Catholic Fire

October 11 is the feast of Pope St. John XXIII, pope from 1958-1963, best known for convening the Second Vatican Council. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000.  His feast is assigned to the day on which the first session of Vatican II opened in 1962. His feast is not on the General Roman Calendar, but can be celebrated locally. Born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli at Sotto il Monte, Italy on 25 November 1881; elected Pope on October 28, 1958; died June 3, 1963 in Rome; beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000. Angelo was the fourth child of 14, born to pious parents. His religious education was entrusted to his godfather who instigated in him a deep response to the mystery of God. He entered the minor seminary in 1892 at the age of 11, became a Secular Francsican in 1896 and in 1901 he entered the Pontifical Roman Seminary. On being ordained in 1904 he was appointed secretary to the bishop of Bergamo and taught in the seminary. His great ...

Chocolate, strawberry, lemon and hazelnut are typically top selling gelato flavors, but recently the new "Pope” flavor has been a major crowd pleaser. MARTINA Sublime gelato "We named the new flavor Holy Popes. It’s a combination of sweet milk, cream, and pieces of candy. It is a very sweet flavor in honor of the sweet character of these two popes, who we remember with fondness.” The gelateria is located in the Borgo neighborhood and this week, business is booming. The extra work has proven to be well worth the effort. MARTINA Sublime gelato "We made the gelato white to match the color of papal vestments, and the color of the Church in general.” There is nothing better than gelato to beat the heat in the Eternal City. The ‘Holy Popes’ gelato is only offered for a limited time and is a tasty way to celebrate the canonizations.