Catholic Fire

Blessed Pierre is on his way to World Youth Day. Totally Catholic Youth Ministers Lounge shares: ... Pier Giorgio Frassati is an incorruptible, so because of his example of loving and choosing God, he will go to Sydney Australia to be venerated by the youth of the world. Dom also shares a wonderful bio with photos here. My Favorite Quotes from Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: "The end for which we are created invites us to walk a road that is surely sown with a lot of thorns, but it is not sad; through even the sorrow, it is illuminated by joy." “To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but existing.” "You ask me whether I am in good spirits. How could I not be, so long as my trust in God gives me strength. We must always be cheerful. Sadness should be banished from all Christian souls. For suffering is a far different thing from sadness, which is the worst disease of all. It is almost always caused by...

St. John Neumann was born in 1811 in Bohemia to Philip, who was German and owned a stocking factory, and Agnes Neumann who was Czech. John was a small and quiet boy with four sisters and a brother, and was named after Saint John Nepomucene. An excellent student, John early felt drawn to religious life. As a seminarian at Budweis, Bohemia, he studied astronomy and botany in addition to theological topics. He studied theology at Charles Ferdinand University at Prague in 1833. John Neumann's ordination was delayed by the Austrian government so he began work with the North American mission in New York in 1836. After being ordained he was sent to minister to the German speaking immigrants who were clearing the forests by Niagara Falls. John was a traveling missionary on the East Coast, then a parish priest in Baltimore. He was consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia in 1852 and was responsible for the building of 100 churches and 80 schools. He also wrote two catechisms and many newspaper ar...

St. Teresa was born in Avila, Spain on March 28, 1515, the third child of Don Alonzo Sanchez de Cepeda and his second wife, Doña Beatriz Davila y Ahumada. When Teresa was 15, her mother died, leaving behind ten children. Teresa was considered the “most beloved of them all.” She was beautiful and was described as being of medium height, large build, and well-proportioned. Teresa was extroverted, very affectionate, charming, with a wonderful sense of humor, adapting easily to all kinds of people and circumstances. She was exceptionally intelligent and skilled in the use of the pen, needlework, and household duties. In 1531, following the marriage of her older sister, Teresa’s father entrusted her education to the Augustinian nuns at Santa Maria de Gracia. However, due to illness, she left at the end of 18 months and stayed at her uncle’s home to recover. While there, she read the “Letters of St. Jerome”, which led her to a religious vocation. When her father refused to consent to her vo...