Catholic Fire

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, was born in 1491 in the Basque Country of Northern Spain to parents of distinguished families in that area. He was the youngest of 13 children and was called was called Iñigo. At the age of 15, he served as a page in the court of a local nobleman and later embraced a military career and became a valiant soldier. Wounded in battle by a cannonball, which broke one leg and injured the other, he was taken prisoner by the French, who set his leg and eventually allowed him to go home to Loyola. He spent his time recuperating at the home of his brother. Confined to his sick bed , he was given pious books to read, which he grudgingly accepted. To his surprise, he enjoyed them and began to dream of becoming a "knight for Christ", pursuing the ideals of St. Francis and St. Dominic. He eventually promised to devote his life to being a knight for St. Peter if he recovered, which he did after nine months of convalescence. Ignati...

Fr. Albert Cutie invites us to meet St. Paul in this episode of Pillars of the Church. A beautiful video showing the Basilica of St. Paul and the amazing artwork - frescos, statues, paintings, architecture, etc.

St. John of Beverely was born in the seventh century at Harpman in Yorkshire and studied at the famous school in Canterbury established by St. Theodore, where he was taught by St. Adrian of Canterbury. From there he returned to Yorkshire and became a monk in the double monastery of Whitby, ruled by St. Hilda. He was consecrated Bishop of Hexham and later Archbishop of York. He was well-known for his eloquent preaching and his teaching skills, specifically, his ability to help others understand the scriptures. He would continue to teach throughout his life. His most famous pupil was the Venerable Bede, whom John ordained to both the diaconate and the priesthood. John was known for his holiness, his love of the contemplative life, his love for the poor, and his miracles. Due to ill health, John resigned as archbishop of York in 717 and retired to Beverly Abbey, which he had founded, and remained there until his death on May 7, 721. His shrine was for centuries one of the most popular pi...

A reader asks: Would you please let me know if there is a way to obtain a copy of this video - 'Chronicles of a Holy Man'? Note: This film was previously shown on EWTN, but they no longer carry the video. Any help you can give will be deeply appreciated. Related Post: CHRONICLES OF A HOLY MAN -- FR. ALBERTO HURTADO

Murillo's St. John of God St. John of God was born on March 8, 1495 in a small village in the south of Portugal called Montemor-o-Novo. At the age of eight, he left home and was raised by a Spanish family in Oropesa. John spent most of his life as a wanderer, working as a shepherd, soldier, a religious bookseller and laborer, traveling in Europe and North Africa. When St. John of God settled in Granada around the age of forty he was so deeply moved by a homily of Blessed John of Avila, that he gave away all his worldly possessions to the poor and went about the city beating his breast, begging for God’s mercy. His conversion experience was so dramatic in its intensity that he was locked up in a lunatic asylum, where he was flogged and placed in solitary confinement. His brief experience of this kind of treatment made him feel very compassionate toward the poor, the sick and the suffering; thus, he devoted the rest of his life to caring for those in need.John's work was motivat...

St. Agnes was born in Rome during the beginning of the third century. She was brought up as a Christian and grew to be a very beautiful young woman. By the age of twelve, Agnes was already receiving suitors for her hand in marriage. And already by the age of twelve, Agnes had developed a deep spirituality that directed her to devote her life to God as a consecrated virgin. Several of the suitors who Agnes turned away became bitter at her and turned her in to the authorities as a Christian. The political atmosphere at the time was very charged, and the Diocletian persecution was well under way. Agnes was arrested and thrown into a house of prostitution to await her death. All who came to look lustfully upon Agnes lost their sight, but many had their sight restored by her intercessory prayers. At last Agnes was sentenced to death. Her body was taken away and buried in a catacomb that later came to bear her name. Under the reign of the Emperor Constantine, a basilica was built in her hono...

St. Ambrose was born of a Roman family in Trier about the year 340. He studied in Rome and served in the imperial government in Sirmium. In 374, while living in Milan, he was elected bishop of the city by popular acclaim and ordained on December 7. He devotedly carried on his duties and especially distinguished himself by his service to the poor and as an effective pastor and teacher of the faithful. He strenuously guarded the laws of the Church and defended orthodox teaching by writings and actions against the Arians. He died on Holy Saturday, April 4, 397. Quotes of St. Ambrose: There is no time of life past learning something. No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.Neither angel, nor archangel, not yet even the Lord Himself (who alone can say "I am with you"), can, when we have sinned, release us, unless we bring repentance with us. The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. ...

The name "Andrew" (Greek, andreia for manhood, or valor), like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the second or third century B.C. St. Andrew, son of Jonah, was born at Bethsaida in Galilee. He was a disciple of John the Baptist and became one of the first to follow Jesus, to whom he brought his brother, Simon Peter. Both were fishermen and at the beginning of Our Lord's public life occupied the same house at Capharnaum. As one of the twelve apostles, Andrew was very close to Our Lord during His public life; he was present at the Last Supper; beheld the risen Lord; witnessed the Ascension; shared in the graces and gifts of the first Pentecost, and helped, amid threats and persecution, to establish the Faith in Palestine. He was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas at Patrae in Achaia, and was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. He was martyred during the reign of Nero, on November 30, 60 A.D. St....

