St. Joseph of Cupertino was born June 17, 1603, in Naples, Italy. When he was 17 years old, he tried to join the Friars Minor Conventuals but was refused because of his lacking education. He also tried to join the Capuchins. Finally, he was accepted as an oblate at a Franciscan convent close to Cupertino....Read More
As an ardent student of history, especially Baltimore history, I enjoyed “200 Years of Heritage” (CR, Sept. 25), but your statement concerning the founding of the St. Mary’s Industrial School, according to my understanding, is not correct.Read More
St. Martin de Porres was born Dec. 9, 1579, in Lima, Peru. He became a servant in a Dominican priory in Lima when he was just 11. When he served as the almoner (one who distributes alms), he begged from the rich to help the ill and poor in the city. He also cared for...Read More
VATICAN CITY – Even when it comes to morality, Catholics are not biblical fundamentalists, although they view the Bible as an important source of moral guidance, said top Catholic scholars.Read More
St. Lucy of Syracuse was born in Sicily circa 283. She promised to live her life for Christ, but Lucy’s mother arranged her marriage. After Lucy prayed at St. Agatha’s tomb and her mother’s illness was cured, Lucy’s mother agreed that Lucy did not have to marry. However, Lucy’s would-be groom told the governor that...Read More
And so this is Christmas. The words sing in the air and they resound in our hearts. Christmas – Christ’s Mass! Christ, born once in Bethlehem, born again on our altars in the Mass, the Eucharist, and born again inside us. Can it get any better than this?Christmas touches what is deepest in our hearts,...Read More
Cardinal Gibbons Cardinal James Gibbons served as Archbishop of Baltimore for 44 years (1877-1921) in his hometown. When named a bishop, he was the youngest one in the American church. Cardinal Gibbons served as advisor to several presidents on Catholic issues, and he helped generations of Catholic immigrants join American society, rallying for labor unions....Read More
WASHINGTON – Citing “ongoing communication and attempts to rectify the situation,” Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted extended from Dec. 17 to Dec. 21 a deadline he had set for a local Catholic hospital to comply with three demands related to the church’s ethical directives for health care.Read More
When Catholics first gathered for Mass in Hagerstown 250 years ago, they did it in secret. Since English penal laws prohibited them from worshipping publically, Hagerstown Catholics met in family homes and relied on Jesuit circuit riders from Conewago, Pa.Read More