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
Saint Cornelius was Pope for a scant two years in the middle of the third century, elected in 251 and put to death in 253 in the persecution under Emperor Decius. During his short tenure, he had to deal with the machinations of his fellow schismatic bishop Novatian, who eventually declared himself the true Pope,[…]
Saint John Chrysostom (+407) was a model bishop, a doctor of the Church, an ascetic and contemplative monk who wanted only to retreat from the turmoil of life in the Eastern empire, and live a life devoted entirely to God. He was chosen first as a priest in Antioch, where he became renowned for his[…]
Saint Peter Claver (+Sept. 8, 1654), whom we celebrate on this 9th day of September, was a Jesuit priest in the first missionary fervour of Ignatius’ nascent Society, a native of Spain, but who spent most of his life evangelizing in what is now Colombia, South America, ministering with what means he could to the[…]
A blessed and joyful birthday to the Blessed Virgin Mary! This feast that has been celebrated since at least the sixth century in Syria, in the wake of the proclamation of Mary as the Mother of God, and, by corollary, co-Redemptrix of the human race, at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Mary is Theotokos, the[…]
(On this Sunday, September 7th, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is being canonized, along with fellow Italian, Blessed Carlo Acutis. Both died young – Carlo at 15, Pier Giorgio at 24 – and hence are two of the patrons of youth, but they are otherwise quite different. I haven’t written on Carlo, yet, but did venerate[…]
As universities gear up to receive students, we should leave the travails of this world for a moment and ponder the other-worldliness of Mother Saint Teresa of Calcutta (+1997) who did not go to university, but who was nevertheless far better educated and formed than most modern graduates: Solidly grounded in what we would now know as[…]
Blessed Dina Belanger (+1929) is a home-grown Canadian saint whom we commemorate today. (The martyr Andre Grasset, whom we celebrated two days ago, is still a beatus). Born April 30th, 1897 in St. Roch, Quebec, now a suburb of the capital city, Dina was baptized a few hours later. (After all, why wait?) From an[…]
One of the great joys of history is reminiscing about the past, giving hope for the present; for history is ‘eschatological’, moving towards a final purpose. Hence, we Catholics should never lose hope, and this virtue is easier to cultivate and foster in our souls if, as Christ said, we could but read the signs.[…]
Blessed André Grassett was the first Canadian to be beatified – not quite the first ‘saint’, which requires canonization, and that honour belongs to the heroic Jesuit martyrs (if we consider them Canadian, for they were all missionaries, born in France). The first canonized saint who was both born and died in Canada is Marguerite[…]
The life of Saint Giles, as many mediaeval saints, is steeped in legend. What we do know is that he had quite a following, his popularity attested by the countless places, villages, cities, churches are named after him, including the Italian variant of his name, Egidio. He was a hermit, likely in the 6th century,[…]
