There is an early, defining moment in Joyce Duriga’s biography of Father Augustus Tolton. Father Tolton was the first native-born American of African descent ordained for the Catholic Church in America. He was born a slave to a Catholic family in pre-Civil
As Advent arrives, Christians in many cultures turn their attention to an ancient bishop, St. Nicholas of Myra. The root of the popular Santa Claus tradition, St. Nicholas is one of the world’s most popular saints. Since 1087, the Basilica of St.
Christian Brother James Miller has been declared a martyr of the Catholic faith, officially recognized as such by Pope Francis on Nov. 7. The Wisconsin native becomes just the second native-born American so designated, after Blessed Stanley Rother of Oklahoma (see sidebar),
Do the saints in heaven see and know all that we are doing? If so, do they have disappointment or sorrow when they see us sinning? — William Duncan, via email We are in the realm of speculative theology, and thus, precise
Quality church art can make the supernatural more real to worshippers, guiding prayer and making houses of worship more appealing to visitors. Gregory Cave of Cave Co. realizes this as well as anyone, as he has devoted 42 years of his professional
It was kind of funny, but then again it really wasn’t. While Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary of Los Angeles, founder of the media apostolate Word on Fire, was in Rome attending the Synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, which
In the Gospel of Mark, it is rare for a disciple or one of Jesus’ interlocutors to understand him. The scribe asks Jesus, “What is the first of all commandments?” Jesus responds that all the commandments are fulfilled in the divine ordinance
During the recent canonization Mass of seven new saints, Pope Francis reminded us of the “radical” nature of Jesus and what that means for our response. He gives all and he asks all,” he said. “He gives a love that is total
The canonization in Rome of seven new saints on Oct. 14 was one of those moments that remind believers why we’re making this journey. With thousands of Catholics from around the globe gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis officially proclaimed the
Most people will never have the jarring experience of divine intervention that Francis of Assisi had when the figure of Jesus on the San Damiano cross called out to him, “Francis, rebuild my Church, which has fallen into ruin.” Likewise, most people