Christian Today

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 18  ST.JOHN I, POPE AND MARTYR -St. Pope John I, Roman Catholic Pope and Martyr. John was elected Pope while he was still an archdeacon upon the death of Pope Hormisdas in 523. Feast May 18 St. Theodotus of Ancyra, and Companions Theodotus was an innkeeper at Ancyra, Galatia (modern Turkey), who gave burial to seven virgins, Thecusa, Alexandra, Claudia, faina (Phaina), Euphrasia, Matrona, and Julitta after their martyrdom for refusing to wear pagan priestess robes and take part in a pagan festival. Theodotus was himself betrayed by an apostate and was martyred. In turn, his remains were gathered up by a Christian and sent to Malus where they received a proper burial and were enshrined in a chapel. May 18 St. Merililaun, 8th century. Martyred pilgrim. He was from England, journeying to Rome, when he was slain at Reims, France, under circumstances that warranted his being considered a martyr.   ST. FELIX OF CANTALICE, CAPUCHIN FRIAR St. Elgiva of Shaftesbury,

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 17  ST. VICTOR, MARTYR ON THE VIA SALARIA ANTICA Bl. Antonia Mesina, Roman Catholic Martyr , she was murdered by a teenager when she resisted his rape attempt, Patron of martyrs; rape victims, May 17 ST. PASCHAL BAYLON, FRANCISCAN LAY , PATRON OF THE EUCHARISTIC ASSOCIATIONS -St. Paschal Baylon, Roman Catholic Franciscan lay brother and mystic. Patron of all eucharistic confraternities and congresses. Feast May 17 St. Madern. Hermit of Cornish descent also called Maden and Madron. Nothing is known of his life, but he was of Cornish descent and connected with Brittany, France. Numerous churches in England bear his name, and the reputed site of his hermitage, St. Madern’s Well, is still popular.   St. Cathan, 6th or 7th century. Bishop of the isle of Bute, in Scotland, called Kil-Cathan in his honor. A tomb bearing his name was found near Londonderry, Ireland, but Scottish scholars claim his remains are at Kil-Cathan.   St. Maiduif . Irish abbot and founder o

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 16  ST. ALEXANDER, BISHOP OF JERUSALEM AND MARTYR St. Simon Stock.  Although little is known about Simon Stock's early life, legend has it that the name Stock, meaning "tree trunk," derives from the fact that, beginning at age twelve, he lived as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk of an oak tree. It is also believed that, as a young man, he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he joined a group of Carmelites with whom he later returned to Europe. Simon Stock founded many Carmelite Communities, especially in University towns such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, and he helped to change the Carmelites from a hermit Order to one of mendicant friars. In 1254 he was elected Superior-General of his Order at London. Simon Stock's lasting fame came from an apparition he had in Cambridge, England, on July 16, 1251, at a time when the Carmelite Order was being oppressed. In it the Virgin Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in

It’s Time to Double Down on <i>Casti Connubii</i> https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/its-time-to-double-down-on-casti-connubii?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=novashare via @CrisisMag

  Salford: 'Modern Slavery - Breaking the Chains' https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/49773

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 15  ST. DYMPHNA-St. Dymphna, Roman Catholic Laywoman Martyr, the patron of those suffering from nervous and mental afflictions. Feast May 15 St. Gerebrand, 7th century.  Martyred Irish priest, companion of St. Dymphna. He was quite elderly when he went with St. Dymphna to Belgium, where they were slain by pagans. Gerebrand, sometimes called Gerebern, is patron of a Rhineland area.   ST. TORQUATUS, BISHOP OF GUADIX ST. ISIDORE THE FARMER-ST. ISIDORE THE FARMER St. Isidore was canonized in 1622. In 1947, he was proclaimed the patron of the National Rural Conference in the United States. He is the patron of farmers, and his feast day is May 15th. Prayer : God, through the intercession of St. Isidore, the holy Farmer, grant that we may overcome all feelings of pride. May 15 St. Britwin , 733 A.D. Benedictine abbot of Beverley, England, and friend of St. John of Beverley, who became the bishop of York. Britwin did much too foster monasticism and culture in Englan

  SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 14  ST. MATTHIAS, APOSTLE Sts. Victor and Corona, Roman Catholic Husband and Wife and Martyrs . They were put to death in Syria during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. May 14 ST. MICHAEL GARICOÏTS, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS OF BÉTHARRAM St. Engelmund, 739 A.D. Benedictine abbot, companion of St. Willibrord. He was born in England where he ruled an abbey. Then he went to Friesland.  St. Carthach the Younger, 637 A.D. Irish hermit and bishop, also called Carthage, Cuda, or Mochuda. Originally a swineherd, Carthach was ordained and then became a hermit about 590 in Kiltulagh and then in Bangor, under St. Comgall. Carthach traveled to Offaly, where he founded a monastery, ruling more than eight hundred monks. He wrote a rule for the monastery in metrical verse, a document that is extant. He is believed to have served as the bishop of Fircall until he and his monks were expelled by some local lord. Carthach founded another monastery a

How to return to the art of living together in a truly human way? Pope Francis responds in speech - ZENIT - English : Hearing to the participants in the World Meeting on Human Fraternity.

What are the steps with which Jesus shows us the way? Pope answers - ZENIT - English : Allocution on the occasion of the recitation of the Angelus on Sunday, May 12, 2024.

The Ascension of the Lord of the Lord explained with the virtue of hope by the Pope - ZENIT - English : Pope's homily on the second vespers of the Lord's ascension

  SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 13  B. MARY VIRGIN OF FATIMA St. Mael. A hermit of Wales sometimes called Mabel. He was a disciple of St. Cadfan, whom he accompanied from Brittany, France, to Wales and then to the island of Bardsey.   St. Merewenna, 970 A.D. Abbess of Romsey, in Hampshire, England. She is also called Merwenna and Merwinna. King Edgar the Peaceful of England restored Merewenna abbey.   St. Juliana of Norwich, Roman Catholic English Benedictine Mystic. St. John the Silent, Roman Catholic Bishop . He asked to be walled up and lived for seventy-five years as a silent recluse. Feast May 13 St. Abban. Irish hermit whose life is largely undocumented. Born in Ireland, Abban resided in Abingdon, England before the era of St. Patrick. Abban is part of the great panorama of early Irish Christians who served as models for European monasticism and faith. He is especially revered in Abingdon, England. 

  The #1 Vocation Killer https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/the-1-vocation-killer?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=novashare via @CrisisMag

  SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 12  STS. NEREUS AND ACHILLEUS, MARTYRED ON THE VIA ARDEATINA St. Dionysius, 304 A.D. Martyr and uncle of St. Pancras . An Asiatic by birth, Dionysius brought St. Pancras to Rome, where they became Christians. Dionysius died in a Roman prison.   ST. PANCRAS, MARTYRED ON THE VIA AURELIA -Saint Pancras, (Pancratius). He was born at the end of the third century and brought up by an uncle in Rome after the death of his parents. Both he and his uncle became Christians. Pancras was beheaded in 304 during Diocletian's persecution. He was only 14 years old.  Pancras is especially venerated in England because Augustine of Canterbury dedicated his first church to Pancras and his relics were presented as a gift to the king of Northumberland. A district in London is named St. Pancras after him.   St. Flavia Domitilla, Roman Catholic Martyr with Euphrosyna and Theodora . She was related to Emperors Domitian and Titus and was a great-niece of St. Flavius Clemens. She

Vatican Offers Plenary Indulgence for 'Seven Church Pilgrimage' After Historic Church Renovation for 2025 Jubilee Year https://www.churchpop.com/vatican-offers-plenary-indulgence-for-seven-church-pilgrimage-after-historic-church-renovation-for-2025-jubilee-year/

