Christian Today

St. Aubin - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Aubin, Roman Catholic, Monk and Bishop. Albinus, also known as Aubin, entered the monastery of Tincillac when a youth, was elected Abbot when he was thirty-five, and was named Bishop of Angers in 529. He was known for his generosity to the sick and the indigent, widows, and orphans, for his work in ransoming slaves, and for his holiness and the many miracles he is reputed to have performed both during his lifetime and after his death. His feast day is March 1.

St. Hilary, Pope - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Hilary, Roman Catholic, Pope from 461-468 and guardian of Church unity. Hilary rebuilt many Roman churches and erected the chapel of St. John Lateran. Feastday February 28

28th February - Blessed Daniel Brottier - Independent Catholic News : Priest. Born in France in 1876, Daniel began his working life as a teacher. After a few years working at home he felt drawn to the priesthood and joined the missionary Congregation of the Holy Spirit. In 1899 he was ordained and sent to Senegal, West Africa. After eight years service there, ill-health forced him to return to France, where he helped raise funds for the construction of a new cathedral in Senegal.

George Orwell - Doublethink..  There is no essential doctrine such that if we can agree upon it we can differ about the rest: as for instance, to accept immortality but deny the Trinity. A man will call himself a Christian though he denies the unity of the Christian Church; he will call himself a Christian though he denies the presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament; he will cheerfully call himself a Christian though he denies the Incarnation. No; the quarrel is between the Church and the anti-Church. The Holy Catholic Church of God and The anti-God, The Church of Christ and The anti-Christ. There never has been and never can be or will be a general Christian religion professed by men who all accept some central important doctrines, while agreeing to differ about others.  There has always been, from the beginning, and will always be, the Church, and sundry heresies either doomed to decay, or, like Mohammedanism, to grow into a separate religion.

Franciscan Focus: Catholicism's best-kept secret: Third orders

St. Isabel of France - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Isabel of France, Roman Catholic Virgin and Nun. Sister of St. Louis and daughter of King Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile, she refused offers of marriage from several noble suitors to continue her life of virginity consecrated to God. She ministered to the sick and the poor, and after the death of her mother, founded the Franciscan Monastery of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Longchamps in Paris. She lived there in austerity but never became a nun and refused to become abbess. Feastday February 26

26th February - Saint Porphyry of Gaza - Independent Catholic News : Bishop. Born in Salonica in 352, St Porphyry became a monk and lived in the Egyptian desert and the Jordan valley. After some years he developed a serious illness and decided to spend the last days of his life in Jerusalem, following in the steps of Jesus. When he first arrived he could barely walk he was so ill, but miraculously one day he experienced a complete recovery.

Po : ... to truly live our Christian faith, we must recognize the poor who are near to us. In them, Jesus Himself is knocking at the door of our heart, he said. In the day's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man 'who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day,' and who did not recognize that at his door there was a poor man named Lazarus, who was covered with sores. The Pope invited us to ask ourselves the question: 'Am I a Christian in name only, on the path of lies; or am I on the path of life,

Cancer deaths linked to talcum powder: lawyer : Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a Missouri state jury to pay $72 million of damages to the family of Jacqueline Fox - a woman whose death from ovarian cancer was linked to her use of the company's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for several decades. Jere Beasley, a lawyer for the...

24th February - The Martyrs of Carthage - Independent Catholic News : Montanus, Lucius, Victoricus, Flavian and companions were ten disciples of St Cyprian of Carthage. They were martyred there under the reign of the Emperor Valerian in 259. The story of their imprisonment and martyrdom is well documented. The group were arrested by an official called Solon after St Cyprian was executed in 258.

St. Polycarp - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Polycarp, Roman Catholic Priest Bishop and Martyr. He was bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to touch him. Feastday February 23

St. Martha, Roman Catholic Virgin martyr of Spain. She was beheaded at Astorga, Spain, and her relics were enshrined in the abbey of Ribas de Sil and at Ters. Feastday Feb 23

Martyrs of Sirmium - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Martyrs of Sirmium, Two groups of Roman Catholic martyrs who suffered at Sirmium, modem Mitrovica, in the Balkans. One group was slain probably in 303 and was seventy in number. The second group was composed of seven virgins probably martyred in 303. Feastday Feb.23

Supremacy and Survival: The English Reformation: Upheld by Stillness: Reflections on Renaissance Ge... : I posted a preview of this new CD earlier this month: Upheld by Stillness: Renaissance gems and their reflections - Volume 1: Byrd . I ...

