“The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence, and you’ll be amazed at the results.” —St. Josemaría Escrivá The power of the rosary is clearly a great grace for all, as many saints of the Catholic Church have testified to its efficacy. I think they...
Saint Francis of Assisi is cherished by Christians across many traditions. As we approach his feast day on October 4, we celebrate 800 years since his death, which he lovingly called Sister Death. Although I am a Benedictine at heart, Francis holds a special place in...
October 1: St. Therese of the Child Jesus October 2: Guardian AngelsOctober 3: St. TheodoreOctober 4: St. Francis of AssisiOctober 5: St. FaustinaOctober 6: St. Bruno, Blessed Marie-Rose DuroherOctober 7: Our Lady of the RosaryOctober 9: St. Denis and companions, St....
Sometimes a saint enters our lives quietly, long before we realize just how much she will mean to us. For me, that saint was St. Therese of Lisieux. I first discovered her in high school when my family visited the National Shrine Museum of St. Therese in Darien,...
The word “catholic” comes from the Greek term katholikos, which means "universal" or "whole.” The beauty of the Catholic Church is that it encompasses people of all cultures and backgrounds. Every year, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month from...
Have your kids ever asked why Mary has so many titles? Or maybe it's something you’ve wondered about yourself! In my latest book for middle grade readers, Detective Thomas and the Mysteriously Perfect Plan, amateur sleuth Thomas asks himself why Mary matters to us so...
This article originally appeared in the Pearl & Thistle newsletter. Subscribe HERE! I'm deviating from my standard body literacy fare this week, because a MAJOR document was released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and I wanted to put down some...
“Do not rejoice because the demons are subject to you, rejoice because your names are written in heaven.“ (Lk.10:20) In this life of strife and struggle, in the midst of a storm, the ability to declare victory is both counterintuitive and seemingly unrealistic to do....
October is full of some powerhouse saints. Can you guess these saints? Tip: All of the answers are listed as "St.", not "Saint." You'll get the answer wrong if you type out the word saint so be sure to abbreviate it for the sake of winning this fun game. Challenge a...
Indulgences have been available in the Catholic Church throughout it’s history. Originally, a person who attained one brought about a partial remission of the temporal or worldly consequences that sin inflicts upon our lives. Receiving absolution and forgiveness...
My husband, Stephen, and I visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help – now called Our Lady of Champion – in July of 2021. Although we always hoped for the opportunity to visit the Shrines at Fatima and Lourdes, we realized it may never happen. Because of...
As a dad of seven and a lifelong devotee of Our Lady, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Rosary. But something changed when I became a father. The Rosary stopped being just my prayer—it became our prayer. I began to see it not only as a lifeline for my own spiritual...
Some specify between a “good Catholic” and a “bad Catholic.” Some just denounce another is not a Catholic anymore because they did X or believe Z. Some are “supposed to be” Catholics but no longer practice. Some think that only Catholics who pray the rosary every day...
Looking for a list of princess saints? Here are six princess saints who prove you can be royalty and live a holy life in the Catholic Church. Let their virtue inspire us. Princess Saints St. Elizabeth of Portugal | Queen of Portugal Feast Day: July 5 Patron of:...
Catholic Halloween Resources QUIZ: What Should You Be For Halloween? . Is Halloween Catholic? Catholic, College Life, And Halloween: Tips For Keeping It Holy When It's Not-So-Safe To Participate In Halloween
What do you need to know about the Catholic Church's newest female saint, St. Elena Guerra? Here are five things that will help you understand this holy woman, known as an apostle of the Holy Spirit. 5 Things To Know About St. Elena Guerra, Apostle Of The Holy Spirit...
C.S. Lewis once warned that “there are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them” (The Screwtape Letters, 9)....
For the Grieving Heart The time following the loss of a baby is numbing and painful as you try to navigate all of the emotions that are flooding your entire being. The grieving process is complex and leaves you wondering when your heart will find healing again, when...
Although we knew the day was coming, we could never truly prepare for the pain we felt when it finally arrived. Four months earlier, a neighbor noticed that Scout, our ten-year-old golden retriever, was walking with a slight limp. My wife soon felt a lump on his right...
As a Carmelite friar, or a member of the Carmelite order to which St. Thérèse of Lisieux belonged, many times over the last several years a young person has said to me: “St Thérèse is stalking me.” I have to admit, I appreciate their candor, but I want to also say,...
Miscarriage, a word that I never thought would happen to me. It wasn’t really on my radar and I didn’t give it any thought when I found out I was pregnant with our first baby. Yet, it was this very word that defined my first five pregnancies. It is the word that...
Recently, a student showed me the days-long conversation she’d been having with her Snapchat A.I. assistant. She felt ambivalence about how “creepy” it was, but she couldn’t stop engaging with it. No matter what she asked, a reply instantly blinked onscreen. Yet it...
On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Mother appeared for the first time to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Each time our Blessed Mother visited Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia, she gave some specific instructions to the children. “I have come, to warn the...
How well do you know the Saints? Take our quiz to test your knowledge of some of the newest saints in the Catholic church and some who have been around for ages! Press the blue Start button to play now! This Saint lived during the 1800's in France. As a Carmelite nun,...
In his book A Secular Age, modern philosopher Charles Taylor speaks of the “buffered self.” The phrase refers to a person who is closed off to the idea of anything supernatural. Think of a sponge’s opposite. The “water” of transcendent reality is simply unable to...