A hop, jump, and skip away, across the pond, through the massive doors of St. Peter’s Basilica, past the behemoth main altar, and just below the famous stained-glass window of the Holy Spirit, resides an enormous work of bronze created by the great Baroque artist Bernini. Grand in scale and precise in details, the sculptor … Read More
Valentines from God
Has anyone ever told you that you are a word of love spoken into being by God, the Father? St. Valentine’s Day is a perfect day to rest in the love God has for all of us. It’s like the perfect box of chocolates or little heart candies that say, “You are so loved.” But … Read More
Holy Hagiography! It’s the feast of St. Vincent of Saragossa!
Throughout my life, I have been told that reading the stories of the saints is one of the surest paths to sainthood. It makes sense…analyzing their lives causes us to examine our own. To this end, we owe a great debt of gratitude to St. Vincent of Saragossa. Vincent was a third century hagiographer who … Read More
The Characters You Meet on Pilgrimage
As a high school senior, I was required to read The Canterbury Tales. I didn’t want to. I didn’t enjoy it then. And it wasn’t until my own son read it in high school that I understood much of its humor and lessons. If you’ve never read the book, or if it’s been a while … Read More
In the Footsteps of Our Blessed Mother
In the St. Wenceslas tale that is told around this time of year, we see a king’s mercy and compassion. Good King Wenceslas, who has had songs and story books made of his life, set out one winter’s night with his squire to take food and firewood to his poor subjects. The snow was deep, … Read More
Our Lady Wants YOU to Build a Church
The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a story about conversion. Our Lady wants nothing more than to bring souls to Jesus and therefore to His Body the Catholic Church. Our Lady appeared in 1531 to a humble Juan Diego. Remember, around that same time, many things were happening in the history of the … Read More
The Hope We Need
The Virgin Mary has been honored with many titles by the Church over the centuries. One of my favorites is Our Lady of Hope. This title reminds me of her Presentation in the Temple that we celebrate on Nov. 21. From the beginning of her life, Our Lady was a vivid representation of hope. Tradition … Read More
The many ways to celebrate St. Martin of Tours
If there is one saint that has captured the Catholic imagination, it is St. Martin of Tours. He is celebrated in so many various countries in the greatest variety of ways that it is hard not to get excited about this saint! His feast is even given a special name: Martinmas. In Europe, people eat … Read More
The Ultimate Interview: 1-on-1 with the Mother of God
St. Luke is a man after my own heart. He had the privilege of interviewing the Virgin Mary and thoughtfully recounting what she told him about her life with Jesus. As a journalist, this makes my heart want to sing. Any interview would pale in comparison to interviewing the Queen of Heaven. And that’s what … Read More
A Holy Man and His Holier Mother
August 14 marks the feast of a saint whose lifetime is not far removed from our own. Born in 1894, small Rajmund would soon grow up to be St. Maximilian Kolbe – Franciscan, radio host, monastery founder, newspaper publisher, and most famously, victim of the Auschwitz death camp. As a young man, St. Maximilian Kolbe … Read More
St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Main Rule: Pray Always!
It’s fitting that the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome holds the sacred icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. St. Alphonsus wrote The Glories of Mary, one of the most used books of devotion to the Virgin Mary. In Rome, the church that houses his tomb, is a beautiful chapel that holds the … Read More
St. James of the Starry Field
After pondering about the Way of St. James for several months, I thought maybe I was to take a pilgrimage to Spain, that beautiful trip of the mind and heart to the shrine of St. James of Compostela. But through prayer, it seems my “way” for now is to read the book of James in … Read More
Mary Magdalene and her Red Egg
We all know the awe-inspiring story of Mary Magdalene, the first person Christ appeared to after his Resurrection. She was a true saint of hope running to tell the Apostles she had seen the Lord. They didn’t believe her until they ran to the tomb themselves. The unbelief of the Apostles steeled her for a … Read More
This Powerhouse of a Saint Finds more than Lost Items
The back of the envelope had the initials S.A.G. with a cross on each side. Inside, was some money and the sender –a wise mother– had invoked St. Anthony of Padua to make sure it got to her daughter who was overseas. This was before cellphones, computers, and automatic transfers. It was just the 1980s, … Read More
St. Bona of Pisa Has Been Taking Care of Pilgrims for a Long Time
This saint is a true pilgrimage friend. While St. Bona of Pisa might not be as well known for walking the El Camino trail in Spain like St. Francis of Assisi or the Spanish war-hero El Cid, she is one powerful saint to ask for intercessions on your journey. St. Bona of Pisa’s feast day … Read More
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