The hidden message in ancient ‘O Antiphons’ of Advent

By Katie Yoder Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 4, 2022 / 07:00 am An emeritus Texas bishop is highlighting an Advent message hidden in the O Antiphons — prayers that are recited or chanted in an ancient tradition leading up to Christmas. “Composed in the sixth or seventh century, the seven O …
Bethlehem’s ‘Milk Grotto’: A pilgrimage site of hope for families seeking miracles

By Marinella Bandini Bethlehem, Dec 15, 2024 / 06:00 am Just a short walk from the Grotto of the Nativity in the Holy Land is the only white-stone grotto in the entire area of Bethlehem. Commonly known as the “Milk Grotto,” its color and name are tied to a legend going …
Saints and Miracles

When someone asks for the intercession of a candidate for sainthood, such as healing from illness, if the prayer is answered, how can it be proven that the miracle was through that saint’s intercession? The Church believes that those in Heaven, because they are close to Christ, can intercede for …
Cardinal Cupich asks Catholics ‘to receive holy Communion standing’ in Chicago Archdiocese

By Tyler Arnold Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 13, 2024 / 17:45 pm Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago in a letter published this week in the archdiocesan newspaper urged Catholics to stand while receiving holy Communion and not make gestures that draw attention to oneself. In the letter, published in the Chicago …
The healing of a Royal Navy sailor at Lourdes

By Nicolás de Cárdenas ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 14, 2024 / 08:00 am In 1944, Father Patrick O’Connor, an Irish priest and member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, published “I Knew a Miracle: The Story of John Traynor, Miraculously Healed at Lourdes.” In the book he recounts how, during …
The Importance of Oral Histories

Sharing a meal with loved ones over the holidays is a cherished tradition valued across cultures. It is here, at the table, that stories are told. And it’s in the shared moments when personal reflections of one’s childhood and family traditions are recounted that the wisdom of past generations is …
The Virtue in Saying the Name of Jesus

On the day of the Crucifixion, the Light of the World was slain by darkness, only to shine again on the brightest of mornings. God the Father led His Son through every step on the Way of the Cross, so that “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend …
Fact or fiction? 9 popular myths about Our Lady of Guadalupe

By David Ramos ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 12, 2024 / 04:00 am Almost 500 years after the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe — whose feast the Church celebrates Dec. 12 — the image of Our Lady has become the subject of several popular myths and legends, especially in Mexico, where …
Obituary: Reverend Paul Bader

Reverend Paul A. Bader died on Saturday, December 7, 2024, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born on August 2, 1934, in Cincinnati, and baptized at Holy Family Church, Cincinnati. He did his preparatory studies at St. Gregory Seminary and studied theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West. He …