Peter and Marcellinus, Hidden, Yet Known
Not much is known of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, except that they were martyrs, likely put to death by beheading at the 12th milestone...
Mater Ecclesiae and the Entrance into ‘Ordinary Time’
We celebrate today the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, as mentioned, made official by Pope Paul VI in 1964. During the Council, there...
Rise and Fall: Everest and Constantinople
May 29th is the anniversary of two world changing events: The first was the reaching the summit of Mount Everest, the top of the...
The Legacy of Paul VI
The controversial Pope Saint Paul VI is commemorated on May 29th, the day of his ordination to the priesthood in 1920 – this marking...
Augustine’s Monastic Mission
The first bishop of Canterbury, Augustine (+604), pronounced in England, ‘Austin’, was a Roman citizen, like the ‘other’ Augustine, of Hippo, who lived over...
Philip’s Spirit of Joy
We celebrate today one of the most joyful and idiosyncratic – the two are not unrelated - of saints, Philip Neri, (+1595), the founder...
One Fine Spring Day, Three Saints
There are many saints in the Church's history too many ever to be celebrated liturgically, and those are only the officially canonized ones. We...
Saint Rita of the Impossible
We have it on good authority that nothing is impossible with God - or, as the Gabriel puts it, all things are possible with the...
Bernardine, Usury and the Holy Name
Saint Bernardine of Siena (+1444) lived through a tumultuous time in the Church's history. The Great Western Schism had begun in 1378, two years...
Anne Bolyen’s Apparent Demise. But ’tis Really So?
Anne Boleyn lost her head on this fine spring day in May, 1536, put to death by the decree of her own quasi-husband, Henry...