Catholic Fire

The saints of the day for February 28 are SS. Romanus and Lupicinus. Saint Romanus, born in the late fourth century, left his relatives and spent some time in the monastery of Ainay at Lyons, near a large church at the point where the Saône and Rhone Rivers meet. The faithful had built it in honor of the famous martyrs of that region, whose ashes were thrown into the Rhone. His purpose for this retreat was to study all the practices of monastic life, and he obtained from the Abbot of Ainay some recently written books on the lives of the Desert Fathers. At the age of thirty-five, Romanus retired into the forests of Mount Jura, between France and Switzerland, and fixed his abode at a place called Condate, near two rivers, where he found a plot of ground fit for culture, and some trees which furnished him with wild fruit. Here he spent his time praying, reading, and laboring for his survival. Lupicinus, his brother, came to him there, accompanied by several other disciples, who we...

Today the Church commemorates Blessed Maria Caridad Brader (1860-1943),  Foundress of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate. She was an unusually intelligent child who had an intense love for Jesus Christ and devotion to Our Lady. Aware of her daughter's talents and ability, her mother took pains to give her a good education. When all the world lay at her feet, to entice her, she followed Christ's call and decided to embrace the religious life. Initially, her mother predictably opposed this decision, since she was a widow and Maria was her only child. At the age of 20, she entered the Franciscan convent. Several months later, she was clothed with the Franciscan habit and was given the name of "Mary Charity of the Love of the Holy Spirit". Because she well-educated, she was assigned a teaching position at the convent school. Sr Caritas volunteered to do missionary work in Ecuador. After catechizing countless groups of children there,...

Today is the feast of St. Paula Montal Fornés, foundress of the Daughters of Mary, Sisters of Pious Schools. Paula was born in a small seaside village near Barcelona, Spain in 1799 to Ramon and Vicenta Fornes Montal. She was the oldest of five daughters and was only ten when her father died. To help support the family, Paula went to work as a seamstress and lace-maker and helped her mother raise her younger sisters. She also taught catechism in her parish and, in doing so, discovered her gift for teaching. Denied an education herself, Paula promised God that she would devote her life to the Christian education of girls and young women. Paula believed that women needed an education to prepare them for life. Women in society at that time were treated as subordinate to men, which Paula and her followers perceived as a factor in the breakdown of the family unit and other social maladies. They were determined to advance women and their status in society through education -- a compreh...

Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisan i was born into a noble family in Naples, Italy in 1806. Her father was an alcoholic and was exiled after being involved in a revolt. Maria's grandmother raised her. When her grandmother died, the 10 year-old was sent to a boarding school until she was 17. During these years, Maria declined several marriage proposals because she preferred to lead a quiet life of prayer. When she turned 21, she entered the Benedictine Community in St. Peter's Monastery and took the name Maria Adeodata. She made her solemn profession two years later. In the cloister, Maria was a seamstress, sacristan, porter, teacher and novice mistress. Her fellow nuns and many people outside the cloister benefited from her charity. Maria Adeodata wrote various works, the most well-known of these is a collection of her personal reflections between the years 1835 and 1843 titled “The mystical garden of the soul that loves Jesus and Mary”. She was an abbess fro...

Blessed Thomas Mary Fusco was beatified in 2001 as a model of holiness for priests. He was dedicated to his priestly ministry, preaching spiritual retreats and missions, teaching catechism to youth and organizing prayer evenings for young people and adults at the parish. He had a deep devotion to the crucified Christ throughout his life and worked to build the devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus among the faithful. He was born Dec. 1, 1831, in Pagani, Italy, the seventh of eight children. Orphaned by the age of 10, his uncle, a priest, took charge of his education. Since 1839, the year of the canonization of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Thomas Maria had dreamed of the priesthood. He entered the seminary in 1847 and was ordained in 1855. In 1862 he opened a school of moral theology in his home to train priests for the ministry of confession. That same year he founded the priestly Society of the Catholic Apostolate for missions among the faithful. In 1873, deeply moved by th...

