Ricci and Lucia
On this February 13th we commemorate the mystic Dominican tertiary Saint Catherine Ricci (1522 – 1590), a contemporary of Saint Philip Neri (+1515 -1595), to whom she appeared by bilocation, one of her miracles for her canonization. Saint Philip was normally very reticent about such supernatural occurrences – one of his maxims was ‘secretum meum mihi’ – my secret is my own. But here he let it out that Saint Catherine did indeed have this charism, along with many other thaumaturgic occurrences.
Catherine began her religious life inauspiciously. She was born in Florence, and given the name Alessandra, and her mother died soon after. She was raised by Benedictine nuns, and upon maturity decided to enter the Dominicans. Clumsy and dull, dropping plates and distracted, they thought she wouldn’t amount to much. But her devotion to the Passion of Christ, her asceticism – a fruit of love, not of morbidity – soon led her to the heights of the spiritual life. She was elected prioress, and proved a very capable administrator, with a reputation for holiness.
Catherine died on February 2nd, fittingly the feast of the Presentation, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746.
Today is also the twentieth anniversary of the death of Sister Lucia of Fatima, whose full name was Lucia de Jesus Rosa de Santos. After the visions of Our Lady during that fateful year of 1917, and the death of her fellow visionaries, her cousins Francisco and Jacinto Marto, Lucia entered the Discalced Carmelites. To her was entrusted the ‘Third Secret’, about which there swirls much controversy and conspiracy – in fact, even about Lucia herself. She lived full, if hidden, life of prayer and penance within the cloister, only speaking publicly a few times, and wrote six memoirs. On the 100th anniversary of Fatima, Pope Benedict XVI declared her a ‘Servant of God’, a significant step towards beatification and canonization. Hence, we can pray to her, that whatever Our Lady wants us and the world to do, we may do.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
Remembering Father Alphonse de Valk
(Today marks the sixth anniversary of the death of Father Alphonse de Valk, C.S.B., a faithful, courageous and indefatigable Basilian priest, pro-life-and-family apostle, and the founder of Catholic Insight magazine. Here is what we wrote those on his entering into eternity five years ago, as we continue to remember him in our prayers and thoughts)[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→
Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów
We celebrate Saint Stanislaus today (+ April 11, 1079), in light of this Easter Octave, a bishop and martyr who accepted the episcopacy only at the direct order of Pope Alexander II. He proved a wise and courageous leader of his flock, put to death by his own king, Boleslaus, for rebuking the monarch’s ‘immoral[…]Continue reading→