National Catholic Register, Edward Pentin: As one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world, the Christians of Iraq — whom Pope Francis will visit March 5-8 — have not only given the world a culturally rich ecclesiastical heritage, … Continue reading
Category: Lives of the Saints
Pakistan: 10th Anniversary of Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti
National Catholic Register, Zubair Simonson, O.F.S.: What was it like growing up Muslim in the United States? The answer, in my case, is that it was a cakewalk. I’d met a fair number of people who’d converted to Islam, and … Continue reading
Jesuit Martyr Who Influenced Shakespeare
St. Robert Southwell, Jesuit priest and martyr, was hanged, drawn and quartered on February 21, 1595. To commemorate the anniversary and to celebrate the legacy of this great Catholic saint and poet, Joseph Pearce was interviewed by Jan Franczak for … Continue reading
Brother Andre the Undertaker
Mary O’Regan: The Holy Cross Brothers – the religious order to which Little Brother Andre belonged – were often asked by families to prepare a dead body for burial. It may sound an odd practice to us, that a brother … Continue reading
Australia Celebrating 10th Anniversary of Canonization of Its Only Saint, an ‘Excommunicated’ Whistleblower
National Catholic Register: Australia is celebrating the 10th anniversary this year of the canonization of the country’s first and only saint, St. Mary MacKillop. Article is here. There are more detailed articles of this uncompromising and (to the complacent enablers … Continue reading
The 51 Claretian Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939
National Catholic Register, Jim Graves: During the course of the Spanish Civil War, 13 bishops, 4,184 diocesan priests, 2,365 religious priests and brothers, 283 nuns and 249 seminarians were assassinated for their religion, almost all of them by the Communists. … Continue reading
Interview With Blessed Emperor Karl’s Great-Grandson on the Blessed’s Feastday
His Imperial Royal Highness Imre von Habsburg-Lothringen, archduke of Austria and his American wife Kathleen married before Monsignor Charles Pope in Washington DC. National Catholic Register, K.V. Hurley: Sometimes it is hard to believe that saints were once flesh and blood: … Continue reading
Carlo Acutis’ Tomb Opened: Beatification October 10
Spirit Daily has some great quotes: “I am happy to die because I lived my life without wasting even a minute of it on anything unpleasing to God”. See here. CNA, Courtney Mares: The tomb of Venerable Carlo Acutis was … Continue reading
Scientist, Physician, Saint, Giuseppe Moscati
Catholic Stand, Janet Meyer: I have been reading about Saint Giuseppe Moscati. As a man of science, he is known for research leading to the use of insulin for diabetes. His mother died of it, inspiring him to find a … Continue reading
Charles Dickens and St. Jeanne Jugan
National Catholic Register, Patti Knap: With the Little Sisters of the Poor the focus of religious freedom threats recently, I was curious to know more about the order. St. Jeanne Jugan is the foundress of the Little Sisters, who today quietly devote themselves … Continue reading
King Saint Louis IX: The Champion of the Kingship of Christ
Crisis Magazine, Sean Fitzpatrick: “I love you, my dear son,” Queen Blanche of Castile said to her fourth-eldest child, Louis. “But I would rather see you dead at my feet than that you should ever commit a mortal sin.” Louis, who … Continue reading
Who Am I?
I am from a family of saints. My grandmother and parents were all saints. We were from what is now central Turkey, a thriving Christian area in the later fourth century, before the Moslem conquest. My grandmother, who has the … Continue reading
Venerable Mariantonia Sama Please Heal Me
Aleteia, Larry Peterson: Mariantonia Sama was born on March 2, 1875, in the Catanzaro, located in the southeastern section of Italy. Her father died a few months before her birth, and her mom was on her own in caring for … Continue reading
Words of Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza Descendant of Saint Louis IX
TFP: Some time ago, I visited the magnificent equestrian statue of Saint Louis IX that towers over Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. In the right hand of the holy king is an inverted sword, held out as a cross, … Continue reading