Mary and the Saints Archives - Page 2 of 14

Pop-Up Catechesis: Teresa of Avila and the Doctors of the Church

When we think of doctors, we tend first to think of medical doctors working in hospitals and medical centers, caring for sick people. However, there are many other kinds of doctors. Someone who has earned a doctorate in his or her field is seen as one who has achieved the most advanced degree in an academic discipline. Such doctors are regarded as authorities in their fields. In the Catholic Church, there are several dozen—36 to be exact—saints […]

The Saints as Missionary Disciples: St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Julianne Stanz

This is part one of a series exploring saints who lived as missionary disciples. When it comes to missionary discipleship, we naturally think of the saints. They lived extraordinary lives of holiness, often under great pressure or demanding conditions. The fruit of their lives resulted in miracles that were the fruit of their faithfulness and devotion to God, confirmed with “signs and wonders and mighty works.” (2 Corinthians 12:12) Of course, we might find it […]

Celebrate the Year of St. Joseph - text next to image of Joseph at work as carpenter

How Our Parish Is Celebrating the Year of Saint Joseph

Laura Soldner

When Pope Francis declared the Year of Saint Joseph, his aim was to “to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal.” (Patris Corde) Even though restrictions were still being implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we challenged ourselves as a parish staff to honor our Patron of the Catholic Church. We began celebrating the Year of Saint Joseph on his […]

Using Ordinary Time to Get to Know the Saints

Joe Paprocki

Most of us know how to observe four major seasons of the Church year—Lent, Easter, Advent, and Christmas. For example, we all know that during the 40 days of Lent, we pray, fast, and give alms. But how do we observe Ordinary Time? We sometimes erroneously think that Ordinary Time is less important (ordinary) than those aforementioned seasons (extraordinary). We need to remember that the word “ordinary” is used in this context in relation to […]

stained glass of the Coronation of Mary - detail of the Glorious Mysteries - image by Daniel VILLAFRUELA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Coronation of Mary and Conversion

Bob Burnham

We reflect this Easter season on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. As the Blessed Virgin Mary was near and dear to St. Francis of Assisi, he wrote a Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer comes to mind when I ponder Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven. In the salutation, Francis uses several titles for Mary that are familiar to us, such as Mother of God. He also uses titles that may sound […]

stained glass of the Assumption of Mary - detail of the Glorious Mysteries - image by Daniel VILLAFRUELA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Glorious Mysteries: The Assumption of Mary

Julianne Stanz

We reflect this Easter season on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. One of my favorite stained-glass windows is in St. Nicholas Cathedral in County Galway, Ireland and echoes the words of Pope John Paul II, who declared that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family” (On the Family, 86). Entitled The Window of the Holy Family, it beautifully depicts Jesus, Joseph, and Mary in a very ordinary way. Joseph is depicted […]

Marian Treasure Hunt

Denise Gorss

Explore the highlights of Mary’s life with a fun treasure hunt. Designed to be used as a family activity at home, the clues lead children to think about the Annunciation, the Visitation, and more, as they follow directions to get to a final prize. The prize may include a book of Bible stories, a book on Mary, a plush figure of Mary, or anything else appropriate. Prepare children for the hunt by discussing the stories […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: St. Joseph and the Dignity of Work

Joe Paprocki

If one thing stands out about God in the first creation story (Genesis 1), it is that God devotes a great deal of time and energy to work. God works six of seven days! As people made in the image and likeness of God, we “resemble” God when we use our time, energy, and gifts to engage in work. It’s also interesting to note that, while the second story of creation (Genesis 2—3) describes work as one of the punishments for the […]

Easter flowers - Mny-Jhee/iStock/Getty Images

Three Mystics Who Exemplify Easter People

Bob Burnham

We are Easter people! That does not mean that we celebrate Easter with a party, complete with baskets and chocolate bunnies (though I love that iconic confectionary as much as anyone). Being Easter people means that we are animated by the same kind of love that defeated death itself. We are people who see Christ still present and walking among us today—in Scripture, in the sacraments, in the works of mercy, and in one another. […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: St. Joseph and a Place for Introverts in the Church

Joe Paprocki

We live in a culture that idealizes extroverts. As a society, we too often tend to equate success, not only with money, but also with the person who can talk the loudest and fastest. We live in a culture of personality. Unfortunately (and this is a pet peeve of mine), the same is often true in our Church: we too often equate discipleship with the ability to talk loud, fast, and convincingly about our faith in […]