Saints Eusebius of Vercelli and Peter Julian Eymard

The Church commemorates two pastors today, separated by a millennium and a half: The fourth-century Eusebius of Vercelli (+371), the first bishop we know...

Sanctus Petrus in Vincula

(Besides being the memorial of the patron saint of moral theologians, Saint Alphonsus Ligouri, this August 1st is also the traditional feast of Saint...

Pope Benedict’s Address on Alphonsus Ligouri

BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE St. Peter's Square Wednesday, 30 March 2011 Saint Alphonsus Liguori Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to present to you the figure of a...

Alphonsus of Ligouri, A Moral Teacher for All Ages

Saint Alphonsus Ligouri (1696 - 1787) was a renaissance man, whose kind was a rarity in his era, centuries after the renaissance, and even...

Ignatius and His Companions of Jesus

When we read the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), perhaps to our surprise, he seems to belong more to the early days...

Saint Peter Chrysologous: How To Preach a Homily

Saint Peter Chrysologous (+450) was, as the traditional account has it, chosen bishop of Ravenna in 433 after the then-reigning pontiff, Pope, Sixtus III,...

Pope Benedict and Martha’s Way

BENEDICT XVI ANGELUS Courtyard of the Papal Residence, Castel Gandolfo Sunday, 18 July 2010   Dear Brothers and Sisters, We are now in the heart of summer, at least in...

Pope Benedict Reflects on Saints Anne and Joachim

On this day in 2009, at the end of his Angelus message, Pope Benedict had these brief words to say on Saints Joachim and...

Saints Joachim and Anne: Grandparents of Jesus

(From our archives:) Let us sing praises to Joachim and Anna, The couple honoured by God (as they are His kinsmen) They have borne for us the...

James the Greater, Matamoros and Humanae Vitae: Signs of Contradiction

Today we celebrate the great feast of Saint James 'the Greater', not because of any intrinsic superior quality to the other apostle James, 'the...