Figuring out what God wants from you can feel really confusing, but St. Francis Xavier Cabrini shows us how it’s done. Her gift for discerning and submitting to God’s will makes her an amazing role model for modern women and men. It’s a little funny that “discerning God’s will” is such an opaque prospect for many of us, because this approach is “en...
READ MOREIn Italian-American households, the Feast of the Seven Fishes (also known as Festa dei Sette Pesci or La Vigilia) is celebrated on December 24. This Christmas Eve celebration kicks off the holiday festivities with a huge dinner consisting of seven courses of fish and seafood. This tradition stems from the Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from...
READ MORESaint Peter's Basilica is one of the most impressive basilicas in the world and stands at the heart of the micro country of Vatican City. The papal enclave is an independent country that is inside Rome (it is also the world's only theocracy). St. Peter's Basilica is a stunning work of art and one of the largest churches in the world (in fact it is...
READ MORESurely you happened during a walk in your city, to notice the presence of votive newsstands: these are small chapels in which there is a sacred image. Often widespread especially in the South, they represent a great symbol of devotion and faith. But what is their story? History of votive shrines The votive aedicules have a very ancient history: the...
READ MOREPietrelcina, hometown of Padre Pio, unveiled a new statue of its patron saint this fall, and it’s a truly remarkable piece of art. The statue pays tribute to the role of the U.S. in the life of St. Pio, and the site is expected to be a go-to destination in 2022, when Pietrelcina celebrates the 20th anniversary of Pio’s canonization by Pope St. John...
READ MORE"Count me in, Pops!" That was my granddaughter's response when I invited her to make a 200-mile trek through the Apennines range of mountains down central Italy. I chose this trek after reading an account by a photographer friend who had done it several years ago. A little history: A Catholic frier from a hill town in Italy lived and preached a l...
READ MOREI always wondered how it came to be that there were five churches within the geographic area of Wooster Square. One of them, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (now St. Paul and St. James), on the corner of Chapel and Olive streets, was actually a vestige from the time when the area was predominantly Yankee and Protestant. It is a beautiful stone church v...
READ MOREFor the past 100 years, Assumption Catholic Parish and School has been a staple of the small yet faithful community in Welby. A humble church that sprouted from the hard work of Italian immigrants in 1912 has marked a milestone anniversary thanks to the dedication of parishioners and the grace of God. In the 1920s, Father John Giambastiani launched...
READ MOREOur Lady of Mount Carmel Church will reopen its doors Nov. 27 — a milestone some congregants feared would never come, and that parish officials say was only possible after extensive and costly repairs to an unsafe building. With repairs complete, “it’s on to God’s work of repairing hearts,” the Rev. Amilcar Benito Prado — popularly known as “Fathe...
READ MOREThe Italian American War Veterans will host a special Mass in honor of Veterans Day at 11 a.m. on Nov. 13 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago. During the Mass, friends and relatives will be invited to bring colored candles to the altar with a card containing the name of deceased veterans. These names will be read aloud, and the candles...
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