According to various sources, Januarius was born in Benevento to a rich patrician family near Naples, Italy. At a young age of 15, he became a priest of his parish in Benevento, which at the time was primarily pagan. When Januarius was 20, he became Bishop of Naples. During the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian in 305 AD, Januarius was arrested and beheaded at the Solfatara crater near Pozzuoli. According to the Roman Martyrology, “the body of St. Januarius was brought to Naples, and there honourably interred in the church, where his holy blood is kept unto this day in a phial of glass, which being set near his head becomes liquid and bubbles up as though it were fresh.” The miracle of the liquification is the chief reason for the notoriety of St Januarius. The relic … [Read more...]

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On the week when we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Archbishop Aymond has asked that every parish offer Confession for an hour and a half. To that end, on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Confessions will be heard in the Basilica of St. Stephen beginning at 5:00pm until 6:30pm. … [Read more...]

Feast Day September 5 On 10 September 1946, on a train journey from Calcutta to Darjeeling, Mother Teresa received what she termed the “call within a call,” which was to give rise to the Missionaries of Charity family: “to quench the infinite thirst of Jesus on the cross for love and souls” by “laboring at the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor.” On October 7, 1950, the new congregation of the Missionaries of Charity was officially erected as a religious institute for the Archdiocese of Calcutta. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Mother Teresa expanded the work of the Missionaries of Charity both within Calcutta and throughout India. From the late 1960s until 1980, the Missionaries of Charity expanded across the globe and in their number of members. Mother … [Read more...]

September 2026 For the care of water. Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it. Please pray for the intentions of the Holy Father! … [Read more...]

The Feast of the Queenship of Mary – the Coronation – was established in 1954 by Pope Pius XII in a document called Ad Caeli Reginam. The original date for this feast was chosen as May 31st, but was later moved to the octave day of the feast of the Assumption, August 22nd. The Catholic faith states as a dogma that Mary was assumed into heaven, and is with Jesus Christ, her Divine Son. Mary should be called Queen, not only because of her Divine Motherhood of Jesus Christ, but also because God has willed her to have an exceptional role in the work of eternal salvation. Jesus Christ as Redeemer is Lord and King. The Blessed Virgin is Queen, because of the unique manner in which she assisted in our redemption, by giving of her own substance, by freely offering Him for us, by her singular … [Read more...]

Pope Saint Pius X was an Italian named Giuseppe Sarto, who was born in 1835 near Treviso, Italy.  He was the second born of ten children of Giovanni Battista Sarto, the village postman, and Margherita Sanson.  He was baptized on June 3, 1835. Though poor, his parents valued education, and Giuseppe walked 4 miles to school each day.  As a poor boy, he was often teased for his meager lunches and shabby clothes, but he never complained about this to his teachers.  He eventually came to the attention of the parish priest because of his devotion to the Mass as an altar server. In 1850, at the age of 15, he was given a scholarship from Cardinal of Venice (who his parish priest had written) to attend the Seminary of Padua, where he finished his classical, philosophical, and theological studies … [Read more...]

The internet has opened up an easy access to pornography which has become a major addiction in our society and a burden to many men. And the Church wants to help.  The Archdiocese of New Orleans has a confidential Catholic 12-step program for men struggling with an addition to pornography called the “My House Men’s Group.”  For more information contact (504) 430-3060 or email myhouse@archdiocese-no.org … [Read more...]

One of my favorite saints, and one of the patrons of the City of Rome is the Deacon-Martyr, St. Lawrence.  There are actually more churches built in Rome to honor St. Lawrence in the Holy City than any other saint, including St. Peter, himself.  His story of courage and his great love for the poor reveal the reasons behind these devotions. During the persecutions of the Emperor Valerian in 258 A.D., numerous priests and deacons were put to death and wealthier Christians had their wealth confiscated and were forced into exile. Pope Sixtus II was one of the first victims of this persecution, being beheaded on August 6.  According to the writings of St. Ambrose, as Pope Sixtus was being lead to his death, Lawrence met him and asked: “Where are you going, my dear father, without your son? … [Read more...]

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” (Lk 9:34-36a) Most of the Church Fathers saw the Transfiguration as a glimpse of the glory of Christ given to his disciples so that they might be strengthened to witness the scandal of the Cross. And this is certainly true. But three things immediately jump out of the reading. First, is the number of apostles. Not all of the twelve are present – only Peter, James and John, the same three apostles that would accompany Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane. Even though they were strengthened by their witness to the glory of the Transfiguration, they would still flee at the beginning … [Read more...]