There was an unexpected guest in this consistory. Benedict XVI attended his first public ceremony as Pope Emeritus, sitting in the front row of St. Peter's Basilica. Wearing his white coat, he stood out amid all the cardinals wearing red. Pope Francis arrived a few minutes afterwards Breaking protocol, he walked over to Benedict XVI and hugged him. Pietro Parolin, who serves as Secretary of State, and who is also among the 19 new cardinals, greeted Benedict XVI. CARD. PIETRO PAROLIN Holy See's Secretary of State "With the same affection and reverence, we greet our Pope Emeritus, His Holiness Benedict XVI. We're glad you're here with us.” In his speech, the Pope outlined what the Church expects and needs from the new cardinals. POPE FRANCIS "The Church needs your courage, to proclaim the Gospel at all times, both  in season and out of season, and to bear witness to the truth. The  Church needs your compassion, especially at this time of pain and...

Altar of the Chair of St. Peter Today, February 22nd, is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. The Church has celebrated this occasion since at least the mid-4th century. It is a commemoration of St. Peter, the first pope, and his primacy over the Church as well as an acknowledgment of the primacy of the pope today. Before giving a history of the Chair itself, a little background on St. Peter is necessary. St. Peter St. Peter is consistently shown in the Scriptures to be the head or Vicar of Christ's Church on earth after Christ's Ascension. Peter's primacy over the rest of the apostles is clearly delineated. Peter presided over the election of Matthias as an apostle replacing Judas the traitor. After the Holy Spirit came among the apostles on Pentecost, it was Peter who first went forth to preach to the crowd that day. And it was he who worked the first miracle. In fact, so great was his power that merely his shadow falling upon the sick as he passed by heal...

It's official! We have a new Bishop-Elect! Praise God! Monsignor Carl Kemme, vicar general of the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., was named by Pope Francis as the 11th bishop of Wichita. Kemme, 53, has had experience leading a diocese -- he served as administrator of the Springfield diocese when it was between bishops, in parts of 2009 and 2010. Related: Wichita Lands A "Lincoln" – Springfield VG to Kansas... and For Miami, An Island Aux. Wichita's new bishop says he will rely on grace and mercy alone

Fr. Barron gives some great advice for all of us, when we go through spiritually dry periods.

The saint of the day for February 21 is St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, who was one of the Church's greatest reformers in the Middle Ages. Peter was the youngest child born to a large family in Ravenna, Italy in 1007. His parents both died when he was young and he was placed in the care of one of his brothers, who treated him like a slave. His oldest brother, a priest in Ravenna, rescued him and sent him away to study. Peter was brilliant and excelled in his studies (theology and cannon law), later returning to Ravena as a professor. Unable to endure the scandals and distractions of university life, he joined a group of Benedictine monks living in northern Italy. There he became a prior at the young age of 36: a position he held unto his death. While at the hermitage, Peter performed austere penances to the extent that he developed near permanent insomnia and was forced to modify them. Although living in the cloister, Peter kept close watch on the Church ...

Today the Church commemorates Blessed Francisco and Jacinto Marto , the visionaries at Fatima. Francisco, 11, and Jacinta, 10, are the youngest non-martyrs to be beatified in the history of the Church. The brother and sister, who tended to their families’ sheep with their cousin Lucia Santo in the fields of Fatima, Portugal, witnessed the apparitions of Mary, now commonly known as Our Lady of Fatima. During the first apparition, which took place May 13, 1917, Our Lady asked the three children to say the Rosary and to make sacrifices, offering them for the conversion of sinners. The children did, praying often, giving their lunch to beggars and going without food themselves. They offered up their daily crosses and even refrained from drinking water on hot days. In October 1918, Francisco and Jacinta became seriously ill with the Spanish flu. Our Lady appeared to them and said she would to take them to heaven soon. Bed-ridden, Francisco requested his first Communion. The fol...

The saint of the day for February 19 is St. Conrad of Piacenza (1290-1350), a friar and hermit celebrated for his piety and miraculous cures at Noto in Sicily. Conrad was born into a noble family in northern Italy. He married the daughter of a nobleman, Euphrosyne. One day, while he was hunting, Conrad ordered his attendants to make a fire. The wind carried the flames, which set fire to nearby fields, forests, towns and villages. Upon seeing this, Conrad ran away in fear. Because he ran, an innocent man was convicted for spreading the fire and was condemned to death as punishment. Upon hearing of this, Conrad stepped forth to accept the blame, saving the innocent man's life. He paid for the damaged property and he and his wife gave everything they owned to the poor in recompense. Conrad then left to join a group of Franciscan hermits, and his wife joined the Poor Clares. Word eventually spread of Conrad's holiness, piety and gift of healing. When many visitors...

