Friday 24th January 2020

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Catholic Heroes… St. Maria Cristina Of The Immaculate Conception

January 23, 2020 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Maria Cristina Of The Immaculate Conception

By CAROLE BRESLIN As Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “God does not require that we be successful, only that we be faithful.” This could certainly describe the setbacks of so many saints before they finally achieved their heart’s desire. St. Maria Cristina certainly had her share of disappointments and setbacks, but she always began again. Nunc coepi. On May 1, 1856 in Naples, Campania — about 220 kilometers south of Rome on the western coastline of Italy — Giovanni Giuseppe Brando and Maria Concetta Marrazzo welcomed little Adelaide into the world. Although the child survived, her mother died shortly after the birth. Giovanni later remarried and had three more children. Even as a young child, Adelaide, who was educated in…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Henry De Osso

January 16, 2020 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Henry De Osso

By CAROLE BRESLIN Over the centuries, Spain has yielded many saints for the Roman Catholic Church. At the beginning of the fourth century, St. Maginus was martyred. In the twelfth century, there was St. Raymond of Penafort. In addition, the great sixteenth-century Carmelites, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, made matchless contributions to spirituality. In the nineteenth century, St. Henry de Osso did much to re-establish catechesis and strengthen the family. Born in Vinebre, Catalonia, Spain, on October 16, 1840, Henry de Osso was the last of three children born to Jaime and Micaela de Osso y Cervello. His parents were simple people residing in northeast Spain. Their other son, Luis, became famous as an athlete…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Vincent Pallotti

January 9, 2020 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Vincent Pallotti

By CAROLE BRESLIN Throughout the history of the Church, beginning with Christ Himself, disenfranchised youth have found a friend in the followers of the Lord. St. John Bosco and St. Philip Neri come to mind. There is another saint who also helped both young men and young women, St. Vincent Pallotti, a man born and raised in Rome during the time of the Jesuit suppression. Peter Paul Pallotti and his wife Maddalena were a devout Catholic couple with two children when Vincent was born on April 21, 1795. He was the third of ten children, who were raised by attending daily Mass and many devotions in the neighboring churches of Rome. As a child he had learning troubles, so his…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Joseph Vaz Of Sri Lanka

December 26, 2019 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Joseph Vaz Of Sri Lanka

By CAROLE BRESLIN St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit, was a great missionary to the East, beginning with India. St. Thomas the Apostle reached Tamil Nadu and Kerala, converting many of the people there. Thus, the seeds of the Church had been planted when Joseph Vaz was born in Benaulim, Goa, of Portuguese India. Joseph Vaz was born on April 21, 1651 to Cristovao Vaz and Maria de Miranda who were devout Catholics. Cristovao came from a prominent family of Sancoale. The third of six children, Joseph was baptized by Fr. Jacinto Pereira in St. John the Baptist Church, Benaulim. As a child, Joseph learned to speak and write in Portuguese and Latin. Respected by both teachers and students, he made…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Charbel

December 19, 2019 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Charbel

By CAROLE BRESLIN Lebanon is a small country bordering both Syria and Israel on the Mediterranean coast line. It has a great diversity of religions as small as it is. There are Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims—who possess hostile attitudes toward each other. There are also Greek Orthodox and Maronite Christians. They all have a common interest in a man who has worked many wonders for many persons regardless of their religious affiliation. Hence they all have a special devotion to St. Charbel. This “Wonder Worker of Lebanon” was born on May 8, 1828 in the Lebanese village of Béka-Kafra, high in the mountains. Baptized Youssef (Joseph) Antoun Makhlouf, he was one of five children born to Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Charbel

December 12, 2019 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Charbel

By CAROLE BRESLIN Lebanon is a small country bordering both Syria and Israel on the Mediterranean coast line. It has a great diversity of religions as small as it is. There are Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims—who possess hostile attitudes toward each other. There are also Greek Orthodox and Maronite Christians. They all have a common interest in a man who has worked many wonders for many persons regardless of their religious affiliation. Hence they all have a special devotion to St. Charbel. This “Wonder Worker of Lebanon” was born on May 8, 1828 in the Lebanese village of Béka-Kafra, high in the mountains. Baptized Youssef (Joseph) Antoun Makhlouf, he was one of five children born to Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… Blessed Fulton Sheen

December 5, 2019 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… Blessed Fulton Sheen

By CAROLE BRESLIN Saints do not seek after fame, but sometimes it comes their way anyway, for the edification of the faithful and the world at large. Mother Teresa in her humble and simple way was known around the world and even won the Nobel Peace Prize. And television will certainly catapult a dynamic personality blessed with Irish wit and wisdom to worldwide fame. Such was the case for Fulton J. Sheen as his audience grew with unprecedented speed. Born in El Paso, Ill., on May 8, 1895, Sheen was the eldest of four sons. His parents, farmers whose families came from County Roscommon in Ireland, named their son Peter John Sheen. When still an infant, Peter contracted tuberculosis and…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Francis Anthony Fasani

November 28, 2019 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Francis Anthony Fasani

By CAROLE BRESLIN There are so many Franciscan saints that they are listed by categories and subcategories. The Franciscan martyrs are separated by the Capuchin martyrs and the 26 martyrs of Japan. There are both men and women martyrs and saints who came from wealthy families such as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare. There are also saints who have come from impoverished families such as St. Francis Anthony Fasani. Some of the saints were professed religious and some were laity belonging to the Third Order Franciscans. One thing they all had in common was an all-consuming love of God. St. Francis Fasani, called a “son of the soil,” came from a peasant family in Lucera, Italy, a part…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Mechtilde

November 21, 2019 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Mechtilde

By CAROLE BRESLIN The path to sainthood varies considerably. Some saints go through miraculous conversions after a life of tepidity and even sinful pleasure such as St. Camillus, St. Augustine of Hippo, and St. Francis of Assisi. Others possess remarkable sanctity from the day of their birth — or even earlier such as the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist. At Helfta in central Germany, about 200 kilometers southwest of Berlin, members of one of the most powerful and most noble families of Thuringia were also known for their extraordinary holiness. St. Gertrude was counted among its members and they were cousins to the emperor of Germany. Around 1240 a daughter was born to the family and named…Continue Reading

Catholic Heroes… St. Guido Maria Conforti

November 14, 2019 saints Comments Off on Catholic Heroes… St. Guido Maria Conforti

By CAROLE BRESLIN Many men and women who have established religious orders had to overcome various obstacles to obtain canonical approval. In addition to finding those persons with the same heart to serve God’s people, they must acquire housing, and find funding. These may be worldly concerns, but they are still important. Founders must also consider the statutes for their congregation, give attention to the evangelical counsels, and work with Church officials to get approval according to the Directives of Formation in Religious Institutes published by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life. No wonder, then, that so many founders have been canonized for their holy lives. One of these is St. Guido Maria Conforti. To complete the process of…Continue Reading