Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
John of Capistrano (+1456) lived a life very much in the ‘world’ at first, studying law, and becoming involved with the political machinations of the fractious fifteenth century. He was appointed as ambassador from Perugia to the quarrelsome family of the Maletestas – which, ironically, means ‘evil heads’ – to broker peace, a mission which[…]
Today marks the memorial of Pope Saint John Paul II, who was beatified on May 1st, 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI, and canonized three years later by Pope Francis on April 27th in 2014. This October 22nd was chosen as his feast, for it was on this day in 1978 that Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of[…]
There are two options today for saints – the first are the North American Martyrs, also called the Canadian Martyrs, but who most accurately may be termed the French missionary martyrs to a country that would later be called Canada, in which dominion we celebrate them as a feast in Canada on September 26th, as[…]
A blessed feast of Saint Luke (+84) to all our readers! He was one of the four evangelists, author of the third Gospel – and also, as our Tradition has it, of the Acts of the Apostles. Hence, he was therefore responsible for a quarter of the New Testament, more than any other writer. He[…]
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE St Peter’s Square Wednesday, 14 March 2007 Saint Ignatius of Antioch Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we already did last Wednesday, we are speaking about the figures of the early Church. Last week we spoke of Pope Clement I, the third Successor of St Peter. Today, we will be speaking of[…]
Saint Ignatius of Antioch (+107) joyfully ‘went to the lions’, as the saying goes, meeting his martyrdom in the arena of the Coliseum in the eternal city, perhaps less than a decade after the death of the last Apostle, John the Evangelist. Ignatius was the epi-scopos – literally the ‘overseer’ – of the ancient diocese[…]
MARGUERITE d’YOUVILLE, the first native Canadian to be elevated to sainthood, was born October 15, 1701 at Varennes, Quebec. She was the eldest of six children born to Christophe Dufrost de Lajemmerais and Marie-Renée Gaultier. Her father died when she was seven years old leaving this family of six in great poverty. It was only[…]
We celebrate a veritable panoply of saints today: In Canada, we have the memorial of Saint Marguerite D’Youville (+1771), the first Canadian-born saint. She was a lovely Quebecoise, who married young to a dissolute man, Francois d’Youville, a dissipated bootlegger who sold liquor to the easily-addicted Natives, and would disappear for long periods. He did[…]
Today is the feast of Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a discalced Carmelite nun who reformed the Order, which traced its origins way back to the 12th century in the Holy Land, to that very ‘Carmel’ spoken of in such exalted terms in Scripture where Elijah met with God. The Order developed through the ages,[…]
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE Paul VI Audience Hall Wednesday, 2 February 2011 [Video] Saint Teresa of Avila Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the course of the Catecheses that I have chosen to dedicate to the Fathers of the Church and to great theologians and women of the Middle Ages I have also had the opportunity[…]
