Ordained in 1925, Miguel Pro was a Jesuit priest in Mexico where public worship was banned. But Pro was kind and clever. He served the poor unceasingly and performed the...
Born in Germany in 1830, Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel founded the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. These amazing nuns ran orphanages, served as battlefield nurses, and even outsmarted...
Stanley Rother was born into a family of hard-working Oklahoma farmers. In 1968, five years into his priesthood, Fr. Rother requested reassignment to a mission in rural Guatemala. There he...
As a child, Frances Schervier would sneak into her father’s factory in Germany and give hand-sewn socks and gloves to the tired children who worked there in horrific conditions. Over...
As a child, little Imelda would create prayer corners around her house with flowers and pictures. One day at Mass, when Imelda was just 11 years old, the Holy Eucharist...
Little Margaret was born with dwarfism, blindness and a hunchback. Hidden away by her parents, she was locked in a door-less room attached to a church. She was alone, but...
Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in 1901 in Turin, Italy. A role model for modern youth, Frassati was a dynamic and faithful activist. He strived to apply Catholic teachings to...
Recognized by all Christians for the immense role she played in the story of our salvation, Mary is the mother of Jesus - a title without equal among the communion...
The centuries-old title “Mary, Help of Christians” refers to the special role of Mary in life’s most difficult trials, and in the trials of our Church. Organizations, churches and ministries...
Sebastian was a captain of the Roman Praetorian Guard in the 3rd century. When his Christian faith was revealed, Sebastian was tied to a tree, shot full of arrows, and...
Our Lady of Czestochowa is a depiction of Mary said to have been painted by St. Luke on the Holy Family's cedar tabletop! In the painting, Mary has darker skin,...
In 1917, Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Lucia, the eldest has said, "There is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above...
Toward the end of the 16th century, Mary appeared to a sick boy in the Indian town of Vailankanni. The boy offered her buttermilk and was then cured of his...
In 1859, northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Our Lady of Good Help appeared to a young Belgian woman named Adele Brise. In response to Mary’s call to teach the faith...
In 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to a Mexican peasant named Juan Diego and asked him to have a church built at the site of the apparition. Seeking proof, Juan...
Our Lady of Kibeho began appearing to several Rwandan girls and women in 1981 at a time of increasing tension between two ethnic groups in the region: the Tutsis and...
At least 15 people saw the exact same thing on the night of August 21, 1879, in the small, suffering Irish village of Knock. Judith Campbell was there and shared...
In the French town of Lourdes, Mary appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette in 1858. The young girl hurried home but was rebuked for lying. Mary asked Bernadette to tell people she...
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title for Mary as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in Jerusalem 800 years...
The image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help depicts Mary comforting Jesus as he clings to her, frightened at the idea of his crucifixion. The star on Mary's veil reminds...
Under the title “Seat of Wisdom,” Mary is often depicted holding Jesus closely as he rests on her lap. Jesus, the fullness of wisdom, is protected and safe with his...
The beloved title “Our Lady Star of the Sea” has been used for Mary for centuries. In the 1100s, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux wrote: "If the winds of temptation arise;...
"Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it." These words of St. Irenaeus nearly 2,000 years ago resonate...
On March 13, 2013, the new Pope Francis endeared himself to the world, saying in his first speech: "And now I would like to give the blessing. But first, I...
Having grown up on a Kansas farm, Fr. Emil Kapaun’s courage and work ethic were second-to-none. While serving during the Korean War, the popular Army chaplain traveled by jeep and...
The story of St. Abigail is rich with Irish lore and tradition. An angel told her she would find nine deer grazing in the place she was meant to spend...
Having dedicated her purity to God at a young age, Agatha became a target of Roman officials charged with carrying out the persecution of Christians during the reign of Emperor...
Often depicted with a lamb (“agnus“ in Latin), Agnes lived around the year 300. The lovely 13-year-old daughter of Roman nobles had several suitors but, having consecrated herself to Christ,...
Born in 741 near Belgium, St. Amelia was preparing to become a nun when she caught the attention of the infamous Charlemagne. Wanting to retain her purity, she once struggled...
Andrew and his brother Peter were fishermen by trade until Jesus visited them on the docks. “Follow me,” Jesus said to them, “And I will make you fishers of men.”...
Anne was the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus. She played an essential role in Church history; her child was the first person since Adam and...
St. Anthony was a 13th-century member of the Franciscan Order, known for his rich knowledge of Church theology. But even more important was his incredible ability to explain the Faith...
Augustine lived much of his life indulging in worldy pursuits. But in time, through prayer, reflection and study, he admitted his mistakes and wrote to God these words: "Restless is...
In all of history, no one has contributed as much to Western monasticism as St. Benedict. Born in Italy sometime around 480, Benedict founded twelve monasteries before founding the famous...
Bernadette Soubirous was only 14 years old when Our Lady appeared to her at a grotto in Lourdes, France. There, Mary told her to dig a small spring. Young Bernadette...
In the year 1111, Bernard became a Cistercian monk at the age of 20. Confident, bold and outspoken, his influence spread far beyond the monastery. The “honey-tongued” orator settled international...
St. Blaise was a skilled physician who lived in the 4th century. He was well-known for his kindness as well as his passion for treating both people and animals. Blaise...
St. Brendan was a priest born around 484 A.D. in Ireland. Adventurous and brave, Brendan sailed around northwest Europe spreading the Christian faith. He inspired many with his heroic devotion...
Brigid lived in the 5th century and from her youngest years showed an interest in religious life. She was inspired by St. Patrick, who had baptized her parents. Brigid founded...
In 1830, Our Lady appeared three times to Catherine Labouré, then a novice with the Daughters of Charity in Paris. She asked Catherine to create a medal depicting one of...
St. Catherine of Alexandria was a princess born in the year 287 in Egypt. During that time, Emperor Maxentius was brutally persecuting Christians. Catherine visited him to denounce his cruelty....
From her early childhood, Catherine had exceptional spiritual gifts. She could see guardian angels and had visions of Mary, the saints, and even Christ. Catherine became a member of the...
Cecilia was a 2nd-century Christian during the Roman persecutions. Devout and brave, she was to be killed for her faith but refused to let her persecutors take her life until...
A 3rd-century Christian, Christopher was a carrier; for work, he took goods and people safely across rivers. Legend holds that one day a young child asked if he could be...
An early follower of Saint Francis of Assisi, Clare is the foundress of an order of nuns known well as the "Poor Clare's." Having heard Francis speak, Clare discovered a...
Born in 1840, Fr. Damien spent the last 16 years of his life on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i. For decades, authorities used the island to banish anyone found suffering...
Dominic was born in Spain in 1170 and held a deep understanding of the spiritual disciplines. But Dominic saw a need to use those disciplines in a new way to...
Dymphna was an Irish princess whose father became dangerous with mental illness. Along with her priest and court jester, she fled her home to a place called Gheel. There, young...