Moments of Inspiration With Your Favorite Saints

Reaching Out to a Love-Starved World

2012-01-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

Reaching Out to a Love-Starved World

View from the Domestic Church: Huge sale for First Week of Advent!

2011-11-28T15:16:00.000-05:00

View from the Domestic Church: Huge sale for First Week of Advent!

Feast of Saint Benedict

2011-07-11T15:48:00.000-04:00

Feast of Saint Benedict

ST. MARTIN DE PORRES :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

2010-11-03T11:41:00.000-04:00

ST. MARTIN DE PORRES :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

My chat on "Catholic Connection" with Teresa Tomeo for Mother Teresa's 100th birthday

2010-08-26T23:19:00.000-04:00

My chat on "Catholic Connection" with Teresa Tomeo for Mother Teresa's 100th birthday

Saint Juan Diego

2009-12-09T10:13:00.004-05:00

"Thousands of people gathered in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe July 31, 2002, for the canonization of Juan Diego, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in the 16th century. Pope John Paul II celebrated the ceremony at which the poor Indian peasant became the Church’s first saint indigenous to the Americas.

The Holy Father called the new saint “a simple, humble Indian” who accepted Christianity without giving up his identity as an Indian. “In praising the Indian Juan Diego, I want to express to all of you the closeness of the church and the pope, embracing you with love and encouraging you to overcome with hope the difficult times you are going through,” John Paul said. Among the thousands present for the event were members of Mexico’s 64 indigenous groups.

"First called Cuauhtlatohuac (“The eagle who speaks”), Juan Diego’s name is forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe because it was to him that she first appeared at Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531. The most famous part of his story is told in connection with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12). After the roses gathered in his tilma were transformed into the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, however, little more is said about Juan Diego.

"In time he lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac, revered as a holy, unselfish and compassionate catechist who taught by word and especially by example.

"During his 1990 pastoral visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II confirmed the long-standing liturgical cult in honor of Juan Diego, beatifying him. Twelve years later he was proclaimed a saint." (From A Saint A Day, American Catholic.org)

St Teresa of Avila

2009-10-15T13:17:00.005-04:00

"In the Autobiography which she completed towards the end of her life, Saint Teresa of Avila gives us a description of her parents, along with a disparaging estimate of her own character. "The possession of virtuous parents who lived in the fear of God, together with those favors which I received from his Divine Majesty, might have made me good, if I had not been so very wicked." A heavy consciousness of sin was prevalent in sixteenth-century Spain, and we can readily discount this avowal of guilt. What we are told of Teresa's early life does not sound in the least wicked, but it is plain that she was an unusually active, imaginative, and sensitive child. Her parents, Don Alfonso Sanchez de Capeda and Dona Beatriz Davila y Ahumada, his second wife, were people of position in Avila, a city of Old Castile, where Teresa was born on March 28, 1515. There were nine children of this marriage, of whom Teresa was the third, and three children of her father's first marriage.

"Piously reared as she was, Teresa became completely fascinated by stories of the saints and martyrs, as was her brother Roderigo, who was near her own age and her partner in youthful adventures. Once, when Teresa was seven, they made a plan to run away to Africa, where they might be beheaded by the infidel Moors and so achieve martyrdom. They set out secretly, expecting to beg their way like the poor friars, but had gone only a short distance from home when they were met by an uncle and brought back to their anxious mother, who had sent servants into the streets to search for them. She and her brother now thought they would like to become hermits, and tried to build themselves little cells from stones they found in the garden. Thus we see that religious thoughts and influences dominated the mind of the future saint in childhood...continued at EWTN here.

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

2009-10-04T13:18:00.002-04:00

"Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance.

Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: "Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy."

From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down." Francis became the totally poor and humble workman.

He must have suspected a deeper meaning to "build up my house." But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor "nothing" man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up every material thing he had, piling even his clothes before his earthly father (who was demanding restitution for Francis' "gifts" to the poor) so that he would be totally free to say, "Our Father in heaven." He was, for a time, considered to be a religious "nut," begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, bringing sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking.

But genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: "Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff" (see Luke 9:1-3 ).

Francis' first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no idea of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church's unity.

He was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.

During the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 44) he was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.

On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord." (From American Catholic.org - A Saint a Day)

Feast of St. Padre Pio

2009-09-23T10:10:00.001-04:00

You can check out information from the Vatican here.

"In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. "This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio's teaching," said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to "a privileged path of sanctity."
Many people have turned to the Italian Capuchin Franciscan to intercede with God on their behalf; among them was the future Pope John Paul II. In 1962, when he was still an archbishop in Poland, he wrote to Padre Pio and asked him to pray for a Polish woman with throat cancer. Within two weeks, she had been cured of her life-threatening disease.

Born Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy. Twice (1898-1903 and 1910-17) his father worked in Jamaica, New York, to provide the family income.

At the age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name of Pio. He was ordained in 1910 and was drafted during World War I. After he was discovered to have tuberculosis, he was discharged. In 1917 he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, 75 miles from the city of Bari on the Adriatic.

On September 20, 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side.

Life became more complicated after that. Medical doctors, Church authorities and curiosity seekers came to see Padre Pio. In 1924 and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was questioned; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain of these decisions, which were soon reversed. However, he wrote no letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.

Padre Pio rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon. He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day; penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them have said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned.

Padre Pio saw Jesus in all the sick and suffering. At his urging, a fine hospital was built on nearby Mount Gargano. The idea arose in 1940; a committee began to collect money. Ground was broken in 1946. Building the hospital was a technical wonder because of the difficulty of getting water there and of hauling up the building supplies. This "House for the Alleviation of Suffering" has 350 beds.

A number of people have reported cures they believe were received through the intercession of Padre Pio. Those who assisted at his Masses came away edified; several curiosity seekers were deeply moved. Like St. Francis, Padre Pio sometimes had his habit torn or cut by souvenir hunters.

One of Padre Pio’s sufferings was that unscrupulous people several times circulated prophecies that they claimed originated from him. He never made prophecies about world events and never gave an opinion on matters that he felt belonged to Church authorities to decide. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999."

(From Saint of the Day, American Catholic.org)

Pope Benedict on Saint Monica

2009-08-31T09:59:00.000-04:00

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug 30, 2009 / 11:14 am (CNA).- At Sunday’s Angelus prayer in the courtyard of Castel Gandolfo’s apostolic palace, Pope Benedict XVI recalled the previous week’s liturgical memorial of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo and model and patron of Christian mothers.

“Much is recounted about her in her son’s autobiography ‘The Confessions,’ a masterpiece among the most read works of all time,” Pope Benedict said. “There, we understand that St. Augustine imbibed the name of Jesus with maternal milk and was educated in the Christian religion by his mother, the principles of which remained impressed on him even in the years of spiritual and moral wavering.”

Monica, Benedict XVI explained, never stopped praying for her son and his conversion and she had the consolation of seeing him return to the faith and receiving baptism. The Pope added, “God heard the prayers of this holy mother, to whom the Bishop of Tagaste said: ‘It is impossible that a child of so many tears should go lost.’ In truth, St. Augustine does not only convert, but decides to embrace the monastic life and back in Africa, and himself establishes a community of monks.”

“The final spiritual conversations between him and his mother in the quiet of a house in Ostia, in anticipation of departure for Africa, are moving and edifying,” the Holy Father explained. “By then St. Monica had become for this her child ‘more than a mother, the source of his Christianity.’ Her lone desire had been for years the conversion of Augustine, who then was positively oriented toward a life of consecration to God’s service.”

She could only die content, the Pontiff said, on August 27, 387, 56 years old, after having asked her children to not worry about her burial, but to remember her, where ever they were, at the altar of the Lord. St. Augustine repeated that his mother had “twice given birth” to him.

Pope Benedict continued: “The history of Christendom has numerous examples of holy parents and authentic Christian families, who accompanied the life of generous priests and pastors of the Church.”
He recounted Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianen, who both came from families of saints, and spouses Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi and Maria Corsini, who lived from the end of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century and were beatified by Pope John Paul II in October 2001 on the twentieth anniversary of his Apostolic Exhortation “Familiaris consortio.”

“This document,” the Pope expounded, “in addition to illustrating the value of marriage and the responsibilities of the family, calls spouses to a particular task on the way of holiness that, drawing grace and strength from the Sacrament of Matrimony, they follow their entire life.”

“When spouses dedicate themselves generously to the education of children, guiding them and orienting them to discover the design of God’s love, they prepare that fertile spiritual terrain where vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life spring and mature.

Pope Benedict concluded his Angelus message by asking the faithful to seek the intercession of St. John Mary Vianney and the Blessed Virgin Mary in this Year for Priests.
Addressing English-speaking pilgrims and visitors after the Angelus, he singled out the first year seminarians from the Pontifical North American College.
“May your time here at Castel Gandolfo and in Rome deepen your integral understanding of our faith and strengthen in you the desire to be consistent in word and deed, following the heart and mind of our Lord. Upon each of you present and your families, I invoke God’s blessing of peace and joy!”

Saint Mary Magdalene

2009-07-22T11:19:00.002-04:00

"Except for the mother of Jesus, few women are more honored in the Bible than Mary Magdalene. Yet she could well be the patron of the slandered, since there has been a persistent legend in the Church that she is the unnamed sinful woman who anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7:36-50.
Most Scripture scholars today point out that there is no scriptural basis for confusing the two women. Mary Magdalene, that is, “of Magdala,” was the one from whom Christ cast out “seven demons” (Luke 8:2)—an indication, at the worst, of extreme demonic possession or, possibly, severe illness.

Father W.J. Harrington, O.P., writing in the New Catholic Commentary, says that “seven demons” “does not mean that Mary had lived an immoral life—a conclusion reached only by means of a mistaken identification with the anonymous woman of Luke 7:36.” Father Edward Mally, S.J., writing in the Jerome Biblical Commentary, agrees that she “is not...the same as the sinner of Luke 7:37, despite the later Western romantic tradition about her.”

Mary Magdalene was one of the many “who were assisting them [Jesus and the Twelve] out of their means.” She was one of those who stood by the cross of Jesus with his mother. And, of all the “official” witnesses that might have been chosen for the first awareness of the Resurrection, she was the one to whom that privilege was given."

From "A Saint A Day" AmericanSaint.Org

Blessed Kateri Tekawitha

2009-07-14T10:46:00.001-04:00

"The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and John de Brébeuf were tortured to death by Huron and Iroquois Indians, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York. She was to be the first person born in North America to be beatified.
Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Nations. When she was four, Kateri lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind. She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes (missionaries), but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction. She refused to marry a Mohawk brave and at 19 finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri (Catherine) on Easter Sunday.

Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, she received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God’s love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people.

She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. On the advice of a priest, she stole away one night and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village at Sault St. Louis, near Montreal.

For three years she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest and an older Iroquois woman, giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity and in strenuous penance. At 23 she took a vow of virginity, an unprecedented act for an Indian woman, whose future depended on being married. She foun d a place in the woods where she could pray an hour a day—and was accused of meeting a man there!

Her dedication to virginity was instinctive: She did not know about religious life for women until she visited Montreal. Inspired by this, she and two friends wanted to start a community, but the local priest dissuaded her. She humbly accepted an “ordinary” life. She practiced extremely severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation. She died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that her emaciated face changed color and became like that of a healthy child. The lines of suffering, even the pockmarks, disappeared and the touch of a smile came upon her lips. She was beatified in 1980." (From Catholic Saint. org, Saint A Day)

Pope John Paul II's beatification is drawing near

2009-06-08T12:40:00.004-04:00

Rome, Italy, Jun 5, 2009 / 04:18 am (CNA).- Two requirements necessary to beatify Pope John Paul II could be met this year, a former Vatican spokesman has said.

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints must approve a decree recognizing the late pontiff’s “heroic virtues” and certify a miracle attributed to him before he can be declared a blessed. Joaquin Navarro Valls, who was the Vatican spokesman under John Paul II, stated in an interview with “Sole 24 Ore” on Thursday that once the requirements are met, Pope Benedict “at any moment” can set the date to proclaim his beatification.

Navarro-Valls also denied reports that the beatification process had been slowed by Polish psychiatrist Wanda Poltawska’s failure to hand over personal correspondence with John Paul II.

Daniel Ols, the spokesman for John Paul II's cause, did not confirm or deny to ANSA that the beatification could occur in April 2010 on the fifth anniversary of the Pope’s death.

Pope Benedict XVI had waived a requirement of a five-year wait before beginning an investigation into his predecessor’s beatification. New reports of miracles attributed to John Paul II’s intervention are said to arrive in Rome every week.

St. Justin

2009-06-01T07:08:00.002-04:00

Today is St. Justin's feast day.

From "Saint of the day":

"Justin never ended his quest for religious truth even when he converted to Christianity after years of studying various pagan philosophies.
As a young man, he was principally attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian religion answered the great questions about life and existence better than the philosophers.

Upon his conversion he continued to wear the philosopher's mantle, and became the first Christian philosopher. He combined the Christian religion with the best elements in Greek philosophy. In his view, philosophy was a pedagogue of Christ, an educator that was to lead one to Christ.

Justin is known as an apologist, one who defends in writing the Christian religion against the attacks and misunderstandings of the pagans. Two of his so-called apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor and to the Senate.

For his staunch adherence to the Christian religion, Justin was beheaded in Rome in 165."

Pope: Bring the Gospel to the Internet

2009-05-24T11:39:00.001-04:00

Pope: Bring the Gospel to the Internet

Posted using ShareThis

St. Bernadette

2009-04-16T10:02:00.004-04:00

"Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February 11,1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age.

There were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette's initial reports provoked skepticism, her daily visions of "the Lady" brought great crowds of the curious. The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a chapel built on the spot of the visions. There the people were to come to wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had welled up from the very spot where Bernadette had been instructed to dig.

According to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary was on her right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, "I am the Immaculate Conception." It was only when the words were explained to her that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was.

Few visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough investigation Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862.

During her life Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five years later she petitioned to enter the sisters of Notre Dame. After a period of illness she was able to make the journ ey from Lourdes and enter the novitiate. But within four months of her a rrival she was given the last rites of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35.
She was canonized in 1933." (From A Saint a Day)

I have St. Bernadette in my book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book (OSV, 2008).

Happy Feast of Saint Joseph!

2009-03-19T13:36:00.002-04:00

Have a wonderful feast of St. Joseph! I love him, he's awesome! Of course, he's included in my book, "Catholic Saints Prayer Book" (OSV, 2008).

Here's a prayer from the Roman Missal:

Father, you entrusted our Savior to the care of St. Joseph. By the help of his prayers may your Church continue to serve its Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen."

Here's an excerpt from my book:

Dear St. Joseph, you were an ordinary man, a humble carpenter. But you were a prayerful, holy soul, the foster father of Jesus, a model for us all. Please guide me in my own journey through life, and help me be aware of God's specific call to me. Help me to see that in my own life God is calling me to greater things for His glory. Please pray to the Blessed Trinity for me to be granted the graces that I need most. I pray that I can be faithful to my state of life, totally trusting in God's divine providence for me. St. Joseph, pray for all who invoke your aid. If it is in God's holy will, please grant me (here mention your request). Amen.

