Catholic Fire

St. Lawrence Crowned by Baby Jesus -  Claude de Jongh Today is the feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr.Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of the Church of Rome, who along with Pope Sixtus II and other deacons, was executed in 258 under the Emperor Valerian. St. Lawrence Distributing the Treasures of the Church - Bernardo Strozzi  St. Lawrence was in charge of the poor and had a great love for the poor and needy. The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. So he ordered Lawrence to bring the Church's treasure to him. The saint said he would, in three days. Then he went through the city and gathered together all the poor and sick people supported by the Church. When he showed them to the Prefect, he said: "This is the Church's treasure!" The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence --Tintoretto  In great anger, the Prefect condemned Lawrence to a slow, cruel death. Lawrence was tied on top of an iron grill ove...

An affluent, aristocratic family witnessed an astonishing miracle during the 4th century.  John and his wife were childless and prayed to the Blessed Mother for a child with whom they could share their love.  They made a vow to donate their possessions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Lady appeared to them in a dream on the night of August 4th into August 5th and told them to build a church in her honor on the Esquiline hill. She explained that the exact location of where they were to build would be marked out in snow.  This would be their sign that the request was truly from her. Incredibly, during that sultry summer night, a snowfall outlined the shape of the basilica on the hill. That night, the Blessed Mother also appeared to Pope Liberius in a dream so that he, too, could witness and confirm the miracle. The next morning, Roman citizens gathered on the hill to see the uncommon occurrence of snow sparkling in the summer sun. When John and his wife woke up, they...

The tradition of setting up nativity scenes was actually born in Italy, thanks to St. Francis of Assisi. So, it doesn't get more Italian than this: A nativity scene, shepherds and all, made out of pasta. It's just one of hundreds of original designs, on display at a yearly Christmas exhibit titled "100 Nativity Sets.” MARIA MENAGLIA 100 Presepi (Rome) "This year we have 212 of them on display. They are all new and they came from 42 different countries. From Italy alone, we have some from 14 regions. They represent all the culture of the world.” Even though the exhibit is based in Europe, Latin American has a strong presence. Countries like Mexico, Colombia and Peru put forth their best work for the show. Displays like these prove that a tradition that started centuries ago, is still very much alive today on a global scale. MARIA MENAGLIA 100 Presepi (Rome) "In the 60's this tradition was dying in Italy. The Christmas tree was more fashionable...

Here's a beautiful video from Spirit Juice, with aerial shots of Rome:

Judging by the sober appearance of this monastery in Rome, it's hard to imagine the vibrant treasures hidden within. Colorful frescoes adorn the vaulted ceilings of its Gothic Hall, transporting visitors to the 13th Century. ETTORE PIETRABISSA General Director, ARCUS "They discovered them about 10 years ago, when, for the first time, experts realized that underneath a coat of paint, added probably in the 16th Century, there were this frescoes, which we've been uncovering bit by bit.” After a decade in restoration, the splendor of these images resurfaced. The expressions of their characters, whether happy or serious, tell a story of a different, bygone era. ANDREINA DRAGHI Italian Ministry of Tourism "From the bottom up, they represent the months of the year and their respective crops. Then we have the arts, and further up, in the vaulted ceiling, the four seasons and the winds.” ETTORE PIETRABISSA General Director, ARCUS "This frescoes are slowly...

By Austin Ruse NEW YORK, February 14 (C-FAM) C-FAM and the Alliance Defending Freedom are hosting a conference in Rome to explore and celebrate the contribution of Pope John Paul II to the pro-life debate at the UN and his work in establishing a global pro-life movement. The conference comes during the weekend of the canonization of John Paul II as a saint in the Catholic Church, expected to bring more than one million people to Rome. Invited speakers include Blessed John Paul II’s close collaborators during the seminal UN conferences in Cairo, Beijing, Rio and many others: papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Under-Secretary of State Louis Cardinal Tauran, and Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano. Confirmed speakers include Papal biographer George Weigel, US Ambassador to the Holy See Raymond Flynn, chief Holy See negotiator John Klink, and Apostolic Nuncio to the UN Renato Cardinal Martino. Continue reading.

On Tuesday the White House announced that President Barack Obama will meet with Pope Francis on March 27th. It won't the the first time the president visits Rome. He came back in July 2009 to meet with Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace. The White House says the president is looking forward to discussing issues like poverty and inequality with Pope Francis. Part of the agenda though, will likely include the controversial birth control mandate that's triggered tension and lawsuits  between the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Obama administration. The announcement comes just days after U.S Secretary of State, John Kerry met with his counterpart, Msgr. Pietro Parolin at the Vatican.

