Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco wrote a masterful summary of the history of violence against Catholics in the U.S., including felony crimes committed recently in San Francisco and other cities. Vandals get off with a misdemeanor charge for defacing a statue as police looked on. Below are clips of the original story that…
St. Edward was born in 1003, the son of the Duke of Normandy and nephew of King Edmund Ironside of England. Grew up in exile He grew up in exile in Normandy from the age of 10, when the Danes gained control of England. The early experience of loss, coupled with his earnest religious piety,…
St. Catherine of Siena is one of the most influential saints in the history of the Church, but how much do you know about her life and legacy? This saint offers a wealth of inspiration and imitation-worthy mentorship for Catholic business leaders at all levels of work and life. Born in Siena, Italy, in 1347, …
Crisis—“If there were only three like you in France, I would not be able to set foot there,” said Satan to a future saint serving as a parish priest. St. John Vianney (1786-1859), also known as the Curé of Ars, is the patron saint of parish priests, and his deep sanctity sheds light on what…
Between 1769 – 1823, the Franciscan friars built a total of 21 missions stretching for 700 miles between San Diego and Sonoma, Calif., most of them thanks to the extraordinary charity and leadership of Saint Junipero Serra. Father Junipero Serra brought Christ to the Indians of California and also protection. He did not want the…
July 1, 2021 (originally posted Oct 13, 2015)—Well, as my T-shirt proclaims, “Pope Francis in America…. I WAS THERE.” I was specifically there for the canonization of Fr. Serra, an old family friend so to speak. Serra and I go way back–I knew him even before he was venerable. One of the happy sources of this connection was…
CNA—Pope Francis declared a blind 14th-century Italian lay Dominican a saint Saturday using a process known as “equipollent” canonization. The Holy See press office said April 24 that the pope had authorized the extension of the liturgical cult of Blessed Margaret of Castello to the universal Church during a Saturday morning meeting with Cardinal Marcello…
While we were watching fireworks on TV, or in the backyard, or, this July 4th, groaning at the onslaught of nonstop mortars and fireworks in our local cities, the beloved statue of Saint Junipero Serra was being torn down at California’s state capitol; a state that in large measure was uniquely formed by his hand,…
A Spanish bishop recently celebrated Mass in the church where St. Junipero Serra was baptized, defending the saint’s legacy against those who have accused him of racism. Bishop Sebastià Taltavull of Mallorca, Spain, recently visited Petra, on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, the hometown of St. Junipero Serra. A great injustice He said the saint…
Patron of catechists, catechumens, and canon lawyers—St. Robert Bellarmine, whose feast is celebrated Sept. 17 on the General Roman Calendar, was a Jesuit and a cardinal who used his incredible intellect to defend Catholic teaching, largely through responses to the Church’s opponents in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation. In all his writings, St. Bellarmine…
October 13, 2009 Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a saint? Yes, following whatever Our Lord invites us to embrace, of course. But doesn’t it often seem like the most reasonable course of action, especially in controversial situations, is the “middle road?” But, who defines the “middle”—is it culture? peers? media? Pope Benedict XVI culls…
October 13, 2009 From the Vatican: VATICAN CITY(VIS)—At 10 a.m. today the Holy Father celebrated the Eucharist in the Vatican Basilica. During the ceremony he canonised five blesseds: Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski, Polish former archbishop of Warsaw and founder of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary; Francesc Coll y Guitart, Spanish professed priest of the…
August 21, 2009 Friends-good morning. I came across this passage from In Conversation With God and would like to share it with you. It really made me stop and reflect this morning and I hope you also find it helpful. Have a great day. In Christ, Randy Living Examples (An excerpt from In Conversation With God by Francis…
