In his 1999 “Letter to Artists,” Pope St. John Paul II invoked a famous line from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, The Idiot, attributed to the protagonist, Prince Myshkin: “Beauty will save the world.” He explained that “beauty is the key to the mystery and call to transcendence. It is an invitation …

The saints have been of life-long interest to Pope Benedict XVI. As a young priest participating in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), then Father Joseph Ratzinger was greatly influenced by a main theme: the “Universal Call to Holiness.” The Council fathers wrote that “all the faithful of Christ,” in every …

On Feb. 23, the Catholic Church remembers the life and martyrdom of St. Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle and evangelist St. John. Polycarp is celebrated on the same date by Eastern Orthodox Christians, who also honor him as a Saint. Polycarp is known to later generations primarily through the …

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Feb 22, 2022 / 09:00 am The Vatican is holding a worldwide competition to choose the official logo for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year. A Jubilee is a special Holy Year of grace and pilgrimage in the Catholic Church, which typically takes place every …

by Carl Bunderson Denver Newsroom, Feb 21, 2022 / 10:02 am The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a society of apostolic life which celebrates the Roman rite according to the liturgical books in force in 1962, published Monday a papal decree confirming their faculty to use those books. The FSSP …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Feb 22, 2022 / 05:05 am Pope Francis has appointed Father Jacques Fabre as the new Catholic bishop of Charleston, South Carolina. The Vatican announced the 66-year-old priest’s appointment on Feb. 22. Fabre was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In the early 1990s, he was a chaplain at …

Photos by Jeff Unroe

Just before Christmas, I gratefully received the book Shreveport Martyrs of 1873: The Surest Path to Heaven, which recalls the Yellow Fever epidemic that devastated Shreveport, LA, wiping out one-fourth of its population. As the Daily Shreveport Times stated: “Whole families were swept away, and commercial firms, partners and clerks, …

by Susie Bergman Growing up around Dayton, David Burkhardt frequently heard of the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, but never explored it. In 2019, his wife, Somporn Mary, was diagnosed with lung cancer and, throughout her journey, he introduced her to the Catholic faith and reacquainted himself with …

by Father Robert J Hater, PHD How do parishioners cope with major changes occurring in their parishes? This question is especially significant when a member of the faithful is involved in parish affairs or has a long history with the parish. We all experience life changes. Some are rewarding, like …