CNA—Oct. 13, 1917, marked the last Marian apparition in Fátima and the day on which thousands of people bore witness to the miracle of the dancing sun — a miracle that shattered the prevalent belief at the time that God was no longer relevant. What was the world like when the Miracle of the Sun…
“Why not become a missionary yourself, my child?” With these words, Pope Leo XIII challenged an ardent, young, American woman, Katharine Drexel. The year was 1887, and Drexel had been granted a private audience with the pope. Drexel had come to Rome to tell Pope Leo XIII of the need for religious—men and women—to staff…
Saint Andrew Kim. CNA—Pope Francis on Saturday invited Catholics in Korea to emulate the zeal of their patron saint, St. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, as his statue was blessed at St. Peter’s Basilica. “[St. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn’s] figure invites us to discover the vocation entrusted to the Korean Church, to all of you: You are called…
I share an inherited appreciation for Fr. Flanagan thanks to my father. Boys Town and similar organizations were always close to my dad’s heart and among the top of his donation pile, next to our local parish church fund. The reason is that he was sent to spend the last few years of high school…
CNA—Few young people can claim to have distinctly felt the healing touch of God or to have survived major bouts of serious cancer. Fewer still can say they’ve launched a foundation meant to help other young cancer survivors as they struggle through their own medical battles. Bryce Newman can claim all three. And he’s not…
The extraordinary story of the Ulma family is one of faith, courage, and heroic love of neighbor. Józef and Wiktoria Ulma risked their lives to protect three Jewish families during the Holocaust. On the night of March 24, 1944, German Nazis raided their farmhouse and cruelly shot all of the Jews the Ulmas were hiding…
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,…
August 23 we celebrate the Feast of St. Rose of Lima, a great saint and intercessor for the Order of Preachers (Dominicans)! Isabella Flores was born in Peru in 1586, and received the name Rose at her confirmation. To earn money for her struggling family, Rose spent her days working in the gardens and her…
“The Eucharist is the bread that gives strength…It is at once the most eloquent proof of his love and the most powerful means of fostering His love in us. He gives Himself every day so that our hearts as burning coals may set afire the hearts of the faithful.” —-St. Damien of Molokai Maria Lanakila…
“It’s standing.” tweeted a local regarding the Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in LaHaina, Maui,. The tweet was at 8:22pm, Wednesday evening, August 9, after a horrific fast-moving wildfire had literally wiped out the whole town around the parish. “See the steeple and cross rising above Lahaina in the background here…” (see Tweet photo to right,…
In addition to being the founder of one of the largest religious orders in the world and the author of the “Spiritual Exercises,” St. Ignatius of Loyola is also the patron saint of soldiers. Here’s how this Iberian soldier-turned-priest and missionary was canonized a saint and came to be the protector and patron of soldiers…
In October of 2020, a group of protestors trespassed on Mission San Rafael, a Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and desecrated and toppled a beloved statue of St. Junipero Serra. The crime was witnessed by the police, caught on videotape. Five were arrested and charged with felony vandalism. Today in court the…
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,…
St. Catherine of Siena is one of the most influential saints in the history of the Church, but how much do you know about her life and legacy? This saint offers a wealth of inspiration and imitation-worthy mentorship for Catholic business leaders at all levels of work and life. Born in Siena, Italy, in 1347, …
St. Joseph the Worker—Hanging on the wall in my childhood home was a simple image of Joseph the carpenter, working with a piece of wood. My dad for most of his life was also a carpenter, building homes for his small business, The Village Carpenter, and thus especially liked this image. On May 1, we…
Mark Your Calendars for the worldwide premiere of THE HONG KONGER: JIMMY LAI’S EXTRAORDINARY STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM, to be shown on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET . Sign up here to get notified of the worldwide premiere next Tuesday: https://www.acton.org/jimmylai Here is where to watch the premiere next Tuesday at 8pm ET: …
This article was originally posted March 17, 2020, during the early days of Covid 19 fear, nonstop mainstream news fear-intensity and abrupt government-ordered business and social lockdowns. As something a little different, and especially in light of the current battle against the spread of COVID-19 as well as the no less insidious battle for our Faith…
March 17, 2023 I visited Westport Ireland three years ago in search of my grandmother’s (Cahill) birth certificate. It is a beautiful place on the West Coast of Ireland, north of Galway. It lies at the foot of Croagh Patrick which is named in honor of Saint Patrick, the apostle and patron of Ireland and the Irish race.…
CNA—St. Francesca Romana, also known as St. Frances of Rome, is frequently called the “most Roman of the saints,” and is the co-patron of the city. She serves as a model for holiness in her vocation as wife and mother, and for her service to the poor of the city through the lay order she…
As a college student, someone led me to Introduction to the Devout Life, penned by St. Francis de Sales. It quickly became my anchor throughout my life, but especially as a young adult. Why? Because St. Francis de Sales is a master of the spiritual life. His writing style is direct, simple and clear. More…
