ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
October 4 is the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi, who I believe to be, the best-known saint in our secularized society. He was born sometime in 1181 or 1182, died 1226, and then was canonized quickly in 1228…
Category Saints
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL: A MODEL FOR SERVICE TO THE POOR
When French lawyer and university professor Frédéric Ozanam organized a group of young men into an organization to help the poor of Paris, he decided to put it under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660). He couldn’t have…
BLESSED ARE THE AFFLICTED
September 23 is the feast day of Italian Capuchin Franciscan St. Pius of Pietrelcina (1887-1968). Canonized by St. John Paul II on June 16, 2002, he is popularly known as Padre Pio. St. Padre Pio is reported to have had…
TERRY FOX, ST. PEREGRINE AND FINDING HOPE
September 14 is a day to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Growing up millennial and Canadian, I was part of the first generation to participate in fundraiser run and walk each September. I can recall…
ST. MONICA AND ST. AUGUSTINE
How often do we give up on friends or family members who are obstinate or dismissive when it comes to our faith? This can be painful and it feels like a personal attack. St. Monica (c. 332 – 387) faced these situations…
ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE
In a world increasingly fractured by conflict and unrest, we yearn for role models to point us beyond the chaos and toward lasting hope. Some people have in fact revealed to us the potential of the human spirit, what it’s…
MARY, MARTHA AND LAZARUS: THE OTHER HOLY FAMILY
Besides Mary, Joseph and Jesus, there is another exemplary family that played an important role in the life of Jesus. That is the family of his dear friends – Mary, Martha and Lazarus. John’s glimpse into their lives is both…
ST. ANNE AND ST. JOACHIM: A TIME NOT OUR OWN
Saints Anne and Joachim were parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Though not mentioned in the Bible, their story has been part of the Catholic tradition for millennia. They were a religiously devout couple. They were…
ST. MARY MAGDALENE: BELOVED AND BELONGING
The feast of St. Mary Magdalene has a double meaning for me. In one sense, the person of Mary Magdalene is an enigma in many ways. There are lots of different ideas about who she was, what she experienced to…
ST. PATRICK
How much do you know about St. Patrick? Did you know that he was not born in Ireland? He was born a Romano-British citizen in the 5th century and so much of what is said about Patrick is a legend.…