As cold, wintry winds whipped across the former farmland where the grand brick church now stands, some 700 people huddled in front of the $6 million structure and strained to watch Bishop Malooly accept the keys and construction documents of the new church. Festooned in brightly colored capes and feathered caps, members of sword-bearing Knights...Read More
St. Valerian was born circa 377. He served as a bishop in Africa. He refused to give sacred vessels to vandals who demanded them; they left him in the street to die circa 457.Read More
Peter Boyle, who was once a Christian Brother before he pursued a career in acting, died Dec. 12 at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Boyle, 71, had been suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease. Boyle became familiar to U.S. television audiences as perpetually cranky Frank Barone, the father of Ray Barone, on the sitcom "Everybody...Read More
St. John of the Cross was born in Spain in 1542. He became a Lay Carmelite brother at age 21 and a Carmelite priest at age 25. Following the advice of St. Teresa of Avila, he began the Discalced reforms in his order. His changes aided in the revitalization of his order. He died Dec....Read More
Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The feast honors the Blessed Virgin Mary’s apparitions to Juan Diego in December 1531 in Mexico. Our Lady of Guadalupe is patron saint of Mexico and the Americas in general.Read More
St. Damasus I was born circa 306 in Rome. A priest, he was elected the 37th pope in 366. This election also saw the rise of anti-pope Ursinus. The pope was opposed to Arianism and Apollinarianism. He commissioned St. Jerome to do a translation of Scripture, which is now called the Vulgate. Damsus restored shrines,...Read More
St. Juan Diego was born in Cuauhtitlan (in modern-day Mexico) in 1474. This poor farm worker converted to Christianity when he was about 50 years old. The Virgin Mary appeared to him at Guadalupe in December 1531. This image of her became known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. He died in 1548. Juan Diego was...Read More
Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast honors the Virgin Mary, who was conceived without original sin. Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception to be an official dogma of the Catholic Church in 1854. It is a holy day of obligation.Read More
St. Ambrose of Milan was born in Gaul (modern-day Germany) circa 340. He tried to mediate a dispute over the replacement for the bishop of Milan after the bishop died. Both sides were so impressed with Ambrose that he was chosen to become bishop. Ambrose was baptized, ordained a priest and made a bishop Dec....Read More
St. Bibiana was a virgin and martyr. Although there is very little information about her, one account says she lived during the time Julian the Apostate. Julian persecuted Christians, including Bibiana and her family. Her parents and her sister were persecuted and died. Bibiana was tortured to death. St. Bibiana is patron saint of torture...Read More
St. Andrew the Apostle, a fisherman, followed St. John the Baptist until St. John pointed to Jesus and called him the Lamb of God. After that, Andrew followed Jesus and knew he was the Messiah. Andrew brought his brother Simon (who became St. Peter) to Jesus. Jesus told them they would be fishers of men....Read More
St. Saturninus lived in the third century. The pope sent him to Gaul around 245 so that he could preach. Saturninus became bishop of Toulouse, where he converted many through his preaching. He was martyred circa 257.Read More