This Ad Rem is being written at a distance from home (near Fort Worth, Texas, to be almost precise). It seemed a good idea to share with readers part of the message of the Catholic America Tour. Though the talk … Continue reading

(A story about Father Bernard Vaughn) One day, Father Bernard Vaughn was in a small town in Lancashire, called Wigan. He was leaving the town, and was standing in the railroad station awaiting the train, which was late. He went … Continue reading
From 1542-1834, there were 117 martyrs who shed their blood for the Faith in the land that became the United States. During those years all of them had been referred to Rome as candidates for canonization. Only the three of … Continue reading
Genocide: an ancient crime; a relatively new word; a horrific event in which one group of people attempts to completely eliminate another group; a modern crime. All of these apply to the word, one of the most awful in human … Continue reading
A few weeks ago I was browsing in the biography section of our monastery library, when a book with an attractive blue cover caught my eye. On the cover was a color photograph of a beach in the Pacific islands … Continue reading
This is an astounding story of a mother and her four daughters killed for their Faith by the Communists during the Spanish Civil War. Mexico City, Jan 10, 2009 / 02:28 am (CNA).- Among the five families Pope Benedict XVI … Continue reading
The name Galitzin should be known and loved by every American Catholic. Prince Dimitrius Augustine Galitzin was the second priest ordained in the United States, and the first to receive all of his clerical orders here. He worked as a … Continue reading
[Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know: The Divine Surprises and Chastisements that Shaped the Church and Changed the World by Diane Moczar, Ph D. Sophia Institute Press, 2005] Please pardon my enthusiasm, but I loved this book! It was a … Continue reading
One of the most justly celebrated works of Catholic history written in the last one hundred years was The Thirteenth, Greatest of Centuries, by James J. Walsh. Figured as the apogee of the Age of Faith, the thirteenth probably has … Continue reading
When Blessed Pope Pius IX summoned the First Vatican Council in 1869 the world was somewhat mystified. There had not been an ecumenical council since Trent (1545-1563). The nineteenth century had brought a new factor into the equation of church/state … Continue reading
Having an aversion to serialized articles on the Internet, I have opted not to call this “Father Arnold Damen, Chicago’s Jesuit Apostle: Part II.” A clunky name, that. This is, nonetheless, a second article on Father Damen, but a “free-standing” … Continue reading
The Battle of Lepanto commenced between the roughly equal number of men and ships off the coast of Corinth, Greece, after a traditional and formalized ceremony. Both Muslims and Christians had about 30,000 men and slightly over two hundred vessels … Continue reading
Imagine yourself a contestant on Jeopardy. The answer is… “The world’s longest-standing, but smallest, army in the world’s smallest independent state.” And what is the question? The only possible question is, “What is the Swiss Guard”? Officially, the name of … Continue reading
“Mitte Belgas” (send Belgians), implored Saint Francis Xavier in a letter written from India to his Father General, Saint Ignatius Loyola. The Indian mission of the East required religious who were not only proven in virtue but strong in physical … Continue reading
I have a distinct memory, from my Catholic high school days back in the 1950s, of a black and white photograph in a history textbook. It was of a soldier in a funny-looking uniform; he had an even funnier-sounding name. … Continue reading
Site development: Bonaventure