The medal of Our Lady of Graces, more commonly known as the Miraculous Medal, is undoubtedly the most widespread medal of all times. It originated in France in 1830, having been revealed directly by Our Lady to Saint Catherine Labouré while yet a young religious. The Miraculous Medal is oval. On one … Read more
At the time of the Fatima apparitions, no water sprung from the ground, as it did in Lourdes, France. Nevertheless, the lack of water in and around Fatima was a very real problem and a difficult one to solve. That difficulty was exacerbated by the nature of the limestone and porous terrain … Read more
A Book Review of The Virgin Mary by Fr. Raymond de Thomas de Saint-Laurent Spiritual stagnation is not uncommon for those who strive for Christian perfection. The remedy often comes from a book that one just happens to pick up, not realizing that it might become a vehicle for grace. Darkness … Read more
Although we receive the necessary graces for our salvation, we still need special graces to persevere. This is because the process of the decadence of a soul generally follows a pattern. First, one commits acts of ingratitude that cause a retraction of grace. This causes the person in the state of grace … Read more
How did the Holy House take off from its foundations and reappear intact about 2,000 miles away, where it remains to this day? At a conference organized by the “Amici del Timone” Cultural Center in Staggia Senese, Italy, titled “The Story of the Incredible Move of the House of Mary of Nazareth … Read more
Optimism, pessimism, realism: what position should we take in the face of current events? Before answering this question we need to give words their true meaning. Strictly speaking, a realist is one who sees facts as they are. Therefore, an optimist would be one who, with a defective vision, imagines events with … Read more
The sick old priest arrived at Roussay to preach a mission. He mounted the pulpit in the parish church, and after a brief prayer, began to speak. This tiny town in the west of France consisted of several dilapidated buildings, most prominent of which was this church with a rowdy bar right … Read more
This miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is arguably the most studied representation of the Mother of God in the world. There are two things which make it particularly unique. Firstly, it is, so to speak, a self-portrait that was miraculously handcrafted, for the Aztec people, by Our Lady herself. Her … Read more
Pilgrimages are very common for the Catholic faithful, often requiring travel to distant places. On February 2, 2016 I was part of an American contingent that made such a pilgrimage to Quito, Ecuador to venerate the heavenly statue of Our Lady of Good Success. The impressions were so overwhelming that only now … Read more
Magnificent medieval stained glass windows have sometimes been referred to as a “catechism in glass” because of the richness of the faith which their imagery conveyed. We could say the statues of this time period aptly captured the virtues of the holy personages. When done well they are, in their turn, truly … Read more