English Historical Fiction Authors: Prelude to the Barbarian Conspiracy of AD367 : by James Collins The Great Conspiracy of AD367 is without doubt one of the most tantalising and enigmatic events in Romano-British history...

Bl. Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Bl. Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski, Roman Catholic Priest. Arrested by the Gestapo on October 18, 1939, he was imprisoned in the German concentration camps Stutthof, Grenzdorf, Sachsenhausen and Dachau, where he died. Feastday Feb.22

Martyrs of Arabia - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Martyrs of Arabia, Christians who died for the faith in the lands east of the Jordan River and in the mountains south of the Dead Sea. Most were martyred in the reign of Emperor Galerius and were commemorated in the Roman Martyrology. Feastday Feb. 22

Pope Francis: Christians are called to work to abolish death penalty - Independent Catholic News : 'All Christians and people of good will are called to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty,' but also to improve conditions in prisons, out of respect for the human dignity of prisoners, Pope Francis told pilgrims in St Peter's Square after the Angelus on Sunday. In particular, the Holy Father appealed 'to the consciences of government leaders' that they might join the 'international consensus for the abolition of the death penalty' - and spoke directly to Catholic leaders, asking them, as a 'courageous and exemplary act,' to not

22nd February - Saint Margaret of Cortona - Independent Catholic News : Franciscan sister. Margaret was the beautiful daughter of a Tuscan peasant, born in 1242. At the age of 18 she fell in love with a rich young nobleman and ran away to live with him. The couple had a son. For nine years the local community was scandalised as she is said to have ridden about dressed in fine silks and despising the poor. Her life changed dramatically when she was just 27 when her lover was murdered. Margaret found his body thrown in a pit.

Parishioners mix religion, gambling at Laughlin casino church : The glowing marquee outside the box office showed six shirtless men with bronzed, well-oiled pecs and abs. The Australian "Thunder from Down Under" all-male revue would be bumping and grinding later Sunday at Don’s Celebrity Theatre. But right now, another star is ready to take over the main showroom.

Canada: Archbishop calls for health workers to be allowed to refuse to assist suicide - Independent Catholic News : The Archbishop of Vancouver in western Canada is calling on Premier Christy Clark and other British Columbia politicians to allow health care workers and institutions the right to refuse to assist in suicide. Archbishop J Michael Miller also urges a national palliative care strategy be implemented. Any assisted-suicide law must allow health-care workers and institutions to refuse being unwilling accomplices in legalized killing, the Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver wrote in a letter sent to politicians throughout British Columbia.

St. Peter Damian - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Peter Damian, Roman Catholic Order of St. Benedict (O.S.B.) was a reforming monk in the circle of Pope Leo IX and a cardinal. In 1823, he was declared a Doctor of the Church. Feastday Feb. 21

Bl. Francisco Marto - Saints Blessed Francisco Marto and Blessed Jacinta Marto, together with their cousin, Lúcia dos Santos (1907–2005) were the Roman Catholic children from Aljustrel near Fátima, Portugal, who said they witnessed three apparitions of an angel in 1916 and several apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1917. Feastday Feb. 20

Viewpoint: Pope John Paul II and his 'secret letters' to a woman friend - Independent Catholic News : The BBC 'documentary' that aired on February 15, The Secret Letters of Pope John Paul II, tells us nothing really new about John Paul, George Weigel writes in the National Review. But it does tell us a something about the decline of the BBC as a source of serious television reporting, even as it illuminates the misconceptions under which too much secular journalism operates when writing about the Catholic Church, its clergy, and celibacy. Longtime BBC talking head Edward Stourton's program is based on a cache of letters from Karol Wojty�a, Pope John Paul II to Anna-

17th February - The Seven Servite Founders - Independent Catholic News : In the year 1233, these seven men from some of the most prosperous families in Florence, set themselves up as hermits on Monte Senario, not far from the city. They had a great devotion to Our Lady. Their names were: Bonfilius Monaldi, John Bonaiuncta, Manettus dell Antella, Amadeus degli Amidei, Hugh Uguccione, Sosthenes Sostegno and Alexis Falconieri.

