photo credit: goddess of chocolate Have a very Happy Halloween and a peaceful All Saints’ Day tomorrow. You can read about how we celebrate Halloween and All Saints’ Day in Calabria right here.Read More
Five new saints were canonized on Sunday, April 26 in Saint Peter’s Square … and I was there. No, I didn’t go specifically for the Canonization-in fact, I didn’t understand the magnitude of the event until I was ushered onto the steps of the colossal piazza and saw the sea of people that spread before...Read More
Bernardo Tolomei was born in Siena, Italy in 1272, as “Giovanni,” but later used the name Bernardo out of veneration for Saint Bernardo of Clairvaux, an 11th century French Cistercian abbot. He was knighted in 1291 and was a member of the Confraternity of the Disciplinati di Santa Maria della Notte that was dedicated to...Read More
Perhaps the world’s first-known advocate for the working woman, Arcangelo Tadini, who was Canonized on April 26, 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, established a religious order called the Worker Sisters of the Holy House of Nazareth that sought to implement the church’s teachings regarding workers’ rights and to lead working women into Christian faith...Read More
Welcome to the 2nd edition of “The Life of a Saint.” This week we’re honoring, Saint Nuno Álvares Pereira, the Portuguese saint who-although his followers had to travel more than 2,000 kilometers-had the loudest, if not the largest, cheering section at the Canonization. This group was fascinating. They cheered and chanted and sang songs whose...Read More
During Rome Week I mentioned that my husband and I had the opportunity to attend Mass in Saint Peter’s Square. Although the day was gray and windy, we were thrilled to encounter none other than Vatican City’s own Pope Benedict XVI, who was both leading the Mass and Canonizing five new saints. I’ve always been...Read More
Today is San Giuseppe Day and Joes, Josephs, Giuseppes, Peppes, Gius and Giusys throughout the world are celebrating their namesake. Well, maybe not throughout the world … but they could. And in fact, I think they should. March 19 is the day Italians remember Saint Joseph who, according to an article published in the Guarda!...Read More
One of my favorite childhood memories is of celebrating Halloween with my 28 first cousins, my sister and our friends all rounded up at grandma’s house for her annual Halloween Party. We’d all dress up – parents, too – and make a campfire, bob for apples, smack around a few pinatas and go on a...Read More
When Pope John Paul II passed away in April, 2005 documentaries and videos dropped from the sky and we were offered a glimpse into his life by people who had met him. The interview with Jim Caviezel, who met Pope John Paul II in preparation for his role in The Passion of Christ, stood out...Read More
