Lives of Saints 
Stories and biographies of the Saints and Blessed.
Pope to declare Spanish saint ‘doctor’ of church
MADRID (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday (Aug. 20) he would confer one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors on an influential 16th-century Spanish saint, making a surprise announcement during a Mass at the church’s world youth festival. Benedict drew sustained applause from the seminarians, priests, bishops and cardinals gathered in Madrid’s main cathedral… Read More ›
St. Monica: A Mother’s Love and Prayers
(Augustine) soon embraced a way of life that brought (Monica) further grief, as he fathered a child out of wedlock in 372. One year later, he began to practice the occult religion of Manichaeism. In her distress and grief, Monica initially shunned her oldest son. However, she experienced a mysterious dream that strengthened her hope… Read More ›
Moses, a model of intercessory prayer
Vatican City, Jun 1, 2011 / 10:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI said at the June 1 general audience that intercessory prayer helps us to grow in deeper knowledge of God and his mercy and makes us more capable of loving others in a self-sacrificial way. Drawing upon the life of Moses, the Pope… Read More ›
He is a Saint (part II)
[To return to part I] One John Paul II Priest Recalls the Influence of John Paul the Great Allow me to quickly describe to you my personal experience with the newly beatified pope, whom I was allowed to meet at a general audience when I was 18 years old. As he walked through the middle… Read More ›
He is a Saint (part I)
One John Paul II Priest Recalls the Influence of John Paul the Great Allow me to quickly describe to you my personal experience with the newly beatified pope, whom I was allowed to meet at a general audience when I was 18 years old. As he walked through the middle aisle of the audience hall… Read More ›
Pope John Paul II’s biographer welcomes new feast day, Oct. 22
Rome, Italy, Apr 12, 2011 / 11:29 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope John Paul II’s biographer is welcoming the announcement of a new feast day for the soon-to-be beatified pontiff. The Vatican has declared that Oct. 22, the day he became Pope, will now mark the occasion. “I think it’s an entirely appropriate date, for this was… Read More ›
The Stillness of John Paul
Rome is getting ready for the May 1 Mass when Pope Benedict XVI will raise Pope John Paul II to the honors of the the altars. A Jewish composer remembers when he prayed with John Paul… By Robert Moynihan As the world mourns the tragic events in Japan, where a March 11 earthquake and tsunami… Read More ›
St. Joseph, Fatherhood and Family
Through his complete self-sacrifice, Joseph expressed his generous love for the Mother of God, and gave her a husband’s “gift of self.” Even though he decided to draw back so as not to interfere in the plan of God which was coming to pass in Mary, Joseph obeyed the explicit command of the angel and… Read More ›
The St. Patrick You Never Knew
(Originally published by St. Anthony Messenger, March, 1997) Some 1,500 years ago a teenage boy from what is now Great Britain was kidnapped and enslaved by marauders from a neighboring country. Not since Paris absconded with Helen of Troy has a kidnapping so changed the course of history. The invading marauders came from fifth-century Ireland…. Read More ›
Father Damien of Molokai
A century ago Hawaiian blood froze at the very name “Molokai.”Lepers waded through this surf to await death. —FROM THE DAMIEN MUSEUM, HONOLULU As a boy, I heard “leopard colony” and dreamed of joining him for a glimpse of the big cats with the terrifying skin. At night, in bed, I’d whisper “Da-mi-en of Mol-o-kai… Read More ›