Ben Broussard 
The state of Tlaxcala, in Mexico, lies in a broad valley with distant views of active volcanoes. Steep hills tower over fertile farmlands where orchards, cornfields, and cattle ranches dot the landscape. The long history of this part of Mexico can be seen to this day in the impressive ruins of Indian … Read more
It was March of 1585. After three exhausting years spent traveling halfway around the world, Julian and his friends, all Japanese converts to the Catholic Faith, looked out on Rome. They were probably the first Japanese to gaze on the Eternal City, which seemed like something out of a dream. As they … Read more
May the most just, the most high and most amiable will of God be in all things fulfilled, praised and exalted above all forever. –Pope Pius VII On the fourth of January 1821, Elizabeth Ann Seton breathed her last breath. Her favorite prayer, quoted above, was ever on her lips as she … Read more
Every year New Orleans plays host to a longstanding Catholic tradition which has its origins in the Middle Ages. On Saint Joseph’s Day, March 19th, Catholics all over the city are eager to show their devotion to the head of the Holy Family. The celebration serves as a striking contrast in a … Read more
It was a beautiful spring day when I visited the Baaklini family in Harrisburg, Penn. The enthusiastic crowd sang hymns and organized a procession for Our Lady of Fatima on entering the home. After crowning Our Lady, I looked around the living room at several images of saints, some of who were … Read more
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He shall grow like the cedar of Lebanon. (Ps. 91:13) The Biblical cedars of Lebanon have towered on mountaintops for thousands of years. Lebanon, a country mentioned in the Bible more than 70 times, today carries the cedar on its flag. The towering … Read more
“Every one of us has a Prompt Succor story!” So began a sermon on the Feast of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, commemorating 203 years since she saved America at the Battle of New Orleans. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor in uptown New Orleans hosted the yearly anniversary … Read more
“Look at the sun!” The shout echoed through the massive crowd. The multitudes looked up. Jaws dropped. From one moment to the next, the world changed. The sun itself fell from the sky. Men, women and children shouted and cried in terror. Hundreds dropped to their knees in the thick mud. The … Read more
As we enter another Holy Week, it is fitting to reflect on how far short we fall from holiness. This holiest week of the year actually offers us examples in the lives of the Apostles. Jesus Christ chose twelve to be His original followers. How many followed Him to the Cross? Only … Read more
“God Yes! Satan No!” “Reparation! Reparation! Reparation!” “Begone, Satan! Begone, Satan!” The battlecries rang out in the evening heat. Hundreds of Catholics from around the country came to fight. They yielded the weapons of the prayers of the Church. And the angels descended in force. On August 15, 2016, the Feast of … Read more