Catholic Fire

  Servant of God Franciscus Hubertus Schraven  Recently, a Dutch prelate has suggested that a missionary bishop martyred in 1937 could be considered the patron saint of sex abuse victims. Upon closing the diocesan phase of the beatification of the Servant of God Franciscus Hubertus Schraven (1873-1937), Bishop Frans Wiertz of Roermond suggested “that he be considered as the patron saint of victims of sexual abuse,” according to the diocesan website. Franciscus Hubertus Schraven was born in the Netherlands in 1873. At the age of 21, he joined the Congregation of the Mission, in which he was ordained a deacon (1898) and a priest (1899). In that same year, he departed for China, and in 1920 was appointed as Vicar Apostolic of Southwestern Chi-Li in China. He was also consecrated bishop with the titular see of Amyclae. He served as Bishop until 1937, when he died at the hands of Japanese troops in the Second Sino-Japanese War. On  October 9, 1937, the Japanese conque...

St. Rita was born at Rocca Porena in the Diocese of Spoleto in 1386 to Antonio and Amata Lotti, who were quite advanced in years. Rita’s birth was an answer to their prayers. The family was well-known for their charity, which merited them the surname of "Peacemakers of Jesus Christ". Rita brought much joy to her parents. She was a cheerful, amiable, pious and devout child who spent much of her time in prayer. At the age of twelve, she desired to consecrate herself to God in the religious state. Pious though her parents were, they refused her pleas, but instead gave her away in marriage, at the age of eighteen, to an ill-tempered young man who was the town watchman. The couple had two sons, who inherited their father's temperament. After 18 years of marriage, Rita’s husband was murdered by an old enemy. Her sons swore vengeance on their father’s killers, but through Rita's intercessory prayers, they forgave the offenders. Both of her sons died shortly afterwards. Rita...