Catholic Fire

Tony Blair and famed atheist Christopher Hitchens will take part in a debate in Toronto next month over whether “religion is a force for good in the world.” Blair, who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007, was received into the Church six months after leaving office. This should be interesting! Source Picture Source

On October 17, Pope Benedict will canonize six religious, two of whom lived in the fifteenth century. Blessed Stanislaw Soltys Kazimierczyk (1433-89), a Krakow priest, entered the Canons Regular of the Lateran at the age of 23. The current (2004) edition of the Roman Martyrology, which lists him among the saints and blesseds of May 3, states, “Moved by pastoral charity, he was a diligent minister of the word of God, a master in spiritual matters, and sought after in hearing confessions.” Ven. John Paul II recognized his liturgical cult in 1993, thus formally beatifying him. Blessed Camilla Battista Varano (1458-1524), a spiritual writer, is listed among the saints and blesseds of May 31. The “abbess of a monastery of Poor Clares founded by her father experienced great tribulations and mystical consolations,” the Martyrology notes. Pope Gregory XVI formally beatified her in 1843 when he recognized her liturgical cult. ~ Via Catholic Culture.

Today is the optional memorial of St. Callistus I. This great pope and martyr lived in the first part of the third century. He was once a young slave in Rome, who got into serious trouble. His master, a Christian, had put him in charge of a bank. Somehow, Callistus lost the money deposited with him by other Christians. In fear, he ran away from Rome. He was caught, after jumping into the sea to try to get away. His sentence was a terrible one: he was chained and put to hard labor in a mill. From this punishment Callistus was released, only because his creditors hoped he could get some of their money back. But once again he was arrested, this time for having gotten into a fight. He was sent to the mines of Sardinia. When the emperor freed all the Christians who had been condemned to those mines, Callistus was freed, too. From that time on, things began to go better for him. Pope St. Zephrinus came to know and trust the freed slave. He placed him in charge of the public Christian cem...

First a Catholic hospital system in Scranton, Pennsylvania, went on the market, and the chief executive said that the effects of ObamaCare were “absolutely” a factor in the economic calculations that prompted the decision to sell. Then Sister Carol Keehan, the president of the Catholic Health Association and leading supporter of ObamaCare, issued her own statement, saying that the new health-care reform bill is not causing problems for Catholic hospitals. In Scranton, the head of Mercy Health Partners quickly followed suit, distancing himself from any suggestion that ObamaCare was a problem. Read the entire article. Here's the ad from Catholic Vote : Related Posts: Thomas Peters: Response: CNS author sides with Sr. Keehan against CV and bishops, and I argue they owe Catholics a correction Joshua Mercer: Controversy continues in Scranton over sale of Catholic hospitals Thomas Peters: PA Catholic hospital closings a sign of things to come, unless we take action! Pre...

The pope remembers during the general audience to the 33 trapped miners in Chile. On the day of his rescue, Benedict XVI prayed especially for them.

Edward, the last king of the Anglo-Saxons, a grandson of the martyr-king Edward, passed his youth in exile with his uncle, a Norman leader. In an environment of sin he preserved innocence of life. Called to the throne of England in 1042, he sought to put into practice the Christian ideals for a ruler, with the help of God's grace. His first efforts were directed toward a renewal of religion in the hearts of his people. Priests were invited into his kingdom, churches were built. Yielding to pressure, he married, but is said to have retained virginity during his whole married life. His favorite saint was St. John the Evangelist; he would not deny any request asked in his name. One day the Beloved Disciple appeared to him in the form of a beggar and asked alms in the name of the fourth evangelist; as Edward had no ready money, he gave up the ring on his finger. Shortly thereafter St. John returned the ring with the message that his death was near. The king ordered public prayers to...

St. Wilfrid was a Northumbrian of noble birth. He was educated at Lindisfarne, and became infected with a love both for learning and the monastic life. When quite a young man he traveled to Canterbury and then to Rome. On his return, he founded monasteries at Ripon and Stamford, and became prominent as the successful protagonist of the Roman customs at the Synod of Whitby, 664 A.D. He was then made Bishop of York, and went to France to be consecrated. In his absence Chad was consecrated and made Bishop of York in his place, and held the see for four years. During this time Wilfrid founded a monastery at Oundle and acted as bishop in Mercia. He was then installed at York by Archbishop Theodore, and ruled the see for nine years. He also founded the Abbey of Hexham. He managed to gain the ill-will of Egfrith, King of Northumbria, and Archbishop Theodore, who divided his diocese in four parts without his knowledge or consent. He journeyed to Rome, and his appeal was successful, but ...

Today is the feast of Blessed Pope 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 friends among th...

800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful at that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John of Matha honored Mary with the title of "Our Lady of Good Remedy." Devotion to Mary under this ancient title is widely known in Europe and Latin America, and the Church celebrates her feast day on October 8. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha. When in need - for whatever reason, but es...

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of  the Rosary. This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V in thanksgiving for the great naval victory over the Turks at the battle of Lepanto on this day in the year 1570, a favor due to the recitation of the Rosary. This victory saved Europe from being overrun by the forces of Islam. Lepanto, perhaps the most complete victory ever gained over the Ottoman Empire, on October 7, 1571, is commemorated by the invocation "Help of Christians," inserted in the Litany of Loretto. At Belgrade the Turks were defeated on the Feast of Our Lady ad Nives in 1716. A second victory gained that year on the Octave of the Assumption determined Pope Clement XI to command the Feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church. Leo XIII added the invocation "Queen of the most Holy Rosary, pray for us," to the Litany of Loretto. The Feast is in reality a great festival of thanksgiving for the signal and countless benefits bestowed on Chri...

Mexican actor Eduardo Verastegui, known for his passionate defense of the unborn, will star in a new film on the life of Blessed Anacleto Gonzalez Flores, a Catholic who was martyred in Mexico. The film, titled, “Cristiada,” is being directed by Dean Wright, the special effects producer for such films as “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and “Titanic.” Read the entire story here. Picture Source