The story of our saint begins with King James I of Aragon, known as the Conqueror for his military glories and as the Saint for his admirable piety. He broke off relations with his son and heir Peter (called the Great) because his marriage to Princess Constance, daughter of the King of … Read more
Monday, November 19, 2018, might have seemed like a normal day for Jamie Schmidt. Little did she know when she entered Catholic Supply, a religious goods store in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, that this ordinary day would be her last. Nor did her family ever dream her life would come to a … Read more
One of the most earthshaking decisions of our country in 2015 occurred on December 3, when Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter declared that all combat jobs would become open to women with “no exceptions.” While it is horrible enough that women will be exposed to the horrors of war, the shock waves … Read more
The days leading up to Christmas are always ones of great anticipation and with good reason since everything about Our Lord’s birth was marvelous. It occurred in the middle of the night under a blanket of stars. The “good tidings” of His birth was announced to nearby shepherds by an angel: “…This … Read more
A couple of summers ago, an old building in Topeka, Kansas was razed by a spectacular implosion. It was a large, 14-story structure, a minor landmark in the downtown area, and the event was scheduled for a Sunday morning so as not to interfere with traffic and commercial activity. Although the implosion … Read more
On March 26, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Hollingsworth v. Perry case, which will determine if Proposition 8 — the 2008 ballot initiative protecting marriage in California — is constitutional or not.The outcome of the Supreme Court’s decision will impact the future of marriage not only in California, … Read more
During the 1968 Tet Offensive, then Captain Gordon Batcheller earned the Navy Cross when his unit, Company A, 1st Battalion Marines, engaged a numerically superior force of the North Vietnamese Army. Although injured by shrapnel, he aggressively led his men in a fierce assault against the enemy and was seriously wounded in … Read more
In a previous article on the apostolic origins of celibacy, I wrote: Among the Apostles, only Saint Peter is known to have been married because his mother-in-law is mentioned in the Gospels. Some of the others might have been married but there is a clear indication that they left everything, including their … Read more
Indeed, how many and how important are the benefits which flow from the indissolubility of matrimony cannot escape anyone who gives even a brief consideration either to the good of the married parties and the offspring or to the welfare of human society. First of all, both husband and wife possess a … Read more