Siena, in the fourteenth century, was a thriving city in northern Italy situated on the summits of three hills. Here Saint Catherine of Siena, one of the greatest of all the saints of the Catholic Church, was born. Mystic, arbitrator, … Continue reading
(This was written in preparation for a series of conferences on vocations and states in life that I gave at Saint Benedict Center in the Spring of 2005. Please see the end of this piece for a small table of … Continue reading
Editor’s Introduction: This piece is reprinted from the Catholic Prayer Book for the Marine Corps by Rev. John J. Burke, C.S.P. The book was originally published for our fighting men in World War II and was recently reprinted by Roman … Continue reading
American Catholics who are not students of French history may be aware that at the time of the Revolution of 1789 the Church in France was made to suffer much, but they may also suppose that once the period known … Continue reading
“For there is one God, and One Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:5) In the minds of Protestant apologists, these words of St. Paul are the ultimate “talisman,” a charm which is supposed to “protect” Bible-believing Christians from … Continue reading
God wanted from all eternity to make us one with Himself. That is why He created us. He wanted not merely to be our Creator, but our Father, giving us the title and the right to say to Him, “Our … Continue reading
OUR SAVIOR OFTEN compared heaven to a kingdom. And indeed it is more majestic than any kingdom that could be conceived; and in such a kingdom, wherein dwells the King of kings, there must surely be a most glorious court. … Continue reading
Contemporary historians are inclined to classify the efforts of early Jesuits in this country as being essentially exploratory. The truth is that these noble sons of Saint Ignatius explored our untamed regions simply to bring the message of salvation to … Continue reading
When writing to the people of the United States in 1895, Pope Leo XIII observed: “The names newly given to so many of your towns and rivers and lakes teach and clearly witness how deeply your beginnings were marked with … Continue reading
Question: What do a French beggar-saint, a burned-down Boston convent, and County Limerick, Ireland, all have in common? Answer: The subject of this article, the first “Yankee Priest,” Father John Thayer. Being the scion of Puritan settlers of New England, … Continue reading
As thinking Catholics the world over realize, the Church today is in a state of crisis — one that Pope Paul VI described as its “auto-demolition,” its self-destruction. The great majority of those who acknowledge this agonizing reality are inclined … Continue reading
The Mormons, who style themselves “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” could, with very little investigation, discover the fantastic foundations on which their title rests. For even were we to wink at their assuming the unusual privilege of … Continue reading
SAINT JOHN FISHER, whose feast day falls on June 22, was born in 1469 in Beverly, Yorkshire, England. He was Bishop of Rochester for thirty-three years and was a solicitous bishop, stirring preacher, brilliant scholar, and model of every virtue.
Early this century, Pope Saint Pius X declared that “true devotion to Christ demands true devotion to Mary.” More recently, Pope John Paul II urged an increase in devotion to the Mother of God while visiting the National Shrine of … Continue reading
Whenever Catholics and non-Catholics find themselves discussing religion — an all too rare occurrence — one of the commonest objections voiced by the non-Catholic has something to do with the “horribly corrupt” history of the Catholic Church. What this article … Continue reading
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