No one should go out of their way to look for martyrdom, but Christ did say that following him does mean embracing the Cross. However, little did a group of 18th century French Carmelite nuns realize that their commitment to follow Christ would also be considered a crime. Deacon Pedro visits the Canadian Opera Company ...read more

The month of May is traditionally the month of Mary in the Catholic Church. To celebrate this month we’ll be bringing you a series of posts about obscure Marian devotions. The first devotion we’ll be examining is Our Lady Untier of Knots. The year is 1612, the place is Augsburg, Germany. A nobleman named Wolfgang ...read more

   Below is the full text of Pope Francis’ catechesis talk at this week’s General Audience. Transcription and translation provided by Vatican Radio. Dear brothers and sisters, good day. The season of Easter that we are living with joy, guided by the liturgy of the Church, is par excellence the time of the Holy Spirit, ...read more

The Easter season continues with yet another episode of Lectio Divina. On this month’s edition, Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto continues his series of reflections on the Year of Faith by looking at St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. In that very letter, St. Paul writes, “So faith comes from what is heard; and what ...read more

A reflection on Isaiah 6:1-2; 3-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and Luke 5:1-11 Tomorrow the Church marks the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, a day that is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Easter, traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. As I reflect on the readings for Good Shepherd Sunday (Acts 13:14,43-52; Revelation 7:9,14-17 ...read more

It’s the most popular book in history, and yet it’s possibly the most misunderstood: the Bible. On this week’s Catholic Focus — featuring the new look for our flagship current affairs series — host Kris Dmytrenko speaks with Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who are bringing the Word of God to a new generation through ...read more

The headlines proclaimed an epic showdown: Jesus versus the zombies. This wasn’t an imaginative retelling of a familiar story (an increasingly popular subgenre of historical fiction). Rather, this was a battle for cable TV ratings, pitting “The Bible” miniseries on the History channel against AMC’s zombie hit “The Walking Dead”. When their season finales aired ...read more

Earlier today, Pope Francis took possession of his Cathedral, the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. In fact, the Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. The local Church or diocese established in Rome was founded by the two Apostles Peter and Paul and sanctified by the lives of many ...read more

In another departure from recent papal tradition, Pope Francis held a general audience this week. His predecessor used to take the week after Easter off to rest. Showing that he is full of energy, the Holy Father gave the following catechesis during the audience, focusing on the role of the women who first saw the ...read more

In 2008 Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was invited to be one of the catechists at the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City. Below is the full text of the talk he gave during his catechesis session. The Lord proclaims: I am the Eucharist, gift of God for the live of the world. This theme of ...read more