  When America Despised the Irish: The 19th Century’s Refugee Crisis Forced from their homeland because of famine and political upheaval, the Irish endured vehement discrimination before making their way into the American mainstream. https://www.history.com/news/when-america-despised-the-irish-the-19th-centurys-refugee-crisis https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/17/fact-sheet-the-united-states-ireland-partnership/

 Understanding Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’ More than twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, challenges remain for Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland long after the conflict ended. https://education.cfr.org/learn/reading/understanding-northern-irelands-troubles

 Did you know that there are 23 US Presidents that boast Irish heritage? From Andrew Jackson (7th President) born only two years after his parents emigrated from Antrim to Joe Biden (46th President) who can trace his ancestry back to counties Louth and Mayo, the Irish diaspora punch well above their weight in terms of political clout across the Atlantic! https://epicchq.com/story/us-presidents-with-irish-heritage/

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR MAY 11  Bl. John of Rochester, 1537 A.D. Carthusian martyr of England who died with Blessed James Walworth. He was born in Terling, Essex, and became a monk in the London Charterhouse. John was implicated in Blessed James Walworth’s correspondence with the duke of Norfolk. He and James refused to take the Oath of Supremacy and were martyred at York and beatified in 1886.   ST. ANTHIMUS OF ROME, MARTYRED ON THE VIA SALARIA St. Tudy, 5th century. Abbot also called Tegwin and Tudinus. A native of Brittany, France, he became a disciple of St. Brioc and embraced the erernetical life. Eventually, he served as abbot of a community of monks near Landevennec, Brittany. Later, he journeyed to England and preached in Cornwall.    

  SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 10  ST. GORDIANUS, MARTYRED ON THE VIA LATINA STS. QUARTUS AND QUINTUS, MARTYRED ON THE VIA LATINA St. Peter Van, Roman Catholic Catechist and Vietnamese Martyr. A native catechist, he was arrested by authorities and beheaded. May 10 St. Solange, Roman Catholic Martyr , a shepherdess whose beauty attracted the lustful attention of a noble in Poitiers. He kidnapped her, but when she leaped from the horse on which he was carrying her off, he pursued and killed her. May 10 ST. JOHN OF AVILA, PRIEST St. William of Pontoise, 1192 A.D. English hermit . He resided at Pontoise, in France, having gone there to take up the eremetical life. His hermitage became popular in the region. He may have been Benedictine at St. Martin's Abbey.   St. Comgall , b.516 A.D., d.601 A.D. Abbot and teacher of St. Columbanus and the monks who evangelized France and central Europe. He was born about 516 in Yester, Ireland, and studied under St. Fintan at Cluain Eidnech Monastery.

I will remain faithful': The love of Sr. Nijole Sadunaite https://www.ncronline.org/node/271161 via @NCRonline

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 09  Blessed Thomas Pickering Roman Catholic Benedictine Martyr ad lay brother who served in England during the time of recusancy. He was martyred as a result of the fraudulent claims of Titus Oates that he was part of a plot to murder King Charles II. he entered the English Benedictine monastery of St. Gregory at Douai (now at Downside Abbey, Somerset) and took vows as a lay brother in 1660. In 1665, he was sent to London to be steward for the Benedictine monks who served the chapel of Catherine of Braganza, the Catholic wife of King Charles II. There he became known personally to the Queen and Charles II; and when in 1675, urged by the parliament, Charles issued a proclamation ordering the Benedictines to leave England within a fixed time, Pickering was allowed to remain, probably on the grounds that he was not a priest. In 1678, Titus Oates made claims of Catholic plots against the King's life, and Pickering was accused of being part of this conspiracy

Pope explains why Jesus calls his disciples friends and no longer servants - ZENIT - English : Allocution on the occasion of the recitation of the Regina Coeli on Sunday, May 5th, 2024

