The Korean Martyrs
The passion and perseverance that fuelled the growth of the Catholic Church in Korea can teach us all a lesson in faith. The first Church founded entirely by lay people, the Catholic Church in Korea dates back to the 18th…
Category History
The Cross as a Sign of Boundless Love and Mercy
The cross is at the very heart of our faith. As a symbol, it reminds us of God’s boundless love for us, and as a spiritual and historical reality it holds out the merciful promise of salvation. The Feast of…
Pope Gregory the Great
Few popes in the Church’s history have had as great of an influence on the shaping of the Church as Pope Gregory. Born into a wealthy patrician family in Rome around 540, Gregory rose to prominence within the Roman government.…
Saint Monica: Mothers and their Children’s Faith
There isn’t a mom I know who can’t relate – at least a little! – to St. Monica, the devoted mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, whose love for her child overcame their clash of wills and values. In what…
The Assumption of Mary
Today’s great Marian feast, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a day with joyful implications for all of us. The Assumption celebrates Mary having been taken into heaven, body and soul, at the end of…
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
It is a profoundly humbling task to gaze at the life of Maximilian Kolbe and not be utterly blindsided by this radiant saint! Writer Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in this…
St. Lawrence and the Ministry of Deacons
Although many of us are accustomed to deacons serving in our communities, a permanent diaconate is a very new experience for those of us in the Western Church. Despite references to deacons in the Christian scriptures, and the profound witness…
Dispelling the Myths of Mary Magdalene
The New Testament accords Mary Magdalene a place of honour, not only locating her by name at the foot of the cross but also identifying her as one of the first witnesses to the resurrection. Saint Augustine called her the…
Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul
On this day the Church commemorates the significance of two of its most important saints. Peter and Paul represent the earliest days of the Church and were essential to the foundation of much of what we hold dear today. Peter,…
St. Anthony of Padua: Traditions and Customs
One of my favourite cities to visit in the U.S. is Boston. Besides its fascinating history and rich cultural tapestry, the city boasts a large Italian neighbourhood known as the North End. Like any good Italian community, it’s known for…