Have a very BLESSED feast day!

Donna-Marie

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T08:10:00.000-04:00

"Christ shield me this day: Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me."~St. Patrick

St Thomas Aquinas

2009-01-28T08:23:00.001-05:00

"Whoever wishes to live perfectly should do nothing but disdain what Christ disdained on the cross and desire what he desired, for the cross exemplifies every virtue."

St. Thomas Aquinas

St Francis de Sales

2009-01-24T09:30:00.002-05:00

Feast of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor (1567 - 1622)

"Our business is to love what God would have done. He wills our vocation as it is. Let us love that and not trifle away our time hankering after other people's vocations."

St. Francis de Sales

He also said:

"God is in all things and all places. There is no place or thing in this world where he is not truly present. Just as wherever birds fly they always encounter the air, so also wherever we go or wherever we are we find God present. Everyone knows this truth but everyone does not try to bring it home to himself. Blind men do not see a prince who is present among them, and therefore do not show him the respect they do after being told of his presence. However, because they do not actually see him they easily forget his presence, and having forgotten it, they still more easily lose the respect and reverence owed to him. Unfortunately, Philothes, we do not see God who is present with us. Although faith assures us of his presence, yet because we do not see him with our eyes we often forget about him and behave as if God were far distant from us. We really know tht he is present in all things, but because we do not reflect on that fact we act as if we did not know it. This is why before praying we must always arouse our souls to explicit thought and consideration of God's presence."

-- ST. Francis de Sales, "Introduction to the Devout Life"

Pope Benedict moves ten deceased closer to sainthood

2009-01-20T14:01:00.001-05:00

Vatican City, January 19 (CNA).-On Saturday, the Holy Father authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to announce the approval of the miracles and heroic virtues of several Servants of God.

In order for Servants of God to move onto beatification, the next "step" toward sainthood, the congregation must recognize their heroic virtue and certify that one posthumous miracle took place through the Servant of God's intercession.

Canonization, the next "step" requires an additional miracle unless waived by the Pope.

Those who were recognized with a miracle are:

- Servant of God Ciriaco Maria Sancha y Hervas, Spanish cardinal archbishop of Toledo, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Cardinal Sancha (1833-1909).

- Servant of God Carlo Gnocchi, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the "Pro Juventute" Foundation (1902-1956).

- Servant of God Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos, Spanish professed priest of the Company of Jesus (1711-1735).

- Servant of God Raphael Rafiringa (ne Louis), Madagascan professed religious of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools (1856-1919).

- Servant of God Eustachio Kugler, (ne Joseph), German professed religious of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God (1867-1946).

Those Servants of God acknowledged as having heroic virtue are:

- Servant of God Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Spanish bishop of Osma (1600-1659).

- Servant of God Robert Spiske, diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Hedwig (1821-1888).

- Servant of God Carolina Beltrami, Italian foundress of the Institute of "Immaculatine" Sisters of Alessandria (1869-1932).

- Servant of God Mary of the Immaculate e Conception Salvat y Romerio (nee Maria Isabella), Spanish superior general of the Institute of Sisters of the Company of the Cross (1926-1998).

- Servant of God Liberata Ferrarons y Vives, Spanish laywoman of the Third Order of Carmelites (1803-1842).

Additionally, during a private audience on December 22, 2008, the Holy Father authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to recognize the heroic virtues of Servant of God Jose Tous y Soler, a Spanish priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins and founder of the Capuchin sisters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd (1811-1871).

(From the Catholic News Agency)

St Anthony

2009-01-17T09:33:00.001-05:00

"Indeed, he was so attentive when Scripture was read that nothing escaped him and because he retained all he heard, his memory served him in place of books."
St. Athanasius about St. Anthony

(more soon)

Saint Juan Diego

2008-12-09T07:03:00.001-05:00

"Thousands of people gathered in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe July 31, 2002, for the canonization of Juan Diego, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in the 16th century. Pope John Paul II celebrated the ceremony at which the poor Indian peasant became the Church’s first saint indigenous to the Americas.
The Holy Father called the new saint “a simple, humble Indian” who accepted Christianity without giving up his identity as an Indian. “In praising the Indian Juan Diego, I want to express to all of you the closeness of the church and the pope, embracing you with love and encouraging you to overcome with hope the difficult times you are going through,” John Paul said. Among the thousands present for the event were members of Mexico’s 64 indigenous groups.

First called Cuauhtlatohuac (“The eagle who speaks”), Juan Diego’s name is forever linked with Our Lady of Guadalupe because it was to him that she first appeared at Tepeyac hill on December 9, 1531. The most famous part of his story is told in connection with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12). After the roses gathered in his tilma were transformed into the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, however, little more is said about Juan Diego.

In time he lived near the shrine constructed at Tepeyac, revered as a holy, unselfish and compassionate catechist who taught by word and especially by example.

During his 1990 pastoral visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II confirmed the long-standing liturgical cult in honor of Juan Diego, beatifying him. Twelve years later he was proclaimed a saint." (From Saint A Day)

Girl cured of terminal cancer opens way for Blessed Jose Olallo Valdes

2008-12-02T12:42:00.001-05:00

Havana, Dec 1, 2008 / 02:34 pm (CNA).- The website of the Catholic bishops of Cuba announced just hours before the beatification of Brother Jose Olallo Valdes that Daniela Cabrera Ramos was cured of terminal cancer at the age of three and that her healing paved the way for the Cuban priest’s beatification.

Reporter Osvaldo Gallardo Gonzalez interviewed the girl who is today 12. According to the website, she was cured of a fatal type of cancer after her family prayed to Father Olallo for his intercession.

“I remember my veins got pricked a lot. My mom told me that I was very sick with massive cancer in my abdomen and the doctors said I would not survive,” the girl said.

Daniela, who lives with her family on a street dedicated to the Cuban priest, said Father Olallo “dedicated his life to the care of the sick, whom he considered to be his favorites. He was a great nurse.”

“He bought food with his savings and went from door to door leaving food for the sick,” she added, saying her healing happened thanks “to Jesus Christ through the intercession of one of his servants, Father Olallo.”

“Now that I am older I give thanks to God for having chosen me for a miracle, because in my hospital there were many other kids just as sick as me and who died,” she said.

Daniela was present on Saturday at the beatification Mass and said she would be bringing a special petition. “I will pray to him for a good kidney transplant for my dad and for his healing, that God will place his hands on all the sick children and heal them like he healed me, and that peace and love will reign on the earth,” she said.
(from the Catholic News Agency)

St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

2008-11-13T20:02:00.001-05:00

Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first United States citizen to be canonized. Her deep trust in the loving care of her God gave her the strength to be a valiant woman doing the work of Christ. 0A

Refused admission to the religious order which had educated her to be a teacher, she began charitable work at the House of Providence Orphanage in Cadogno, Italy. In September 1877, she made her vows there and took the religious habit.
When the bishop closed the orphanage in 1880, he named Frances prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Seven young women from the orphanage joined with her.

Since her early childhood in Italy, Frances had wanted to be a missionary in China but, at the urging of Pope Leo XIII, Frances went west instead of east. She traveled with six sisters to New York City to work with the thousands of Italian immigrants living there.

She found disappointment and difficulties with every step. When she arrived in New York City, the house intended to be her first orphanage in the United States was not available. The archbishop advised her to return to Italy. But Frances, truly a valiant woman, departed from the archbishop’s residence all the more determined to establish that orphanage. And she succeeded.
In 35 years Frances Xavier Cabrini founded 67 institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick. Seeing great need among Italian immigrants who were losing their faith, she organized schools and adult education classes.

As a child, she was always frightened of water, unable to overcome her fear of drowning. Yet, despite this fear, she traveled across the Atlantic Ocean more than thirty times. She died of malaria in her own Columbus Hospital in Chicago.

(From Saint of the Day)

In honor of the saints today on All Saints Day!

2008-11-01T09:04:00.000-04:00

Speaking of the Saints...

2008-10-24T13:44:00.002-04:00

An article from this week's National Catholic Register BY JOSEPH PRONECHEN:

"All Saints Day, a solemn feast of the Church, is practically as old as the saints themselves. Its roots reach to the fourth century, when the Church began celebrating a common day for all martyrs. In the eighth and ninth centuries, Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV set the celebration for Nov. 1 and extended it to commemorate not just the martyred, but also all persons, known and unknown, whose sanctity in this life assured them a place in heaven for all eternity.

Members of the “Church Militant” — that would be us — can thus be assured that the “Church Triumphant” is praying for our salvation with the power of the full beatific vision before them.

Maybe even more important, their feast reminds us of the Church’s unmistakable nudge to our consciences: If those everyday folks could do it, so can we. “‘All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity,’ the Catechism reminds us (No. 2013). “All are called to holiness …”

“When we think of saints, we tend to think of the greatest ones — martyrs, mystics, founders of religious orders,” says author Thomas Craughwell. “Few of us are going to do what they did. But heaven is crowded with saints we do not know, ordinary people who became saints.” Craughwell’s books include Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil-Worshippers Who Became Saints (Doubleday, 2006) and This Saint’s for You!: 300 Heavenly Allies Who Will Change Your Life (Quirk Books, 2007); he’s also online at TomCraughwell.com. He points to the heroic holiness of unknowns such as St. Zita, a 13th-century housekeeper — and to the often-overlooked humanity of the most celebrated.

St. Joseph, for example, is one of the most important figures in salvation history. Yet, Craughwell points out, “He’s not a martyr or a mystic. He doesn’t say a single word in the Gospels, and he performs no miracles. He’s a family man, a working man — but he’s completely faithful in obeying the will of God.”

Easier said than done? Sure. But absolutely doable, as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta daily reminded us by her words and her actions. Catholic writer and speaker Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, who knew Mother Teresa as a friend, says she often quotes a slice of simple wisdom that the saintly nun frequently repeated: “Holiness is not the luxury of a few. It is everyone’s duty: yours and mine.”

Cooper O’Boyle, author of two new books on Catholic mothering and homemaking (both published by the Register’s sister company Circle Press; see CirclePress.org and DonnaCooperOboyle.com), stresses that she strives to live Blessed Teresa’s message not only in her work, but also in her vocation as a wife and mother..." (Continued here)

Blessed Luis Martin and Blessed Zelie Guerin

2008-10-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

Paris, Oct 21, 2008 / 09:42 am (CNA).- "The prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, has called the parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, now Blesseds Luis Martin and Zelie Guerin, “two witnesses of conjugal love” who raised their children firmly in the Christian faith, thus becoming an example for Christian spouses.

Before the more than 15,000 people gathered for the Beatification Mass at the Basilica of St. Therese in Lisieux, France, Cardinal Saraiva said the parents of the patroness of the missions “walked together towards God in search of the will of the Lord,” and in order to always be sure of fulfilling his will they always looked to the Church, “expert in humanity, seeking to be conformed in all aspects of their lives to the teachings of the Church.”

Referring to the 19 years of marriage they shared, Cardinal Saraiva underscored how the parents of St. Therese “lived out their marital promises in absolute fidelity, conscious of the indissolubility of their bond, in search of the fecundity of their love, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health,” all of which was a gift for their daughters.

'Among these we particularly admire Therese, a masterpiece of the grace of God and a masterpiece of the love of her parents for their children,” the cardinal said.

After explaining how Louis accepted with faith and hope the death of Zelie, who died from cancer, and how he faced his own death in the same way, Cardinal Saraiva said both “are an example of missionaries. For this reason, the Pope desired they be proclaimed blessed on this day that is so special for the universal Church: he desired to unite Louis and Zelie to their disciple, Therese, their daughter, who became patroness of the missions and Doctor of the Church.'”

St. Teresa of Avila, 1515 - 1582

2008-10-15T11:26:00.001-04:00

"Teresa lived in an age of exploration as well as political, social and religious upheaval. It was the 16th century, a time of turmoil and reform. Her life began with the culmination of the Protestant Reformation, and ended shortly after the Council of Trent.
The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer.

As a woman, Teresa stood on her own two feet, even in the man's world of her time. She was "her own woman," entering the Carmelites despite strong opposition from her father. She is a person wrapped not so much in silence as in mystery. Beautiful, talented, outgoing, adaptable, affectionate, courageous, enthusiastic, she was totally human. Like Jesus, she was a mystery of paradoxes: wise, yet practical; intelligent, yet much in tune with her experience; a mystic, yet an energetic reformer. A holy woman, a womanly woman.

Teresa was a woman "for God," a woman of prayer, discipline and compassion. Her heart belonged to God. Her own conversion was no overnight affair; it was an arduous lifelong struggle, involving ongoing purification and suffering. She was misunderstood, misjudged, opposed in her efforts at reform. Yet she struggled on, courageous and faithful; she struggled with her own mediocrity, her illness, her opposition. And in the midst of all this she clung to God in life and in prayer. Her writings on prayer and contemplation are drawn from her experience: powerful, practical and graceful. A woman of prayer; a woman for God.

Teresa was a woman "for others." Though a contemplative, she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance of the primitive Rule. She founded over a half-dozen new monasteries. She traveled, wrote, fought—always to renew, to reform. In her self, in her prayer, in her life, in her efforts to reform, in all the people she touched, she was a woman for others, a woman who inspired and gave life.

In 1970 the Church gave her the title she had long held in the popular mind: Doctor of the Church. She and St. Catherine of Siena were the first women so honored." (From Saint A Day)

Feast of the Guardian Angels!

2008-10-02T07:40:00.001-04:00

Perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not just for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer and to present their souls to God at death.
The concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being is a development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on Scripture but not directly drawn from it. Jesus' words in Matthew 18:10 best support the belief: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

Devotion to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. St. Benedict gave it impetus and Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the guardian angels that angelic devotion assumed its current form in his day.

A feast in honor of the guardian angels was first observed in the 16th century. In 1615, Pope Paul V added it to the Roman calendar.

(from Saint A Day)

St Therese of the Child Jesus

2008-10-01T09:53:00.003-04:00

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face is one of the Church’s most popular saints. Thérèse was born in 1873 to Louis Martin, a watchmaker, and Zelie Guerin, a lace-maker. She was one of nine children, four of whom died very young. Thérèse suffered greatly in her early life due to the death of her mother, and she endured years of very difficult mental anguish. Thérèse’s faith was strong, and she became a Carmelite nun at the early age of fifteen, after requesting the special permission of her bishop and the pope. She lived in the Carmelite convent of Lisieux, France, joining two of her sisters there. Her other two sisters also became nuns.

Her nine years there seemed uneventful and ordinary, yet were very heroic. Thérèse realized that sanctity could be achieved in and through the simple routines and daily work of life. Instead of ambitiously seeking to do great things, she contented herself with following her “little way” – simple trust in and love for God, and the attempt to glorify Him in everything she did, no matter how insignificant. She considered herself the “little flower,” more ordinary than a rose, unseen by the world, yet beautiful and cherished by God nonetheless.

She once said, “I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.” Thérèse suffered from poor health all her life, but, in spite of her frailty, she spent many hours of hard work in the convent laundry and refectory.