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 08  ST. VICTOR MAURUS OF MILAN, MARTYR ST. BONIFACE IV, POPE ST. BENEDICT II, POPE ST. ARSENIUS THE GREAT, ROMAN DEACON, ANCHORITE IN EGYPT St. Peter of Tarantaise, Roman Catholic Monk and Archbishop. He was named the archbishop of Tarantaise against his wishes, and he devoted much energy to reforming the diocese, purging the clergy of corrupt and immoral members, aiding the poor, and promoting education. He is also credited with starting the custom of distributing bread and soup the so called May Bread just before the harvest, a custom which endured throughout France until the French Revolution. Feastday May 8 St. Abran, 515 A.D. Hermit also called Gibrian. From Ireland, Abran, the eldest of five brothers and three sisters, sailed to Brittany with his siblings. There all of them continued their hermitages and greatly influenced the people of the area. Abran and his brothers and sisters were all declared saints.   St. Odrian, 5th century. One of the first

  SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 07  ST. FLAVIA DOMITILLA, ROMAN MARTYR ST. ROSA VENERINI, VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE MAESTRE PIE VENERINI St. John of Beverly. John was born at Harpham, Yorkshire, England. He studied under Adrian at St. Theodore's School in Kent, and on his return to his native land, became a monk at Whitby. He was named bishop of Hexham in 687 and then transferred to York as metropolitan in 705, succeeding St. Bosa. John was known for his holiness, his preference for the contemplative life, and his miracles, many of which are recounted in Bede's Ecclesiastical History, the author of which he had ordained. In ill health, John resigned the bishopric of York in 717 and retired to Beverly Abbey, which he had founded, and remained there until his death on May 7. His shrine was for centuries one of the most popular pilgrim centers in England. He was canonized by Pope Benedict IX in 1037.  St. Liudhard, 600 A.D. Bishop and chaplain to Queen Bertha, daughter of King Chari

 https://www.bournemouthoratory.org.uk/what-to-do-if-you-cant-go-to-confession What to do if You Can’t Go to Confession When it’s not possible to go to confession, perfect contrition can also obtain the forgiveness of all sin, including mortal sins. Perfect contrition is a sorrow for sins and a repentance motivated by the love of God (not just fear of punishment). It includes within it a resolution to make a sacramental confession at the next opportunity. (CCC 1451–1452) Perfect contrition is a state of the soul, but we may express it in prayer through the words of the Act of Contrition used during sacramental confession. It is also important to remember that while it is a very good practice to make regular confession of all of our sins, we are only required to confess mortal sins, because mortal sin separates us from the life of God. “For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: ‘Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full kno

What does the success of a marriage depend on? Pope Francis answers - ZENIT - English : Speech to the international leaders of the Equipes Notre-Dame Movement

  SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 06  Bl. Edward Jones. Blessed Edward Jones and Anthony Middleton, Martyrs Edward Jones from Wales and Anthony Middleton from Yorkshire were both educated at the Douai College in Rheims. They became priests and were sent to the English mission in the time of Elizabeth II. Middleton was the first to arrive in England, in 1586, and pursued the ministry for some time without being discovered, helped considerably by his youthful appearance and slight stature. Jones followed, in 1588, and quickly became known by the English Catholics as a devout and eloquent preacher. The two men of God were hunted down and captured with the aid of spies posing as Catholics, and they were hanged before the very doors of the houses in Fleet Street and Clerkenwell where they were arrested. Their trial is regarded as full of irregularities; the reason for the summary justice dispensed to them was spelled out in large letters: "For treason and foreign invasion." After offer

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 05  Bl. John Haile, 1535 A.D. Martyr of England, a companion in death of St. John Houghton at Tyburn. He was an elderly secular priest, the vicar of Isleworth, Middlesex, when he was arrested by King Henry VIII’s men. John was executed at Tyburn. He was beatified in 1886.   Bl. Sadoc & Companions, Roman Catholic Dominican missionaries and Martyrs . Sadoc was brought into the Dominican order by St. Dominic himself. Sent to Hungary with a group of Dominican missionaries, he labored among the Hungarians and then went on to Poland, where he founded and served as prior of a Dominican house at Sandomir, in 1260, however, the town was sacked by the advancing Mongols. Sadoc and forty-nine other friars were all put to death while singing the Salve Regina. Feastday May 5 Bl. Edmund Ignatius Rice, 1844 A.D. The founder of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Christian Schools often called the Irish Christian Brothers. Edmund was born in Wescourt, Ireland, in Ju

SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 04  Bl. Carthusian Martyrs, 1540 A.D. English monks of the Carthusian Order put to death by King Henry VIII because of their continued allegiance to the pope and the authority of the Holy See. These martyrs, eighteen in all, were beatified in 1886.   St. Augustine Webster, 1535 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales canonized in 1970. Augustine was a Carthusian prior of the Charterhouse at Axholme, England. He was arrested in London and martyred at Tyburn.   St. John Houghton, 1535 A.D.  Protomartyr of the English Reformation . A native of Essex, he served as a parish priest after graduating from Cambridge. He then became a Carthusian and the prior of the Carthusian Charterhouse of London. As an opponent of King Henry VIII’s Acts of Succession and Supremacy, he was arrested with other Carthusian but was released temporarily. He then refused to swear to the Oath of Supremacy, the first man to make this refusal. Dragged through the streets, he was

Vatican Museums offer Marian tour of Pope's gardens in May - ZENIT - English : From 4 to 29 May, every Wednesday (after the regular General Audiences of the Holy Father) – and every Saturday, it will be possible to join in this special Marian pilgrimage among the botanical and artistic wonders of the Pope’s’ Gardens, a place once reserved for the Pontiffs' brief moments of rest, and today also open to visits and appreciation by the general public

  SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 03  Sts. Timothy & Martha, Roman Catholic Martyrs, husband and wife, in Antinoe (modern Egypt). Timothy was a reader in the Egyptian Church who was ordered to hand over the Scriptures to Roman officials. When he refused, he was arrested and condemned with his wife of a mere three weeks, Martha. They were nailed to a wall and lingered for nine terrible days during which they gave encouragement to each other. Feastday May 3 ST. ALEXANDER, POPE, WITH STS. EVENTIUS AND THEODULUS, PRIESTS, MARTYRED ON THE VIA NOMENTANA - STS. PHILIP AND JAMES THE LESS St.  Ethelwin, (d. eighth century).  Ethelwin, Second bishop of Lindsey, England. He accompanied St. Egbert to Ireland, where he died. Feast day: May 3.   St. Gluvias, 6th century. Monastic founder and brother of St. Cadoc of Llancarfan, Wales. Gluvias labored in Cornwall, England, where he may have started an abbey. He is also called Glywys.   St. Scannal, 563 A.D. Disciple of St. Columba and an Irish missi

  Actor Russell Brand Announces Baptism & Social Media Rejoices: 'I Felt Changed' https://www.churchpop.com/actor-russell-brand-announces-baptism-social-media-rejoices-i-felt-changed/

  What are sisters really like? https://www.globalsistersreport.org/node/178196

  Congregations in transition: Office helps with pastoral aspects of change https://www.globalsistersreport.org/node/178352

 SAINTS OF THE DAY FOR  MAY 02  St. Zoe, wife of Exsuperius, also known as Hesperus, both Christians, and slaves. When they refused to eat food offered to the Gods by their master on the birth of their son, they and their two sons, Syriacus and Theodulus, were tortured and then roasted to death in a furnace. Feastday May 2nd St. Athanasius, Roman Catholic Bishop and Doctor of the Church . . His refusal to tolerate the Arian heresy was the cause of many trials and persecutions for St. Athanasius. He spent seventeen of the forty-six years of his episcopate in exile.Feastday May 2 St. Ultan, 686 A.D. Benedictine abbo t. The brother of Sts. Fursey and Foil Ian, he followed them into the monastic life, entering the community of monks at Burgh Castle, near Yarmouth, East Anglia, England. He subsequently went to France to escape the predations of the Mercians and was greeted with enthusiasm by St. Gertrude of Nivelles. After serving as chaplain to Gertrude's nuns, be became the founding a