St. Faustinus & Companions - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Faustinus & Companions, Forty-five Roman Catholic martyrs, martyred in Rome. Feastday Feb.17

St. Juliana of Nicomedia - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Juliana of Nicomedia, Roman Catholic laywoman. Juliana refused to marry a pagan, thereby incurring the wrath of her pagan father and a pagan suitor. She was thereupon imprisoned, tortured, and beheaded. Feastday February 16

St. Faustinus and Jovita - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Saints Jovita and Faustinus were said to be Christian martyrs under Hadrian. They are patron saints of Brescia. Feastday Feb. 15

15th February - Saint Claude de la Colombière - Independent Catholic News : Jesuit priest, missionary and ascetical writer. Claude was born in 1641 in Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, in the ancient Province of Dauphiné, the third child of the notary Bertrand de la Colombière and of Margaret Coindat. The family soon moved to the nearby city of Vienne, where he began his education, before attending the Jesuit school in Lyon for his secondary studies.In 1658, at the age of seventeen,

Sts. Cyril and Methodius - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Roman Catholic missionaries among the Slavic peoples of the Great Moravia and Pannonia. Feastday Feb 14

Bl. Vicente Vilar David - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Bl. Vicente Vilar David, Roman Catholic Layman Martyr. Valencia, Spain during the persecution of religion welcomed the priests and religious in his house and preferred to die rather than renounce his faith. Feastday Feb.14

14th February - St Valentine; Saints Cyril and Methodius

 - Independent Catholic News : ��Two early Christian martyrs called Valentine are listed on this day in the Roman Martyrology. One was a Roman priest, who died for his faith on the Flaminian Way under Claudius. The other was a bishop of Terni who was killed in Rome. Some historians believe they are the same person.��There is no evidence to link the tradition of sending Valentine cards with the saint. But according to legend, St Valentine sent a farewell message to

13th February - Saint Modomnoc - Independent Catholic News

Catholic Church releases prayer to assist those seeking St Valentine's Day soulmate - Independent Catholic News : The Catholic Church in England and Wales has published a new prayer to assist those who want to meet their soulmate. Timed to coincide with the celebration of St Valentine's Day - a day annually when those who have already met their spouse express their love and appreciation of them - it's hoped that the prayer will provide hope to those who have yet to meet their husband or wife. Rt Rev Mark O'Toole, who is Bishop of Plymouth and coordinates the work of Catholic Mission in England and Wales, said: 'St Valentine's Day can be difficult for those who have not yet found their ideal

St. Paschal - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Paschal, Roman Catholic Pope, from 25 January 817 to his death in 824.  Feastday Feb 11

11th February - Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes - Independent Catholic News : On this day, more than one hundred and fifty years ago, a 14 year-old girl, Bernadette Soubirous, saw Our Lady in a cave on the banks of the River Gave, near Lourdes in southern France. Between 11 February and 16 July 1858, Bernadette was to experience a total of 18 apparitions. The 'young and beautiful lady' made various requests. One day she revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception.

St. Paul and Ninety Companions - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Paul and Ninety Companions, Roman Catholic Dominican Priest and Martyrs. wild pagan Cumans tribesman refused to hear his words and slaughtered Paul and his fellow missionaries. Feastday February 10

Bl. Louise Poirier Barre - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Bl. Louise Poirier Barre, Roman Catholic laywoman and a martyr during the French Revolution. Feastday February 10

Bl. Louise Bessay de la Voute - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Bl. Louise Bessay de la Voute, Roman Catholic laywoman and a martyr during the French Revolution. Feastday February 10

10th February - Saint Scholastica - Independent Catholic News : First Benedictine nun. All that is known about St Scholastica comes from the Dialogues of Gregory the Great. She was the twin sister of St Benedict and they were devoted to each other. Her convent was Plombariola, about five miles from his monastery at Monte Cassino. They used to meet just once a year. On his last visit in 543, she asked him to stay longer to discuss the joys of heaven.

