Historically speaking, the church had to take root somewhere. When in the early 30’s AD Jesus of Nazareth was executed, rose from the dead and sent his Spirit to be with his little band of disciples, Rome was the dominant political and social player. Peter and Paul brought the faith to Rome before being executed ...read more

Perched on the side of a mountain in the central Italian province of Umbria is the historic town of Assisi, best known as the hometown of St. Francis, one of Christianity’s most revered saints. I’ve spoken to many visitors to Assisi over the past few years – especially since Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pope and ...read more

Without a doubt we have all heard the news concerning Costa Concordia, a cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Giglio, Italy on Jan. 13. At the latest count, 11 people have been confirmed dead and another 21 passengers, including an American Catholic couple en route to Rome, are still missing. Following the ...read more

He was born Giovanni Francesco di Bernadone. He’s Italian. And today, we celebrate his feast day throughout the Universal Church. He is none other than St. Francis of Assisi. Many know St. Francis of Assisi to be a Catholic friar. However, his life is made up of more than just his priestly ministry. St. Francis ...read more