Feast Day: July 22nd Apostle to the Apostles Patron Saint of Women, Converts, Sinners, Pharmacists, Tanners “Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy” — Artemisia Gentileschi, c. 1625. Oil on canvas. Collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Art (public domain/Open Access). “I have seen the Lord.” (John 20:18)”….
Feast Day: April 29th Doctor of the Church Patron Saint of Italy, Nurses, Those seeking spiritual direction. “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire”. St. Catherine Siena Andrea Vanni depicts St. Catherine of Siena surrounded by men in red robes, representing cardinals and Church officials of her…
Sleeping St. Joseph Devotion March 19th The devotion to Sleeping Saint Joseph is a powerful reminder of trust, surrender, and quiet strength. It reflects Saint Joseph’s role as the guardian who “works while he sleeps,” listening attentively to God even in rest. Though Saint Joseph never speaks in the Gospels, he listens deeply. God communicates…
Gerrit van Honthorst, Adoration of the Child, 1619-1620, oil on canvas, Uffizi, Florence, Italy. The photo is my own. The Adoration of the Shepherds was painted around 1622 by Gerard van Honthorst, a Dutch Baroque artist working in Rome at the time. Influenced by Caravaggio’s dramatic use of light and shadow, Honthorst earned the nickname…
Pilgrimage to Paris by Maureen St. Pierre
The Battle of Lepanto – 1571 Each year on October 7, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary—a feast that honors Mary’s powerful intercession and the victory of faith over fear. Behind this feast lies a rich story that connects a 13th-century saint, a miraculous naval battle, and one of the…
Feast Day: October 2 In Christian theology, a guardian angel is an angelic being assigned by God to protect, guide, and intercede for each human soul. The idea is ancient, rooted in Scripture and Tradition, and affirmed by many saints and theologians over the centuries.From the moment a soul is created (or conceived), a guardian…
St. Ignatius at Chapel Point, Maryland The roots of Catholicism in Maryland stretch back to 1634 when Catholic Lord Baltimore founded a colony with freedom of religion and separation of church and state. The Jesuits of the English Province were invited to serve as missionaries. In 1641, Fr. Andrew White, S.J., and his companions established…
Feast Day: September 3rd Patron Saint of Teachers, Students, Musicians This artwork depicts Pope St. Gregory the Great, one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church. He is shown wearing papal vestments and a halo, symbolizing his sainthood. The dove represents the Holy Spirit, said to have inspired his writings. The quill highlights…
August 22, 2025 In the Roman Forum, nestled at the foot of the Palatine Hill, stands the ancient church of Santa Maria Antiqua. On its sanctuary wall, painted in the mid-6th century, is the oldest surviving image of Mary enthroned as Queen, known as the Maria Regina fresco. There, Our Lady sits robed in imperial…