The saint of the day for February 18 is Saint Flavian of Constantinople. St. Flavian was patriarch of Constantinople, and he was hated by the Emperor Theodosius II's chancellor, partly because he would not give Church money to the Emperor. In 448, St. Flavian held a synod that condemned the abbot Eutyches for denying that Jesus Christ had two distinct natures, a denial that was the beginning of the Monophysite heresy. Eutyches then appealed to Pope St. Leo I, but the Pope sustained the decision and wrote his famous "Leo's Tome" to St. Flavian, a letter expounding the orthodox position on the matter. The Emperor called another council at Ephesus in 449, which St. Leo later called a "robber synod." Conducted in open violence, it unjustly deposed St. Flavian and Eusebius, Eutyches' accuser in 448. St. Flavian was beaten so severely that he died days later in his place of exile. In 451 the Council of Chalcedon vindicated St. Flavian, reinstated Eusebiu...

It was definitely a unique experience. With more than 12,000 engaged couples, Pope Francis gave them all some advice on what it takes to make a marriage work. First, using some symbolism, he said couples must be willing to become jewelers. POPE FRANCIS "Marriage is also a daily job. We could even say it's like craftsmanship. In a way it's like being a goldsmith, because a husband makes his wife more of a woman, and she in turn should make her husband a better man. Growing together in their humanity, as man and woman.” But unlike any other job, marriage is a life long commitment. But this shouldn't scare couples, said the Pope. It's something they work on together, day by day. POPE FRANCIS "Love is something that comes about. It's a reality that grows. As an example, we could even say that it's like building a home. You build a home together, not alone!” He then added you can't base a marriage on just feelings. Rather it must be base...

Today's saints are the Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servites. These seven men were born at Florence and led lives as hermits on Monte Senario, especially venerating the Blessed Virgin Mary. On Friday, April 13, 1240, the hermits received a vision of Our Lady. She held in her hand the black habit, and a nearby angel bore a scroll reading Servants of Mary Mary told them, You will found a new order, and you will be my witnesses throughout the world. This is your name: Servants of Mary. This is your rule: that of Saint Augustine. And here is your distinctive sign: the black scapular, in memory of my sufferings. They accepted the wisdom of Our Lady, wrote a Rule based on Saint Augustine and the Dominican Constitutions, adopted the black habit of an Augustinian monk, and lived as mendicant friars. The men founded the Order of Servites which in 1304 received the approval of the Holy See. They are venerated on this day which is said to be the day on which Saint Alexis Falconie...

Today the Church honors St. Claude de la Columbiere (1641-1682), a Jesuit missionary, who was the brilliant and holy spiritual director of St. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. Claude de la Colombiere is best known for his association with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the devotion of the Sacred Heart, but his life has its own drama. He was sent to England after his spiritual direction of St. Margaret Mary was over and became embroiled in the Titus Oates "Popish Plot," was imprisoned, then banished from England. His story is part of the history of the seventeenth century. He was born near Lyons in 1641 to a very devout family and entered the Society of Jesus at Avignon. After his novitiate, he taught grammar and the humanities. Even before his ordination to the priesthood, he gained a reputation as a preacher. After completing his studies in Paris, he became tutor to the sons of Colbert, the financial minister of Louis XIV, but was dismissed from his post and returned t...

1.   Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you all have some special plans for today. I'm planning a special home-cooked meal for this evening and a romantic dinner out tomorrow night. I have a beautiful new red dress to wear and am getting my hair done today, so I am excited!  If you still need some ideas for celebrating, check out these posts:  For Couples: Ten Romantic Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day  and  Ideas for Men: Ten Romantic Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day . And here is what women definitely don't need for Valentine's Day! 2. This past week we celebrated one of my favorite Marian feast days -- Our Lady of Lourdes! I share my personal reflections with readers HERE,   3. Can you believe it? A new biopic on Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be out in 2015! The producer of the film, entitled I Thirst , is the former executive producer of the television series 24; the scriptwriter co-wrote the script for the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. I...

