Weekly Insight
Pope Benedict and Saint Ignatius of Antioch
BENEDICT XVI
GENERAL AUDIENCE
St Peter's Square
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
Saint Ignatius of Antioch
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we already did last Wednesday, we are speaking about the figures of the early Church. Last week we spoke of...
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, God’s Ground Wheat
Saint Ignatius of Antioch (+107) joyfully âwent to the lionsâ, as the saying goes, meeting his martyrdom in the arena of the Coliseum in the eternal city, perhaps less than a decade after the...
What ever happened to hell?
There was a time when the thought of hell motivated Catholics to seek God and his mercy. Mortal sin was seen as something to be avoided. Once committed, though, Catholics knew enough to seek...
Beatification of Saint Marguerite d’Youville
A priest friend sent along the following archival video of the beatification of today's saint, Marguerite d'Youville, back in 1959, by Pope Saint John XXIII. It's in French, but even if you don't get...
A Panoply of Four Saints: Marguerite, Hedwig, Margaret and Gerard Majella
h. We celebrate a veritable panoply of saints today: In Canada, we have the memorial of Saint Marguerite DâYouville (+1771), the first Canadian-born saint. She was a lovely Quebecoise, who married young to a...
Saint Marguerite d’Youville: The First Canadian-Born Saint
(From the Vatican webpage)
MARGUERITE d'YOUVILLE, the first native Canadian to be elevated to sainthood, was born October 15, 1701 at Varennes, Quebec. She was the eldest of six children born to Christophe Dufrost de...
Nada Te Turbe – Prayer of Saint Teresa
Nada te turbe is a poem, also a prayer, composed by the great mystic and doctor Saint Teresa of Avila. 'Let nothing disturb you' is fitting for our turbulent times. When we pray at...
Father Paul of Graymoor and the call to Christian unity
A Review of Gribble, Richard, C.S.C. Father Paul of Graymoor: A Life of Courage, Determination, and Faith. Paraclete Press, 2026.
Christian unity belongs in the prayer and life of every Catholic parish. Â Richard Gribbleâs Father...
Teresa of Avila, Doctor of Prayer
Today is the feast of Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a discalced Carmelite nun who reformed the Order, which traced its origins way back to the 12th century in the Holy Land, to that...
Pope Benedict and Teresa of Avila
BENEDICT XVI
GENERAL AUDIENCE
Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Saint Teresa of Avila
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In the course of the Catecheses that I have chosen to dedicate to the Fathers of the Church and to...
Saint Callixtus: From Slave, to Pope, to Martyr
October 14th is the memorial of Saints Callixtus, (+222-223) (also spelled Callistus), whose life is historically shrouded, as are many of the early Christians. Some say he was a reformed slave who lived a...
The Final Apparition and Fatimaâs Miracle of the Sun
This 13th day of October marks the anniversary final apparition of Our Lady at Fatima in the fateful year of 1917, to the three seers Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia. The Virgin appeared as the...
Saint Carlo Acutis
One of the newest saints in the calendar, canonized by Pope Leo XIV on September 7th, 2025, is Carlo Acutis. He died at 15 of leukemia on this October 12th in 2006, the day...
Thanksgiving Day
A blessed and joyful Thanksgiving to all of our readers! We extend this to our American neighbours, even if they hold their own day of thanks later in November, but who do honour Christopher...
Prayers for Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV announced today that he is to undergo surgery in the next few days to remove a 'lung nodule'. (Update: The nodule was found to be cancerous - adenocarcinoma - and the...
