The Monday after Pentecost will be different this year. That’s because the Catholic Church will be celebrating a new memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary on that day. On Saturday, March 3, 2018, Pope Francis declared that, henceforward, the … Continue reading
Catholic Feast Day
January 3rd – Optional Memorial
The Most Holy Name of Jesus This feast marks no progress in the development of the Church year. It merely embellishes the occasion just observed when the Child received the Name Jesus as had been foretold by the angel. The … Continue reading
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Devotion to the immaculate Heart of Mary is primarily based upon the Sacred Scriptures. In the New Testament, there are two references to the Heart of Mary in the Gospel according to St. Luke: ..”Mary treasured all these things and … Continue reading
Sacred Heart of Jesus
General devotion to the Sacred Heart, the birthplace of the Church and the font of Love, were popular in Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries, especially in response to the devotion of St. Gertrude the Great (b. 1256), but specific devotions became … Continue reading
The Visitation
The feast of the Visitation goes back only to the 13th or 14th century. It was established widely throughout the Church to pray for unity. The present date of celebration was set in 1969 in order to follow the Annunciation … Continue reading
Spy Wednesday
Wednesday’s Gospel reading preludes the betrayal of Judas. How appropriate then is the sometimes used phrase of, “Spy Wednesday,” for this period before our celebration of the Sacred Triduum. The events that lead Jesus to the cross are filled with … Continue reading
Feast of the Holy Family
The Holy Family is the name given to the family unit of Jesus: The Divine Son of God Jesus, his mother the Virgin Mary, and his foster-father Joseph. We know very little about the life of the Holy Family through … Continue reading
The Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain—that’s what “immaculate” means: without stain. The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, and … Continue reading
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe – Guadalupe, Mexico (1531) Patroness of the Americas Feast Day in the USA – December 12th The opening of the New World brought with it both fortune-seekers and religous preachers desiring to convert the native populations … Continue reading
Divine Mercy Novena
Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, … Continue reading