Millennial writer Nichole Flores to UVA Today:

I think the beginning of Lent comes at an advantageous time for the church this year, on the heels of the Vatican Summit on the protection of minors. It is a time, built within the liturgical calendar, for lament, confession and acknowledgement of sin and the suffering caused by our sin. I think it is appropriate for Catholics in the pews to particularly embrace that practice this year.

I also hope church leaders will use it as an opportunity to remember the real heart of the church, to repent and hopefully to reconcile with their members and the larger world, both of which have understandably lost a degree of trust in the institution.

In addition, she shared her research and reflections on Ella Baker, a civil rights activist and organizer whose work in the civil rights movement focused on empowering the poor and the young, on Can I Get a Witness? The Podcast. You can listen to the podcast here.