August 24, 2013. (Romereports.com) It's been more than 60 years now since the world saw Audrey Hepburn's historic holidays through the streets of Rome. In 1953, the iconic 'Roman Holiday' was filmed in the Eternal City. It inspired people across the world to tour the streets of Rome by Vespa, with Gregory Peck as tour guide. In a way, Rome itself became the film's third star. Using what was considered innovative techniques at the time, the full movie was filmed outside. Director William Wyler refused to recreate sets, to showcase the city. The story chronicles the story of a princess that arrives in Rome for an official state visit. Tired of her mandatory functions, she escapes into the city as a normal, everyday woman. She then meets a journalist who guides her throughout Rome. However, he recognizes her and wants to write an sell the story about their meeting. 'Roman Holiday' shows off some of Rome's most emblematic sites like the Spanish St...

Today is the feast of the Dedication of St. Mary Major , one of the four most illustrious churches of Rome.When I visited it in 2006, I was totally in awe of its majesty. The above photo does not do it justice. You can take a virtual tour of St. Mary Major by clicking here . The Basilica of Saint Mary Major, erected around the year 352, during the reign of Pope Liberius. (352-366 ) According to tradition, a member of an aristocratic family, John and his wife, were childless and prayed that the Blessed Mother might designate an heir to bequeath their wealth. They were favored with a dream in which Our Lady appeared to them on the night of August 4-5. She requested that they build a church in her honor on the Esquiline hill and the sign to accompany this dream is that the exact location would be marked out in snow. Amazingly, during that hot summer evening, a snowfall traced the form of the basilica on the hill. Our Lady also appeared to Pope Liberius in a dream that same night so...

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.

Father Barron takes a prayerful tour around Rome, visiting the Pantheon, the tombs of St. Catherine of Siena, St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier, and recalling some of the great saints who likely shaped the spirituality of our new pope, Pope Francis.

February 4, 2013. (Romereports.com) This was the scene back in June, when about 850,000 people attended the World Meeting of Families in Milan. Now the Vatican is getting ready for the next big gathering in Philadelphia, where just as many, if not more are expected. MSGR. VINCENZO PAGLIA Pontifical Council for the Family, President “I think this meeting in Philadelphia will be a good way to help families, society, even politicians and those with roles in the cultural sector.” The gathering will be in September 2015. In fact, it will be the first one to take place in the U.S. Usually these events are attended by the Pope himself. During the press conference, Msgr. Paglia talked about the need to strengthen the family unit, through Christian values. He talked about power of a healthy family, but also about broken homes, delinquency rates among youths, gay marriage and extreme individualism.   MSGR. VINCENZO PAGLIA Pontifical Council for the Family, President ...

Image Source Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome. This is not St. Peter's, but it is the Pope's cathedral. Also called the Church of Holy Savior or the Church of St. John Baptist, it was the baptism church of ancient Rome. It was built in the time of Constantine and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324. This feast became a universal celebration in honor of the basilica called "the mother and mistress of all churches of Rome and the world" (omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput) as a sign of love for and union with the See of Peter. The foundation of the Lateran Basilica goes back to the time of Constantine, on the morrow of the last persecutions. The palace of the Laterani, on the Coelian Hill, belonged then to Constantine's wife Fausta. After his conversion the Emperor gave it to the Pope as his private residence and founded in it the chu...

Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán (1832-1869) Sr. Alfonsa of the Immaculate Conception (Anna Muttathupadathu) (1910-1946), of the Congregation of Claretian Franciscans María Bernarda (Verena) Bütler (1848-1924) Gaetano Errico (1791-1860) Tens of thousands of pilgrims from the four corners of the world crowded St. Peter’s Square for the canonization of an Italian, a Swiss sister, an Indian sister, and an Ecuadorian laywoman. They are Gaetano Errico (1791-1860), a priest and the founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary; Sr. Maria Bernarda (Verena) Bütler (1848-1924), founder of the congregation of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians; Sr. Alfonsa of the Immaculate Conception (Anna Muttathupadathu) (1910-1946), of the Congregation of Claretian Franciscans; Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran (1832- 1869). For the Indian Church, it is a first: Sr. Alfonsa is the first Indian woman saint, which is why there were thousands of Indians at th...

Gerald has been blogging from Rome and has some hilarious comments that I can relate to about the differences between our cultures that can be quite frustrating. He expresses it so well here: As Americans *and I've lived in the USA for 10 years, so the inculturation is complete, some things strike us a bit odd in " no free refills. Don't even ask. Often Coke will cost more than wine or beer. I am a Coke Zero addict. Help!" no ice cubes, frequently. I remember, right after I came to the USA, I suffered a few brain cramps from the cold drinks, now I miss the ice" You call that a car? Most cars here look like something a real car just gave birth to. "Smart Cars" and the like abound here. Then again, you wouldn't be able to drive on many 'roads' in a Dodge Ram. I don't think I've seen an SUV yet." People are quite loud here, children especially. I was in a church earlier and two Italian women came in, not 'piping down' whats...