COLLECTION OF CATHOLIC PRAYERS ETC.
The name of St. Patrick will be forever linked to the Christian Faith in Ireland. Though Christianity—and even Christian clergy—existed in Ireland from the 4th century, it was not until the arrival of St. Patrick that the Christian Faith began to take root. The influence of Patrick on Irish Christianity was immense, not only in his day…
ROME (CNS) — For the first time since Pope Francis was hospitalized in mid-February, the Vatican press office released a photograph of him March 16; the image shows him concelebrating Mass that morning in the chapel of his suite of rooms at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. The Mass also was the first the Vatican described as…
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ROME (CNS) — For the fifth Sunday in a row, Pope Francis did not come to his window for the recitation of the Angelus prayer, but he may have seen some yellow or white balloons fly past his hospital room. More than a hundred children gathered March 16 in the square in front of Rome’s…
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St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world’s most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of…
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has approved the next phase of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, launching a three-year implementation process that will culminate in an ecclesial assembly at the Vatican in October 2028. In a letter published March 15, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the synod, announced that the synod’s new phase…
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Reading I Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 The Lord God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness. He then said to him,…
Abbot and Irish missionary. An Irish prince, Abban was the son of King Cormac of Leinster. He is listed as the nephew of St. Ibar. Abban founded many churches in the old district of Ui Cennselaigh, in modern County Wexford and Ferns. His main monastery is Magheranoidhe, in Adamstown, Ireland. This monastery’s fame is attributed…
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St. Julian, Martyr, lived during the early centuries of Christianity, when followers of Christ faced brutal persecution under the Roman Empire. Though historical details about his life are scarce, tradition holds that he remained steadfast in his faith despite threats, torture, and ultimately death. Rather than renounce Christ, Julian chose martyrdom, demonstrating unwavering courage and…
Pope Saint Zachary: A Peacemaker and Defender of the Church Pope Saint Zachary was born in the early 8th century in Calabria, Italy. Elected pope in 741, he inherited a Church facing political turmoil and external threats from the Lombards. Unlike many of his predecessors, Zachary used diplomacy rather than warfare to protect Rome, successfully…
Reading 1 Deuteronomy 26:16-19 Moses spoke to the people, saying: “This day the LORD, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then, to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: he is to be your God and…