This Franciscan holy man was entirely unknown to me until Brother David, a friar friend of ours, informed me of him. Considering that Blessed Gandolph lived in the time of Saint Francis himself, and that the Poverello’s habit was gray, we may conclude that Blessed Galdolph himself wore gray and is therefore entitled to the title we’ve given him. Continue reading
Category: Lives of the Saints
What Doth It Profit to Gain the Whole World and Suffer the Loss of One’s Soul?
These were the gospel words with which Saint Ignatius won the heart of the student, Francis Xavier. Yesterday was the feast of Saint Francis Xavier, who is Brother Francis’ patron. After Saint Paul, he is considered to be the greatest … Continue reading
Padre Pio Was “Star of Bethlehem” for Zoroastrian Convert
MUMBAI, India (AsiaNews) – “Thanks to God’s inexplicable mercy I was given the privilege of becoming a good friend of Padre Pio,” said Kersi Francisco Pio Mistry, 71. Full story is here.
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Apostolic Doctor
His feast day was yesterday, but today is the day that he was born and died. He is perhaps the least known of the thirty-three doctors of the Church. That should not be so. There is a stunning painting of … Continue reading
The Passion of Saint Joseph
It has always been believed that Saint Joseph died some time before Our Lord’s Passion. The Virgin-Father of Our Lord breathed forth his last surrounded by Jesus and Mary, and thus became the patron of a holy death. Whereas the … Continue reading
Venerable Solanus Casey, O.F.M., Cap.
Imagine, even if your name is “Barney” you can become a saint. Barney, baptized Bernard, was the sixth of sixteen children born to Irish immigrants Bernard and Ellen Casey. The date of his birth was November 25, 1870. The place … Continue reading
Saint Mariana de Jesus
May 26, Feast day of St. Mariana de Jesús de Paredes y Flores, the Lily of Quito. Who was this amazing young saint whose feast day we celebrate this month? St. Mariana (not to be confused with Sister Mariana Torres, … Continue reading
Saint Ignatius Loyola
In the sixteenth century the University of Paris was a fair-sized town. It had fifty colleges and schools and some sixteen thousand students thronged its numerous buildings. They were divided into four “nations”: the French, Picards, Normans, and Germans. The … Continue reading
A Feud with St. Joseph Cupertino
The feud between St. Joseph of Cupertino, patron Saint of the American Air Forces and me, is over at last. It was initiated, by me, several years ago; maintained, by me, in a state of smoldering animosity for several years, … Continue reading
Crowns for Armenia
Armenia, a land of towering mountains, fertile valleys, shimmering lakes[1] , and shifting borders, is located on the continent of Asia, between the Black and the Caspian Seas, pressed between Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. In the past, Greater Armenia’s … Continue reading
Frontier Missionary of the Sacred Heart: Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852)
Inscribed on the Pioneer Roll of Fame at Missouri’s Jefferson Memorial Building in St. Louis, are the words: “Some names must not wither.” First among those etched on the bronze tablet is “Philippine Duchesne.” Worthy tribute. But she was much … Continue reading
Saint Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the winter, 2002, issue of our magazine, under the title, “Venerable Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916).” In the intervening time — on Sunday, 13 November, 2005 — Pope Benedict XVI beatified our subject. Later, Brother … Continue reading
The Apostolic Heart of Brother Charles
On 21 September 1912, Father de Foucauld wrote to Madam de Bondy: «Pray also for all the Moslems of our north-west African empire now so vast. The present hour is extremely grave for their souls as it is for France.
Blessed John Mazzucconi and the New Guinea Battlefield
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