Carl Lentz and serves as a sober caution to us Catholics, who have our own influencers to reckon with.

Pulpit in front of a stained glass window (Dreamstime/Albund)

'Catholic Women Preach' book offers hope for the future of the church

Book review: Catholic Women Preach is a resource to accompany the reader in the liturgical year through the voices of women. Each writer has something important to teach us, and it would behoove us to listen. 

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