Category Archives: Saints: Stories & Symbols

29 July 1941 – An “offering of life”

On 29 July 1941 ten prisoners from an block at Auschwitz were chosen to be starved to death because a prisoner from that same block had escaped. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan who founded the Militia Immaculatae, offered his life, … Read More

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Five years ago today.

Interrupted while saying Mass at his parish church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, the 85-year old priest struggled to repel his two 18-year old attackers with his feet. “Go away Satan!”, he repeated. Fr. Jacques Hamel was murdered, in odium fidei, a martyr … Read More

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22 July: St. Mary Magdalene

In 2016, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, headed by the great Robert Card. Sarah, issued a decree making – for the Novus Ordo, mind you – what was the Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene into … Read More

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged
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13 July: St. Ezra (Esdras), Old Testament Scribe and spectacular baroque musical weirdness

Today is the feast of St. Ezra or Esdras. In the 5th c. BC, the Persian Artaxerxes allowed a scribe named Ezra to return to Jerusalem to restore the Temple worship and the law of Moses.  At Jerusalem he finds … Read More

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9 July: Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher

St. Thomas More, once Chancellor of England, was martyred on 6 July 1535.  St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was martyred on 22 June 1535.   In the Novus Ordo calendar, they are celebrated on 22 June.  In the traditional calendar … Read More

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras, Saints: Stories & Symbols |
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6 July: St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr

Today is the Feast of St. Maria Goretti, who died defending her virginity and also in the attempt to prevent her killer from committing a terrible sin. The story of her appearance to him, Alessandro Serenelli, in prison, and his … Read More

Posted in GO TO CONFESSION, Modern Martyrs, Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged ,
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22 June (Novus Ordo): St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More

In the Church’s traditional calendar St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More have their  feasts on 9 July.  More was martyred on 6 July and Fisher on 22 June.  In the Novus Ordo calendar they are celebrated today, together. Pope … Read More

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“Katonda!” The Feast of St Charles Lwanga, Martyr. Best patron saint for LGBT month!

“Katonda!”   This year today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, but in 2022 I will with real pleasure be able to celebrate, using the Traditional Missale Romanum, the Feast of St. Charles Lwanga.  The decree Cum sanctissima allows for the … Read More

Posted in Linking Back, Modern Martyrs, Saints: Stories & Symbols, Sin That Cries To Heaven | Tagged
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PARIS: Attack on a procession honoring Catholics martyred by the Commune

In Paris a couple of days ago there was a procession to honor the Catholic martyrs of the Commune, who were slain 150 years ago on 26 May 1871. Among those killed was the Archbishop of Paris Georges Darboy. The … Read More

Posted in Modern Martyrs, Religious Liberty, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
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Concerning the death of St. Joseph

“Let me die as did glorious St. Joseph, accompanied by Jesus and Mary, pronouncing those sweetest of names, which I hope to extol for all eternity.” This is the very end of a fine piece about the death of St. … Read More

Posted in Saints: Stories & Symbols, The Drill | Tagged
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