ST VINCENT DE PAUL
We recognize the name of this popular saint because of the stores that bear his name. Here in Ottawa, the St. Vincent de Paul Society has two thrift stores in the west end of the city as well as an impressive…
Category Saints
ST. JOHN DE BREBEUF, ISAAC JOGUES & COMPANIONS
On September 26, the Catholic Church in Canada recalls that group of 17th-century Jesuit missionaries who have become known here as the Canadian Martyrs, or the North American Martyrs if you are in the United States. It is a sombre…
ST. PADRE PIO
St. Pius of Pietrecina (1887-1968) is generally better known by his more popular name: Padre Pio. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. Padre Pio was a man of deep humility, spirituality and compassion. Through his faith,…
ST. MONICA AND ST. AUGUSTINE
The feast of St. Monica and St. Augustine provide opportunities for much reflection and consideration. As North African Christians, for example, it is remarkable that most depictions of them present them as white Europeans. Failing to depict them as African,…
ST. CLARE OF ASSISI
In his book, St. Clare of Assisi: Light from the Cloister, Bret Thoman, OFS describes how St. Clare (1193-1253) referred to herself as the “Little plant of St. Francis.” When she was 18 years old, she heard a sermon by…
WELL WOUNDED
This year, the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola has an extra sparkle. Not only is today Ignatius Day for Jesuits around the world, it also comes nestled within the Ignatian Year. Five centuries ago, while fighting willfully a hopeless…
APOSTLE TO THE APOSTLES – AND TO US!
We can hardly be surprised that with so many women named Mary in the New Testament there is a little confusion around which event refers to which Mary. Add a number of accounts of un-named women and the confusion only…
ST. RITA OF CASCIA
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Rita of Cascia (1381-1457), the patron saint of abused wives. We need her help. Whether labelled the “perfect storm,” a “pandemic within a pandemic,” a “shadow pandemic,” “intimate partner violence,” or just “domestic…
ST. JOSEPH, THE WORKER
“Working persons, whatever their job may be, are cooperating with God himself, and in some way become creators of the world around us. The crisis of our time, which is economic, social, cultural and spiritual, can serve as a summons…
ST. MARIE OF THE INCARNATION
We sometimes think that the saints had it easy – that they just stepped onto that path of holiness and sailed down it. Marie Guyart’s (1599–1672) path to sainthood had many twists and turns. Although she felt called to devote…