Catholic Fire

A painting of the coronation of St. Louis IX, King of France , hangs in the "Old Cathedral" in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It is entitled "Louis IX Venerating the Relic of the Crown of Thorns," painted by Charles Coypel in 1751. It was purchased by Bishop Louis DuBourg in 1817 and later hung in a side chapel of what was then the St. Louis Cathedral, which is now the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, or the "Old Cathedral." In the video, Catherine Szeltner shows us the rich Catholic history of the city known as "The Rome of the West."

“Your birth, O Blessed Virgin Mary, fills the whole world with a sweet consolation and a holy joy, because of you was born our Jesus, our God, who has taken away from us the curse in which we were plunged by the sin of our first parents, and filled us with all kinds of blessings.”  ~ St. John Vianney History of this feast day The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the oldest of the Marian solemnities, was mentioned by the Church Fathers in the early fifth century.  Like other Marian feasts, it began to be celebrated at the local level without any major solemnity. As the feast began to spread throughout the Byzantine world in the sixth and seventh century, it was celebrated with greater solemnity. The solemnity of the feast spread to Rome in the seventh century, and in the following centuries, it spread throughout the whole Western Church. In the eighth century, at the time of St Andrew of Crete (+740), the feast of Mary’s nativity was already ob...

Dr. Taylor Marshall , popular blogger and chancellor of Fisher More College, sits down with Brandon Vogt   to discuss his new book titled, "The Eternal City: Rome & the Origins of Catholic Christianity" (Saint John Press, 2012.) They also discuss the Church fathers and Taylor's favorite books on Catholic history.

Via the Cardinal Newman Society : Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, recently announced that it will hold its summer conference this July focusing on Catholic history. The College indicated that the event will be in memory of the late Catholic historian and founder of Christendom, Dr. Warren H. Carroll. EWTN host Marcus Grodi is scheduled to emcee the conference, which will also feature "six prominent and dynamic historians," according to the College. "History is essential in understanding who we are not only as human beings, but also as Catholics — as the people of God," says College President Dr. Timothy O'Donnell. "The Catholic vision of history offers a unique and accurate perspective of the events that occur during the great drama of the centuries. With the incarnation as the centerpiece of history, we see how the human experience encounters the divine, and how this encounter has changed the world forever." ...     "The...

Solemnity of the Ascension or the Optional Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, priest and martyr, and his companions, martyrs; Optional Memorial of St. Eugene de Mazenod, bishop (Canada) Today in Catholic History: 996 Pope Gregory V (ca. 970–999; reigned 996–999) crowned Otto III (980–1002) as emperor. 1864 Joseph de Veuster (better known as Father Damien , 1840–1889) was ordained priest in Honolulu. In 1873 at his own request he was sent to a settlement of lepers on the island of Molokai, where he later contracted the disease and died. 1972 Wielding a hammer, Laszlo Toth damaged one of the world's most celebrated sculptures, Michelangelo's Piet à , in the Vatican at Rome.

Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven Blessed Fra Angelico 1428-30 Tempera on wood National Gallery, London 834 - This day was declared to be All Saints’ Day by the Catholic Church. 1512 - The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel , painted by Michelangelo , is exhibited to the public for the first time. 1946 - Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II , was ordained as a priest .

During the persecutions of 1839, 1846, 1866, and 1867, one hundred and three Christians in Korea gave their lives as martyrs . The martyrs included clergy, but were, for the most part, members of the laity. They consecrated the rich beginnings of the Church in Korea with their blood. Among them were Fr. Andrew Kim of Taegon, the first Korean priest and pastor, and Paul Chong of Hasang, a lay apostle. St. Andrew Kim Taegon was born into a noble Korean family. He traveled to China to become a Catholic priest and he was ordained in Macao. When he returned to Korea, as the first native priest, he was arrested, tortured, and eventually beheaded. Paul Chong Hasang was a seminarian, aged 45. As a layman, he was one of the great founders of the Catholic Church in Korea. He was persecuted before he could be ordained. Reflection: "We have received baptism, entrance into the Church, and the honor of being called Christians. Yet what good will this do us if we are Christians in name only and...

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In 1977 Pope Paul VI canonized the 19th-century Redemptorist John Nepomucene Neumann (1811–1860), fourth Bishop of Philadelphia, who was known for his development of the parochial school. Neumann became the first American male to achieve sainthood in the Catholic church. PRAYER FOR HIS INTERCESSION O Saint John Neumann, your ardent desire of bringing all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country; teach us to live worthily in the spirit of our Baptism which makes us all children of the one Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God. Obtain for us that complete dedication in the service of the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the abandoned which so characterized your life. Help us to walk perseveringly in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty, strengthened by the Body and Blood of our Redeemer and under the watchful protection of Mary our Mother. May death still find us on the sure road to our Father's ...

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Today's Mass Readings “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." (John 6:35) Today's Homily Saint of the Day: St. Eupsychius, Martyr On This Day in Catholic History 715 -- Pope Constantine I (708-15), died. 2005 -- A day after the funeral for Pope John Paul II, cardinals began an intense period of silence and prayer before their conclave to choose the next pope. Today's Special Prayer Intentions: For the Holy Father's intentions. For this prayer request from Father Z. at What Does the Prayer Really Say? For those in the media that they may be a strong voice for the oppressed in our world. For an end to abortion, euthanasia and all sins against human life. For the conversion of all abortionists. For the conversion of all those esnared in the culture of death. For all the intentions at One Came Back. For all previous prayer intentions mentioned here.