During her last year of life, she contracted tuberculosis and suffered greatly before dying at the very young age of twenty-four. (The day of her death she murmured, “I would not suffer less.”) Her Autobiography, written in obedience to her superiors, was later published under the title The Story of a Soul. As she died, she clutched a crucifix, and repeated, “Oh, how I love Him!”

She was canonized a saint, and in 1997 was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II.

(from Catholic Exchange)

St. Padre Pio

2008-09-23T20:12:00.002-04:00

St. Padre Pio da Pietrelcina

(1887-1968)

"In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. "This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio's teaching," said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to "a privileged path of sanctity."
Many people have turned to the Italian Capuchin Franciscan to intercede with God on their behalf; among them was the future Pope John Paul II. In 1962, when he was still an archbishop in Poland, he wrote to Padre Pio and asked him to pray for a Polish woman with throat cancer. Within two weeks, she had been cured of her life-threatening disease.

Born Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy. Twice (1898-1903 and 1910-17) his father worked in Jamaica, New York, to provide the family income.

At the age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name of Pio. He was ordained in 1910 and was drafted during World War I. After he was discovered to have tuberculosis, he was discharged. In 1917 he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, 75 miles from the city of Bari on the Adriatic.

On September 20, 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side.

Life became more complicated after that. Medical doctors, Church authorities and curiosity seekers came to see Padre Pio. In 1924 and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was questioned; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain of these decisions, which were soon reversed. However, he wrote no letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.

Padre Pio rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon. He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day; penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them have said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned... (Continued here)"

St. John Chrysostom

2008-09-13T08:47:00.002-04:00

I have this saint in my saints' book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book.

"The ambiguity and intrigue surrounding John, the great preacher (his name means "golden-mouthed") from Antioch, are characteristic of the life of any great man in a capital city. Brought to Constantinople after a dozen years of priestly service in Syria, John found himself the reluctant victim of an imperial ruse to make him bishop in the greatest city of the empire. Ascetic, unimposing but dignified, and troubled by stomach ailments from his desert days as a monk, John began his episcopate under the cloud of imperial politics.
If his body was weak, his tongue was powerful. The content of his sermons, his exegesis of Scripture, were never without a point. Sometimes the point stung the high and mighty. Some sermons lasted up to two hours.

His life-style at the imperial court was not appreciated by some courtiers. He offered a modest table to episcopal sycophants hanging around for imperial and ecclesiastical favors. John deplored the court protocol that accorded him precedence before the highest state officials. He would not be a kept man.

His zeal led him to decisive action. Bishops who bribed their way into their office were deposed. Many of his sermons called for concrete steps to share wealth with the poor. The rich did not appreciate hearing from John that private property existed because of Adam's fall from grace any more than married men liked to hear that they were bound to marital fidelity just as much as their wives. When it came to justice and charity, John acknowledged no double standards.

Aloof, energetic, outspoken, especially when he became excited in the pulpit, John was a sure target for criticism and personal trouble. He was accused of gorging himself secretly on rich wines and fine foods. His faithfulness as spiritual director to the rich widow, Olympia, provoked much gossip attempting to prove him a hypocrite where wealth and chastity were concerned. His action taken against unworthy bishops in Asia Minor was viewed by other ecclesiastics as a greedy, uncanonical extension of his authority.

Two prominent personages who personally undertook to discredit John were Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, and Empress Eudoxia. Theophilus feared the growth in importance of the Bishop of Constantinople and took occasion to charge John with fostering heresy. Theophilus and other angered bishops were supported by Eudoxia. The empress resented his sermons contrasting gospel values with the excesses of imperial court life. Whether intended or not, sermons mentioning the lurid Jezebel and impious Herodias were associated with the empress, who finally did manage to have John exiled. He died in exile in 407."

(From Saint of the Day)

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's feast day!

2008-09-05T07:11:00.002-04:00

"Jesus is pleased to come to us
As the truth to be told
And the life to be lived,
As the light to be lighted
And love to be loved
As the joy to be given
And the peace to be spread"--Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

***

Here are two previous radio segments where I speak about Mother TeresaMy book, Prayerfully Expecting and how I met Mother Teresa,

And Addressing the comments in the media about Mother Teresa's supposed "crisis of faith,"

Labor day with St. Joseph the worker

2008-09-01T14:23:00.001-04:00

A Prayer for Workers

O glorious Joseph! Who concealed your incomparable and regal dignity of custodian of Jesus and of the Virgin Mary under the humble appearance of a craftsman and provided for them with your work, protect with loving power your sons, especially entrusted to you.

You know their anxieties and sufferings, because you yourself experienced them at the side of Jesus and of His Mother. Do not allow them, oppressed by so many worries, to forget the purpose for which they were created by God. Do not allow the seeds of distrust to take hold of their immortal souls. Remind all the workers that in the fields, in factories, in mines, and in scientific laboratories, they are not working, rejoicing, or suffering alone, but at their side is Jesus, with Mary, His Mother and ours, to sustain them, to dry the sweat of their brow, giving value to their toil. Teach them to turn work into a very high instrument of sanctification as you did. Amen.

[composed by Blessed Pope John XXIII (1958-63)]

St. Augustine

2008-08-28T08:15:00.001-04:00

"A Christian at 33, a priest at 36, a bishop at 41: many people are familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo, sinner turned saint. But really to get to know the man is a rewarding experience.
There quickly surfaces the intensity with which he lived his life, whether his path led away from or toward God. The tears of his mother, the instructions of Ambrose and, most of all, God himself speaking to him in the Scriptures redirected Augustine’s love of life to a life of love.

Having been so deeply immersed in creature-pride of life in his early days and having drunk deeply of its bitter dregs, it is not surprising that Augustine should have turned, with a holy fierceness, against the many demon-thrusts rampant in his day. His times were truly decadent—politically, socially, morally. He was both feared and loved, like the Master. The perennial criticism leveled against him: a fundamental rigorism.

In his day, he providentially fulfilled the office of prophet. Like Jeremiah and other greats, he was hard-pressed but could not keep quiet. “I say to myself, I will not mention him,/I will speak in his name no more./But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,/imprisoned in my bones;/I grow weary holding it in,/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9)." From "Saint A Day."

St. Monica

2008-08-27T05:00:00.001-04:00

Being a mother, one of my favorite saints is St. Monica. I admire her for her unceasing prayer for her wayward son and her husband. St. Monica's prayers, by God's grace changed hearts. Her tears were redemptive and her prayers powerful. Every faithful mother's prayer is powerful. We need to believe that the words that were spoken to St. Monica by her Bishop when she pleaded through tears for help from him for her wayward son, Augustine are words that are meant for every faithful Christian mother. We must believe, trust, and never give up on hope!

From my new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book:

Dear St. Monica, your devotion as a mother and wife and your commitment to your family, especially in your prayer for them, sets a powerful and timely example for us all. Please pray to the Blessed Trinity for me, my family, and all I hold dear so that we will be open to the graces that Our Lord in His great mercy wants to shed upon us. Help mothers and wives everywhere to know that Our Lord never turns His ear away from a mother's faithful prayers for her family. St. Monica, pray for us and for all who invoke your aid. If it is in God's holy will, please grant me (here mention your request). Amen.

From Fr. James's blog:

"Saint Monica (331-387) was the mother of one of the most celebrated converts in the history of the Catholic Church. Augustine was spiritually lost for many years and his mother shed many tears. St. Ambrose was approached one day by Monica after Mass with tears in her eyes begging the the famous bishop of Milan that he pray for the conversion of her son. "God will never deny the tears of a mother", were his consoling words to the troubled mother of the wayward son. Eventually Augustine did leave behind his life of sin and was baptized. Moreover, he became a priest and then a bishop. He is known was one of the most famous theologians of the Catholic Church.

I have been a Catholic priest for almost 21 years. Almost every family that I have known as a priest has worries and concerns about wayward children that have lost the Faith or are living immoral lives. Like Ambrose, I have seen many tears shed by many mothers and even many fathers. Parents must look to the example of St. Monica and never give up on their wayward children. Let us remember our best weapons for the conversion of sinners: prayer and penance. I am sure that Monica's struggle with Augustine gave her plenty of opportunities to become the great saint that she became."

St Rose of Lima

2008-08-24T22:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was the feast of St. Rose of Lima

From the writings of St. Rose of Lima:

"Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: 'Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven.'

When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemed to place me in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of every age, sex and status: "Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap trouble upon trouble to attain a deep participation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness lf soul."

That same force strongly urged me to proclaim the beauty of divine grace. It pressed me so that my breath came slow and forced me to sweat and pant. I felt as if my soul could no longer be kept in the prison of the body, but that it had burst its chains and was free and alone and was going very swiftly through the whole world saying: 'If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! Without doubt they would devote all their care and concern to winning for themselves pains and afflictions. All men throughout the world would seek trouble, infirmities and torments, instead of good fortune, in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace. This is the reward and the final gain of patience. No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men.'"

HT to Fr. James

The Queenship of Mary

2008-08-22T21:55:00.001-04:00

"Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court.
In the fourth century St. Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen” and Church Fathers and Doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship.

The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection and because of her intercessory power" (from "Saint a Day").

Review: Catholic Saints Prayer Book

2008-08-04T09:25:00.001-04:00

This is from "Building the Ark"

"As much as I loved Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle's first book, I wondered if the second book could be as inspiring and engaging. Well, I am happy to report that this gifted mother and writer did not disappoint!

Again, the size and succinctness of the Catholic Saints Prayer Book is a big plus in this busy mom's life. In the midst of my day, if I'm looking for a quick biography of one of the many well-loved and well-known saints, I can easily find it in her book.

It's a little like having an address book for the soul. At a moment's notice, a quick glance down the table of contents is all you need to find the page number of the saint you want to *call*. (Oh, if only there really were phone numbers! ) Then, with her beautiful written prose, a prayer for calling on each saint for intercession.

And being a wee bit biased on all things Irish, I was thrilled to find both the male patron of Ireland--St. Patrick and his not-as-well-known female counterpart St. Brigid. This is a wonderful book to keep in a classroom or family prayer area, in your pocketbook for easy access or to loan out to a friend. Just a warning, though, if you decide to lend it out; buy a second one as a back-up because it may be a while before your friend is ready to give it and all its beauty back!

Thanks again, Donna-Marie! It's always a pleasure!"

***

Thank you very much, Jane for your very kind words. I'm glad that you are enjoying this book!

God bless and hugs,

Donna-Marie

Miracle in Chili attributed to Nicola D'Onofrio?

2008-08-01T19:17:00.001-04:00

Santiago, Aug 1, 2008 / 10:23 am (CNA).- Maria Mercedes Correa Maldonado, a 23 year-old Chilean woman who in explicably “woke up” from cerebral palsy when she was 18, is now pregnant, in what could be the second miracle attributed to Italian seminarian Nicola D’Onofrio (1943-1964), whose cause of beatification is open in the Diocese of Rome.

Maria Mercedes suffered from grave cerebral palsy but on a March afternoon on 2003, after her mother had incessantly prayed to the Italian seminarian for his intercession, she woke up in her hospital bed in Puataendo, sat up and said, “I’m hungry.”

Inexplicable from a medical point of view, the case drew the attention of the Sons of St. Camillus, who are following D’Onofrio’s beatification process in Rome, which began in 2000.

Now, five years after her miraculous recovery, Maria Mercedes says she is experiencing a new miracle from D’Onofrio, as she has become pregnant despite doctors’ diagnoses that it would be impossible. “All the specialists who examined her came to the conclusion that she could never have any children. But now she is pregnant. It is a new miracle,” her mother said... (Continued here).

St. Martha

2008-07-29T08:42:00.002-04:00

"Martha was born of noble and wealthy parents, but she is still more illustrious for the hospitality she gave to Christ our Lord. After His Ascension into heaven, she was seized by the Jews, together with her brother and sister, Marcella her handmaid, and Maximin, one of the seventy two disciples of our Lord, who had baptized the whole family, and many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea, exposed to certain shipwreck. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles.
This miracle, together with their preaching, brought the people of Marseilles, of Aix, and of the neighborhood to believe in Christ. Lazarus was made Bishop of Marseilles and Maximin of Aix. Magdalen, who was accustomed to devote herself to prayer and to sit at our Lord's feet, in order to enjoy the better part which she had chosen, that is, contemplation of the joys of heaven, retired into a deserted cave on a very high mountain. There she lived for thirty years, separated from all human intercourse; and every day she was carried to heaven by the angels to hear their songs of praise.

But Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the people of Marseilles by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew in the company of several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence. She foretold her death long before it occurred; and at length, famous for miracles, she passed to our Lord on the fourth of the Kalends of August. Her body which lies at Tarascon is held in great veneration."

Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

"He Knows My Name" blogspot expresses this about St. Martha:

"She is mentioned three times in the Bible, but most people focus on only one - when Jesus was visiting and she wanted His help in getting her sister Mary off the floor to help do the dishes. Our gracious Lord reminded her that it was a good thing to sit awhile and listen, after all they may not get that opportunity again. It doesn't tell us how she responded to that, but if you read further about her I think you'll agree that she would have taken that to heart and learnt from it. In fact, she seemed a very focused woman. She did not appear to be an emotional personality like her sister, but rather seeing things in black and white. She saw there was work to do and set about doing it believing it to be necessary at that time, though Christ teaches her otherwise. Also, she wasn't complaining about working, just that Mary also had chores to do.

Further on, Lazarus has died. Mary is a mess. When Jesus arrives, days after they had sent word to Him, Martha rebukes Him. "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died." She doesn't hold back, BUT, can you see what else she is saying? She BELIEVES, without a doubt,that Christ has the power to heal her brother. No faltering faith for Martha. She is convinced (remember, I said she sees everything in black and white?).
Now, if that faith statement doesn't grab you the next one must!
She continues, without taking a breath, "BUT EVEN NOW, I KNOW THAT WHATEVER YOU ASK OF GOD, GOD WILL GIVE YOU." What a woman of faith in her Lord!!
She continues on declaring Him to be "...the Christ, the Son of God..."!"

St. Bridget of Sweden

2008-07-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

Bridget was born in Sweden in 1303. From the time she was a child, she was greatly devoted to the passion of Jesus. When she was only ten, she seemed to see Jesus on the cross and hear him say, "Look at me, my daughter." "Who has treated you like this?" cried little Bridget. "They who despise me and refuse my love for them," answered Jesus. From then on, Bridget tried to stop people from offending Jesus. When she was fourteen, she married eighteen-year-old Ulf. Like Bridget, Ulf had set his heart on serving God. They had eight children, of whom one was St. Catherine of Sweden. Bridget and Ulf served the Swedish court. Bridget was the queen's personal maid. Bridget tried to help King Magnus and Queen Blanche lead better lives. For the most part, they did not listen to her. All her life, Bridget had marvelous visions and received special messages from God. In obedience to them, she visited many rulers and important people in the Church. She explained humbly what God expected of them. After her husband died, Bridget put away her rich clothes. She lived as a poor nun. Later, she started the order of the Most Holy Savior, also known as Bridgettines. She still kept up her own busy life, traveling about doing good everywhere. And through all this activity, Jesus continued to reveal many secrets to her. These she received without the least bit of pride. Shortly before she died, the saint went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. At the shrines there, she had visions of what Jesus had said and done in that place. All St. Bridget's revelations on the sufferings of Jesus were published after her death. St. Bridget died in Rome on July 23, 1373. She was proclaimed a saint by Pope Boniface IX in 1391. May Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, grant us the grace to share in his passion through a deeper spirit of repentance. (From Saint of the Day)

Review from Hawaii on my book "Catholic Saints Prayer Book"

2008-07-22T08:46:00.007-04:00

Our family's home is filled with Catholic books, especially books on the saints. Would there be new book on the saints that would stand out? Could there really be a Catholic saints book that would be different than the ones already sitting on our book shelves?

