Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto’s Story Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese shepherd children from Aljustrel, received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fátima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. At that time, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil, having…

World Youth Day 2023 August 01 to 06 Lisbon 2023
What is it World Youth Day (WYD) is the gathering of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It is also a pilgrimage, a celebration of youth, an expression of the universal Church and an intense moment of evangelization for the youth world. Although its Catholic identity is clearly evident, WYD opens…

Franciscan Saints for June
Here’s What the Portuguese Want You to Know About St. Anthony of Padua Before World Youth Day Nuncio said that he hopes that the 1.5 million people expected to visit Lisbon for the youth event this August will discover St. Anthony to be a very helpful intercessor — and not only for lost things. A…

Corpus Christi June 2, 2024
HISTORY OF CORPUS CHRISTI Corpus Christi or the Feast of Corpus Christi is also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This festival of the Roman Catholic Church honors the body of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The day is observed either on a Thursday or a Sunday following…

A Message for our Earth

How to Minimize Othering
How to Minimize Othering Remember that diversity has important benefits Learning about and spending time with people who are different from you is important for growth. It allows you to look outside of yourself and your immediate social circle and explore new experiences, ideas, cultures, and beliefs. “Let us dream, then, as a single human…

60th World Day Of Prayer for Vocations
April 30 marks the 60th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This Sunday is also referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” While it is often linked to praying for those in religious life, the Prefect for the Dicastery for the Clergy explains that the theme Pope Francis has chosen, “Vocation: grace and mission,” applies to…

Divine Mercy Sunday 2nd Sunday of Easter
Second Sunday of Easter. Divine Mercy Sunday. Acts of the Apostles 2: 42-47. Psalm 118. Peter 1: 1: 3-9. John 20: 29. “Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now, yet you believe in him; you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain…

All Saints Day
The Church Triumphant: Those who have gone before us and now share in the glories of Heaven, in the Beatific Vision, are not gone. Sure, we do not see them and we cannot necessarily hear them speak to us in the physical way they did while on Earth. But they are not gone at…