July 16 is the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Because it falls on a Sunday this year, we don’t celebrate it in the liturgy, but it’s worth commemorating even on our own. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the patron saint of the Carmelite Order which traces its spiritual lineage back to theContinue reading “The Power of Carmel “
Category Archives: Saints
Cardinal George, Cultural Missionary
I recently finished reading Glorifying Christ, a new biography by Michael Heinlein about Francis Cardinal George (1937-2015), who served as Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago from 1997-2014. Cardinal George was by all accounts a devoted pastor, but also a brilliant man, who was widely seen as the intellectual leader of the American episcopacy. Before becoming aContinue reading “Cardinal George, Cultural Missionary “
Incorrupt
On Ascension Thursday (5/18/23) the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in Gower, Missouri transferred the coffin of Sr. Wilhelmina Lancaster from her grave in the community cemetery to a sarcophagus in their monastery chapel. What would have been a normal act of devotion to their foundress, who died on the same feastContinue reading “Incorrupt “
God is Good
“Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord!” With this reference to Psalm 89, Bishop Caggiano began his homily for the Mass last Saturday (5/20) at which he ordained six new priests for the Diocese of Bridgeport. The Bishop remarked that such an occasion should evoke songs of praise and thanksgiving from the heartsContinue reading “God is Good “
Warring with Spirits
Warning: this article contains spoilers about season one of “The Rings of Power” television series. If you have been looking forward to watching it, I suggest skipping to the second paragraph. “The Rings of Power” is a television series on Amazon Prime that serves as a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the RingsContinue reading “Warring with Spirits “
God’s Precious Ones
If you were a member of the Church in its earliest days, one of the people you’d have thought most unlikely to become a follower of Christ was Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a Pharisee, a brilliant young scholar of the Law, and a zealous defender of his tradition. He believed the Christian sect wasContinue reading “God’s Precious Ones “
Christian Witness in Egypt
It’s not easy being Christian in Egypt. A few years ago, I came across an article by a writer named Matthew Schmitz about the zabbaleen of Cairo. The literal meaning of this word is “garbage picker,” and it refers to the residents of Mokattam Village, almost all of them Christian, who make their living collectingContinue reading “Christian Witness in Egypt “
Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P.
On February 11, 2013 I was sitting in a Roman lecture hall, taking notes and trying not to be distracted by my Australian classmate whose phone kept buzzing. Finally, he turned to me and whispered, “The Holy Father just resigned.” I looked at him skeptically, saying, “That’s not possible. Someone is pulling your leg.” AContinue reading “Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P. “
St. Cecilia
This Tuesday (11/22) is the feast of St. Cecilia our co-patron. Born in the third century into a wealthy Roman family, her parents arranged for her to marry a young pagan nobleman by the name of Valerius. Unbeknownst to them, however, Cecilia had become a Christian, and like many young Christian women at the time,Continue reading “St. Cecilia “
God’s Plan for St. Martin
In the first thousand years of Christianity, St. Martin of Tours was one of the most widely-venerated and beloved saints in the Church. Born to pagan parents just a few years after the legalization of Christianity in 313, Martin embraced the Christian faith at an early age. As the son of a retired Roman militaryContinue reading “God’s Plan for St. Martin “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 