Well, when fellow Catholic blogger and online friend Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle gave me an opportunity to read and review her book, I was briefly hesitant to accept because I believed that it would just be another ordinary saints book.

However, after reading Donna's little book recently published by Our Sunday Visitor I can honestly say that this book truly stands out.

First of all, you can see it was a work of love on Donna's part. Here is a woman who is very spiritual and who has been blessed in her life to personally know a Catholic saint, Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Then there is the fact that the book in itself is beautiful to behold. It reminded me of the old fashioned books with the lovely designs and elegant fonts. It was not a cheap paperback but a quality hardcover book.

The book itself is tiny in size yet packed full of interesting tidbits of favorite Catholic saints. Some of my favorite saints which I found covered in the book include:

- St. Augustine
- St. Faustina
- St. Francis
- St. John Chrysostom
- St. Maximilian Kolbe
- St. Padre Pio
- St. Rita of Cascia
- St. Thomas More

Actually, it was very enjoyable reading about all the saints that were selected by Donna. I believe I learned something new on just about all the saints that I had not known before. For example, I did not know that St. Augustine started living with a woman at the age of fifteen! I also did not know that the sisters of St. Bernadette's convent treated her so harshly!!

Each saint's page contains the feast day of that particular saint, a quote from either the saint, the Catechism of the Catholic Church or from scripture, a short list of all their patronages, (what they were patron saints of)a compact yet precise outline of the saint's biography and to make each entry special, Donna included a prayer for each particular saint. The little book also contains graphics that are not usually seen. For instance, St. Ignatius of Loyola's death mask.

The first time I opened the book to read it was when my family and I were at the airport waiting for my niece and nephew to arrive. I took out the little book to read and was soon absorbed in it. Before I knew it, my husband was looking over my shoulder to read along with me and then soon our son was doing the same thing. In order to be fair we took turns reading the lovely little saints book. My husband commented that that I should always carry the book in my purse. He said it was a treasure. I thought that was an excellent suggestion and so that is what I have been doing since receiving the book.

I really hope that if you are looking for a book on the saints that will captivate your family's interest and also be a prayer book for yourself, that you will consider buying this beautiful little book.

Mahalo Donna for the opportunity to read your new book.

***

Thank you very much, Esther! Your words are very kind and your review is thorough. Someday I'd love to visit with you in Hawaii!

God bless and hugs,

Donna-Marie

PS Esther has a very beautiful Catholic blog from Hawaii. Go take a look at her Hawaiian Catholic blog, "A Catholic Mom in Hawaii" here!

Review of my Catholic Saints Prayer Book

2008-07-18T15:19:00.003-04:00

This review comes from Mary Catherine Williams from Kansas:

We are fortunate to have the saints' life stories to encourage us and help us get through each day. This little book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book, carries a big message that the saints were people just like us. I have purchased 20 copies of Catholic Saints Prayer Book. I work at a Catholic hospital and have given them to co-workers and patients. The small size makes it possible for me to carry it with me in my jacket pocket. Sometimes, before I leave a patient's room, I show the book to them, open it, pick a saint randomly and read to them about the saint. I gave the book to a friend who had just had a baby. She used the book to help name her baby girl! This book is faith filled and will certainly inspire those who read it. ***

Mary Catherine, in my mind is already a saint! She gives out holy cards to patients in the ER at the hospital where she works. She prays with them and for them. She also gives out many of my books to people she knows or whom she meets. I have no doubt that God has placed Mary Catherine at that hospital to bring others hope and prayer. I sincerely hope that I haven't embarrased her in any way with what I have just said- it's just the plain truth!

Thank you, Mary Catherine for your beautiful review!

God bless and hugs,

Donna-Marie

Review of Catholic Saints Prayer Book

2008-07-17T19:30:00.008-04:00

Mary Rose at True Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter just posted a beautiful review about my saints' book. I think you'll find it interesting how she came to love the saints. Perhaps some of you can relate. Her review is here:

I've had the pleasure of meeting Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle online and have been touched by her dedication to encouraging women and celebrating overall her Catholic faith. She is a humble lady, simply wanting to share her love for God with everyone she meets. I can't fathom how she finds time to write since she has five wonderful kids and a husband. Talk about busy!

She sent me her book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book. It is a beautiful small volume, perfect for giving to a teacher or even your college-bound sons and daughters. (Giving college kids anything about saints is an excellent idea.)

The hardbound book is beautifully designed, with a lovely painting on the cover and illustrations inside. The pages are a soft gloss, with a calming green decorative border on the edges of each page. Donna-Marie managed to concisely capture the birth and death dates for each saint, their Feast Day, the saint's patronage, information about their life, and a prayer to that particular saint. Here is one of my favorites:

Prayer to St. Joseph

Dear St. Joseph, you were an ordinary man, a humble carpenter. But you were a prayerful, holy soul, the foster father of Jesus, a model for us all. Please guide me in my own journey through life, and help me be aware of God's specific call to me. Help me to see that in my own life God is calling me to greater things for His glory. Please pray to the Blessed Trinity for me to be granted the graces that I need most. I pray that I can be faithful to my state of life, totally trusting in God's divine providence for me. St. Joseph, pray for all who invoke your aid. If it is in God's holy will, please grant me (here mention your request). Amen.

Isn't that wonderful? I just love this little book of the saints.

I have to admit, appreciating the saints has taken some time. I have witnessed years of anti-Catholic perspectives. One of the biggest gripes Protestants and non-denominational believers have with Catholics is their presumed "praying to the saints." For years, I would declare, "There is no mediator between God and man but Jesus Christ." Of course, no one else could have redeemed us but Jesus Christ. No other sacrifice would do but a perfect one and Jesus Christ was the only one qualified to do it. He was, is, and shall be forever perfect, loving His heavenly Father with perfection, doing His will with complete surrender. No one can or should ever take the place of Jesus Christ.

However, I think my non-Catholic brothers and sisters misunderstand what is going on when Catholics venerate the saints. When prayers are offered up (I am partial to the very brief, "Pray for me, St. Joseph!") I am not worshipping St. Joseph, but asking St. Joseph to count me in his prayers and supplications before the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1,2 says:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (RSV)

You know, I've read those verses many, many times. I just thought the witnesses watched. But who could watch a race and not cheer? St. Paul was telling the Jewish believers that they had support. These verses took on fresh meaning as I realized those who have gone before us are now in heaven, praying for the Church to be perfected. Doesn't that make sense?

Aren't we asking the saints to put in a few prayers on our behalf that we would be made worthy of the promises of Christ? Of course. I still worship Jesus Christ for who He is and petition our Heavenly Father for all things. Scripture also tells us that the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Rom. 8:26, 27 RSV)

Ever since I've started to embrace the saints more, I have felt a new confidence enter my faith. I feel as though I do have a huge group of saints who are pulling for me. They know how difficult the journey can be and they are praying that we can overcome our trials and tribulations.

Donna-Marie's Catholic Saint Prayer Book is the perfect way to encourage others that they also have a group of saints who are "pulling for them" to persevere. It's a great gift for either yourself or someone you love. Enjoy it and be blessed! Click on the title to order.

(The above photos are from Mary Rose's blog)

Blessed Kateri Tekawitha

2008-07-14T21:45:00.001-04:00

Kateri was born in 1656 near the town of Auriesville, New York, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was baptized by Jesuit missionary Fr. Jacques de Lambertville on Easter of 1676 at the age of twenty. She devoted her life to prayer, penitential practices, and the care of the sick and aged in Caughnawaga near Montreal (where her relics are now enshrined). She incurred the hostility of her tribe because of her faith. She was devoted to the Eucharist, and to Jesus Crucified, and was called the "Lily of the Mohawks." She died in 1680 and was beatified June 22, 1980 — the first native American to be declared "Blessed." — Magnificat, July 2003

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Bonaventure. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on July 15. (From Catholic Culture)

More from Catholic Culture:

Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha
[Pronounce: Gah-deh-lee Deh-gah-quee-tah]
The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf were tortured to death by Huron and Iroquois Native American nations, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York. She was to be the first person born in North America to be beatified. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Nations. When she was four, Kateri lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind. She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes (missionaries), but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction. She refused to marry a Mohawk man and at nineteen finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri (Catherine) on Easter Sunday... (Continued here)

Pier Giorgio Frassati, a Saint in Waiting

2008-07-14T11:45:00.003-04:00

According to News.Com.au:

"THE body of an inspirational Catholic who died in 1925 has arrived in Sydney for World Youth Day.

The body of Pier Giorgio Frassati, who was beatified in 1990 by Pope John Paul II, has been transported from the Turin Cathedral to Sydney following a farewell mass.

Mr Frassati was only 24 when, after a one-week illness, he died of polio.

He became a role model for young Catholics because of his fervent faith and sunny nature and was noted for his charity.

At his funeral the poor turned out in force, beginning a devotion that has spread around the world.

On Wednesday at 12pm (AEST) his body will be transported to St Benedict's Church in Chippendale in inner Sydney where it will remain in the church for veneration until July 10.

The following Thursday his body will be moved to St Mary's Cathedral for a pilgrimage.

The coffin will remain on display in the cathedral until July 22.

The transportation of his remains was organised by Sydney Archbishop George Pell and World Youth Day co-ordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher in conjunction with the Vatican Council for the Causes of Saints.

A possible road to sainthood has been propelled by a vigorous campaign by Mr Frassati's sister, Luciana, who wrote books about him.

It is the first time the body of Mr Frassati has visited Australia."

Vatican moving forward on Fr. Damien and Parents of St. Therese

2008-07-09T11:24:00.005-04:00

Vatican City, Jul 3, 2008 / 10:50 am (CNA).- The head of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, met with Pope Benedict today to present him with 14 causes for canonization in their various stages. Among those approved for advancement towards sainthood are Fr. Damien De Veuster, a Belgian missionary to Hawaii, and the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux.

The miracle attributed to Fr. Damien is the cure of Audrey Toguchi, a 79-year-old retired schoolteacher who became ill in 1997 with a cancerous lump on her left thigh.

Upon discovering her cancer, Toguchi went to Fr. Damien’s grave and asked him to intercede for her healing. She then underwent surgery, but her doctor informed her afterwards that he could do nothing more since the cancer had spread to her lungs. Toguchi turned once again to Fr. Damien and the cancer soon began to inexplicably disappear of a four month period. For a full explanation of the miracle please visit: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=12523

The miracle credited to the parents of St. Therese involved the healing of Pietro Schiliro, an Italian newborn who was born in 2002 with partial lungs. The condition was so grave that doctors could do nothing and Pietro’s parents immediately had him baptized.

The Schiliro’s also began a novena to St. Therese’s parents and within a few weeks the Pietro made an unexpected recovery.

The full list of those advancing along the road to sainthood along with the various steps being recognized is listed below... (Continued here).

Italian teen is getting closer to sainthood

2008-07-09T10:22:00.004-04:00

This extraordinary teen's last words were, “Ciao. Be happy because I am.”

Rome, Jul 7, 2008 / 05:56 pm (CNA).- The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints issued a decree last week recognizing the heroic virtues of Chiara “Luce” Badano, a young Italian girl who belonged to the Focolare Movement and died in 1990 at the age of 18.

The new “Venerable” Chiara was born in Sassello, Liguria, on October 29, 1971, to the joy of her parents, truck driver Ruggero Badano, and Maria Teresa Caviglia, who waited eleven years to have a child.

“Amidst our great joy, we understood immediately that she was not only our daughter but also a daughter of God,” her mother said according to a biography published by Focolare.

Since childhood, Chiara showed a deep love for God and a strong but docile character. She was joyful, kind and very active.

At the age of nine she joined the Focolare Movement. In 1985 Chiara moved to Savona to continue her education, and according to her biographers, “She had a difficult time despite her great efforts. She was held back one year and this made her suffer greatly.”

Chiara had many friends and loved sports, especially tennis, swimming and hiking. She dreamed of being a flight attendant and enjoyed dancing and singing. However, at the age of 16 she decided to pursue the consecrated life.

She had a close relationship with the foundress of the Focolare, Chiara Lubich, who gave her the name, “Luce.”

Soon afterwards she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her shoulder. She began intense chemotherapy while she continued her daily life with the same joy and faith.

This joy and faith moved Chiara to give all of her savings to a friend who was going to be a missionary in Africa, even though she was ill.

Despite the efforts by doctors, her illness progressed rapidly and she lost the use of her legs. “If I had to choose between walking or going to heaven I’d choose heaven,” she told her family... (Continued here)

St Maria Goretti

2008-07-06T11:36:00.006-04:00

"Maria Goretti was born on October 16, 1890 in Corinaldo, Italy to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. The Gorettis were a poor family who worked as sharecroppers in the Pontine marshes. Along with their six children, they lived with Luigi’s partner Signor Serenelli and his teenaged son Allesandro, whose mother had died.

Maria’s father died when she was just nine, so she assumed many of the household responsibilities while her mother worked in the fields. She cared for her siblings and the Serenellis, all in perfect charity. Her cheerful nature was well-known in Pontine, where most children her age would play in the dusty streets. Though unable to read and write, Maria knew and loved Jesus and Mary, and one of the most important events of her life was her First Holy Communion, for which she diligently prepared..." (Continued at Catholic Exchange)

The beautiful holy card is courtesy of Holy Cards for Your Inspiration

St. Elizabeth of Portugal

2008-07-04T14:05:00.002-04:00

Elizabeth, a Spanish princess, was born in 1271. She married King Denis of Portugal at the age of twelve. Elizabeth was beautiful and very lovable. She was also devout and went to Mass every day. Elizabeth was a charming wife. Her husband was fond of her at first, but soon he began to cause her great suffering. Though a good ruler, he did not have his wife's love of prayer and virtue. In fact, his sins of impurity were well-known scandals throughout his kingdom. St. Elizabeth tried to be a loving mother to her children, Alphonso and Constance. She was also generous and loving with the people of Portugal. Even though her husband was unfaithful, she prayed that he would have a change of heart. Elizabeth refused to become bitter and resentful. She strengthened her own prayer life and followed the Franciscan spirituality. Gradually, the king was moved by her patience and good example. He began to live better. He apologized to his wife and showed her greater respect. In his last sickness the queen never left his side, except for Mass. King Denis died on January 6, 1325. He had shown deep sorrow for his sins and his death was peaceful. Eiizabeth lived eleven more years. She performed loving acts of charity and penance. She was a wonderful model of kindness toward the poor. This gentle woman was also a peacemaker between members of her own family and between nations. St. Elizabeth of Portugal died on July 4, 1336. She was proclaimed a saint by Pope Urban VIII in 1626. "If you love peace, all will be well."-St. Elizabeth

The Feast of St. Thomas

2008-07-03T22:05:00.003-04:00

St. Thomas, the disciple who at first did not believe, has become for the Church one of the first witnesses to her faith. She is fond of appealing to his testimony and frequently puts in our mouths those simple words whereby he expressed the fervour of his regained faith: "My Lord and my God." It is known that St. Thomas preached the Gospel in Asia beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire, probably in Persia and possibly as far afield as India. St. Thomas' feast was formerly celebrated on December 21.

