Saints – The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel

On Pilgrimage

This Monday is the feast day of St. Thomas Beckett. Beckett was Archbishop of Canterbury until December 29, 1170, when he was murdered in his cathedral by men sent by Henry II, the King of England. The act of violence was due to Beckett’s refusal to cede to the monarch authority over certain ecclesial affairs. The site of St. Thomas’ martyrdom quickly became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations of the Middle Ages, along with Jerusalem,Continue reading “On Pilgrimage “

Friendship

In his opening remarks at the recent “Symposium on Young American Men” in Washington DC, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly of the Knights of Columbus spoke about a growing crisis of loneliness and isolation among young men in our society. “It’s increasingly clear that millions of men no longer have friends who they can count on and who can spur them on to excellence…. MoreContinue reading “Friendship “

Christ’s Soldier

St. Martin of Tours (316-397 A.D.) was the son of an officer in the imperial army of Rome. As such, Roman law required him to enter the emperor’s service at the age of 15. By then, however, Martin’s sole desire was to be a servant of Christ. It was not easy to live as a Christian in the Roman legions. He was surroundedContinue reading “Christ’s Soldier “

Kids Need Saints

With the Solemnity of All Saints taking place this weekend (Nov. 1), author Amy Welborn tells us why young people must be introduced to the lives of the saints. “Kids need saints because the world they’re living in mostly lies to them about who they are, why they’re valuable, why they’re here, and where they’reContinue reading “Kids Need Saints “

Dilexi Te

A little over a week ago, Pope Leo XIV issued his first teaching document in the form of an apostolic exhortation called Dilexi Te. To be honest, I have not yet read it myself, only commentaries about it (always a dangerous thing to do). But among those who have shared their thoughts on the document,Continue reading “Dilexi Te “

Chasing Immortality

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Naveen Jain summed up his life’s goal: “I want to make aging optional.” The tech billionaire is one of a growing number of ultra-wealthy entrepreneurs chasing immortality, including famous innovators such as Sam Altman and Peter Thiel. The article reports: “Thiel’s quest for longer life spans nearly aContinue reading “Chasing Immortality “

Pier Giorgio & Luigi

In the early hours of December 4, 2024, United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the back and killed while walking to a local coffee shop in midtown Manhattan. Following a four-day manhunt, police arrested 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. The photogenic son of privilege was quickly hailed online by a large number of admirers asContinue reading “Pier Giorgio & Luigi “

Summer Rest

This Tuesday (7/29) we celebrate the feast day of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, a family of siblings who were close friends of Jesus. Our Lord would often stay at their home in Bethany when He was visiting Jerusalem. In St. Luke’s gospel (Lk 10:38-42), we hear about one such visit. Martha is “burdened withContinue reading “Summer Rest “

The Martyrs of Auriesville

I recently spent a couple of days in Saratoga, visiting my cousin and his family who have a home there. Not far from their place I noticed a church dedicated to the French Jesuit missionary St. Isaac Jogues. This gave me the idea to look up how far I was from Auriesville, NY, the placeContinue reading “The Martyrs of Auriesville “

Bartolo Longo

Blessed Bartolo Longo had a very unusual path to sainthood. Born in 1841 into a devoutly Catholic family, as a young man he went to study law at the University of Naples. The 1860s was a time of great social-political turmoil on the Italian peninsula, with a rising nationalist movement led by General Giuseppe Garibaldi,Continue reading “Bartolo Longo “