Catholic Fire

We are frequently entertained and fascinated by the lifestyles of royalty and their romantic adventures in books and movies. However, St. Elizabeth was a real-life princess, who served as an exemplary model of the heroic virtues of charity and humility. Her life is not a fairy tale, but is a true story of authentic love. Born in Bratislava, Hungary in 1207, Princess Elizabeth was the daughter of King Andrew of Hungary and his wife Gertrude. Her aunt was St. Hedwig and her great niece was St. Elizabeth of Portugal. Elizabeth was betrothed at the age of four to Prince Herman of Thuringia (in central Germany) and grew up in his father's court. In 1216, Hermann, who Elizabeth was to marry, died. After this, she then became engaged to Ludwig, the second son. The couple married when she was fourteen and he was twenty-one.  She loved him and bore him three children. They were very happy together and deeply devoted to one another. Ludwig was protective of his wife and the couple ...

Today we commemorate the feast of St. Clotilde (c. 474- 545), Queen of France. She is also known as Clotilda and Clothilde. The daughter of King Chilperic of Burgundy, St. Clotilde was born a princess in Lyons, France, probably around the year 470. In 492 or 493, she married Clovis, king of the Franks, converting him to Christianity on Christmas Day 496.  Following Clovis‘s death in 511, her sons fought for years over the kingdom. She prayed and did penance for them. To escape the constant feuds and murder, she retired to Tours, France, where she spent her remaining 34 years caring for the poor and sick, praying for her family and her country, and building churches. Queen Clothilde died on June 3, 545  in Tours. When she passed on, a dazzling light and heavenly incense filled the room. She was buried next to her husband, in Saint Genevieve in Paris, a church that she and Clovis founded. St. Clotilde at prayer was a popular theme in Medieval art. S...

Saint Nicholas was born in the village of Patara in Lyrica, Asia Minor, about the middle of the third century, of devout and wealthy parents who provided him with a Christian upbringing and education. He was orphaned at an early age. Later he was ordained a priest, and when the bishop of his district died, he was made Bishop of Myra. Saint Nicholas is distinguished for his great faith. His faith was so great, that with his prayer he calmed a stormy sea while on a trip to the Holy Lands. For this reason sailors pay homage to him as their protector. He is particularly well known for his charity and his love for children. He used his great wealth to assist all who were in need: poor families, widows, and especially orphans and poor children. As Bishop, he established a poorhouse and a hospital. Perhaps the best-known story about Nicholas concerns his charity toward a poor man who was unable to provide dowries for his three daughters, who were all hoping to be married. Rather tha...

Catherine was born in Genoa, Italy in 1447, the the fifth and youngest child of James Fieschi and his wife Francesca di Negro, members a noble family, which had produced two popes (Innocent IV and Adrian V). At the age of 13 Catherine tried to became a cloistered nun, but failed because she was too young. Then her father died and her widowed mother insisted that she marry into nobility. At age 16, she married Guiliano Adorno. Her husband had a violent termper, was unfaithful, and selfish. For the first five years of their marriage, Catherine suffered in silence. Later, she tried to be more cosmopolitan to attract him, but this only made her unhappy. One day, taking her sister's advice, she went to Confession and became aware of her sins and how much God loved her. She served as an excellent example for her husband, who eventually turned away from his life of sin and selfishness. He was converted and became a Franciscan tertiary. The two then lived chastely for the rest of their ...