The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Damasus I (306-384), who was Supreme Pontiff from 366 to 384. He was a very learned man, well versed in the Scriptures. He commissioned St. Jerome to complete the translation of the Bible into the Latin language. Shortly after his reign the 72 books of the Bible, … Read more
Pope St. Damasus Feast date: Dec 11 Saint Damasus was born in Rome at the beginning of the fourth century. His father, a widower, had received Holy Orders there and served as parish priest in the church of St. Laurence. Damasus was archdeacon of the Roman Church in 355 when the Pope, Saint Liberius, was … Read more
St. Charles Borromeo Feast date: Nov 04 No age of the Catholic Church’s history is without its share of confusion and corruption. Still, even in moments when disorder may seem overwhelming, individuals and movements eventually arise to propose the faith with clarity and demonstrate it in action. St. Charles Borromeo, a central figure in the … Read more
St. Martin de Porres Feast date: Nov 03 St. Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru in 1579 as the son of Spaniard Juan de Porres, and a freed colored-woman from Panama, Ana Velasquez. Being of mixed race, Martin was of a lower social caste, though his father looked out for him and made sure the … Read more
In 2019 Pope Francis added the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto to the Universal Roman Calendar. The title Our Lady of Loreto refers to the Holy House of Loreto, the house in which Mary was born, and in which the Word was made flesh at the Annunciation. Tradition says that a band of … Read more
The Holy House of Loreto Feast date: Dec 10 Since its completion in the 16th century and possibly even earlier, the “Holy House” of Loreto has been numbered among the most famous shrines of Italy. Loreto is a small town a few miles south of Ancona and near the sea. Its most conspicuous building is … Read more
Pope Leo XIV uses a tablet to navigate the website of the new digital version of the Vatican’s Pontifical Yearbook, known as the “Annuario Pontificio” in Italian. / Credit: Vatican Media. Vatican City, Dec 10, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA). The Vatican this week launched the first-ever digital version of its annual directory, creating an … Read more
Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square during a Jubilee audience on Nov. 22, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media. Vatican City, Dec 10, 2025 / 11:21 am (CNA). Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday rejected technological promises to indefinitely prolong human existence — such as those proposed by “transhumanism”— and said the resurrection of … Read more
“The Pope reminded us of the real purpose of Catholic education. The Jubilee can be a transformative experience,” said Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, U.S., in an interview with Vatican News. He came to Rome for the Jubilee of the World of Education, leading a 30-person delegation of educators from Catholic … Read more