St. Andrew Nov. 30 The scriptural stories of St. Andrew the Apostle are compelling. He was the first to tell his brother St. Peter about Jesus. Fishing alongside Peter, the two abandoned their work when Christ beckoned them to be “fishers of men.” Later, when Jesus chose His 12 disciples, …

On Nov. 30, Catholics worldwide celebrate the feast of St. Andrew, apostle and martyr. A fisherman from Bethsaida and brother of Simon Peter, St. Andrew is said to have spread Christianity in Russia and Asia minor after Pentecost in the first century. He was crucified by the Romans in Greece …

On November 29, the Church celebrates the many Franciscan saints who followed in the footsteps of St. Francis. It is a special day for all Franciscans to celebrate the feast of ‘All the Saints of the Seraphic Order.’ According to tradition, St. Francis of Assisi prayed the following prayer: “O …

Five years ago my husband, and I began to make concerted efforts toward celebrating Advent and waiting for the liturgical Christmas season to deck the halls and hang stockings with care. Truly waiting cultivated my sense of liturgical seasons, and on a superficial level, I found I wasn’t done by …

Every family has at least a little bit of dysfunction. As soon as you read that, you probably thought of that one family member who just can’t seem to get along with the rest, or that one topic you never mention at the family Christmas party. That’s alright. Healthy human …

Catholics and other Christians around the world celebrate today, Nov. 25, the memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, a revered martyr of the fourth century. St. Catherine was the subject of great interest and devotion among later medieval Christians. Devotees relished tales of her rejection of marriage, her rebuke to …

During his papacy, Pope John Paul II canonized a group of 117 martyrs who died for the Roman Catholic Faith in Vietnam during the nineteenth century. The group was made up of ninety-six Vietnamese, eleven Spaniards, and ten French. Eight of the group were bishops, fifty were priests and fifty-nine …

On Nov. 23 Roman Catholics remember the fourth Pope, St. Clement I, a disciple of the apostles who inherited the authority of St. Peter in the first century. Eastern Catholics celebrate his feast on Nov. 25. The details of Clement’s life, before his conversion and even afterward, are largely unknown. …

Saint Bernward served as the thirteenth Bishop of Hildesheim, Germany during the middle of the tenth century. His grandfather was Athelbero, Count Palatine of Saxony. After having lost his parents, Bernward was sent to live with his uncle Volkmar, who was the Bishop of Utrecht. His uncle enlisted the assistance …

This article is part of a series from Father Earl Fernandes exploring Families of Parishes. Click the links below to find other articles in the series. The Church as the Family of God Families of Parishes as Evangelizing Communities Being a Synodal Church Synodality Walking with Christ, The Holy Spirit …