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was the feast of St. Leo II, one of the last Popes of the early Middle Ages. His short pontificate (682-683) was marked by the confirmation of the sixth ecumenical council at which the Monothelite heresy was condemned. St. Leo II also perfected the melodies of the Gregorian chant for the Psalms and composed some new hymns. (From Catholic Culture)

Review of my "Catholic Saints Prayer Book"

2008-07-03T12:11:00.005-04:00

Ebeth from A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars just posted this on her blog:

"The FedEx guy just came by with a wonderful surprise, Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle's book, "Catholic Saints Prayer Book, Moments of Inspiration from your favorite Saints".

Now, at first glance, I thought, "Wow! small enough to fit in my purse!" I am impressed with the durable hardcover, so classy and the saints are in alphabetical order...great! I can find the one I'm looking for quickly and she lists what they are a patron saint for. It's a great little book to carry with you, throw in the car, keep under your pillow or send to a friend.

More about this little morsel later, I am going to be reading it and I'll report back here with more details!

Thanks Donna-Marie! You are the best!"

***

No, actually Ebeth, YOU ARE the best! Thank you very much!

God bless and hugs,

Donna-Marie

From "A Friar's Life:" Sent as Missionaries to the World

2008-06-29T22:34:00.004-04:00

This is the homily from our assistant pastor, Fr. Tom for today's Mass. I think it's great.

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, June 29, 2008

"Today begins a historic chapter in the history of the Church: The Jubilee Year of St Paul. Pope Benedict has declared this a year dedicated to remembering this great saint as we commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of his birth. The pope calls every Catholic to get to know St. Paul better during this year. Why? Because he is simply an extraordinary example of what God can do when we cooperate with His plans.

Paul is a man of great transformation. Through the grace of God, he went from being a murderer of Christians to being a martyr for Christ. Paul was first a devout Jew bent on crushing this Christian movement. At the height of his violent campaign, Jesus appeared to Paul, while he was on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians there. That encounter completely changed his life, and the course of his history and ours.

He became the great missionary who tirelessly traveled for almost 30 years, starting Christian communities in city after city, preaching and suffering, and writing a major portion of the New Testament. Next to Jesus, Paul is the most prominent person in the New Testament. Of its 27 books, 13 are letters attributed to Paul. More than half of the Acts of the Apostles is devoted to his conversion and his activities spreading the good news about Jesus to the world..." (Continued here)

St. Peter and St. Paul

2008-06-29T13:57:00.002-04:00

ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL St. Peter Peter, the first pope, was a fisherman from Galilee. Jesus invited him to follow him, saying: "I will make you a fisher of men." Peter was a simple, hard-working man. He was generous, honest and very attached to Jesus. This great apostle's name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, which means "rock." "You are Peter," Jesus said, "and on this rock I will build my Church." Peter was the chief or prince of the apostles. When Jesus was arrested, Peter became afraid. It was then that he committed the sin of denying Our Lord three times. Fear for his safety got the best of him. But Peter repented totally. He wept over his denials for the rest of his life. Jesus forgave Peter. After his resurrection he asked Peter three times: "Do you love me?" "Lord," Peter answered, "you know all things. You know that I love you." Jesus truly did know! Peter was so right. Jesus said kindly: "Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep." He was telling Peter to take care of his Church because he would be ascending into heaven. Jesus left Peter as the leader of his followers. Peter eventually went to Rome to live. Rome was the center of the whole Roman Empire. Peter converted many nonbelievers there. When the fierce persecution of Christians began, they begged Peter to leave Rome and save himself. It is said that he actually started out. On the road he met Jesus. Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "I am coming to be crucified a second time." Then St. Peter turned around and went back. He realized that this vision meant that he was to suffer and die for Jesus. Soon after, he was taken prisoner and condemned to death. Because he was not a Roman citizen, he, like Jesus, could be crucified. This time he did not deny the Lord. This time he was ready to die for him. Peter asked to be crucified with his head downward since he was not worthy to suffer as Jesus had. The Roman soldiers did not find this unusual because slaves were crucified in the same manner. St. Peter was martyred on Vatican Hill. It was around the year 67. Emperor Constantine built a large church over that sacred location in the fourth century. Recent archaeological findings confirm these facts. St. Paul Paul is the great apostle who first persecuted the Christians. Then he was converted. We celebrate Paul's conversion on January 25. At the time of his conversion, Jesus had said: "I will show him how much he must suffer for me." St. Paul loved Jesus very much, so much, in fact, that he became a living copy of our Savior. All his life, during his many missionary trips, St. Paul met troubles and went through dangers of every kind. He was whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, and lost at sea. Many, many times he was hungry, thirsty and cold. Yet he always trusted in God. He never stopped preaching. "The love of Jesus presses me onward," he said. In reward, God gave him great comfort and joy in spite of every suffering. We read about his marvelous adventures for Christ in Luke's Acts of the Apostles, beginning with chapter nine. But St. Luke's story ends when Paul arrives in Rome. He is under house arrest, waiting to be tried by Emperor Nero. A famous early Christian writer, Tertullian, tells us that Paul was freed after his first trial. But then he was put in prison again. This time he was sentenced to death. He died around the year 67, during Nero's terrible persecution of the Christians. Paul called himself the apostle of the Gentiles. He preached the Gospel to the non-Jews. That took him to the whole known world. Because of Paul, we, too, have received the Christian faith. May our hearts be filled with joy as we honor these two great apostles: Peter, our leader in the faith, and Paul, its fearless preacher.

Review of Catholic Saints Prayer Book

2008-06-27T15:32:00.006-04:00

By Hugh J.McNichol

The Catholic Church's arsenal of saints is truly a resource that is sadly overlooked by contemporary Catholics. Donna's synopsis of the lives of popular saints is a welcome addition to my spiritual reading library. The heroic lifestyles of the holy men and women that are portrayed in such a clearly spiritual manner by the author are refreshing reminders that all of us as Catholics are called to the ultimate vocation of sainthood. A great book for catechesis and religious education for all levels of faithful Catholics and those interested in learning about the "pillars" of Catholicism. Well done, this book is inspiration to Catholics seeking to identify more closely with the spiritual "heavy-hitters" that have achieved the ultimate title...Saint! Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle has done a great job bringing the great Catholic saints into our unique 21st century perspective.

You can see this review here and there's a place to post a comment.

St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria

2008-06-27T12:31:00.008-04:00

"St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, one of the metropolitan sees of the Christian Church in the east, was one of the great defenders of the faith against the heresy of Nestorius who denied the oneness of person in Jesus Christ. At the Council of Ephesus in 431, over which he presided in the Pope's name, and at his instigation, it was defined that Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time God and man, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, His mother, is truly the Mother of God. St. Cyril died in 444. The Church venerates him as one of her great doctors. His commentary on the Gospel of St. John is one of the richest doctrinally of those left us by the Fathers of the Church.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria is celebrated on February 9." (from Catholic Culture)

You can read Orientalis Ecclesiae (On St. Cyril, Patriarch Of Alexandria)
by Pope Pius XII here:

To Our Venerable Brethren the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops and other Ordinaries at Peace and in Communion with the Apostolic See

Venerable Brethren, Health and Our Apostolic Benediction

St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, glory of the Eastern Church and celebrated champion of the Virgin Mother of God, has always been held by the Church in the highest esteem, and We welcome the opportunity of recalling his merits in this brief Letter, now that fifteen centuries have passed since he happily exchanged this earthly exile for his heavenly home.

2. Our Predecessor St. Celestine I hailed him as 'good defender of the Catholic faith,'[1] as 'excellent priest,'[2] as 'apostolic man.'[3] The ecumenical Council of Chalcedon not only used his doctrine for the detecting and refuting of the latest errors, but went so far as to compare it with the learning of St. Leo the Great;[4] and in fact the latter praised and commended the writings of this great Doctor because of their perfect agreement with the faith of the holy Fathers.[5] The fifth ecumenical Council, held at Constantinople, treated St. Cyril's authority with similar reverence[6] and many years later, during the controversy about the two wills in Christ, his teaching was rightly and triumphantly vindicated, both in the first Lateran Council[7] and in the sixth ecumenical Council, against the false charge of being tainted with the error of Monothelitism. He was, as Our saintly Predecessor Agatho proclaimed, 'a defender of the truth'[8] and 'a consistent teacher of the orthodox faith.'[9]

3. We therefore think it proper in this Letter to give some account of his spotless life, faith, and virtue; and this for the benefit of all, but especially of those who belong to the Eastern Church and therefore have good reason to be proud of this luminary of Christian wisdom, this valiant hero of the apostolate.

4. Born of distinguished family, he was raised to the See of Alexandria--so tradition tells us--in the year 412. His first conflict was with the Novatians and others who attacked the integrity and purity of the faith, and against these he preached, wrote, and issued decrees, ever alert, ever fearless. Later, when the blasphemous heresy of Nestorius began to spread gradually through the East the watchful Pastor was quick to perceive the growth of these new errors and zealous in protecting his flock against them. Throughout this stormy period, and especially at the Council of Ephesus, he showed himself the invincible champion and learned teacher of the divine maternity of the Virgin Mary, of the hypostatic union in Christ, and of the Primacy of the Roman Pontiff. But the leading part which St. Cyril played in these important events has already been admirably described and explained by Our immediate Predecessor of happy memory Pius XI, in the Encyclical Lux Veritatis[10] with which in the year 1931 he celebrated the fifteenth centenary of that ecumenical Council, and therefore it would be superfluous to enter into the details of it here.

5. For Cyril, however, it was not enough to fight vigorously against heresies as they arose, not enough to guard the integrity of Catholic doctrine with energy and solicitude and throw the fullest possible light upon it; he was also untiring in his labors to recall his erring brethren to the straight path of the truth. For when the Bishops of the Province of Antioch were still refusing to recognize the authority of the holy Council of Ephesus, it was due to his efforts that they were at length, after long vicissitudes, brought to complete agreement. And it was only after he had succeeded with God's help in accomplishing this happy reunion and in guarding and securing it against misconceptions that, being now ripe for the reward of everlasting glory, he was taken up to heaven in the year 444, mourned by all men of good will... (Continued here.)

St. Maximus and Pope Benedict

2008-06-25T13:08:00.002-04:00

Vatican City, Jun 25, 2008 / 10:21 am (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI addressed some 14,000 thousand pilgrims today from beneath a white canopy as the sun blazed down on St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father, continuing his catechesis on the great figures of the Church, spoke of St. Maximus the Confessor, a monk, theologian and scholar, who was famous for his courageous witness to Christ.

"Maximus understood that our salvation depends on the integrity of Christ, true God and true man," Pope Benedict said. Another aspect of St. Maximus that, the Pope focused on was his “indomitable courage in defending orthodoxy."

Also known as Maximus the theologian, he was born in Palestine in the year 580 and died in exile in the year 662. "From Jerusalem, Maximus moved to Constantinople then, because of the barbarian invasions, he took refuge in Africa where he distinguished himself for his great courage in the defense of orthodoxy. During his time in Carthage, he publicly defended the integrity of Jesus as having both a divine and human nature... (Continued here)

Canticle is out!

2008-06-19T20:18:00.003-04:00

The latest issue of Canticle magazine is out and my cover story is, "Women Thirsting for the Living Water: Mulieris Dignitatem and the International Women's Congress in Rome."

St. Anthony of Padua

2008-06-13T11:55:00.005-04:00

"St. Anthony was born at Lisbon, Portugal. He became a canon regular and then a Franciscan preaching the Gospel everywhere in Portugal and Italy. Both as a theologian and as a popular preacher he fought vigorously against heresy. His preaching was inspired by the love of God and of souls and had an extraordinary power of conviction; it was filled with the penetrating power of the Bible. Pope Gregory IX, who heard him preach, called him during his lifetime the Arca Testamenti, meaning "the living repository of the Holy Spriptures" and Pope Pius XII, when he proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church, declared that he based all that he said on the texts of the Gospels, and could justly be called the Evangelical Doctor. St. Anthony lived for a time in France, but chiefly in Italy, and died at Padua in 1231 at age 36, with the reputation of great sanctity. From the day of his death innumerable miracles caused the faithful to invoke him as a wonderworker of untiring benevolence." (Catholic Culture)

I have dear St. Anthony in my new saints' book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book. I want to say to St. Anthony:

"Dear St. Anthony, can you please FIND me some more time to be able to keep up with all of my duties and works?!

Additionally, St. Anthony, please help me to FIND Jesus in all of the people that I encounter in any way throughout each day of my life. Thank you for listening to my pleas. I love you! Amen."

Our good and dear Lord gives us the gift of the saints to call upon for help and intercession anytime at all. He doesn't want us to hesitate in asking for their help! So, don't be shy, ask away. They will bring us closer to our Lord!

God bless!

Donna-Marie

An approved prayer asking for Pope John Paul II's intercession

2008-06-12T08:00:00.004-04:00

O Holy Trinity,
we thank you for having given to the Church
Pope John Paul II,
and for having made him shine with your fatherly tenderness,
the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendour of the Spirit of love

He, trusting completely in your infinite mercy
and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself
in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd
and has pointed out to us holiness
as the path to reach eternal communion with You.

Grant us, through his intercession,
according to your will, the grace that we implore,
in the hope that he will soon be numbered among your saints.
Amen.

(Taken from:
L'Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
6 July 2005, page 9)

L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See.
The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by:

The Cathedral Foundation
L'Osservatore Romano English Edition
320 Cathedral St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Subscriptions: (410) 547-5315
Fax: (410) 332-1069
lormail@catholicreview.org

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The Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit

2008-06-06T17:35:00.002-04:00

My EWTN experience

2008-06-04T23:40:00.002-04:00

Go on over to Daily Donna-Marie to "hear" about my EWTN experience!

My trip to the RBTE

2008-05-31T17:41:00.001-04:00

Go on over to my "Daily Donna-Marie" blog to "hear" about my recent trip to the RBTE!

Review: "Catholic Saints Prayer Book"

2008-05-30T22:09:00.002-04:00

Catholic Saints Prayer Book. Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle. Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 2008. 80 pp.

“[W]e hope not just to make it to heaven one day, but rather to bring countless souls with us because of our life and how we have loved,” says Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle in her new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book. And there is no better way to do just that than by learning from those that did it best – the saints.

This handy compilation is packed with far more than its compact design would suggest. I was pleased with how much quality information it contained about the lives of over 30 of the Catholic Church’s great saints.

For each saint featured in the book, Donna-Marie provides a glimpse of the wisdom of each of these historic individuals along with a brief synopsis of their life. It even contains an insightfully crafted intercessory prayer for each saint.

