The Hope and Courage of Charles Lwanga and Companion Martyrs
If the Church seems moribund in North America, there is hope in the vast continent of Africa, where there are untold millions of Catholics,...
Justin, a Philosopher’s Martyr
Saint Justin (+165) who is called the 'martyr', was born around the time the last Apostle, John, departed this life for heaven. Justin was...
Finding Sanctity in a Controversial Papacy: Paul VI
I realized this morning that this is the optional memorial of Pope Saint Paul VI, celebrated on the day of his ordination in 1920,...
Canterbury’s Augustine, Who Made Britain Catholic
There are two Saints Augustine - the bishop of Hippo, and author of the Confessions and numerous other theological masterpieces, and, today's saint, Augustine first...
Philip Neri’s Cheerful Spirit
We celebrate today one of the most joyful and idiosyncratic – the two are not unrelated - of saints, Philip Neri, (+1595), the founder...
Three Saints for One
There are many saints in the Church's history - there are, by one estimate, about 6000 at least quasi-officially canonized - too many ever...
Saint Rita’s Mission Impossible
A fitting thought on this vigil day of Pentecost is that nothing is impossible with God. Did not Christ promise that He would grant...
Father Magallanes’ Mexican Martyrdom
The twentieth century saw the rise of various vicious anti-Catholic regimes, totalitarian and ruthless in stamping out the Church. Ecrasez l’infame! Voltaire would sign...
Eugène’s Offering
Fittingly, in this month of Mary, we celebrate on this May 21st Saint Eugène de Mazenod (+1861), the 19th century founder of the Missionaries...
Bernardine, Usury and the Holy Name
Saint Bernardine of Siena (+1444) lived through a tumultuous time in the Church's history (but, then, what time is not?). The Great Western Schism...