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St. Cyprian was born into a rich pagan Carthaginian family in North Africa, probably about the year 200 A.D. Before his conversion, he was a leading member of a legal fraternity in Carthage and a …
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3/30/23
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St. Macrina (327 – 379 A.D.) was born at Caesarea, Cappadocia, in present day Turkey. Her parents were Basil the Elder and Emmelia, and her grandmother was Macrina the Elder. Among her nine …
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3/23/23
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St. Athanasius (293 A.D. – 373 A.D.) was bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, and a noted Eastern Christian leader of the 4th century. He is remembered especially for his role in the conflict with …
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3/16/23
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St. Justin Martyr (100 A.D. -165 A.D.) was a native of Rome but well-travelled and conversant with both the Greek and the Jewish thinkers of his day. As an early Christian defender of the faith, he …
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3/9/23
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St. Ignatius of Antioch (35 – 110 A.D.) converted as an adult to Christianity and became the third bishop of Antioch, which is in present day Turkey, an office originally held by St. Peter the …
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3/2/23
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St. John Henry Cardinal Newman once remarked that to know history is to cease to be a Protestant. The English prelate was of course referring to the Fathers and Doctors of the Church who in ancient …
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2/23/23
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Although St. Luke locates Jesus’ most famous sermon “on a level stretch,” St. Matthew has captured the Christian imagination much more compellingly by situating his collection of …
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2/16/23
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Ian Paisley (1920-2014) was a Northern Irish Presbyterian minister who, at age 25, broke from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland to found the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. He was elected …
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2/2/23
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The once familiar prayer to St. Michael the Archangel recited after Low Mass in the old rite is gently and increasingly making its way back into Catholic piety. Quite reminiscent of the old days, …
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1/19/23
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Many readers were no doubt taught as children to proclaim silently “My Lord and My God!” when the sacred host was elevated at the consecration of the Mass. This pious devotion has been …
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1/12/23
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The recent liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas and now Epiphany all announce, celebrate and even extend the presence of Jesus Christ at this time and in this world. “Behold, the virgin …
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1/5/23
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The Gospel passage for Christmas Mass during the day is the sublime introduction to St. John’s Gospel account. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was …
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12/15/22
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The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin in the womb of St. Anne should be both a festive and a reflective celebration for Christians of the 21st century. The young girl Mary …
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12/8/22
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Advent is customarily a season of hope for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises and Scripture’s prophecies. The four weeks before Christmas are filled with prophecies and …
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12/1/22
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The disastrous summertime rains in Kentucky not only affected that state’s coal mining region, they also had calamitous results of Biblical proportions in another area. The celebrated …
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11/24/22
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The Gospel accounts of SS. Matthew, Mark, and Luke as well as a Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians all relate the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday in words that today are echoed …
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11/17/22
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The 45 books in the Old Testament and the 27 books in the New Testament include works of poetry, history, letters, narratives, laws, proverbs, prophecies, even novels, and of course the Gospels. The …
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11/10/22
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No, the Maccabees did not run a funeral home on Pine Street in Pawtucket. That family was the McAloons. The Biblical name Maccabee, loosely translated “hammer” denoting ferocity in …
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11/3/22
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During this past summer Pope Francis made a much publicized journey to Canada, chiefly Western Canada, where he lamented and atoned for what he termed the “cultural genocide” visited on …
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10/27/22
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The Pharisee and the tax collector are presented to the worshipping community in this Sunday’s Gospel as models of prayer: the one to be shunned; the other to be emulated. The Pharisee’s …
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10/20/22
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