If you are looking to learn more about these heroic examples of our faith, this book is for you. It’s to the point, packed with facts, and inspiring at every page turn - making it great for all ages. It’s useful whether reading it all at once, or even just a few pages at a time. It makes a great reference book, too.

The author proclaims, as the Church does, that “we should indeed seek out the saints, who will surely help lead us to God, assisting us all along the way.” This book is a great place to let your seeking begin.

Matt Warner

Owner/Operator of Catholic Outpost

www.CatholicOutpost.com

***

Thank you very much Matt!

Interview with Teresa Tomeo about my new book!

2008-05-27T10:53:00.003-04:00

Check here for my interview with Teresa Tomeo about my Catholic Saints Prayer Book . You can listen right from your computer!

Okay, running to Chicago now and then down to EWTN!!

Thank you for your prayers!

God bless and hugs,

Donna-Marie

RBTE and EWTN in one week!

2008-05-26T23:13:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

I will be leaving for Chicago tomorrow (Tuesday) morning to go to the RBTE, Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit to do a book signing of my newest book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book and then I will be going to Birmingham, Alabama later in the week to tape some episodes on EWTN. I'll let you know when they will be aired as soon as I know.

I most-likely will not be able to post messages for a few days. If it is possible, I will. I would appreciate prayers for safety if you would be so kind. Thank you in advance for the prayers! I will keep you all in mine.

God bless you!

Donna-Marie

Crossroad's Magazine Television profile of me

2008-05-25T15:49:00.003-04:00

You can now view (from your computer) the profile of me regarding the Vatican congress that I attended recently in Rome for women and about my books by ORTV's Crossroad's Magazine Television show. Just click here to see it Crossroad's Magazine Television show. Then scroll dpwn a little and click on May 10th which is the day the show aired, the Saturday before Mother's day! I hope you enjoy the show. I am in the second segment.

God bless!

Donna-Marie

Book Review from the Irish Family Press (out of Ireland)

2008-05-23T15:44:00.003-04:00

Catholic Saints Prayer Book

By Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Review by Gary Brady

When my family and I visit the various heritage centres around Ireland there is invariably some kind of book outlet at the site. This excellent little hardback book by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle looks exactly like the books one finds in such outlets. However, whilst the sort of books one usually discovers in such shops paint St Patrick as some kind of New Age superhero and St Bridget as Ireland’s first Catholic feminist, this book gives an orthodox view of Saints from which we can all learn.

Mrs O’Boyle is the author of three other books and writes for numerous websites and newspapers usually concentrating on the sanctification of the home and the family - including the Irish Family Press. She has received awards from both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Each chapter is indeed a ‘flash’ account of the lives of each Saint, detailing thirty two Saints in just eighty pages, which also include a prayer to each particular one, their feast day and a famous quote. However, there is enough information to ignite an interest for any reader who may wish to learn more.

The book is a nice mix of the various Saints such as Peregrine, Thomas More, Patrick, Maximilian Kolbe etc and it was nice to see St John Neumann, the first American Bishop to be canonised, included. His love for the Irish people is little mentioned these days, yet the fact that he learned the Irish language himself in order to minister to Irish emigrants says everything.

‘Let us invoke the Saints often, asking for their holy assistance, even praying along with them, striving to imitate their virtues while praying to become saints ourselves. In doing so, we hope not just to make it to heaven one day, but rather to bring countless souls with us because of our life and how we have loved.’

(From the introduction to Catholic Saints Prayer Book)

Available from all good Catholic Bookshops

Pease pray for this family

2008-05-21T16:00:00.006-04:00

Updated on THURSDAY

UPDATED AGAIN
NEW MILFORD -- Sorrow and shock about the violent murder of a Northeastern University student found in her off-campus apartment Tuesday morning swept from her Boston campus to her hometown Wednesday.

Rebecca Payne, a 22-year-old athletic training major and campus leader, was a 2004 New Milford High graduate and yearbook editor.

On hearing the news, NMHS social studies teacher Brock Putnam described her as "a shaft of sunlight penetrating the gloom of the darkest day."

"She was a wonderful, bright, vivacious girl -- an outstanding student," said John Lee, high school vice principal. "This is a real tragedy. Everyone who has heard has been really saddened by the news."

Her parents, Nicholas and Virginia Payne of New MIlford, released a public statement through the Boston police late Wednesday afternoon.

"We would like to remember Rebecca as someone always smiling, never worrying about things not worth worrying about," the couple said of their only child, a senior in the university's Bouvé College of Health and Sciences... (SEE NEWS TIMES STORY HERE)

MORE HERE

A volley of gunshots left a 22-year-old college student dead in her Boston apartment early Tuesday.
A black van was seen driving away about the same time.

But as of late Wednesday, Boston police weren't sure, or weren't saying, whether the vehicle one witness saw leaving the quiet residential neighborhood where Rebecca Payne, of New Milford, had lived since August was connected to the death of the Northeastern University senior.

"We can't say whether it's related, but it's a piece of information, and every piece helps," police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said.

Payne, described by one neighbor as "a really sweet young lady," was found dead in her two-bedroom apartment shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday, hours after several other residents in the 40-unit complex remember hearing gunshots.

None, however, called 911, police said.... (Continued here)

Updated on THURSDAY BY MATT O'ROURKE REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
A 22-year-old New Milford woman was found shot dead Tuesday in her Boston apartment.

Rebecca Payne, a Northeastern University student, was discovered lying on the floor in her off-campus apartment shortly before 7 a.m. A building manager called 911 after finding her apartment door slightly ajar and noticing blood inside, a law enforcement source said.

Although police had not released the woman's identity, Nicholas Payne, Rebecca's father, confirmed in an interview with The Boston Globe on Tuesday that the body was his daughter's.

He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Rebecca Payne was shot twice in the legs and once in the chest, according to police.

"A tragedy like this, suddenly and without explanation, that takes the life of one of our brightest young lights brings us unfathomable grief," said Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University, in a statement posted on the university's Web site Wednesday morning... continued here with this news story.

UPDATED NOW WITH THIS NEWS STORY FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE

ORIGINAL BLOG POST IS HERE. UPDATES WERE ADDED ABOVE AS THEY CAME IN

Please dear friends, pray for parents I know who just lost their only child - a beautiful, talented, God-loving twenty two year old daughter. We just heard that she was murdered last night in Boston near where she went to college. She was staying in an off campus dorm temporarily for a week or so to do a part time job and someone got into the dorm and shot her three times. I can't even explain the devastation here. She was my daughter's dear friend.

Thank you for your prayers for her parents and friends and for her soul.

God bless,
Donna-Marie

Good Saint Anthony!

2008-05-18T18:35:00.004-04:00

You know that poor St. Anthony is constantly invoked for finding lost items. Actually, I really don't think he minds all of our requests. I call upon him myself quite often. I'll share a little experience we just had yesterday - it's entirely up to you whether you believe it or not. I'm just sharing. This is the kind of thing I usually would keep to myself, however I feel it may help to inspire someone so I will tell you.

My son, Joseph was looking for his car keys. He was absolutely "positive" that he had put them in the same place that he usually puts them whenever he walks in the door. Of course, he also thought that maybe I had moved them while I was tidying up. I assured him that I had not moved them, however I'd be very happy to help him find them. And at that particular time, it was essential that Joseph leave soon or he would be late for a very important appointment.

"Okay, Joseph, say a prayer to Saint Anthony," I said and then I started looking around the general area for the keys and Joseph started looking too.

"Saint Anthony! Saint Anthony!" I called out loud (actually pretty loud), "Could you please help us find Joseph's car keys?"

I distinctly and immediately heard in my head, "They are in the pocket of his jacket."

For a second, I thought, "What jacket and where?"

Immediately, I walked to the closet and said, "Oh! Okay" because I knew exactly what I was to do. I then said to Jesus, "Wow, this would be so great if they are really here."

I opened the door of the closet and put my hand into the pocket of a sweatshirt type jacket that was hanging there amongst the fifteen or more other various jackets in the family closet in our foyer. I grabbed the keys right out of the pocket and yelled to Joseph!

"Joseph! I found them! St. Anthony answered our prayers!"

Blessed Mother Teresa

2008-05-10T10:05:00.002-04:00

"For me, life is the most beautiful gift of God to mankind, therefore people and nations who destroy life by abortion and euthanasia are the poorest. I do not say legal or illegal, but I think that no human hand should be raised to kill life, since life is God's life in us, even in an unborn child. "

(excerpt from The Joy in Loving Mother Teresa Compiled by Jaya Chalika and Edward Le Joly)

The attraction to Padre Pio's remains

2008-05-08T17:11:00.004-04:00

May 8, 2008 / 01:37 am (CNA).- An Italian business magazine is claiming that the shrine dedicated to St. Padre Pio has become a bigger attraction than Lourdes, now that the saint’s body has been put on display.

ANSA reports that Economy magazine says the number of annual visitors to the southern town of San Giovanni Rotondo will increase to nine million. The projected total will make the town the world’s second most popular destination for religious tourists, behind only the Vatican.

Pilgrims to the shrine at Lourdes usually number eight million per year.

Economy magazine calculates that Padre Pio’s shrine will bring $185 million in revenue from sales of souvenirs, two periodicals, a satellite TV station, and pilgrims’ offerings to the otherwise impoverished region.

Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, was credited by his fellow friars with more than 1,000 miraculous cures and interventions. In 1910 St. Pio began to bear the stigmata, the wounds that Jesus received from his crucifixion. Church authorities were skeptical of the reputed miracle worker until his death in 1968. He was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.

The saint’s body was exhumed by Capuchin friars in March and was considered to be in surprisingly good condition. The body, whose face is now covered by a lifelike silicon mask, was to be displayed for just a few months.

However, due to demands from millions of devotees, the body will be on display until September 2009. It will then be returned to the crypt of the Santa Maria delle Grazie church in San Giovanni Rotondo, next to the friary where Padre Pio lived for most of his life.

I will be on ORTV this Saturday, May 10th on "Crossroad's Magazine" TV show

2008-05-07T15:55:00.001-04:00

I just heard from ORTV, the Office of Radio & Television of the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT and was told, that the televsion show that they profiled me on will air on Mothers' Day week end! It will recount some of my recent Vatican experience, talk about women and their mission and vocation and also about my books and vocation as a mother.

They said it will be "On Saturday May 10th. It will air on WTXX-CW20 at 10:30 am, and then again at 10:30 pm on channel WCTX My-TV 9."

I inquired of the reporter as to which channel to watch it on and she said, "Every cable company is different. Most likely it will be on channel 9, but I would check your local listing. And regarding channel 20, again that is different everywhere, where I live its channel 7. But rest assured, these channels are available on every cable company in the state. If you’ve ever seen the TV Mass, that is channel 20."

So, for everyone who can view this who lives in Connecticut, there is your information. For those of you in another location, I will link the episode to my website and blogs when it becomes available to do so.

Review from Sarah at "Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering"

2008-05-07T14:14:00.003-04:00

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s latest book is proof that the lives of the saints are anything but boring.

The book fits in the side pocket of my going-somewhere-without-the-diaper-bag purse. I tuck it in my diaper bag or in my coat pocket. Sometimes I stow it with my prayer books, in a nook above my microwave.

But it’s not just the handy size that makes this book the perfect gift for just about anyone, and I am even thinking about giving it to a few young non-Catholics in my life - who doesn’t love a hero?

That’s what this book is about. It’s about heroes. It’s about the saints of yesterday (and some of the yesterdays aren’t so long ago!) who lived their faith.

What you’ll find in Catholic Saints Prayer Book: Moments of Inspiration from Your Favorite Saints is not a tome of dusty stories (though those have their place). You’ll find just enough information about each of the 32 saints to whet your appetite and feed your prayer life. Using Donna’s format, you get catechesis AND prayer.

This isn’t a book with exhaustive facts about every saint. Instead, it’s a collection of snapshots to encourage you as you trundle along from one daily task to another.

It’s also worth checking out Donna’s new book-inspired blog, Moments of Inspiration with Your Favorite Saints.

UPDATED TO ADD:
Donna just alerted me that she will be on the air with Teresa Tomeo on Monday, May 12th at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time to talk about this book. Listen live!

UPDATED AGAIN:
Donna sent me a link to her post about the show. So, if you're interested in hearing about it straight from her, go check out what she has to say and plan to listen!

***

Thanks so much, dear Sarah!

Check out Sarah's beautiful blog here. Be sure to check out her baby pics!

St. Padre Pio

2008-05-06T22:09:00.007-04:00

People waiting to go inside the Church to see the remains of Saint Padre Pio who was a sought after soul in life and in now in death.

Saint Padre Pio is displayed in the Madonna delle Grazie Church in San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia province, in southern Italy (this photo taken on 24 April 2008). Tens of thousands of pilgrims pilgramaged to San Giovanni on April 24th to witness the first public display of Saint Padre Pio's exhumed remains. Saint Padre Pio who died 40 years ago spent most of his days in the Confessional, hearing confessions from pilgrims traveling from all parts of the world to seek his counsel. One of his gifts was to be able to read hearts. He is also famous for his stigmata. Saint Padre Pio continues to be widely venerated by many Catholics worldwide.

(A special thanks to Mary Catherine in Kansas for pointing me to the photos)

St Padre Pio Exhumed

2008-05-03T23:36:00.000-04:00

Vatican confirms a Hawaiian woman's cure from cancer is linked to Blessed Father Damien

2008-05-03T09:43:00.004-04:00

Honolulu, May 1, 2008 / 08:02 pm (CNA).- The Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints has ruled that a Hawaiian woman’s cure from cancer was a miracle linked to her prayers to Blessed Father Damien De Veuster. The missionary priest, who was renowned for working with leprosy patients, is now one step closer to being declared a saint.

Audrey Toguchi, a 79-year-old retired schoolteacher who lives in Aiea, became ill in 1997 with a lump on her left thigh that was discovered to be cancerous. She asked her sisters to accompany her to Kalaupapa to pray at Father Damien’s grave.

“I prayed that he would ask God to heal me,” Toguchi told the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

After surgery in January 1998, Dr. Walter Chang told her that her rare form of cancer, liposarcoma, had spread to both lungs.

"He said, 'I cannot do anything for you. No surgery is possible.'," she said.

"I went back to Kalaupapa,” Toguchi continued. “I went to Mass and received Communion and then I went to Damien's grave. I said, 'Please, ask God to cure this cancer.'

"Doctor Chang took pictures of my lungs and every month, it was less and less until after four months, the cancer was gone. He was flabbergasted."

According to the Star Bulletin, Toguchi told no one besides her family about her cure. Instead, she wrote to Pope John Paul II... (Continued here)

New review of my "Catholic Saints Prayer Book"

2008-05-01T23:15:00.004-04:00

I just found this over at Amazon.Com

Inspiring!
By Patrice Fagnant "www.spiritualwoman.net" (Springfield, MA)

The "Catholic Saints Prayer Book" is a wonderful little book, perfect for carrying in your purse or briefcase so that you can pull it out whenever you need some heavenly intervention. Cooper O'Boyle profiles 32 well-known saints and includes a prayer to each one. There is a remarkable amount of information packed into this book's 80 pages. It is like having a collection of holy cards that you can easily carry with you.

