Weekly Insight
King Saint Ferdinand III
I didn't know that 'San Fernando' in California (and other places) was named after the saint we commemorate today, Saint Ferdinand III (1201 - 1252), the great, 13th century King of Leon, Castile and...
The Pope’s Rosary for Peace Today
The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo XIV will lead a Rosary for peace today, at 7 pm Rome time, at the end of this Marian month - which means 1 pm for many...
Sainte Jeanne d’Arc, the Mighty Maid of Orleans
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden: For behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.
Saint...
The Lost Script of Spiritual Motherhood
(In light of today's traditional commemoration of Saint Joan of Arc, a strong, single woman who used her feminine genius much to the good, here is a reflection from contributor Alexa Bulman on the...
The Loss of the Empress, Stan Rogers and St. Roch’s Circumnavigation
To add to this historically significant day - which also happen to be the birthday of the late, great G.K. Chesterton in 1874 - here's a wee bit of Canadiana for our readers:
On this...
Rise and Fall: Everest and Constantinople
May 29th is the anniversary of two world changing events: The first, and more recent, was the reaching the summit of Mount Everest, the top of the world at 29, 029 feet, five miles...
The Heroism of Captain Witold Pilecki: Lest We Forget
(Esto vir, God exhorts Moses in the Bible - Be a man! And few men were such 'men' as Cavalry Captain Witold Pilecki, as recounted here by contributor Paul Suski. A heroic example to...
John Paul II Reflects on Paul VI
HOMILY OF POPE JOHN PAUL II
TO COMMEMORATE THE
SERVANT OF GOD PAUL VI
Thursday, 6 August 1998
The memory of my venerable Predecessor, the Servant of God Paul VI who died here in Castel Gandolfo some 20...
Paul VI, and Finding Sanctity in a Controversial Papacy
Today, May 29th, is the optional memorial of Pope Saint Paul VI, celebrated on the anniversary of his ordination in 1920. Paul VI's birth name was Giovanni Battista Enrico Maria Montini, coming into the world...
Saint Bernard of Montjoux and his Dogs
The iconic Saint Bernard dogs take their name from today's saint, Saint Bernard of Menthon - also known as of Montjoux - an 11th century Burgundian priest from a noble family, who was born...
Augustine of Canterbury’s Monastic Mission to Make England Merrie
There are two Saints Augustine - the bishop of Hippo, and author of the Confessions and numerous other theological masterpieces, and, today's saint, Augustine, the first bishop of Canterbury, (+604), often pronounced in England,...
Pope John Paul II and Saint Philip Neri
(At the very beginning of his pontificate, on this feast of Saint Philip in 1979, Pope Saint John Paul II made a pilgrimage to the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, commonly called the...
Saint Philip Neri’s Joyful Heart
Who could not love the saint we celebrate today, one of the most joyful and idiosyncratic – the two are not unrelated - of saints, Philip Neri, (+1595), the founder of the Congregation of...
Initial Musings on Magnifica Humanitas
I've been reading Papal Documents for over 40 years and teaching them for over 20, and welcome and recommend the first Encyclical of Pope Leo. Â It contains a great deal, being longer than nearly...
Saints Bede, Gregory VII, and Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi
There are many saints in the Church's history - there are, by one estimate, about 6000 at least quasi-officially canonized - too many ever to be celebrated liturgically in the 365 days of the...
