Saint Rose of Lima Isabel Flores was born in Lima, Peru in 1576. Rosa was her nickname because of her beauty. She was the first saint of the Americas and is noted for her intense life of prayer and penance. Although she experienced many difficulties in her life, she maintained an extraordinary serenity, imitating the ...read more

Today the Salt + Light team attended mass at a local chapel, just off Copacabana beach. As Fr. James Phalan, CSC, Director of Family Rosary International, joyfully remarked at the beginning of this English-speaking mass, usually about seventy people attend, but today was well beyond capacity with standing room only! And it was good. It ...read more

St Therese of Lisieux St Therese was born in France in 1873. When she was 15 she entered a Carmelite monastery, where she lived with humility and simplicity her total trust in God. In 1927, she was proclaimed Patroness of the Missions because of her deep desire to be a missionary, and for her extraordinary ...read more

Luis Martinez, left, a World Youth Day volunteer from Mexico, enjoys a meal with his host family, Danielle and Leandro Franca in Rio de Janeiro April 16. Martinez is one of about 4,500 international volunteers who will contribute to World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, July 23-28. To find out more about this year’s ...read more

Blessed John Paul II Blessed Pope John Paul II founded World Youth Day in 1984. He is considered the Pope of the Youth because he invited young people to recognize their special mission in the Church. During his enduring pontificate, he helped to guide Christians in their understanding of the Second Vatican Council. Through his ...read more

  A man watches as pilgrims follow an image of Our Lady of Nazareth as it is carried during the annual festival in Belem, Brazil.  More than 1 million Catholics, many of them from communities along the Amazon River’s tributaries, converged on Our Lady of Nazareth Basilica to participate. To find out more about this ...read more

Blessed Isidore Bakanja Blessed Isidore Bakanja was born around 1887 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then the Belgian Congo). He was baptized on 15 August 1909 at eighteen years of age through the ministry of Cistercian missionaries. Isidore was a very devout convert and catechist. He had a great love for the Blessed Virgin ...read more

Blessed Frederick Ozanam Blessed Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam was born in Milan, Italy on April 23, 1813. He grew up in a family atmosphere of deep charity, through the example of his parents. In love with existential and spiritual issues, he studied philosophy, where he found arguments supporting the social doctrine of the Catholic faith. He died ...read more

Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro sprinkles holy water during a ceremony to mark the beginning of construction at the site where Pope Francis is expected to celebrate Mass during World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. To find out more about this year’s World Youth Day in Rio de Janiero, Brazil visit ...read more

St. Andrew Kim and companions Fr. Andrew Kim was the first native priest in Korea, the son of converts. In fact, Andrew Kim’s father was martyred during the persecution of 1839 and was beatified in 1925. During the early 18th century Christianity was suppressed and heavily persecuted in Korea, and Catholics had to covertly practice ...read more