Category Archives: Saints: Stories & Symbols

31 August – The Church Triumphant and a Patron Saint for “Cancelled” Priests

Unless you are either a true student of a) history, b) hagiography, or c) liturgy, you might have no idea what the phrase “Church Triumphant” means. Of course that phrase ultimately has an eschatological meaning, but for us in the … Read More

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St. Monnica: “put my body anywhere”

Here is an oldie post, appropriate for the day: Today in newer, Ordinary Form calendar of the Holy Roman Church is the feast of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo.  In the traditional calendar her feast was … Read More

Posted in Linking Back, Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged
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6 August 1221 – 800th Anniversary of the Death of St. Dominic. Imagine what things would be like without him.

Today is the 800th Anniversary of the Death of St. Dominic. In other words it is also his “birth day”. The term used for the death of saints is “Dies Natalis“, one’s “birth” into heaven. Imagine what things might have … Read More

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2 August: St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor “Zelantissimus” … who bilocated

Today in the traditional Roman calendar is the Feast of St. Alphonsus (1696–1787), Doctor “Zelantissimus” of the Church, founder of the Redemptorists, Bishop of Sant’Agata de’ Goti.  In the Novus Ordo calendar, his feast is 1 August. St. Alphonsus has … Read More

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29 July 1941 – An “offering of life”

On 29 July 1941 ten prisoners from an block at Auschwitz were chosen to be starved to death because a prisoner from that same block had escaped. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan who founded the Militia Immaculatae, offered his life, … Read More

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Five years ago today.

Interrupted while saying Mass at his parish church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, the 85-year old priest struggled to repel his two 18-year old attackers with his feet. “Go away Satan!”, he repeated. Fr. Jacques Hamel was murdered, in odium fidei, a martyr … Read More

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22 July: St. Mary Magdalene

In 2016, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, headed by the great Robert Card. Sarah, issued a decree making – for the Novus Ordo, mind you – what was the Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene into … Read More

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged
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13 July: St. Ezra (Esdras), Old Testament Scribe and spectacular baroque musical weirdness

Today is the feast of St. Ezra or Esdras. In the 5th c. BC, the Persian Artaxerxes allowed a scribe named Ezra to return to Jerusalem to restore the Temple worship and the law of Moses.  At Jerusalem he finds … Read More

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9 July: Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher

St. Thomas More, once Chancellor of England, was martyred on 6 July 1535.  St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was martyred on 22 June 1535.   In the Novus Ordo calendar, they are celebrated on 22 June.  In the traditional calendar … Read More

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras, Saints: Stories & Symbols |
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6 July: St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr

Today is the Feast of St. Maria Goretti, who died defending her virginity and also in the attempt to prevent her killer from committing a terrible sin. The story of her appearance to him, Alessandro Serenelli, in prison, and his … Read More

Posted in GO TO CONFESSION, Modern Martyrs, Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged ,
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