Today is the memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius. These brothers were born in Thessalonica, in 827 and 826 respectively. They are known as the apostles to the Slavs, which meant they were missionaries in that region of Europe in which the culture of the East meets the culture of the West. Their missionary efforts represent a co-operation between the Church of the West and the East, demonstrating that Latin and Orthodox Christianity have been able at times to work together to accomplish common goals. They were sent by the emperor in 861 to convert the Jewish Khazars of Russia, a mission that was successful, and which allowed him to learn the Khazar’s language. In 863, the emperor sent them into the kingdom of Grand-Moravia; through great effort and in spite of tremendous difficulties they converted the Slavonic nations. Along with their zeal for evangelization, the two saints are known as the Fathers of the Slavic language. They developed the Glagolithic or Cyrillic alphabet, ...

During his daily Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis focused about the Word of God, which leads to Salvation. The Pope talked about how Jesus cured the daughter of a pagan woman, because she was not ashamed about having faith in Him. POPE FRANCIS "Welcome the Word of God with docility. The Word that has been planted in you can bring you to Salvation. Take the path of the Canaanite woman, of that pagan woman, who accepted the Word of God, which has been planted in us and that will lead us to salvation. Let the powerful Word of God guide our path, so that we do not end up in corruption, which leads us to idolatry.” The Pope also warned that believers, like Solomon, are at risk of losing their faith from "passion and vanity.” And that knowing how to recite the Creed is not enough, if they lack faith. SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS Source: Vatican Radio Believers can lose their faith because of passion and vanity, while a pagan can become a believer through his or he...

By Austin Ruse NEW YORK, February 14 (C-FAM) C-FAM and the Alliance Defending Freedom are hosting a conference in Rome to explore and celebrate the contribution of Pope John Paul II to the pro-life debate at the UN and his work in establishing a global pro-life movement. The conference comes during the weekend of the canonization of John Paul II as a saint in the Catholic Church, expected to bring more than one million people to Rome. Invited speakers include Blessed John Paul II’s close collaborators during the seminal UN conferences in Cairo, Beijing, Rio and many others: papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Under-Secretary of State Louis Cardinal Tauran, and Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano. Confirmed speakers include Papal biographer George Weigel, US Ambassador to the Holy See Raymond Flynn, chief Holy See negotiator John Klink, and Apostolic Nuncio to the UN Renato Cardinal Martino. Continue reading.

The saint of the day for February 13 is the great Dominican mystic and stigmatist, St. Catherine de' Ricci (1522-1590), who was a Dominican nun, of the Third Order, enclosed in a convent at that time. Alessandrina Lucrezia Romola de' Ricci was born in Florence, Italy on April 23, 1522 to a pious and well-respected family. Her mother died when she was an infant and she was raised by her devoted stepmother, who encouraged her to live a holy life. When she has about 71/2 years old, her father placed her in the Convent of Monticelli, in Florence, where her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun. Her aunt and the other sisters watched over her and taught her catechism there. Alessandrina was fourteen years old when she entered the Dominican Community of Prat, taking the religious name Catherine. Initially and for the first four-fve years after her profession, Catherine experienced many trials and humiliations within the order. She received visions and had ecstasies, which caused s...

In Wednesday's general audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Sacraments, focusing specifically on the Eucharist. He outlined three points where the Eucharist plays a central role in Christian life. First, he explained, it affects the way people relate to one another. Secondly, through the Eucharist, both forgiveness and a call to forgive is experienced. Thirdly, the Eucharist nourishes a community through the Word and Life of Christ. Pope Francis then added that the Eucharist is not a mere memory that simply honors Jesus. Rather, he explained, it's an act and gift from God. SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH Dear Brothers and Sisters,  Continuing our catechesis on the Sacraments of Initiation, I wish to reflect on how we live the Eucharist in our daily lives, as a Church and individual Christians. First, the Eucharist affects the way we see others.  In his life, Christ manifested his love by being with people, and by sharing their desire...

For the next few weeks, blogging here will be light due to my work on a major project, but don't worry , regular posting will resume soon.  May I ask for your prayers for this project? Thank you so much, dear readers. I am keeping you in my prayers. God bless you!

