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Saintly Teens
When my book about saints first came out, a good friend who has a lot of grandkids encouraged me to write a book about teenage saints. Such a book is much-needed for Confirmation gifts, she said. Maybe someday I will write such a book, but August 6 is the perfect day to talk about two […]
Saints of 1936
Most Americans know very little about the Spanish Civil War. During this violent time in Spain’s history, the anti-Catholic government openly persecuted Catholic churches, religious orders, and individuals. (For more information, see volume 6 of Warren Carroll’s excellent series, A History of Christendom) In August of 1936, this persecution was particularly brutal, which is why […]
Are They Martyrs of Marxism?
Should the people who have died during recent violent protests be considered martyrs of Marxism? To answer that question, it’s important to first define some terms. Since riots began occurring—and recurring—in our country, the word “Marxist” has often popped up in the news. At least one prominent leader involved in these violent, destructive protests has […]
A New Blessed for the Knights
Since my book only includes those who have been named saints or blesseds by the Church, I unfortunately had to omit Venerable Michael McGivney, the priest who founded the Knights of Columbus. But the Congregation of the Causes of Saints recently announced the beatification of this holy man; see the news article here. But Michael […]
More July Saints for the Movies
As explained in a previous post, not all Catholic saints enjoyed peaceful, quiet lives. Several male saints commemorated in July also had life stories that would make them great subjects for the movies. Saint Simeon Salus would seem a poor choice on the surface for a visual media like film because he spent almost thirty […]
July Saints for the Movies
In an ordinary year, summer movies would be a hot topic for conversation. But as movie theater seats have been replaced by couches and recliners for many of us, the Catholic saints celebrated in July provide us with extraordinary biographies that would be fascinating if told through the movies. The dramatic martyrdoms of sixteen French […]
Celebrating Carmelite Saints in July
Around the ninth century B.C., the great prophet Elijah challenged four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a spiritual duel on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings, ch. 18), a mountain range currently located in Israel. Inspired by Elijah’s faith centuries later, a group of Christian hermits settled on Mount Carmel. The exact date of […]
July: Old Testament Saints
Catholics who can remember attending Mass before the 1960s will remember feast days in honor of great figures from the Old Testament. Did those disappear along with Saint Christopher? No, they did not. Although the Vatican II revision of the liturgical calendar may have changed the precedence and order of many commemorations of saints, the […]
June 30: Blessed Basil Velychkovskyi
Blessed Basil Velychkovskyi (1903-1973) was born in the Ukraine into a Greek Catholic family. He became a priest, teacher, and missionary in his native country. In 1945, he was arrested by the Soviets for being a Catholic priest and sentenced to ten years in a forced labor camp. He served his fellow prisoners during his […]
June 29: Blessed Emma of Gork
Blessed Emma (also called Hemma) was born around the year 980 in Austria, was related to nobility (including Holy Roman Emperor Henry II), and knew a future saint (Saint Cunegund). Her marriage to William of Friesach was arranged by their families, but it was a happy marriage. William was the landgrave (a sort of feudal […]
Why there is no Supplemental Calendar in my book about saints
In the June 28 entry of my book, Saints: Becoming an Image of Christ Every Day of the Year, the final saint biography and prayers for that day are followed by the recommendation to the reader to see the “Supplemental Calendar” in the book. However, as readers will quickly discover, there is no Supplemental Calendar. […]
June 28: Saint Heimrad
Saint Heimrad died in Germany in the year 1019, and so many miracles occurred at his tomb when people asked for his intercession that he became known as a saint. The details of his life appear to have been collected after his death. Some of the stories about Heimrad’s life may have been embroidered upon, […]
June 27: Saint Marguerite Bays
Saint Marguerite Bays was born into a pious family of Swiss farmers in 1815. She never married, but she devoted herself to the care of those who were sick or poor in her community, and she supported herself as a seamstress. Marguerite was deeply devoted to the Blessed Sacrament and our Lady, and she attributed […]
June 26: Saint Pelagius of Cordoba
Saint Pelagius was born around the year 912 in Muslim-controlled Spain. He was kept in prison as a hostage for his Christian uncle for two years. During that time he was repeatedly offered his freedom of he would convert to Islam. When he refused, his captors finally resorted to torture. After he had been tortured […]
June 25: Saints Dominic Henares and Francis Do Minh Chieu
Saint Dominic Henares was born in Spain in 1765 and became a Dominican priest. He was sent to Vietnam in 1803 and served the Catholics there as their bishop. Saint Francis Do Minh Chieu was born in Vietnam around 1797 into a Christian home and became a lay catechist. He particularly helped priests and served […]
June 24: Saint Theodgar of Denmark
Saint Theodgar was born in Germany, studied in England, and became a missionary to Norway. In 1028, he went into exile with the Norwegian king, Olaf. He ended up in Denmark, bringing the faith to the pagans living there. Theodgar was known for his ability to heal the sick through his prayers, but it wasn’t […]
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