Catholic Fire

2014 was a memorable year for Catholic Fire , as our readership has continued to increase! The year’s ten most read blog posts reflect our Catholic readers' interests in: miracles, spirituality and holiness, evangelization, the Eucharist, prayer, the culture of life, the saints, and the Blessed Mother. This year marked the release of my new book from Servant Books, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues , on the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, October 7, 2014. Seven Saints for Seven Virtues is available from Franciscan Media , Amazon , and Barnes and Noble . 1.   The Miraculous Visions of Fatima on October 13, 1917 2.   The Miraculous Power of the Eucharist and Prayer in our Fight Against Evil 3.  Catholic Church Grows at a Faster Rate Than the Global Population 4.   Fr. Barron: What Helps Convert Protestants to Catholicism? 5.  Pope Francis Condemns "Throw-Away" Culture 6.  New Movie: Mary's Land 7.   Pope Francis: The Beatitudes are a Pr...

This past weekend, my husband and I had a great time at the Midwest Catholic Family Conference in Wichita, which we attend every year. Our dear friend, Br. Isaiah Viotte, CSJ (above), opened the conference by leading an hour of Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel from 6 - 7 p.m. The conference got off to a swinging start with Cajun fiddle tunes, swamp pop and New Orleans inspired R&B from L'Angelus (pronounced LAWN JAY LOOSE). The four family member group is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, but currently reside in Nashville, Tennessee.  Four musically talented younger siblings joined the group in a couple of the numbers, demonstrating their amazing skills (They are from a Catholic family of 12). This is their second appearance at the Wichita conference and the crowd went wild over their music, singing along and dancing to their tunes. They have to be my all-time favorite band! It doesn't surprise me one bit that they have an international fan base. Fr. Mi...

Here are a few of my favorites: Non-Fiction 1. The Miracle of Father Kaupan by Roy Wenzel and Travis Heying 2.  Rooted in Lov e by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle 3.   Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood by Pat Gohn 4. Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Everet 5. Jacob's Ladder: Ten Steps to Truth by Peter Kreeft Fiction 1. Murder in the Vatican by Ann Margaret Lewis 2. The Watson Chronicles by Ann Margaret Lewis 3. In Name Only by Ellen Gable 4. A Subtle Grace by Ellen Gable 5. Theophilos by Michael D. O'Brien Classics  Non-Fiction 1. Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of S t. Therese of Lisieux 2.  The Life of St. Catherine of Siena: The Classic on Her Life and Accomplishments as Recorded by Her Spiritual Director  by Raymond of Capua 3. Two Sisters in the Spirit: Therese of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity  by Hans Urs von Balthasar 4. Th...

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty O God our Creator, from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ. Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society. We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith. Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so ...

Every year at this time, I seek out a patron saint for the New Year. This year I prayed specifically for a female saint for 2014. Here is my result . Do you suppose the Holy Spirit is trying to tell me something? I thank God for my new patron saint and will be adding her to my list of intercessors. You can get your own saint here. Thank you, Jennifer , for creating the Random Saint Generator.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis used his year-end prayer service on Tuesday evening to urge people to ask themselves a tough question: Did they mainly spend 2013 promoting self-interests or helping others? That’s what we all should consider as New Year’s celebrations get under way, the pontiff said as he led the service in St. Peter’s Basilica to give thanks, a Vatican year-end tradition. “Let us courageously ask ourselves: How did we live the time (God) gave us?” Francis asked in his homily. “Did we use it above all for ourselves, for our interests, or did we know how to spend it for others as well?” He also encouraged people to reflect on whether they used 2013 to improve the place where they live. “This year did we contribute, in our own small ways, to make it more livable, orderly, welcoming?” There are “so many people marked by material and moral poverty, poor people, unhappy, suffering, who appeal to the conscience not only of public authorities but of every citizen,” Fra...