CNA—In 1852, the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Majid II issued a decree ordering the governor of Jerusalem and his council, as well as all the churches, to make no changes in the holy places of the city. The decree became known as the Status Quo. Echoing the ancient rhythms Since that decree, members of the Christian…
CNA—A group of parishioners in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, is celebrating this month after acquiring a historic church from the diocese and preserving it as a chapel and place of worship. The Society of St. Joseph of Bethlehem (SSJB) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, announced earlier this month that the society had purchased St. Joseph’s Church, which…
Exerpt from Catholic Textbook Project; From Sea to Shining Sea textbook —Day after day, for nine days, the small man in a gray habit climbed to the summit of the little hill and looked anxiously out to sea. Day after day, he had been disappointed. Below him lay the bay like a long finger of…
CNA/ACI Prensa—On Jan. 6, the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. On that day we commemorate the “manifestation” of the expected Messiah, who reveals himself to all the peoples of humanity, represented by the Three Wise Men who arrived in Bethlehem from the East. The Gospel according to St. Matthew…
Faith at Work: This is such an eye-opening story. Not only does it showcase the vibrant integration of our Catholic faith and monasteries into the very heart of human history and communities throughout history — FOR CENTURIES UPON CENTURIES. It also showcases the intention and purpose-driven mission of Catholic-founded enterprises, masterfully founded and managed to…
CNA—Many are familiar with the story of St. Juan Diego, whose feast is celebrated on Dec. 9 in the worldwide Church. However, the story of the Franciscan friar who baptized this beloved saint is less well known. In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes defeated the Aztec empire, tore down the pagan temples, and in their…
After the death of Valens, the Roman Emperor Gratian realized he needed an able assistant. His choice was the young Spaniard, Theodosius. Theodosius was born in 346 near Toledo in the Roman province of Hispania. He was the son of Valentinian I’s leading general. A reputation for organization and bravery Theodosius’ reputation for organization and…
Oct. 10, 2023, CNA—A procession bringing Jesus in the Eucharist through the heart of the largest city in the U.S. attracted hundreds of participants on Tuesday evening. Participants marched reverently as the Body of Christ, housed in a golden monstrance, was carried aloft through the busy streets of Manhattan, passing right in front of the…
CNA—Israel is “at war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday after a series of surprise rocket attacks and incursions from Hamas killed dozens and saw the country being invaded on a major holiday. The attacks, which were carried out on the observance of Simchat Torah, arose early on Saturday morning and had reportedly killed…
CTP—In the hot, humid weather of a Philadelphia summer, delegates wrangled, tempers flared over the one issue they could not resolve—how states should be represented in the national government. Finally, after delegates from Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland threatened to return home, Roger Sherman again stood up and again offered his plan—proportional representation in the…
Sponsored by the Catholic Textbook Project—Junípero Serra was born on the island of Mallorca off the Mediterranean coast of Spain on November 24, 1713. At the age of 16, he decided to become a priest, and a year later he entered the Franciscan order. For the first 19 years of his life as a Franciscan,…
British Catholic writer and historic researcher Michael Davies passed away nearly 20 years ago. My first taste of his intellect, sense of humor and depth of research was a few days ago, having finally taken the time to listen to the link below sent by a friend, entitled The French Revolution: The Rising in the…
Sister Mary Regina of the Holy Angels, the first religious sister to join Mother Angelica’s monastery in Irondale, Alabama, died July 22 at age 78 after a battle with cancer. Born Jo Ann Magro, Sister Regina first met Mother Angelica, founder of EWTN, while the former was a student at John Carroll High School in…
CNA—An historic prayer book belonging to the priest who protected King Charles II and helped save his life, has gone on public display at one of England’s famous stately homes. Father John Huddleston’s personal missal, which is almost 400 years old, is now on display at Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton which is situated in the…
The following text comes from the textbook, All Ye Lands. Please visit our sponsor’s site for digital samples or to learn more about their beautiful history books for Catholic students — Cortés’ conquest of the mighty Aztec kingdom inspired another Spanish conquistador to find an empire of his own to conquer. His name was Francisco…
On the cover of the history textbook The American Venture, students will see a picture of Fr. Pierre-Jean De Smet, S.J. (featured photo in this article). Outside the Catholic Church, not many people have heard of him. And even among Catholic students and laity, few have heard of him. Yet Fr. De Smet played a…
Winners of Catholic Textbook Project’s annual history essay contest for Catholic schools were announced this week. “Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s history essay contest. We received many excellent entries from parochial, private, and home schools. Choosing the winners is never easy, and it wasn’t this year, either!,” announced Michael Van Hecke, founder and…
This week in history — Though the Allies had driven the Germans from France, they bogged down along the fortifications that guarded the German fatherland. By mid-October 1944, the allies had taken Aachen, Metz, and Strasbourg; in November and early December, fierce German resistance halted their advance into the Saar region. For fear of unconditional…
CNA—King Charles III will be crowned on Saturday in Westminster Abbey in the first royal coronation since that of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, 70 years ago. The coronation will be a Christian service, centered on the celebration of holy communion in an Anglican (Church of England) liturgy. Originally centered on the Catholic Eucharist But…
St. Edward was born in 1003, the son of the Duke of Normandy and nephew of King Edmund Ironside of England. Grew up in exile He grew up in exile in Normandy from the age of 10, when the Danes gained control of England. The early experience of loss, coupled with his earnest religious piety,…
