The apparition of the Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 has been a source of inspiration, curiosity and intrigue for more than a century. The story of three children meeting a lady emanating glorious light and revealing three secrets…
If you plan on confronting a Pope (or two), especially if you are a woman – an uneducated one at that – you better have a pretty strong connection to the Lord, Jesus Christ. If you want to do this…
One can get lost in researching Catholic doctrine on Mary and the feast of the Annunciation. We only need to look to interpretations of this moment in fine art and music to appreciate its influence on our tradition and humanity. In this…
I have the good fortune to have two of the best-known saints as my name patrons, and they are both celebrated in March. My first name being Joseph and my second name Patrick, it’s pretty obvious that this is a…
As a Catholic girl of Irish descent who grew up in rural Ontario, I didn’t grow up with Disney princesses. I grew up with apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. When I was around six or seven years old, someone my…
As an editor, I depend on many resources in my work: dictionaries, style guides, the internet, and even a saint or two! When challenges arise, I am happy to be able to call on the patron saint of my profession,…
On this feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), I want to share something from this giant philosopher/theologian’s writings which I find remarkable. It should give us reason to pause and re-think what we are doing to creation as a…
What colour was the horse off which Saul was knocked on the road to Damascus? The Bible doesn’t say. In very fact, the Bible doesn’t mention a horse at all. At some murky point in history, the anonymous quadruped trotted…
Each year on January 24, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, a Doctor of the Church, patron of journalists, writers and the deaf. In an age of media overload, he is particularly relevant given that…
The feast of the Baptism of Our Lord marks the end of the Christmas season. It often feels like a transitional time, maybe a bit sad and boring for little ones, and a bit of a lull for those working…