Category Archives: Lives of the Saints
Lives of the Saints
The reason that the Church honors the saints is not just to give them glory, but to hold them up as exemplars for imitation. Many of the saints became saints themselves by reading the lives of saints. Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s by reading the Life of Christ and the Lives of the Saints. If these men can make such heroic sacrifices for God, then why can’t I, he wondered. Wonder turned into determination.
Some saints wrote biographies of other saints. Saint Athanasius wrote the Life of Saint Anthony of the Desert, a work that indirectly influenced Saint Augustine. Saint Gregory of Nyssa wrote the Life of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus. Saint Bonaventure wrote the Life of Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Bede wrote the Life of Saint Aidan. Some saints wrote autobiographies: Saints Augustine, Thérèse of Liseux, Antonio Maria Claret, and Margaret Mary Alacoque are among them.
In a letter to her aunt, Isidore Guerin, Saint Thérèse wrote: “I love to read the lives of the saints very much. The account of their heroic deeds inflames my courage and spurs me on to imitate them.”
Martyr of the French Revolution Beatified
Catholic Culture: Father Pierre-Adrien Toulorge (1757-93), a Norbertine priest martyred during the French Revolution, was beatified on April 29 at the cathedral in Coutances, France. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the beatification, which was attended by 1,500 faithful and hundreds of priests and religious. Read his inspiring words to a weeping nun here.
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Saint Augustine on Friendship
Thanks to Scribd, we now have a better way of posting PDF files on Catholicism.org. As a “test run,” I’m posting an older piece, a paper on St. Augustine’s notions of Christian friendship. It has become one of the more popular pieces on the Internet on the subject. This paper was written in preparation for a talk at the 2006 Saint Benedict Center Conference. My … More →
Posted in Articles, Catholic Living, Lives of the Saints, Patrology, Spiritual Life Leave a comment
Saint Bernadette of Lourdes
Yesterday, April 16, was the feast day of Saint Bernadette on the new calendar. This was the day that she died, her birthday into heaven. The old feast day for this most blessed saint was the eighteenth of February, for it was on that day in 1858, that Our Lady first spoke to her in the grotto at Lourdes.
‘In Order to Go to Heaven, We Have to Go to War.’ Movie Coming
Picture of fourteen year-old martyr Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio in uniform. This is an incredibly inspiring story. Message to his mother: “In order to go to heaven, we have to go to war.” Read brief account of his suffering here.
Posted in Catholic America, Columns, History, Lives of the Saints 1 Comment
1000 Year Anniversary of Camaldolese Foundation
Catholic Culture: Camaldolese Benedictines are commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of their motherhouse in Camaldoli, Italy, where St. Romuald encouraged the vocation of some monks to live in solitude as hermits. In recent years, the motherhouse has become a center for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. (Something tells me that Saint Romuald would not approve — Brian Kelly’s two cents worth)
Catholic Online’s 10 Things to Know About St. Patrick
Actually they list eleven things. I respectfully take issue, however, with the way the website news’ editor describes the Trinity in item number 7, where he notes that Saint Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to demonstrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Posted in Catechesis and Fundamentals, Columns, Lives of the Saints Leave a comment
Hildegard Burjan, Wife, Mother, Convert, Foundress To Be Beatified January 29
Zenit: Hildegard Burjan (1883-1933), founder of the Sisters of Social Charity (Caritas Socialis), will be proclaimed blessed in St. Stephen’s cathedral in Vienna on Sunday. Read more here.
Two American Blesseds to Be Canonized
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha will soon be Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Blessed Marianne Cope will undergo a similar name change. On December 19, the Holy Father approved the miracles requisite for these two Beati — both of whom spent some part of their lives in New York State — to be canonized.
Juan Diego, American Saint, December 9
In preparation for the great feast day of Our Lady on December 12, CNA has a brief recap here of the Aztec saint’s encounter with “the true Mother of God” on December 9, 1531.
Posted in Catholic America, Lives of the Saints, News, Our Lady Leave a comment
Have a Lightsome Martinmas!
St. Martin was one of the most popular saints in the Middle Ages. His feast was also the last major festival before the fast of Advent, which at time was much more strict. So, on this day known as “Martinmas,” our medieval forebears would feast of roasted goose, St. Martin’s wine,
And Speaking of All Saints, Prolific Hagiographer Praised in L’Osservatore Romano
Catholic Culture: L’Osservatore Romano has paid tribute to Angelo Montonati on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. The Italian journalist, who has written nearly 50 biographies of saints, recounted: Recently, at the press club in Milan, a dear colleague said to me, “What a bore to always talk about saints!” “And you,” I said, “aren’t you ashamed to have spent the last 22 years only … More →
Founder of Order and Friend of Two Saints to be Canonized October 23
Zenit: The founder of the Servants of Charity and the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence created a religious family modeled on the family of Nazareth, and called to follow a simple two-part program for sanctity: to pray and suffer. Father Luigi Guanella (1842-1915) will be canonized Oct. 23, the day before his memorial. Read more here.
Stigmatist, Venerable Elena Aiello, to Be Beatified September 14
Wednesday, September 14, Venerable Elena Aiello (1895-1961), will be declared a Blessed. She was the Foundress of the Minim Tertiaries of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a mystic, visionary, and stigmatist.
‘The Slave of the Slaves Forever,’ Signed, Pedro Claver
On this day, September 9, the Church honors a Jesuit missioner who was one of the greatest saints of the New World. Saint Peter Claver never left the port city of Cartagena after his ordination there in 1615. His superior in Spain had sent him directives five years before to “make haste” for New Granada (Colombia) to assist another missionary who was overwhelmed by work.
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