This Friday, November 25, the 80th anniversary of the martyrdom of Father Miguel Agustin Pro will be observed. Miguel Agustin Pro was born January 13, 1891, in Mexico. From his childhood, he was known for his high spirits and happy personality. The son of an affluent mining engineer and a pious and charitable mother, Miguel had a special affinity for the working classes. At 20, he became a Jesuit novice and shortly afterwards was exiled due to the Mexican revolution. He traveled to the United States, Spain, Nicaragua and Belgium, where he was ordained in 1925. Father Pro suffered greatly from a severe stomach disorder. When his health did not improve after several surgeries, his superiors permitted him to return to Mexico in 1926. At this time, the revolutionary government in Mexico had banned all religious practice. The churches were closed and priests were in hiding. The government was particularly focused on finding and persecuting priests. Father Pro became a great master of disgui...

Today is the feast of St. Martin de Porres, the first black American Saint. He was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a young freed slave woman from Panama, who may have been black or of Indian blood. His father was repelled by the darkness of his son's skin at birth and abandoned him, leaving the child-raising to his mother. At age 12, Martin was apprenticed to a "surgeon," at that time a combination of barber, druggist, physician and surgeon. Once trained, he began to use his skills to serve the poor. At fifteen, he became a lay brother at the Dominican Friary in Lima, where he worked as a barber, a farm laborer, a clothier, and a care-giver for the sick. Each day Martin distributed food to the hungry, he was doctor to the sick, and he helped to establish an orphanage and a hospice for abandoned babies. Martin devoted himself to severe penances. In turn, God endowed him with many graces and an abundance of spiritual gifts: visions, ecstasies, bilocation (be...

St Luke Painting the Virgin Mary 1602 Oil on panel, 270 x 217 cm Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp It is believed that St. Luke was born a Greek and a gentile. A physician at Antioch, and a painter, St. Luke became a convert of Saint Paul and afterwards his fellow-laborer. Luke was the writer of the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles and has been identified with St. Paul's "Luke, the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). Saint Luke shared the shipwreck and perils of Saint Paul's voyage to Rome, and was with him in his last days. He later died a martyr's death in Achaia. As a physician, Luke's gospel emphasizes forgiveness and the merciful love of Jesus, which heals his children and welcomes all into his arms -- especially the sinner, the outcast, the gentile. Luke shows us the compassion of Jesus. It is only in Luke that we hear the story of the Prodigal Son welcomed back by the joyful father. Luke also has a special connection with the women ...

Louis IX, King of France, son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile, was born at Poissy, April 25, 1215. Louis was eleven years old when his father's death made him king. At that time, his mother Queen Blanche of Castile, was declared regent and remained an important influence in his life. At nineteen, he married Marguerite of Provence and the couple had eleven children. Louis was a model father and his children received careful instruction from him in the Christian life. Louis brought justice to France. When, for example, a baron hanged three students for poaching rabbits, the King's response was firm. He forced the Baron to surrender his forest, imprisoned him for a time, fined him heavily, made him build a chapel in memory of each student, and ordered him to crusade for three years in Palestine. Louis was a loving and generous king. The poorest of the poor were recipients of his charity and alms everyday. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their f...

Isabella de Flores was born April 20, 1586 to Spanish immigrants in Lima, Peru. At her confirmation, she took the name of Rose, because as an infant her face had been seen transformed by a mystical rose. She had a strong devotion for Jesus and His Holy Mother and spent long hours praying before the Blessed Sacrament. With St. Catherine of Siena as her model, Rose fasted three times a week, offered up severe penances, and when her vanity was attacked, she cut off her beautiful hair, and wore coarse clothing. She frequently deprived herself of food, water, and sleep. As a result of her exterior mortification, she had interior mystical experiences as well as long periods of darkness and desolation. For fifteen years, she went through the "dark night of the soul." At age 20, Rose joined the Third Order of St. Dominic and and thereafter increased her penances wearing constantly a metal spiked crown, concealed by roses, and an iron chain about her waist. She moved into a small hut ...

Guiseppe Sarto was born June 2, 1835, the second of ten children born to a poor family in the village of Riese, Province of Treviso, near Venice. His mother, Margherita Sanson, was a seamstress. His father, Giovanni Sarto, who was a cobbler by trade, as well as the caretaker of the city hall and the town's postmaster, passed away when Gisueppe was 16. Gisueppe entered the seminary at the age of 15 and was ordained at the age of 23. For nine years, he served as chaplain at Tombolo, having to assume most of the functions of parish priest, as the pastor was old and in poor health. He sought to prefect his knowledge of theology by studying Saint Thomas and canon law. He established a night school for adults, and devoted himself to pastoral ministry for 17 years. He became the bishop of Mantua, cardinal patriarch of Venice, and Pope in 1903. As Pope, he took as the motto of his reign "to renew all things in Christ." Referred to as the "Pope of the Eucharist", he advo...

