There’s really nothing that’s as satisfying, for me, as a good story. As long as I can remember, stories have been a lifeline for me. Sometimes they’re the stories of the distant past, and other times they’re the stories like those pictured here, gifts that my due-in-May sister-in-law received yesterday at her baby shower. Whether they’re stories I read out loud to my kids or books I curl up with on the couch, stories I find posted in some obscure place or hear in my favorite podcasts, I find that few things captivate me like a story.

Imagine my delight, then, that I can combine two of my favorite loves — a good story and the Blessed Mother — in one place! My column this week at Today’s Catholic Woman shares the story of Our Lady of Loreto…who I had heard of, but didn’t know the story of until now. And what a story it is! The only thing missing, according to my four-year-old, is a unicorn.