St. John Baptist de la Salle was born in 1651 in Rheims, France. The first child in a noble family of 10 children, he studied in Paris and was ordained in 1678. He founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers) in 1681 to establish academic education for boys. St. John...Read More

WASHINGTON – A decade after the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, led to a backlash against Muslims, many Americans are still uncomfortable with followers of Islam and think its teachings are at odds with American values.Read More

St. Matthias the Apostle replaced Judas Iscariot. For more than three decades, he preached the Gospel in Egypt, Judea and Ethiopia. St. Matthias preached about the necessity of mortification of the flesh regarding its desires. Around the year 80, he was stoned to death for his faith. St. Matthias is patron saint of reformed alcoholics.Read More

PHILADELPHIA – A series of bills introduced in the Pennsylvania Legislature this session as the “National Security Begins at Home Legislative Package” could harm citizens and legal permanent residents as well as undocumented immigrants, a Catholic official told legislators.Read More

St. Barnabas the Apostle converted to Christianity soon after Pentecost. He is often mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles although he is not one of the original twelve. St. Barnabas worked with St. Paul in Cyprus and Asia, and he evangelized the people in Cyprus with St. Mark. Additionally, he founded the church in...Read More

WASHINGTON – The federal government’s mandate that all health insurance plans cover contraceptives and sterilization free of charge “represents an unprecedented attack on religious liberty” and creates “serious moral problems” that require its rescission, attorneys for the U.S. bishops said in comments submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services.Read More

Ss. Processus and Martinian worked as guards at a prison in Rome. They guarded Ss. Peter and Paul, Apostles, while they were in prison in Rome. Ss. Peter and Paul converted and baptized Ss. Processus and Martinian. The newly converted Christians were martyred in Rome. Ss. Processus and Martinian are mentioned in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum,...Read More

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien of Baltimore as Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order (Knights) of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, based in Rome. The appointment was announced simultaneously in Rome and in Washington, Aug. 29.Read More