St. Julian the Hospitaller , or "the Poor Man," came from a wealthy, noble family in the early 4th century and is a popular saint in Western Europe. According to a legend, Julian had just recently been married and was a jealous husband. One day when Julian was hunting, he had a vision that he would murder his mother and father. While he was hunting, his mother and father made an unexpected visit to his castle. His wife gave them one of the best rooms. When Julian returned from his hunt and saw the two figures in bed, he assumed it was his wife with a lover. In a jealous rage, Julian killed his mother and father. Julian was so horrified upon learning the truth that he swore to devote the remainder of his life to good works. He and his wife then undertook a pilgrimage to a distant country where he established a hospital. The hospital was near a river that was frequently crossed by people prompted to travel by the Holy Crusades. People frequently drowned crossing this ...

Dylan and Iver Benson enjoy a hug after his birth Saturday. Credit: Dylan Benson's blog, MisterBenson.com VICTORIA, British Columbia, February 11, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Canadian father and husband is experiencing an impossible mix of emotions at the birth of his first child followed by the passing of his wife, who was declared ‘brain dead’ by doctors in December. Baby Iver Cohen Benson, who shot to international fame after his father Dylan requested that doctors keep his wife Robyn on life support to give his unborn son what he called a “chance of survival,” was born Saturday at a Victoria hospital. “On Saturday evening, my beautiful and amazing son, Iver Cohen Benson, was born. Iver is healthy and is the cutest and most precious person I have ever met,” Benson wrote on his blog. Doctors had declared Robyn Benson, 32, “brain dead” at the end of December, one day after suddenly suffering a massive blood leak to her brain. She was 22 weeks pregnant with the couple...

Chapter 5 of the Gospel, according to Mark, describes when Jesus resurrected the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus, saying "Talitha Kum,” or "Little girl, rise.” Fast forward 2,000 years later, a network of nuns is doing the same, helping girls and women rise again, after becoming victims of human trafficking. Very fittingly, they call themselves Talitha Kum. SR. ESTRELLITA CASTALONE Coordinator, Talitha Kum "Sisters have opened their houses to welcome victims of human trafficking. Those who have chosen to leave the circle, those who are able to escape, and those who the sisters are able to rescue.” Statistics are unreliable, but its a lucrative business, second only to weapons trafficking. Now in its fifth year, Talitha Kum has morphed into world-wide network, not just helping trafficking victims, but to prevent it from happening in the first place. They started off with courses, but quickly took a hands on approach. As a network, the sisters rely on each othe...

February 11 is the 22nd World Day of the Sick, a commemoration that was instituted by Blessed John Paul II and takes place each year on the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes . The title of Pope Francis’s message for the day is entitled “Faith and Charity: ‘We Ought to Lay Down Our Lives for One Another,’” a reference to a text from the First Letter of St. John. In his letter instituting the commemoration, Pope John Paul wrote that the day should be “a special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one’s suffering for the good of the Church and of reminding everyone to see in his sick brother or sister the face of Christ who, by suffering, dying, and rising, achieved the salvation of mankind.” Pope Francis: Message on the occasion of the 22nd World Day of the Sick, 2014 Related: Prayer for Healing to Our Lady of Lourdes

I watched all her movies on TV when I was a child and admired her a great deal.  She was immensely talented and used her gifts wisely. May she rest in peace. PHOTOS: REMEMBERING HER LIFE AND CAREER (Vatican Radio) The legendary Hollywood child star Shirley Temple has died at the age of 85 at her home near San Francisco in the US. She was the cute curly haired child star that audiences flocked to see on the silver screen in the mid 1930’s. As box office gold during that period she appeared in movies such as “The Little Princess, ``Stand Up and Cheer!'' and “Little Miss Marker”. Children during that era even sang renditions of one of her most famous songs, “On the Good Ship Lollipop.” But as her star began to wane, Shirley Temple retired from films at the early age of twenty one. In her later life she raised a family and under her married name Shirley Temple Black became active in politics holding several diplomatic posts in Republican administrations including am...

The feast of Our Lady of  Lourdes, which we celebrate on February 11, has always had a special place in my heart -- not only because of my French family background and living in a small French village (located in the heart of the USA), but because as a child, I related on a personal level to Bernadette. Like her, I was initially a slow learner in school. My health was poor and I was a little behind my peers in the primary grades because I missed so much school and also because I was nearsighted and needed glasses. (However, it didn't take me long to catch up and even excel in my studies.) Everyday after school, I visited Bernadette and Our Lady at the Lourdes shrine behind our church and prayed there, often imagining what it would be like to have been St. Bernadette. To this very day, I continue to be fascinated by the simple obedience, humility, and holiness of this great saint. Today marks the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 to St. Bernadette Soubirous. ...

