“The good Lord gave me a father and a mother more worthy of Heaven than of earth”. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring These words come to us from Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Carmelite nun and youngest daughter of Louis and Zélie Martin. Their names will soon be added to the book of saints next October ...read more

The first time I heard of Archbishop Oscar Romero was during my Grade 12 religion class. Now, religion was the last class of the day and so there was every reason to just skip it. Something that Mr. Whitebread (no kidding, that was his surname) was all too aware of, and took measures against. His ...read more

“There is something holy about this place, something special. Here we stand on holy ground sanctified by the blood of the martyrs. Here we pray in solidarity with them. These are our Jesuit brothers who gave their lives: willingly, freely – and in love,” says Fr. Steve Leblanc, SJ – Jesuit priest at Martyrs’ Shrine ...read more

On Wednesday, September 23, 2015, Pope Francis celebrated the Canonization Mass of St. Junipero Serra at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Please see below for the full prepared text of his homily. Holy Mass and Canonization of Blessed Junípero Serra Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington ...read more

As part of my documentary about women in the Church, this week I followed Sr. Helen Prejean as she she worked to save the life of Richard Glossip, a man on death row in Oklahoma. The week began on a grim note. Richard’s execution was only a few days away and there seemed to be no ...read more

Say the name Junípero Serra in American church circles and you are likely to get a mixed set of reactions. Some will tell you he is the saintly Franciscan who evangelized what is today the U.S. Others will tell you this is the man who forced the natives to convert by confining them to the ...read more

This Sunday, Salt + Light TV will broadcast a feature presentation of Media Apostle: The Father James Alberione Story. As a young man, James Alberione was kicked out of the seminary–in part because of his misuse of media–but he turned himself around and went on to found a worldwide Catholic media empire and the Pauline Family—10 ...read more

Memorial: August 20 Considered the last of the Fathers of the Church, St. Bernard of Clairvaux has been celebrated for centuries as a man of great intellect and greater holiness. As is evident in his prolific writings, Bernard was one for whom the Word of God impregnated every aspect of the human experience. He knew ...read more

Today is the bicentenary of the priestly ordination of the Curé of Ars. God always supplies the Church with saints in each century, but a few of these shine so brightly that everyone can recognize them even during their lifetime. St. John Vianney is such a saint, who easily became my favourite after I had ...read more

  As part of my research into the life of Venerable Henriette Delille, founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family, I recently attended aa unique Mass at St. Augustine’s Church – the place where Henriette Delille and Juliette Gaudin pledged to live in community; thus founding the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy ...read more