Category Archives: Saints

posted 9/19/20 This Monday, 9/21, is the Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle.  St. Matthew is not just one of the 12 Apostles, he also the author of one of the Gospels, and he includes his own conversion story in his account of the life of Christ.  We know that before encountering Christ, St. Matthew worked as a tax collector for the Roman Empire.  Since it wasContinue reading “St Matthew”

posted 9/5/20 Rafael Merry del Val was a very influential figure in the Catholic Church in the beginning of the 20th Century. Born into a family of Spanish nobility in 1865, he spent much of his childhood in England before moving to Rome to study for the priesthood, to which he was ordained in 1888.  From there he began serving in theContinue reading “Litany of Humility”

posted 8/13/20 Tomorrow (8/14) is the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe.  Kolbe was a Polish Franciscan priest who is best known for volunteering to die in place of another prisoner at Auschwitz in August, 1941.  He was canonized a saint in 1982 by Pope John Paul II, who declared him a “martyr of charity” for offering his lifeContinue reading “St. Maximilian Kolbe, Missionary”

posted 7/25/20 Going on pilgrimage is an ancient Christian practice.  There are old texts from Bishops encouraging the practice of pilgrimage among the faithful going back to the 4th century.  Pilgrimages are not vacations, but physical journeys that manifest the spiritual journeys of those who desire to encounter God in the places where He has made His presence known in a particular way.  The mostContinue reading “The Pilgrimage of St. James”

posted 7/14/20 Today is the feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized a saint.  St. Kateri was born in 1656, the daughter of a war chief of the Mohawk tribe and a Christian Algonquin mother, near present-day Auriesville, NY.  It was in that same area, 10 years earlier, where the French missionaries, St.Continue reading “The Lily of the Mohawks”

posted 7/11/20 Today, July 11, we celebrate the feast day of St. Benedict, the patron saint of Europe.  Benedict was born in the Italian town of Norcia (Nursia) in the year 480.  This was a period of serious cultural decline in the waning years of the Roman Empire, and when Benedict was sent by his wealthy father to study in Rome he wasContinue reading “St. Benedict”

posted 6/30/20 Tomorrow, July 1, is the feast day of St. Junipero Serra.  In recent weeks, we’ve seen statues pulled down by activists decrying what they understand to be crimes committed by historical figures.  Even prior to his canonization by Pope Francis in September 2015, St. Junipero Serra had been the subject of harsh criticism and the defacement of his image, especially in California,Continue reading “St. Junipero Serra”

posted 6/27/20 This Monday, June 29, is the Solemnity of St. Peter & St. Paul.  These two saints are the patrons of the city of Rome, where they died as martyrs for the Faith.  It’s traditionally the day on which new archbishops go to Rome to receive something called the “pallium” from the pope.  The pallium is a white piece of woolenContinue reading “St. Peter & St. Paul”

posted 6/20/20 Today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  There are two references in the Gospel of St. Luke to the heart of Our Lady.  The first is the account of the shepherds who visited the place where the newborn Christ was in response to the message they had received from the angels aboutContinue reading “Immaculate Heart of Mary”

posted 6/4/20 In the Gospel for today’s Mass (Mark 12:28-34) a scribe asks Jesus: “Which is the first of all the commandments?”  Our Lord responds: “The first is this: Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with allContinue reading “St. Therese and the Greatest Commandment”