OK, I finally did it. Everyone’s been using Jennifer Fulwiler’s Saint Generator to choose his/her patron saint for the year 2014, so I finally clicked on the button to find out what the hullabaloo is about. And I got my patron saint. It’s St. Guntramnus. WAIT: WHO? My patron saint is St. Guntramnus? Patron of divorced people, guardians, and reformed murderers? This is a guy who had his ex-wife Mercatrude’s doctor murdered! What’s an aspiring saint like me going to... Read more
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. –St. Francis of Assisi The new St. Francis App—the first app dedicated to the saint of Assisi—will be available for download in January. The app was presented to the media in Assisi on December 7, at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Portiuncula, during an international exhibition of Nativity scenes. Developed by the Italian company Matitegiovanotte in... Read more
Tonight the eyes of millions will be on this spot: the iconic One Times Square. That’s the spot at the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan, where a sailor grabbed a passing nurse for a kiss at the end of World War II. It’s the Midtown corner where thousands of tourists and revelers gather each year on New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop. The façade of the slim 25-story building is a concrete and... Read more
He said: You have more shoes than you could wear in a lifetime. It’s pointless buying any more. She said: You’re a skinflint. You’re spoiling Christmas. And with that, 38-year-old Tao Hsiao rallied his strength one more time—tossing his heavy packages to the floor, hoisting himself over the railing, and jumping seven stories to his death. * * * * * You may have seen reports of the story, which took place earlier in December in an east China... Read more
Get Married and Be Submissive. That’s the advice coming from a best-selling new book by Italian author Costanza Miriano. And while the book—which was published in Spain with the support of Francisco Javier Martinez, the Catholic Archbishop of the Spanish city of Granada—has hit the top of the Amazon charts, the just-released Spanish-language edition Cásate y se sumisa has provoked Spanish feminists. Protesters have taken to the streets, ripping copies of the book to shreds, claiming it promotes violence against... Read more
Today, during this octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Innocents—the male children of the village of Bethlehem who were brutally murdered by the wicked king Herod in his quest to eliminate the Christ Child. I offer you three reflections on these innocent children: First, the Scriptural account of the massacre, as recounted in the Gospel of Matthew; Second, a homily by St. Augustine, who remembered the young martyrs and spoke of heaven’s blessings streaming down... Read more
“I did not intend any harm to come to him. The fact is, my best was not good enough to stop that harm. I am a parish priest. I should have stayed (one).” –Monsignor William J. Lynn, speaking at his sentencing about a victim of clergy abuse In his role as vicar for clergy under the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, Monsignor Lynn was responsible for handling clergy abuse cases. When an accusation was made that Father Avery had abused an... Read more
They say white is in this year! At least it’s easy to surmise that, since Esquire magazine has just named Pope Francis their “Best-Dressed Man” for 2013. According to Max Berlinger writing for the magazine, Pope Francis’s sartorial decisions have subtly signaled a new era (and for many, renewed hope) for the Catholic Church. The magazine seems to focus on insignificant externals—but then, it’s Esquire! What did you expect? Berlinger quotes Mark-Evan Blackman, assistant professor of menswear design at the... Read more
In Turkey, an ice cream vendor is not just a sales clerk–he’s an artist and a talented showman. This video will give you an idea of just what you might have to go through to get a simple ice cream cone in Istanbul! Read more
A one-minute horror film, to put you in the Christmas spirit. Be sure to watch it to the end. Read more
Seasons of Grace
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