In the introduction, Cooper O'Boyle writes:

"Ultimately, we should see the saints as models of sanctity for us to imitate, as well as tremendous intercessors, helping us when we invoke them. . . Let us invoke the saints often, asking for their holy assistance, even praying along with them, striving to imitate their virtues while praying to become saints ourselves. In doing so, we hope not just to make it to heaven one day, but rather to bring countless souls with us because of our life and how we have loved."

"The Catholic Saints Prayer Book" can certainly help us on our journey to holiness.

***

Thank you, Patrice! :)

St Padre Pio's body Exhumed

2008-04-29T10:27:00.006-04:00

"The body is here, but Padre Pio is not just a body. In fact, he who lived in full union with the crucified Jesus now lives in absolute communion."

SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO, Italy (CNS) - "Venerating the relics of St. Padre Pio is a reminder that the saints were real men and women who lived for God, said Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes.

Cardinal Saraiva Martins celebrated Mass April 24 at San Giovanni Rotondo before officially unveiling the new, crystal tomb in which Padre Pio has been reburied.

Pilgrims will be able to view the body of the Capuchin friar, who died Sept. 26, 1968.

In his homily, Cardinal Saraiva Martins said he wanted to emphasize two things: the meaning of death and the significance of venerating relics.

'That which we will see is a dead body, no longer animated by that breath which God the creator breathed into the primordial clay,' he said.

"Facing the mystery of death, we are called to understand that that which we see does not sum up everything about human existence," the cardinal said. "The body is here, but Padre Pio is not just a body. In fact, he who lived in full union with the crucified Jesus now lives in absolute communion with the risen Jesus."

Venerating the body of Padre Pio, he said, believers are called to remember.

"Looking at his mortal remains, we remember all the good he accomplished in our midst through this body. The relics of those who sleep in the Lord -- and of the saints in a special way -- invite us to look toward the future. They call us to renew our faith in the resurrection of the flesh."

The Capuchins of San Giovanni Rotondo and the papal delegate for the saint's shrine, Archbishop Domenico D'Ambrosio, have said the body will be on view at least until September, but perhaps for as long as a year before the crystal will be covered.

The shrine has opened a telephone line -- (39-088) 241-7500 -- which potential pilgrims can use to reserve a date and time for visiting the tomb. Those without reservations will have to stand in line and take a chance on making it inside the crypt between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

As of April 23, the friars said, about 750,000 people had made reservations.

Padre Pio's body was exhumed in a service that began late at night March 2 to verify the state of the body and to allow technicians to ensure its long-term preservation.

The friars had said the body was in 'fair condition,' although the skull and parts of the upper body showed serious signs of decay.

The archbishop and the Capuchins hired Gems Studio, the London-based firm that makes figures for Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, to create a silicone mask -- including a short moustache and ample beard -- for the body." (Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)

(The practice of venerating the bodies of deceased holy men and women is as ancient as the Church. In the earliest centuries,Holy Mass was often celebrated over the tomb of one of the Saints. It proclaims the Christian belief in the redemption of the whole person, body, soul and spirit and the coming resurrection of the body. Such veneration also reveals a deep honor and reverence for those who lived lives conformed to Jesus and who are now in the communion of the saints triumphant, praying for us all.)

***

St. Padre Pio is in my new saints' book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book.

St Catherine of Siena, an amazing saint

2008-04-29T07:07:00.004-04:00

"Catherine, the youngest of twenty-five children, was born in Siena on March 25, 1347During her youth she had to contend with great difficulties on the part of her parents. They were planning marriage for their favorite daughter; but Catherine, who at the age of seven had already taken a vow of virginity, refused. To break her resistance, her beautiful golden brown tresses were shorn to the very skin and she was forced to do the most menial tasks. Undone by her patience, mother and father finally relented and their child entered the Third Order of St. Dominic.
Unbelievable were her austerities, her miracles, her ecstasies. The reputation of her sanctity soon spread abroad; thousands came to see her, to be converted by her. The priests associated with her, having received extraordinary faculties of absolution, were unable to accommodate the crowds of penitents. She was a helper and a consoler in every need. As time went on, her influence reached out to secular and ecclesiastical matters. She made peace between worldly princes. The heads of Church and State bowed to her words. She weaned Italy away from an anti-pope, and made cardinals and princes promise allegiance to the rightful pontiff. She journeyed to Avignon and persuaded Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome. Even though she barely reached the age of thirty-three her accomplishments place her among the great women of the Middle Ages. The virgin Catherine was espoused to Christ by a precious nuptial ring which, although visible only to her, always remained on her finger."

(Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch)

Profound words from St. Padre Pio

2008-04-23T07:53:00.000-04:00

"The most beautiful Credo is the one we pronounce in our hour of darkness."--
St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Search inside my book!

2008-04-16T10:01:00.002-04:00

My publisher, Our Sunday Visitor has just set up a "Search Inside the Book" with my new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book over at Amazon.com. Go take a look!

"Catholic Saints Prayer Book" is released!

2008-04-03T08:27:00.003-04:00

My book signing at the Borders store in Danbury, CT went very well. The event was called, "Tea and Fellowship" which combined the news of my recent Vatican trip (as you can see boards around me with photos and articles) and the release of my new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book!

You can see my new book in this photo.

You may order a signed copy of this book through my website, from this blog (look at the right hand column), Our Sunday Visitor Pub. Co., from The Catholic Company, Amazon.Com, and many other places.

On the anniversary of Pope John Paul II's anniversary of his death

2008-04-02T12:29:00.002-04:00

On the third anniversary of Pope John Paul II's anniversary of his death and entrance into Eternal Life.

"Catholic Saints Prayer Book" interview

2008-03-26T17:11:00.005-04:00

Author, Mary De Turris Poust recently interviewed me about my newest book which has been JUST RELEASED!

Her interview begins here:

I recently had the opportunity to interview Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, author of the newly released Catholic Saints Prayer Book: Moments of Inspiration From Your Favorite Saints (Our Sunday Visitor). So grab a cup of coffee and sit down to enjoy a conversation with this award-winning writer.

First a little background:

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, a Catholic wife and mother of five children, is an internationally known best-selling author and award-winning journalist. Donna-Marie knew Blessed Mother Teresa for nearly a decade, during which time they both kept in correspondence and met in various locations. Blessed Teresa wrote Donna-Marie 22 letters and wrote the foreword to Donna-Marie’s book, “Prayerfully Expecting,” as well as quotes for her other books.

Donna-Marie was invited by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome to be one of 250 delegates worldwide to attend an International Women's Congress in Rome recently.

She has a regular national radio segment called, "Mom's Corner" at “Catholic Connection” with Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria Radio (EWTN). In addition to her books, Donna-Marie’s writing can be found in many Catholic magazines, newspapers, and on the Internet in her many columns, as well as on her Web site and blogs.

***

Donna, your newest book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book, was just released. Can you tell me about this book and how it came to be?

My book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book: Moments of Inspiration From Your Favorite Saints, is a compilation of 32 saints; complete with biographies, patronages, quotes and prayers beseeching the saints’ assistance. It’s a sturdy hard-covered book that is a great size (approx. 4 ¼ in. by 6 ¼ in.) to tuck in the briefcase, diaper bag, purse, or set on the night stand or coffee table. It’s about 80 pages long and is adorned with some beautiful art work, which enhances the text. I think this book is suitable for anyone, young and old alike. Confirmation students may find it to be helpful when they are trying to discern a saint’s name.

I approached the Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Company, asking if they would like me to write a saints’ book in the size and format of my other book that was published with them, Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers. I thought that a saints’ book would be a nice addition to complement their book series. Our Sunday Visitor liked the idea and asked me to write it.

What makes this saint book different from other saint books?

You can read the interview here.

Catholic Saints Prayer Book

2008-03-19T22:29:00.003-04:00

Good news! I heard from Our Sunday Visitor today. My new books have arrived to them and they will be able to send my order off to me shortly!

The Saints as our intercessors

2008-03-18T11:50:00.000-04:00

I love what the Catholic Catechism says about the saints.

“The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission f their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, they praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered in the joy of their Master, they were ‘put in charge of many things.’ Their intercession is their most exalted service to God’s plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world” (CCC #2683)

Happy St. St Patrick's day!

2008-03-17T13:09:00.003-04:00

Here's a sneak peak at a prayer in my new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book.

Dear St. Patrick, you said, "I was like a stone lying in the deep mire and He that is mighty came, and in His mercy lifted me up, and verily raised me aloft and placed me on top of the wall." Please pray that our dear Lord will also raise me up and heal my stony heart. You also said, "In a single day I have prayed as many as a hundred times and in the night almost as often." Pray for me, dear St. Patrick that I may have an increased desire to pray more deeply - to lift my heart often throughout the day in prayer no matter what I am doing, so that I may fulfil God's holy will in my life. St. Patrick, pray for us and all who invoke your aid. If it is God's holy will, (here mention your request) please grant my request. Amen.

St Joseph, once again!

2008-03-16T11:21:00.010-04:00

Yesterday was the day that St. Joseph's feast day was celebrated rather than on March 19th when it is normally celebrated since the 19th falls during Holy Week. I had planned to post something yesterday about St.Joseph - even it was just a "Happy St. Joseph's feast day!" greeting. However, yesterday was a very busy day and I wasn't even able to post that one greeting! I hope that you all had a very happy St.Joseph's day. I know at least one person who did.

I'd like to share some wonderful news with you. A friend of mine had asked for prayers a couple of weeks ago because she was experiencing problems. Her adult son had a serious problem with a drug addiction. He was refusing to stay in rehab and had recently become suicidal. Needless to say, this poor mother was suffering terribly for love of her son and desperate for help. Her pain and anguish were deep. St. Joseph was invoked by this mother and others through a novena that ended yesterday on St. Joseph's feast day.

I just got word early this morning that this friend's "prayers were answered!" St. Joseph has come though once again! This seemingly insurmountable situation has been taken care of by this awesome Saint! If you will, please keep this family in your prayers for continued strength and grace. I personally will pray another novena to St. Joseph in thanksgiving for the answer to prayer.

Dear St. Joseph, thank you for coming to our aid once again! Thank you for interceding on our behalf. We love you!

This is a prayer I often use:

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH

O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires. O thou Saint Joseph, do assist me by thy powerful intercession, and obtain for me from thy divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that, having engaged here below thy heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers. O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating thee, and Jesus asleep in thy arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near thy heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. Saint Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen!

Catholic Saints Prayer Book

2008-03-14T23:35:00.004-04:00

Catholic Saints Prayer Book

Donna-Marie has done it again! A recurring theme of Pope John Paul the Great, both in preaching and teaching is that all men & women are called to be Saints. He canonized 482 saints and beatified no less than 1,338 others! Three are mentioned in Donna-Marie’s book, “Catholic Saints Prayer Book!”

The human heart longs for heroes and heroines. Throughout human history we have built monuments, established halls of fame, instituted awards nights of past and present men and women who have been held up as worthy of imitation, only to have fallen out of favor.

Donna-Marie has opened the door of eternity to offer a short glimpse at the Church’s Hall of Fame to those who have, “run the race,” gained the prize, and proven themselves tried and true. She has chosen a wonderful array of women and men; past and present, married, single, religious, deacons, priests, bishops, young and not so, that are all worthy of our emulation.

This little treasure is a pearl of piety and insight to move both those who have just become an acquaintance with this band of heavenly hosts and those who are old friends. My hope and prayer is that this inspirational little book may lead those who prayerfully journey through its pages to be encouraged in faithful discipleship, in communion with all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

As Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI said, “The crisis of our time is the crisis of sanctity!” May this little gem be a answer in part to that crisis! May we entrust this prayer book into the maternal heart of the greatest saint Mary, Queen of Saints.—Fr. Peter Towsley, Pastor St. Ann R. C. Church, Bridgeport, CT

Thank you, Fr. Peter for your very beautiful words!

Are your votes in?

2008-03-14T20:08:00.000-04:00

I will bring to your attention once again that it is time to vote for your favorite Catholic blogs and you only have a couple of days to do it! There are many categories and blogs to choose from. I hope that you'll take the time to vote for some blogs that you have been enjoying.

I will repeat my recent information.

I was pleasantly very surprised to find out that two of my blogs were nominated in three categories.

If you dear reader, feel inclined to vote, go over and take a look! You will need to register (if you aren't already) which takes all of 60 seconds or so. Then the fun begins as you scroll through the categories and recognize some awesome Catholic blogs.

My Embracing Motherhood blog was nominated in two categories. 1) "Most Spiritual Catholic Blog" and 2) "Best New Catholic Blog." My Daily Donna-Marie: A Dose of Inspiration was nominated for "Best Individual Catholic Blog."

Thank you again for the nominations and to those who may feel inclined to vote for my blogs. :) But truly, I am not expecting to win anything. There are many fabulous Catholic blogs out there deserving awards. I am just happy to have been nominated. :)

God bless!

Donna-Marie

St. Maria Goretti and St. Gianna Molla

2008-03-13T22:36:00.010-04:00

Two more winners in our Favorite Saints contest are Karen Edmisten's daughters! The first entry is from "Betsy," age 11.

"Betsy" tells us about St. Maria Goretti:

"I really admire St. Maria Goretti because after a guy stabbed her, she still forgave him before she died. When I imagine myself in her place, I don't know if I would be able to forgive him, because he stabbed her fourteen times! But, I hope that I would be able to forgive him, if I were in her shoes. She forgave him because she wanted him to be with her in Heaven, and twenty-seven years later, he repented, and so probably went to Heaven! When I think of St. Maria Goretti, I know that I want to be more like her. "

Thank you, "Betsy" for sending me your reflection on St. Maria Goretti. I am very impressed! It's wonderful to know that you want to be more "saintly" and be more like St. Maria Goretti. I am sure that you are and will be a strong example to others when you too are forgiving. While striving to imitate St. Maria Goretti's virtues, you will also help others by your example to live a good Christian life. God bless you!

Our next reflection is from "Betsy's sister, "Anne-with-an-e," age 14:

"Anne-with-an-e" tells us about St. Gianna Molla:

"One of my favorite saints is St. Gianna Molla because she was pro-life and gave her own life for her unborn child. Gianna needed surgery for a tumor. The surgery would have hurt her baby, so she decided not to have it. The child was born perfectly healthy, but Gianna died a week later.

If in the future I am faced with the same decision, I would do the same thing. I am very glad that I have a model of that kind of bravery and love."

Thank you, "Anne-with-an-e" for your reflection on St. Gianna Molla. I am also impressed with you! It's wonderful to know that St. Gianna Molla made such an impression on you and that you feel that you would choose to be as brave and loving as she was when she sacrificed herself to preserve her baby's life. God bless you!

Guess what girls? You both win a copy of my new Saints book!

"Anne-with-an-e" and "Betsy's" mother, Karen Edmisten had a sneak peak of my Saints book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book and offered me the following review:

"I can never have too many books about the saints, and here's one to add to my collection. Praying with the Saints is an engaging compilation of short biographies. Original prayers and lovely illustrations accompany the profiles of thirty-two saints, along with quotes from the saints and information on their patronage. With its pocket size, Praying with the Saints is the perfect "take along" inspirational reading."

