Category Archives: Saints: Stories & Symbols

9 May: St. Isaiah, Old Testament Prophet, with other, martyrs

Many people don’t realize that Holy Church considers some Old Testament figures to be saints with their own feast days. We don’t celebrate them at the altar, but they have their day. Actually, if there were no other saint in … Read More

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5 May: “O God, who deigned to choose blessed Pius to be Pontifex Maximus in order to smash the enemies of Thy Church to tiny bits” – UPDATED

In the traditional Roman calendar, used with the 1962 Missale Romanum, the Vetus Ordo, today is the feast of St. Pope Pius V (+1572). I made a PODCAzT about him some years ago, and about his famous document Quo primum. … Read More

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St. Monica, her incipient alcoholism, the intervention that saved her, some Latin

From Serge Lancel’s Augustine, the best biography I know of the great Bishop of Hippo (p. 8 ff – emphases mine): Before devoting himself entirely to Mother Church, as he approached the age of forty, Augustine had had a concubine … Read More

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4 May – St. Monica: Intercessor for children who who have fallen away from the Faith

In the older, traditional Roman calendar today is the feast of the mother of St. Augustine, St. Monnica, widow.  She died in Ostia (Rome’s port) in 387, when she and her family were heading back to North Africa after Augustine’s … Read More

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28 April – Prepare to be amazed! – St. Gianna Molla’s 2nd miracle. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

This is an oldie post, but it is very worth review if you’ve seen it before. If not, prepare to by amazed. Today is the Dies Natalis of St. Gianna Beretta Molla (+28 April 1962 at 39 years of age). … Read More

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Fr. Z’s Kitchen: A weird intro and then Hungarian food in honor of Bl. Karl’s centenary

I stumbled across Modernist Pantry.   “Well,” quoth I, “let’s see what this might be.” Noting the similarity of theme with the Fishwrap or a German Synod (“walking together”) where they can whip up any sort of modernism you want, can make … Read More

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25 March: Feast of St Dismas, the Good Thief “who stole heaven”

Today is Lady Day, the Feast of the Annunciation, the instant of the Incarnation. However, 25 March is also the Feast of the Good Thief, St. Dismas! Fulton Sheen famously quipped of this thief-saint that he “stole heaven”.  A good thief … Read More

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Daily Rome Shot 447, etc.

Daily Fervorino from live stream. HERE  With Litany of St. Joseph. WORDLE  

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12 March 1622 Canonizations – 400 years ago today

On this day, 12 March, in 1622 Pope Gregory XV canonized Sts. Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Philip Neri and Isidore the Farmer. “Four Spaniards and a saint!”

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8 February: St. Josephine Bakhita, Daughter of St. Magdalene

J.R.R. Tolkien’s concept of eucatastrophe runs strong with the Catholic “thing”.   We Catholics know that there are some catastrophic events which produce unexpected blessings.  Usually with a lot of pain along the way.   O Felix Culpa! I am trusting God … Read More

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22 January – St. Vincent Pallotti. Wherein Fr. Z reflects on God’s plan.

Today, in addition to being the Feast of Sts. Vincent of Saragossa and Athanasius the Persian, it is the feast of another Vincent, St. Vincent Pallotti, founder of the Pious Society of Missions (the Pallottine Fathers). I have a connection … Read More

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NEW BOOK on St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher!

How does the phrase go from… is it Kipling?… if you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…. Something like that.  It describes rather aptly these days how tradition-oriented Catholics  are … Read More

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27 Dec – St. Fabiola – Wherein Card. Wiseman says: “We must deny to Protestantism any right to use the Bible, much more to interpret it.”

Today, being the Feast of the Evangelist John, we have a special blessing for wine and other libations.  I wrote about that HERE.  We have this blessing because of an assassination attempt.    There was an attempt on the life … Read More

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Old Testament Prophets who are Saints in the Church’s calendar

Since the beginning of December, Holy Mother Church has been imitating the Lord on the Road to Emmaus. She has been reminding us of all the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah who would also be incarnate God. She … Read More

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6 December – St. Nicholas – varia

It is St. Nicholas Day in Advent 2021.   There are all sorts of customs attached to this day, stemming from ancient times when St. Nicholas was much venerated for being… a saint. A saint who worked miracles. St. Nicholas is often … Read More

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JUST TOO COOL: Neighborhood sidewalk shrine to St. Camillus of Lellis against COVID-1984 – UPDATED with BOM!

UPDATE 27 Nov 2021: A couple people asked for the plans for making a shrine.  I asked the fellow who made the one below to send a BOM (Bill of Materials).  It should have working links. HERE Originally posted on: … Read More

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8 Nov: Four Holy Crowned Martyrs. An object lesson about fooling around with demonic idols (aka Pachamama)

Today is the Feast of the Four Holy Crowned Martyrs.  They were sculptors in ancient Rome who refused to carve pagan demon idols.  Hence, they were killed by the Emperor Diocletian. Their remains are in the Roman church of St. … Read More

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Enter a great Roman church and find the heart of St. Charles Borromeo

Here is an extract from a post from a couple of years ago when I was in Rome Into the Church, nay, Basilica of San Carlo al Corso.  I had promised to say a prayer for Fr. Charles Johnson, the … Read More

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4 Nov: The Death Mask of St. Charles Borromeo – VIDEO

A few years ago a priest friend of mine in an area of Switzerland which was of the Ambrosian Rite of Milan, sent me a video of a rare death mask of St. Charles Borromeo. He died after visiting that … Read More

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An idea for All Saints next year

At the traditional parish in Rome, Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, there was a nice ceremony in honor of all the saints. This could also be done on the Feast of Holy Relics, on 1o December in the 1962 calendar.  Before … Read More

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