“Today marriage tends to be viewed as a form of mere emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will. Unfortunately this vision also influences the mentality of Christians, promoting a tendency toward divorce or separation.” ~ Pope Francis, speaking to the Polish bishops last week, exercepted from  Pope: Marriage cannot be based simply on emotional satisfaction

Origin Entertainment will release a biographical film on Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-97) in 2015, according to a recent Hollywood Reporter article . The producer of the film, entitled I Thirst, is the former executive producer of the television series 24; the scriptwriter co-wrote the script for the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. The film’s producer, Tony Krantz , said that he would work in “lockstep with the Missionaries of Charity,” the religious institute Mother Teresa founded. “They should not just be a part of it but also be one of the authors,” he said. Source

How perverted and disordered is this? Cecile Richards, the CEO of the Planned Parenthood abortion business, is telling the public that women NEED abortions for Valentine's Day! Via LifeNews.com :  The following is a Vine video the abortion activist is promoting on Facebook and Twitter today. #WhatWomenNeed for Valentine’s Day: http://t.co/6oQu28YZMa — Cecile Richards (@CecileRichards) February 10, 2014 The promotion of abortion for Valentine’s Day is not surprising considering that’s just about all it offers pregnant women. Some 92 percent of pregnant women going to Planned Parenthood get abortions. I think what women need is protection from the deception of people like Cecile Richards, who support the physical, sexual,  emotional, and psychological abuse caused by abortion. Women need more love and respect. Women need to be told the truth about the horrors of abortion and not deceived by people like this who portray it as something that is not only desirable...

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has released decrees recognizing 125 martyrs, and advancing three other candidates toward beatification. During a February 7 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Francis approved the decrees recognized the martyrdom of Francesco Zirano, an Italian Franciscan priest, who was killed in Algeria in 1603; and of Paolo Yun Ji-chung, a Korean layman, and 123 companions who died in Korean persecutions between 1791 and 1888. All are now eligible for beatification. The Congregation also recognized the “heroic virtue” of the following candidates, who will become eligible for beatification if a miracle is attributed to their influence: Jesus Maria Echavarria y Aguirre (1858- 1954), a Mexican bishop; Faustino Ghilardi (1858- 1937), born Guglielmo Giacomo, an Italian Franciscan; and Maria Rocio of Jesus Crucified (1923- 1956), born Maria Rafaela Rodriguez Xuarez de la Guardia...

February 11, 2013: The day started off just like any other. At 11.00 a.m. Pope Benedict XVI met with cardinals to announce three canonizations. But Benedict XVI added another item to the list...one that would forever mark the Catholic Church. BENEDICT XVI "Due to an advanced age, I am no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” The 85 year-old Pope had announced his resignation. Cardinals seemed shock and confused. At that point, they were the only ones who knew. Them along with a handful of journalists covering the meeting. Just moments later, at 11.46 a.m, two news agencies broke the story within the same minute.  French Agency,  I Media and Ansa. But still, the world media was somewhat skeptical, until the Vatican announced a press conference at  roughly 12:07 Rome time. The hours that followed, the story ran like wildfire. During that press conference, at roughly 1 pm, it was announced, that at the end of the month the Pope would go ...

This prayer was said during the Holy Father's  August 15, 2004 visit to Lourdes, France.  The Pope asked her among other things to "be our guide along the paths of the world." Hail Mary, poor and humble Woman, Blessed by the Most High! Virgin of hope, dawn of a new era, We join in your song of praise, to celebrate the Lord’s mercy, to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and the full liberation of humanity. Hail Mary, lowly handmaid of the Lord, Glorious Mother of Christ! Faithful Virgin, holy dwelling-place of the Word, Teach us to persevere in listening to the Word, and to be docile to the voice of the Spirit, attentive to his promptings in the depths of our conscience and to his manifestations in the events of history. Hail Mary, Woman of sorrows, Mother of the living! Virgin spouse beneath the Cross, the new Eve, Be our guide along the paths of the world. Teach us to experience and to spread the love of Christ, to stand with you before the innumerable crosses ...

O ever-Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, health of the sick, refuge of sinners, comforter of the afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings; look with mercy on me. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors; and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal. I come, therefore, with complete confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my requests. (mention your petition) Through gratitude for your favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share your glory. Amen.