saints

Among Women 253: Radical Saints

This latest episode of the Among Women podcast celebrates the communion of saints—this amazing aspect of the Body of Christ both on heaven and earth. And we recall the beauty of November’s month of the holy souls. My guest is Melanie Rigney who shares many stories of modern saints from her book Radical Saints: 21…

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A visit to the Shrine honoring St Katharine Drexel

My ongoing recovery from surgery has me doing some minimal blogging and writing… I’m a little late for Katherine Drexel’s feast day, but maybe you’d still enjoy the blog post below that hopes to honor her! ::: Last fall I enjoyed a marvelous visit, alongside my good friend, Lisa Hendey, to the World Meeting of…

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Among Women Podcast 199: Beatitude = Being Like Jesus

The latest episode of Among Women focuses on the heart of the matter — or more specifically, the heart of Jesus and the face of Jesus we find in the Beatitudes. My guest is Melanie Rigney. Her latest book, in which I was privileged to compose the foreword, is one part a meditation on the Beatitudes…

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Among Women 197: Badass Buddies and Pope Selfies – an interview with Maria Morera Johnson

This Among Women episode is one I’ve been waiting for all year! My friend, author and Catholic Weekend host María Morera Johnson, joins me for the Among Women interview. Maria brings some of the stories behind her new book, including how the book got its name:  My Badass Book of Saints: Courage Women Who Showed…

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Melanie Rigney’s Blessed-Are-You Blog Tour Finishes Here! “Blessed are the meek…”

Welcome! This is the final stop of the 8-beatitude blog tour for Melanie Rigney’s latest book, Blessed Are You: Finding Inspiration from our sisters in faith! This book is available today for you to browse or purchase through this link: Blessed Are You! Franciscan Media summarizes the book this way… Melanie Rigney uses stories of…

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This makes me think… about being a saint…

As a spiritual director of mine once said when I was asking him to make me into another Catherine of Siena, “God already has St Catherine, now he wants St Ronda.” What we want to imitate in the saints is their love, their zeal, their intimacy with God, their astounding courage, their forgiveness, and their…

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#Fast Friday in Lent … mid-Lent, midlife…

Here we are, approaching mid-Lent! I was encouraging my bible study students this week that it is never too late to make a good Lent. Lots of folks have a fast start. They get all excited to maintain the practices of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer and then forget, or can’t maintain the habit, or peter…

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Got 5 mins? Watch this great video about St Gianna Beretta Molla – a 20th century saint!

Preparing for the World Meeting of Families, Salt and Light  of Toronto produced this video about this heroic saint. To me, St Gianna exemplifies the feminine genius. You might want to listen to my Among Women podcasts that profile her life, listed below. But for now, enjoy this! St. Gianna Molla – World Meeting of Families…

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Venerating the Saints: Relics and Real Life (a photo essay)

As the month of all saints and all souls continues, I thought I’d share some cool photos of relics from some of my travels in recent months. Relics, honored in the Catholic Church, are the bodies of the saints or objects connected with them or with Our Lord. God has often shown His approval of…

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The F.U.N. Quotient… Catholic geek edition

I’ve had a few days to relax and retreat (and yes, work) while at Chiara Center in Springfield, IL. It’s a lovely place, and the Sisters are very hospitable and this is a very modern facility. I love the Franciscan heritage and the profoundly beautiful St Francis of Assisi church on the property. (Read all…

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