This great and humble man had an unusual vocation; he took his degree at the University of Paris, entered the Servite Order as a lay-brother, became general of the Order, and was obliged to flee to avoid being made pope. He was a great worker for peace in thirteenth-century Italy rent by the strife of…

St. Bartholomew is the disciple introduced to our Lord by Philip under the name of Nathanael, whom He praised in the words: “That is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile.” St. Like mentions him among the twelve whom Christ, after a night of prayer, chose to be witnesses of His life, His…

Louis IX who became King of France at the age of twelve was religiously trained by his mother, Blanche of Castille. Throughout his life he remained deeply devout and as a king his conduct was that of a real saint. “He was,” said Bossuet, “The holiest and most just king who ever wore the crown.”…

The long pontificate of St. Zephyrinus (198-217) was a period marked by the persecution of Septimus Severus, the struggle against heresy and the organization of the Christian community in Rome. In the person of the Pope the Roman Church asserted her claim as the appointed guardian of the true faith.

The son of a nobleman of Aragon, St. Joseph Calasanctius was born in 1556. At an early age he felt called to devote himself to the education of youth. This ideal he realized in Rome in 1597 by founding a new congregation of Clerks Regular known as the Piarists. The institute developed rapidly but the…

Augustine was born at Tagaste in North Africa in 354. At first he followed his mother’s example and advice but later fell into a licentious way of life: “My sins increased like a rolling snowball,” he wrote in his Confessions. In her distress, Monica turned to God in prayer and tears and remained with her…

The Church, having celebrated the earthly birthday of St. John the Baptist on June 24, today honors the anniversary of his martyrdom. Besides Our Lord and Our Lady, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth and death are thus celebrated. Today’s Gospel relates the circumstances of his execution. He had the courage…

A century after the discovery of the New World there was born at Lima, the capital of Peru, the first flower of holiness to bloom in South America. Her name was Isabella but her fresh complexion earned her the name of Rose by which she is always known. From her childhood she lived solely for…

St. Raymund Nonnatus, who devoted his life to the ransoming of Christians held prisoner by the Mohammedans, was one of the first members of the Order of Our Lady of Ransom founded by St. Peter Nolasco and St. Raymund of Penafort. Having been sent to Africa he obtained the freedom of many captives; he offered…