Brendan Had Three Babies
A boy with Down Syndrome and leukemia who died at the age of 16 has left an amazing legacy.
June 28 and the Original Gender Defender
As Pride Month 2023 blows itself out with its loud, frothy-mouthed proclamations that demand uncanny and unconditional validation, the voice of Irenaeus booms from the heavens like summer thunder, denying and denouncing their aberrations.
Sister Wilhelmina: An American Incorruptible
The body of an American religious foundress was found to be miraculously incorrupt, four years after her death. What does this mean, and what might God be telling us through this? We’ll talk with someone who knows the community and recently visited Sister Wilhelmina’s body.
The Need for Anselm
St. Anselm (1033-1109) has much to teach our modern world about human nature and about the search for God.
The Curé Few Want
There is a major identity crisis today in the priesthood. It is a rupture, or at the very least an attempt to disconnect from the burden of its deep-rooted identity as one who offers sacrifice.
The Starved Man Who Changed the World
Thirty-one years ago today, Venerable Aloysius Schwartz, one of the greatest forces for good for the humiliated, abandoned, and rejected in the history of the world, died like a poor man.
The Prince Who Became a Pauper…and a Priest
A little-known 19th-century priest, born into Russian nobility but eventually a Catholic missionary priest in America, lived a life that can be a model for us today.
St. Nicholas: Hidden Patron of America
When America was first discovered, St.Nicholas was remembered as a wonder worker to be implored for his spiritual intercession and a bringer of gifts and guardian of children. But Martin Luther wanted to eliminate any devotion to the saint.
Challenging Traditionalist Criticisms of St JosemarÃa
Some traditional Catholics criticize the founder of Opus Dei for his views on the papacy and his apostolate’s lack of enthusiasm for the TLM. But are those criticisms legitimate?
Uncomfortable Lessons from the Martyrology
The Roman Martyrology is a vital, if uncomfortable, antidote to many modern poisonous misconceptions.
St. Martin of Tours: Cultural Imperialist?
According to the twenty-first century multiculturalist, St. Martin of Tours was a cultural imperialist for overthrowing the pagan idols of his time.
Do We Have to Like the Saints?
A few days ago, I was at a graduation party for the son of a good friend. We were there to celebrate a fine young man raised by thoughtful and serious Catholics, and most of the other parents at the party were also intelligent and devout Catholics. While no graduation party of this sort is … Read more
The Ardor of Agnes Â
I have known only two women named Agnes in my life. One of them was my grandmother who, having died two years after I was born, I could hardly be expected to remember. But since I was often told things about her—for instance, that she was beautiful and pious and went to Mass every morning—I … Read more
There’s a Patron Saint for That?
It may strike many Catholics as odd, improper, even irreverent, that there would be a patron saint of hangovers. We know from personal experience that through the prayers of the saints we are healed of serious ailments, protected in our travels, find stuff we’ve lost, and are granted a host of other graces. Why, then, … Read more
Forget the Money, ask St Anthony!
Let’s face it, there is one route the finance guys have yet to try. You have to pray to a saint! Am I right? We had a problem. A BIG problem! Exactly, it was all about money. We were staring two mortgages in the face. Changing houses is easy if your bank goes along with … Read more
Thank Goodness Fulton Sheen’s Cause Has Been Suspended
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was one of the most dynamic preachers of the Catholic Faith in the twentieth century. Anyone familiar with his work in media knows the power of his influence and example. He was clearly one of the most notable products of the American Catholic revival that began in the 1920s, and the … Read more
Seeing Saints in the House of God
My earliest recollections of anything pertaining to faith are not of words or instruction, but of primal sensory experiences of holy things within the built environment. From long before I learned how to read, and probably not so long after I learned how to walk, I recall momentary mental glimpses of the simple state of … Read more
One Small Way To Restore Catholic Culture
If you ever visit the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, make sure you get a glimpse of the campus’ loveliest bit of architecture, the iconic St. Thomas arches. Built in 1947, these arches stand proudly astride the administrative building and the liberal arts center, displaying a statue of the university’s patron. At … Read more
The Last Ancient Patriarch of Jerusalem: Saint Sophronius
Heavy-hearted, Sophronius, the patriarch of Jerusalem, set out to meet the Caliph, the successor to the Muslim prophet Muhammad, at the gates of the Holy City. The surrender had already been negotiated, after a siege that had lasted four months. Sophronius, patriarch of the city since 634, had decided that the city must be surrendered. … Read more
The Fight for Freedom Begins July Fifth
The Fortnight for Freedom, which ends today, July 4, will hopefully be a great boon to Catholics across the country. Despite the Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold Obamacare as a tax, hopefully the Fortnight, organized by the United States Bishops, has brought unity and resolve to American Catholics. But I fear that in the … Read more