This feast, observed throughout the Western Church on October 11, honors Mary as Mother of God, and bears the same sort of relation to the Annunciation and to Christmas as does the Synaxis of Our Lady in the Byzantine rite. It was long known in Portugal, where the Maternity of Our Lady was declared a feast on January 22, in 1751, at the request of King Joseph Manuel. The feast, granted to the...
Saint Daniel Comboni, born on March 15, 1831, in Limone sul Garda, Italy, was a renowned Catholic missionary and educator. He dedicated his life to the service of God and the upliftment of the people in Africa, particularly Sudan. As a young man, Daniel Comboni received his education at Father Mazza's Institute in Verona, Italy. Here, he studied theology, medicine, and several languages,...
Saint John Henry Newman, also known as John Henry Cardinal Newman, was born on February 21, 1801, in London, England. He received his education at Ealing, a private school, and later went on to study at Trinity College, Oxford. During his time at Oxford, he was chosen as a fellow of Oriel College. In 1824, Newman was ordained as an Anglican priest and served as a curate at Saint Clement's...
Saint Louis Bertrand, also known as the Apostle of South America, was born on January 1, 1526, in Valencia, Spain. From an early age, he displayed a deep religious fervor and a strong desire to serve God. At the age of 18, Louis joined the Dominican Order in 1544, and three years later, at the age of 21, he was ordained as a priest. Louis Bertrand quickly gained recognition as a talented and...
Thaïs is first briefly described as wealthy and beautiful, a courtesan living in the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria, Egypt. Yet in the eyes of the church, she was a public sinner. Thaïs, however, made inquiries about the Christian religion and eventually converted. In her Vita a monk in disguise pays for entry into her chambers in order to challenge her and convert her, yet he finds that she...