Saints and blessed

What makes Padre Pio, known today as Saint Pio from Pietralcina, such an adored and celebrated figure since he was still alive, and yet so discussed? The popular adoration he received since his youth is probably due to his fame as thaumaturge, to the miraculous…

Padre Pio is a figure that was controversial and debated in the Catholic Church sphere for a long time. Even after his canonization on June 16th 2002 by Pope John Paul II, his name kept splitting the public opinion between those who recognize his sanctity…

The word Paryer Card defines a small rectangular card, displaying on one side the printed or carved image of a saint or other sacred objects, and on the other a prayer or a hagiographic text related to the portrayed saint. There are Prayer Cards that…

Saint Benedict of Norcia is celebrated on July 11th. This is actually just one of the dates dedicated to the saint from Umbria, founder of the Benedictine order and creator of the so called Rule, which will strongly affect lives and spiritual experiences of all…

The worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Christians is twofold: on the one hand, it means worshipping the heart of Jesus as a symbol of his humanity, of having become a man and having sacrificed for us all. On the other, it is…

St. Joseph is a very beloved figure venerated by Christians and with affection and incomparable devotion. In his being considered the supposed father of Jesus and faithful and respectful husband of the Virgin Mary, has ended up becoming the father of the whole Church, of…

May was the month dedicated to Marian Devotion. Pope Francis, like all of his predecessors, is a great supporter of the love for Virgin Mary; he invited all devotees in this occasion to pray the rosary every day of the month so that our prayers,…

There are words that are passed throughout time, from mouth to mouth, for years, centuries, uttered by a million different voices, in many different languages. The words of prayers for example, written by men and women inspired by God a long time ago, and said…

We already talked about Our Lady of Medjugorje in other articles, who appeared to six seers in 1981; some of them claim they see her everyday. The first apparitions took place in the town of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, from which comes the name. Our Lady…

Saint Joseph in an unmissable figure when we think about Jesus life and work. Even though he was probably already dead when Jesus began his mission, it is true that his role of Mary’s husband and foster father of our Savior places him among the…

The Crucifix of San Damiano is the one in front of which St. Francis was intent on praying when, in the distant year of 1205, he received from the Lord the call to work to restore his church. The Saint of Assisi believed at first…

Saint Roch of Montpellier has many traits in common with Saint Frances of Assisi, whom he whorshipped and fervently imitated. He came from a rich family too, was also very good-looking, had an active and rich mind, nurtured by university studies and a natural curiosity…

Still today, those who visit the Grotto of Massabielle, where Marie-Bernarde Soubirous also known as Bernadette reported the miracolous visions of a “lady dressed in white”, experience a feeling of great holiness and intimate comfort. The niche where the visions appeared is at the top,…

St. Michael the Archangel is one of the three archangels recognized by Christianity, and not just that. His figure is in fact the object of worship and veneration also by other professions of faith, such as Judaism and Islam. Indeed, he is recognised by all…

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a devotional prayer that guarantees those who recite it, especially at the point of death, the grace of conversion and the forgiveness of all sins. It is also a prayer that invokes God’s mercy on all humanity, offering the Passion…

The Novena is a Christian devotional form that is usually practiced on a religious recurrence or a particularly important holiday, like at Christmas, Easter, Immaculata or Pentecost. It involves reciting a particular prayer for nine consecutive days, or different prayers, addressed to God, and usually aimed at requesting the intercession…

The Catholic Church recognises the existence of only three Archangels, or the three mentioned in the Scriptures: Michael (“Who is like God?”), Gabriel (“God’s Power”) and Raphael (“God’s Doctor”). This clarification is needed, because one could object that in the texts of the past, other archangels have been mentioned, the same as…

Mary has always been seen as the ideal mediator between God and men, the one who, by her very nature, can take to the ears of our Heavenly Father the pain, afflictions, prayers of his children. With the name of Mary Help of Christians, from…