St. Apollonia - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Apollonia, Roman Catholic Martyred for not renouncing her faith during the reign of Emperor Philip. Her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. For this reason, she is popularly regarded as the patroness of dentistry and those suffering from toothache or other dental problems. Feastday February 9

Lent: A Time for Leaving Egypt : At the start of Lent we are often invited to go ‘into the desert’ with Jesus. In any journey, you must know the starting point in order to properly orient yourself towards your destination. So, when we head into the desert, what exactly is our point of departure? Jesus’ own 40 days sojourn—and subsequent temptation—in …

Lent: A Time for Leaving Egypt : At the start of Lent we are often invited to go ‘into the desert’ with Jesus. In any journey, you must know the starting point in order to properly orient yourself towards your destination. So, when we head into the desert, what exactly is our point of departure? Jesus’ own 40 days sojourn—and subsequent temptation—in …

St. Jerome Emiliani - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Jerome Emiliani, founder of the Somaschi Fathers and is the patron saint of orphans. Feastday February 8

Prayer to Saint Valentine - Prayers - Catholic Online

St. Agatha - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Agatha, Roman Catholic Martyr. She is also the patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, bell-founders, bakers, fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of Mount Etna. Feastday February 5

Blessed John Houghton. - from the Tablet Archive

St. Joan de Lestonnac - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online St. Joan de Lestonnac, Roman Catholic Nun and founderess of the order The Company of Mary Our Lady. Although she lived in the 17th century her body remains incorrupt. Feastday Feb.2

Martyrs of Ebsdorf - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Martyrs of Ebsdorf Roman Catholic Martyrs. A group of four bishops, eleven noblemen, and companions led by St. Bruno. They were slain by Norsemen while serving in the army of King Louis III of France. These martyrs died at Luneberg Heath, at Ebsdorf, Saxony, in modem Germany, repelling the Norse assault. Feastday Feb.2

English Historical Fiction Authors: IMBOLC, St Brighid & the arrival of Spring : by Elaine S Moxon In the northern hemisphere, February is a harsh month, but long-hoped for signs of new life begin to emerge at this tim...

2 February - Saint Theophane Venard - Independent Catholic News : Priest and martyr. The son of a French schoolmaster, St Theophane was born in 1829 in Saint-Loup sur-Thouet. He joined the Society of Foreign Missionaries of Paris and after his ordination was sent to Tonkin (Vietnam). This was a time when Christians were being violently persecuted in the country. He was forced to live in hiding, moving from place to place sleeping in caves and sampans.

Bl. Anne-Francoise de Villeneuve - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online Roman Catholic laywomen martyred during the French Revolution. Feastday February 1. Bl. Anne Hmard, Bl. Anne-Francoise de Villeneuve, Bl. Catherine Cottenceau, Bl. Francoise Bonneau, Bl. Francoise Michau, Bl. Francoise Pagis Roulleau, Bl. Gabrielle Androuin, Bl. Jeanne Bourigault Bl. Jeanne Fouchard Chalonneau, Bl. Jeanne Gruget Doly, Bl. Jeanne-Marie Sailland d'Epinatz, Bl. Louise Rallier de la Tertiniere Dean de Luigne, Bl. Louise-Aimee Dean de Luigne, Bl. Madeleine Blond, Bl. Madeleine Cady, Bl. Madeleine Perrotin Rousseau, Bl. Madeleine Sailland d'Epinatz, Bl. Madeleine Salle, Bl. Marguerite Riviere Huau, Bl. Marguerite Robin, Bl. Marie Cassin, Bl. Marie Grillard, Bl. Marie Lenee Lepage Varance, Bl. Marie Leroy Brevet, Bl. Marie Pichery Delahaye, Bl. Marie Roualt Bouju, Bl. Marie-Genevieve Poulain de la Forestrie, Bl. Marie-Jeanne Chauvigne Rorteau, Bl. Marthe Poulain de la Forestrie, Bl. Marie-Jeann...

1st February - Saint Brigid of Ireland - Independent Catholic News : Foundress. Saint Brigit of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland, �451-525) is one of Ireland's patron saints, along with Patrick and Columba. Brigid is believed to have been born in Faughart, near Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. Three biographies agree that her mother was Brocca, a Christian Pict and slave who had been baptised by Saint Patrick. They name her father as Dubhthach, a chieftain of Leinster.

Pope Francis: All Christians are called to be missionaries - Independent Catholic News : Thousands gathered in St Peter's Square yesterday for the first monthly Jubilee audience in this Year of Mercy. During his address Pope Francis spoke about the close relationship between mercy and mission. Recalling the words of Saint John Paul II, the Pope said that his predecessor 'reminded us that the Church lives an authentic life when she professes and proclaims mercy, and leads people to the source of mercy.' Just as we naturally seek to share with others the beautiful moments of our lives, we are called also and especially to share the joy