Shreveport Martyrs: The surest Path to Heaven
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, …
A Patron Saint for Cancer: St. Peregrine Cancer Care Ministry at Maria Stein gives hope
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 …
Dealing Emotionally With Parish Changes
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 …
Blessed Solanus Casey: A Man for our Time
by Matt Hess Blessed Solanus Casey is a man for our time. While never stationed in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, he labored nearby in Huntington, IN, and Detroit, MI. His love for those around him, simple living and trust in God make him a model for modern Catholics. The son …
Making Saints
How does the Church decide whether someone is a saint? Sometimes it is said that the Catholic Church “makes” someone a saint, but whether a person is a saint or not is decided by God, not the Church. At the same time, there is a lengthy Church process for declaring …
February 20: Sts. Francisco and Jacinta Marto
Francisco, 11, and Jacinta, 10, are the youngest non-martyrs to be canonized in the history of the Church. The brother and sister, who tended to their families’ sheep with their cousin Lucia Santo in the fields of Fatima, Portugal, witnessed the apparitions of Mary, now commonly known as Our Lady …
February 19: Saint Conrad of Piacenza
Conrad was born into a noble family in northern Italy. He married the daughter of a nobleman, Euphrosyne. One day, while he was hunting, Conrad ordered his attendants to make a fire. The wind carried the flames, which set fire to nearby fields, forests, towns and villages. Upon seeing this, Conrad …
Cardinal Tagle: Evangelization isn’t complicated, it’s ‘a conversation about Jesus’
by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Feb 19, 2022 / 12:15 pm Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has encouraged people not to be intimidated by the concept of “evangelization,” but to remember that it can be a simple human interaction or conversation among friends, family, coworkers, or social media followers. “Sometimes we …
Pope Francis advances sainthood cause of Argentine cardinal who organized 1st World Youth Days
By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Feb 18, 2022 / 06:30 am Pope Francis has advanced the sainthood cause of an Argentine cardinal who helped to organize the first World Youth Day celebrations. The pope confirmed a decree on Feb. 18 declaring that Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio (1920-1998) lived a life of heroic …