The Virgin Appearing to St Hyacinth 1594 Oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris The painting is from the church of San Domenico, Bologna. St. Hyacinth was a Dominican missionary called “the Apostle of Poland.” Born in Oppeln, Poland, he studied at Krakow, Prague, and Bologna and received the title of Doctor of Law and Divinity. Accompanying his uncle, Bishop Ivo Konski of Krakow, to Rome, he there met Saint Dominic and was among the first to be enrolled in the new Order of Friars Minor. He received the Dominican habit in 1217 or 1218 from St. Dominic. Hyacinth preached in Poland, Pomerania, Denmark, Prussia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Russia, China, and Tibet. During an attack on a monastery, Hyacinth managed to save a crucifix and statue of Mary, though the statue weighed far more than he could normally have lifted; the saint is usually shown holding these two items. He died in Krakow, Poland, on August 15 and was canonized in 1594. His feast is now confined to local calendars. He is ...

By Lawrence O.P. The text is a Magnificat antiphon for the feast which translates as: "O great Father Saint Dominic, in the hour of our death receive us with you, and always kindly look upon us here." The photos are of the landscape around Caleruega, Spain, which is St Dominic's birthplace and the statue is based on a painting by fra' Angelico, which is housed in a Dominican priory in Rome. A few of my posts on St. Dominic : Saint of the Day: St. Dominic de Guzman St. Dominic - A Saint After My Own Heart The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic

Alphonsus Liguori was born in Naples, Italy, in 1696 to noble parents. He was well educated and excelled in his studies. At the early age of sixteen he became a lawyer and was very successful and renowned in his chosen career. After winning case after case and attaining a name for himself, Alphonsus made a mistake which caused him to lose a very important case. He did not eat for days afterwards and prayed for discernment for God’s will in his life. God showed him the vanity of human fame and glory. He decided to abandon the legal profession at the age of twenty-seven and to become a priest despite his father’s disapproval. He desired to labor for the glory of God alone. Saint Alphonsus was ordained a priest in 1726, and he soon became as renowned a preacher as he had been a lawyer. His father stopped in a church to pray one day, and amazed, heard his son preaching and suddenly saw clearly how God had marvelously elevated his son. His heart became filled with joy and he exclaimed: “My...

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, was born in 1491 in the Basque Country of Northern Spain to parents of distinguished families in that area. He was the youngest of 13 children and was called was called Iñigo. At the age of 15, he served as a page in the court of a local nobleman and later embraced a military career and became a valiant soldier. Wounded in battle by a cannonball, which broke one leg and injured the other, he was taken prisoner by the French, who set his leg and eventually allowed him to go home to Loyola. He spent his time recuperating at the home of his brother. Confined to his sick bed , he was given pious books to read, which he grudgingly accepted. To his surprise, he enjoyed them and began to dream of becoming a "knight for Christ", pursuing the ideals of St. Francis and St. Dominic. He eventually promised to devote his life to being a knight for St. Peter if he recovered, which he did after nine months of convalescence. ...

St. Bridget of Sweden, Widow, Third Order Franciscan (1303 – 1373) St. Bridget is known for her astonishing revelations documented carefully by her confessors, filling several volumes. Their accounts of her visions of biblical scenes, especially the nativity and the crucifixion, have greatly inspired imagery in Christian art and her devotions have inspired popular piety. It was, however, for her practical works of charity, that she was canonized, and not for her private revelations – which had some very harsh things to say about popes. Bridget was born in Finista in Sweden. From childhood, the Lord granted her special graces, visions and an extraordinary understanding of divine mysteries. At age seven, she had a vision of the crucified Jesus in all the suffering and sorrow of his Passion, which enkindled within her a deep devotion for our Savior. The daughter of a provincial governor and judge, at age 13, Bridget married Ulf Gudmarsson, a prince, who was then eighteen; they lived happ...

St. Isidore was born at Madrid, Spain, in the latter half of the twelfth century. His parents were pious Catholics, but were very poor. Consequently, Isidore was sent to work for a wealthy landowner, John de Vergas. (whom he remained with for the rest of his life.) He married a religious woman named Maria Torribia (also known as Maria de la Cabeza). She, like Isidore became a saint. They had one son who died unexpectedly as a child. They believed their son's death to be a sign from God and consequently vowed to live a life of perfect continence. Isidore attended Holy Mass every morning which caused him to come to work late. Late, though he was, his plowing was nevertheless accomplished by angels that resulted in three times more productivity. His coworkers and his boss witnessed such miraculous events and showed him great respect. He often spent holidays on pilgrimage to local shrines.St. Isidore was caring toward animals and generous to the poor. The miracle of the multiplication ...