Thank you very much, Karen. I'm sure you must be very proud of your girls!

Saint Anthony of Padua!

2008-03-12T22:27:00.012-04:00

Our next winner in the Favorite Saint contest is Lisa Hendey from CatholicMom.Com and Catholic Mom Moments Podcast! Her refection is below:

"One of my favorite saints is St. Anthony of Padua. While growing up, our family frequently invoked St. Anthony to aid in the finding of lost items. With five children, I'm sure my mother frequently relied on St. Anthony's intercession to help her stay sane with all of the messes we made. It seems like something was always lost.

As I grew up and moved away from my family and into my own independent life, I felt as though something in my own life was missing. I had a happy marriage and beautiful children, but I missed out on the sense of having a "faith family" as we had known when I was growing up. In my childhood, church life and our parish were always at the center of our family life. It was not unusual for us to remain after Mass for up to an hour on Sunday, chatting with friends in the parking lot.

As a young mother, I found myself struggling to find my way and raise my children in the church on my own. My "faith family" felt permanently lost and I was desperate to find it. I attended Mass alone or with the boys on Sunday, since my dear husband was not Catholic. I prayed to many saints, but especially to St. Anthony, to Our Lady and to St. Therese to help me in my mission of raising my children in the faith and in setting a loving, faith-filled example for my children. I prayed for a faith community to know, to love, and to be a part of the way I had when I was a child.

Now, many years later, St. Anthony has responded to my prayer. This Easter vigil, my husband will celebrate the fifth anniversary of his reception into the Church through RCIA. My boys are music ministers and altar servers and my beloved plays his guitar every week at our 9:30 family Mass. Each Sunday, I find myself surrounded in love by my faith family as we celebrate the Eucharist at my parish home: St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Fresno, California. St. Anthony found my missing "faith family" and brought me home to worship with them in his home here in Fresno!

Wow, well how do you like that? What an awesome story! Lisa is a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish! Thank you, Lisa. I think it's so wonderful that not only did you FIND your "faith family" with St. Anthony's help, you also are surrounded with another faith family through your wonderful and generous work that you do for the Church. Your Catholic Mom website draws so many people closer to God and undoubtedly helps to deepen their faith too. Thanks for all that you do, Lisa. It's nice to hear about your favorite Saint!

Lisa has won a copy of my new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book. St. Anthony is in my book. Lisa also had a sneak peak of the page proofs of the book and has given me this review of it:

"In the introduction to her latest work, Catholic Saints Prayer Book, author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle offers readers a concise yet inspiring bit of motivation for cultivating relationships with the saints.

'Ultimately, we should see the saints as models of sanctity for us to imitate as well as tremendous intercessors, helping us when we invoke them. We should indeed seek out the saints who will surely help lead us to God, assisting us all along the way.'

Catholic Saints Prayer Book arms readers with the tools necessary to come to know these holy men and women in order to emulate the lives they led. Additionally, Cooper O’Boyle’s lovingly formed words offer readers prompting prayers to build intercessory relationships with people who struggled just as we do along life’s path toward a relationship with a loving heavenly Father. Donna Marie’s book is just the right blend of biography and heart – readers will find themselves edified about the lives of the thirty two saints covered and inspired to turn to these holy ones for intercessory aid and consolation.

From spiritual “favorites” such as St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Joseph to lesser known or newer saints such as St. Marguerite Bourgeoys or St. Padre Pio, each chapter offers the details of lives well lived, stirring quotations, and patronage and feast day information. Cooper O’Boyle’s personally crafted prayers set this apart from other books on the Saints lives I have read in the past – Donna-Marie’s clear faith and beautiful soul shine through in each prayer and will encourage you to strive for sainthood along your own journey to heaven."

Thank you again, Lisa for your beautiful words. Thank you and God bless you for all of your generous work for the Church and for families.

Trust in St. Joseph!

2008-03-11T21:42:00.007-04:00

Carrie just expressed her trust in St. Joseph and in his novena. She told me how he has helped her family in an extraordinary way.

She said, "I also trust that the novena will move mountains. Turning to St. Joseph has always brought amazing results for me. After being told that I couldn't conceive post-chemo, then getting pregnant and losing every baby at three months, my husband's heart was broken. I sent him to a local parish to sit beside a statue of St. Joseph, helping him to focus his prayers with those of the patron saint of fathers. Within days, I found out I was pregnant. Matteo Joseph was due on March 19 (but arrived early, he'll be five tomorrow). My daughter, Francesca Maria, was born two years later on March 19. Not a soul on this planet can tell me that St. Joseph did not intercede on my behalf.

Joseph was truly holy. After all, he's the only person who ever lived with two people who never sinned! If something went wrong at home... well, you knew whose fault it was. :-) No wonder Joseph is never quoted in the bible. I, too, would probably keep my mouth shut under those circumstances. I've shared this story in the simple hope that you will find peace in these prayers"

Thank you so much, Carrie for allowing me to quote you here at "Moments of Inspiration With Your Favorite Saints." Hearing stories about how the Saints have helped us pilgrims on the journey toward Heaven is inspirational. It's amazing enough to hear about the dates that your children were born and were due to be born! As I've said before, I'm kind of partial to St. Joseph!

Another Favorite Saint!

2008-03-10T21:57:00.011-04:00

Our next winner in our Favorite Saints contest is Sarah from Just Another Day of catholic Pondering! (the photo is my son, Joseph with Mother Teresa)

Sarah's reflection follows:

"My devotion to Mother Teresa began as so many things in my Catholic life did, as a tiny little spark I can hardly find when I look back to find it. Ten years ago, when she died, I remember feeling a feeling of, well, nothing really. I felt more strongly about Princess Diana's death (I never had a Mother Teresa paper doll, after all), and that's not to say I felt all that strongly. Mother Teresa was, in my mind, a good person. And she died. End of story.

And then, somehow, after becoming Catholic and getting roped in – I mean, hearing the call – to teaching third grade CCD, I came across Mother Teresa. It was the weirdest thing. (And that is the other way so many things in my Catholic life begin, with that phrase "it was the weirdest thing.") We were studying saints in an ongoing project that accompanied the lessons in the book, and there she was, as one of the extra things we could cover. We happened to talk about her on her feast day. We happened to have a homily a few weeks later, when our class was in charge of helping with Mass, with Mother Teresa as a main player. We happened to watch a video with the teens a few weeks after that that was about, yeah, Mother Teresa and her life. In the intervening weeks between each of these little happenings, I stumbled across a book by her and devoured it and felt the spark glowing red-hot, starting to ignite the dry brush all around it. Before I knew it (and before I could keep proper track of it), I had a full-fledged devotion to this little lady from Calcutta.

A few months ago, someone stumbled on my blog who happened to have been friends with Mother Teresa. In fact, Mother Teresa (who I just can't call Blessed, or even Saint, because, well, she feels more motherly to me, and that is really saintly in the highest sense inside my mind) wrote the forward to the book this someone happened to send me. It seems my devotion is not a coincidence, though I have no idea why (and I'm OK with that; love is a curving path that leads us to adventurous places we couldn't have found otherwise, and what better kind of love than the love of a saint?)."

Thank you so very much, Sarah. As the saying goes, you're a girl after my own heart! You know how much I love Mother Teresa, too. What's not to love about her?

Because Sarah submitted her reflection about her favorite "Saint," she has won a signed copy of mt new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book which is due to be released very soon!

When you see the book Sarah, you will notice a little quote by dear Mother Teresa in the beginning. Also, I'll take this opportunity to mention that my Mother Teresa book which may be titled, Unlikely Saints which is part biography and part memoir and recounts my relationship with Mother Teresa will be published in the near future.

Talking about Catholic Stuff with Chris Cash today!

2008-03-10T11:18:00.001-04:00

You can hear my interview with Chris Cash today at Catholic Spotlight. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and pull your chair up to the computer. Chris and I talk about my visit to the Vatican, Mulieris Dignitatem, and Pope John Paul II, as well as my books and my new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book coming out in about a week! When you're ready click here!

Dear Saint Joseph!

2008-03-09T13:21:00.014-04:00

With St. Joseph's feast day fast approaching, I thought I'd say a little bit about him today here at "Moments of Inspiration With Your Favorite Saints." St. Joseph's feast day will be celebrated on March 15th this year rather than his usual day of March 19th since March 19th falls during Holy Week.

I can't thank St. Joseph enough for his great care for my family. Many years ago, my spiritual director and dear friend, Fr. Bill introduced me to St. Joseph. I was having some trouble with neighbors who were very unruly. I was a single mother at the time and lived in a two family house. The upstairs neighbors were usually drunk and even dropped bowling balls on their floor (my ceiling) to disturb me - seriously! Almost every week end, the guy who lived upstairs with his girlfriend would come home very late and very drunk and would start pounding on my walls and yell out the most obscene and terrible threatening things I have ever heard. I had to call the police each time and really feared for my safety and for my children. The police came out each time and the guy never got into much trouble until one time when they caught him in action. Then, of course, I had to be concerned that he was going to retaliate because I had called the police on him each time.

My dear Fr. Bill encouraged me to call upon St. Joseph and explained to me that since he was the head of the Holy Family, he would help my family too. I began a thirty day novena that day. On the thirtieth day, I heard the sound of a big truck outside. I looked out the window and could not believe my eyes! It was a moving truck and the people were moving out! What an answer to prayer! I knew that St. Joseph had intervened and helped us.

St. Joseph continued to help us on more occasions than I can possibly tell you. I have "introduced" him to many people because I know that he is so powerful and a loving father. I know that he has helped in so many ways. St. Teresa of Avila has said that he has never failed to help her.

You can be sure that I will be telling you more about St. Joseph at this blog, but I wanted to at least jump in here now and share this story with you. Because I love St. Joseph so much, I have passed out probably thousands of prayer cards of St. Joseph and thirty day novena prayers to him. I once owned and operated a Catholic book and religious articles store years ago. I named it, "St Joseph's Corner!" I also named one of my sons, Joseph after dear St. Joseph.

This is the prayer that I prayed:
30 Day Novena to Saint Joseph

In honor of the years he spent with Jesus and Mary

[For Any Special Intention]

Ever blessed and glorious Joseph, kind and loving father, and helpful friend of all in sorrow! You are the good father and protector of orphans, the defender of the defenseless, the patron of those in need and sorrow. Look kindly on my request. My sins have drawn down on me the just displeasure of my God, and so I am surrounded with unhappiness. To you, loving guardian of the Family of Nazareth, do I go for help and protection.

Listen, then, I beg you, with fatherly concern, to my earnest prayers, and obtain for me the favors I ask.

I ask it by the infinite mercy of the eternal Son of God, which moved Him to take our nature and to be born into this world of sorrow.

I ask it by the weariness and suffering you endured when you found no shelter at the inn of Bethlehem for the holy Virgin, nor a place where the Son of God could be born. Then, being everywhere refused, you had to allow the Queen of Heaven to give birth to the world's Redeemer in a cave.

I ask it by the loveliness and power that sacred, Name
Jesus, which you conferred on the adorable Infant.

I ask it by that painful torture you felt at the prophecy of Simeon, which declared the Child Jesus and His Holy Mother future victims of our sins and of their great love for us.

I ask it through your sorrow and pain of soul when the angel declared to you that the life of the Child Jesus was sought by His enemies. From their evil plan you had to flee with Him and His Blessed Mother into Egypt. I ask it by all the suffering, weariness, and labors of that long and dangerous journey.

I ask it by all your care to protect the Sacred Child and His Immaculate Mother during your second journey, when you were ordered to return to your own country. I ask it by your peaceful life in Nazareth where you met so many joys and sorrows.

I ask it by your great distress, when the adorable Child was lost to you and His Mother for three days. I ask it by your joy at finding Him in the Temple, and by the comfort you found at Nazareth, while living in the company of the Child Jesus. I ask it by the wonderful submission He showed in His obedience to you.

I ask it by the perfect love and conformity you showed in accepting the Divine order to depart from this life, and from the company of Jesus and Mary. I ask it by the joy which filled your soul, when the Redeemer of the world, triumphant over death and Hell, entered into the possession of His kingdom and led you into it with special honors.

I ask it through Mary's glorious Assumption, and through that endless happiness you share with her in the presence of God.

O good father! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows, and joys, to hear me and obtain for me what I ask. [Here name your petitions or think of them.]

Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers everything that is useful to them in the plan of God. Finally, my dear patron and father, be with me and all who are dear to me in our last moments, that we may eternally sing the praises of

JESUS, MARY and JOSEPH

"A blameless life, St. Joseph, may we lead,
by your patronage from danger freed."

This prayer may be said during any 30 days of the year.

You may also say an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be each day for nine days or thirty days as the novena prayer. I happen to like the prayer above since it is in honor of the thirty years he spent with Jesus and Mary. I also say other novena prayers to Saint Joseph. I'm sure he doesn't mind what prayers you choose - just as long as you invoke his intercession. :) Now is a perfect time to pray a novena to him because of his feast day coming up.

Sarah at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering recently shared a story about Saint Joseph in her life. She said, "I never paid much attention to St. Joseph, aside from acknowledging him as the head of the Holy Family in a rather passing way. I never thought much about him, aside from his patronage of my lovely little parish. I really never asked for his intercession or pondered his special role in salvation history. It sounds silly to me now, but it just never occurred to me..." (Continued here.)

By the way, you can be sure that dear Saint Joseph is included in my new Saints book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book!

Favorite Saint winner!

2008-03-08T11:05:00.015-05:00

Our next winner in the "Favorite Saint" contest is Jen. Her reflection is here:

"While I have many favorite intercessors in heaven the Saint who I have the deepest friendship with is Saint Therese the Little Flower. You could say that she "picked" me because it wasn't until about three years ago that I was introduced to her.

One day I was looking for a book to read and came upon her "Story of a Soul" in my bookcase. I had had the book for quite some time and to this day have no idea why it was THAT book that I choose at that time (except that maybe St. Therese choose that day for me to get to know her!)

I devoured her autobiography in a short time and fell in love with her spirituality. So simple and yet so profound. So full of the love of God and His love for us, His children. Ever since reading it I have decided that I too want to take up St. Therese's "Little Way". While I have many, many books on her teachings and spirituality I haven't read them all...I've found that the best way for me to learn her teaching is through prayer.

At the time while I was reading her autobiography I was also trying to discern my vocation. Ever since that day I have entrusted to her the special protection of the vocation God has chosen for me.

I have prayed many novena's asking St. Therese for one intention or another....many times simply for a particular grace. And it never fails that in some form or another at some point during the novena I receive one of her "roses from heaven."

The relationship I have with St. Therese isn't one that I looked for....and yet she is a part of my life and I can't imagine my life without her intercession and prayers. She always seems to make her presence known in my life even if I haven't been looking for her. It is a peaceful, welcoming presence and I thank God for having her take a special interest in me!"--Jen Stefano from Daughter of the King blog.

You may order The Story of a Soul here.
For St. Therese medal, click here.

Thank you very much for sharing your personal story with us, Jen! It will, I'm sure, inspire others to call upon St. Therese too!

Jen has won a signed copy of my new Saints book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book in which I have included dear St. Therese.