Penny: 1780 books

April 23, 1522, a baby’s cry cut through the quiet of the palace and onto the streets of Florence,Italy and Alexandrina, who would someday be known as Saint Catherine de’ Ricci, was born. She came from a prominent family of the nobility. Although they were not particularly known for their holiness,...

It is said of St. Francis of Assisi, that he didn't trust books, and never wanted his Friars to get distracted and influenced by the words of authors, whose works he also didn't trust. He trusted the Bible, but not certain people's interpretations of it. He was finally willing to bend in his staunch...

It is the Sixteenth Century. We are again at a time of struggle and crisis in the world and in the Church. A priest will cause many innocent lambs, not aware of his disobedience and betrayal to the Church, to stray. As always, when the Church is under attack and things look hopeless, God raises up...

"St. John Bosco, better known as Don Bosco, is one of the great apostles of the Nineteenth Century. His ministry was to the children of Turin, in Northern Italy, victims of the Industrial Revolution in that country at that time. Don Bosco was God's gift to the Church of that century. The magnetism...

From the time he was five years old, “Pippo Buono” (“good little Phil”) was obedient, never willfully causing his parents any problems. But even Philip had his moments. One day, as he was praying the Psalter, with one sister, another sister began teasing, trying to distract them. As words...

Miracle of the Eucharist of Avignon Miracle of the Eucharist of Blanot Miracle of the Eucharist of Zaragoza Miracle of the Eucharist of La Viluena Miracle of the Eucharist of Daroca Miracle of the Eucharist of Cebrero Miracle of the Eucharist of Santarem Miracle of the Eucharist of Bois Seigneur Isaac Miracle...

The miracle, before you, came to be because of faith and the hard work behind that faith. The early settlers to the New World, with hope and determination, laid the foundation of what you see, when you visit the awesome Cap-de-la-Madeleine. But let us begin at the beginning. The French government...

Saint Robert Bellarmine, brilliant follower of St. Ignatius of Loyola, has been credited with being one of the most outspoken critics of the heresies of Martin Luther and John Calvin. He focused the Church of his time on the true teachings of the Catholic Faith, which were contradicted by the Protestant Reformation

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is one of Jesus' most powerful workers in the vineyard._ She is best known for the Apparitions of Our Lord Jesus and His Sacred Heart. Through the work of St. Margaret Mary, in obedience to Jesus' mandate, devotion to His Sacred Heart became a strong movement throughout...

As we research the lives of Saints and Other Powerful Men and Women in the Church, we sometimes wonder if they were ever given a job description of what was expected of them in their positions, and if they had been given the opportunity to say “Aye” or “Nay”. Did they, and do we really have...

St. Catherine was born Catherine de Virgi in Bologna, Italy on Our Lady’s Birthday, September the 8th, 1413. Her father, Giovanni de Virgi, was a member of the nobility of Ferrara, as well as a highly-respected lawyer and lecturer at the famous University of Bologna. He married Benvenuta Mammolini who was also of a noble family of Bologna.

In our world today, there is much destruction and devastation. As adults, its difficult enough to deal with grief and loss. But how do we even begin to explain the subsequent emotions to a child? What are they thinking? How do they feel? Can they even express themselves? This little story of faith,...

Whatever the case, her father never cared for Saint Germanime. He remarried, and his new wife hated Germaine, possibly because the father didn’t care for her, or because she, his new wife, was just a very hateful person. She treated Germaine horribly. She was kept away from her brothers and sisters,...

What would compel a man to place himself in constant danger in order to become a member of a wolf pack? To eat with them, putting his head into a carcass alongside the wolves' gnashing teeth? To play, hunt, and spar with them, suffering bruises and bites? To learn their language so his howl is indistinguishable...