The lives of the saints and heroes of Catholic history are not relics of the past — they are models for the present. In an age that celebrates mediocrity and avoids sacrifice, these men and women stand as proof that heroic virtue is possible, that faith can move armies, and that the Church has always raised up champions in her darkest hours.
From the Crusader knights who defended the Holy Land to the martyrs who gave their lives for the Faith, from the great doctors of the Church to the humble souls canonized for their hidden holiness — their stories inspire, instruct, and challenge us to aim higher.
Explore our articles on the saints, blessed, and Catholic heroes who shaped Christian civilization.
Have you ever wondered about the difference between Catholic charity and modern philanthropy? Both care for the poor’s material needs. However, true Catholic charity adds two very important elements—supernatural vision and aid. Indeed, infinitely more can be done with the aid of God, Our Lady, the angels and saints. The saints saw … 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
During the summer unrest, Catholics were horrified by the toppling of statues of Saint Junipero Serra, the apostle of California. He did nothing to deserve such treatment. Those who attack the saint accuse him of genocide, enslaving the Indians and destroying native culture. By dint of repetition, this false narrative may lead … Read more
All culture wars involve a clash of symbols. Symbols say a lot with a little. All it takes is a piece of cloth or an extraordinary object to transmit a world of ideas. They convey identity, impact and mood. One sinister symbol, appearing in the riots and disturbances, is the guillotine. In … Read more
There is a universal crisis inside society today that seeks to overturn all things Christian. Catholic thinker Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira called this universal crisis the Revolution (with a capital R). He held that the two driving forces of this Revolution are the vices of pride and sensuality. The following commentaries show … Read more
Elizabeth Bruenig’s New York Times op-ed “A Saint’s Sins” was a lengthy indictment of the character and actions of Saint Junipero Serra. It is tempting to refer to it as a masterpiece of character assassination, except that it is not masterful. It recycles modernist and old anti-Catholic attacks that ignore the historical … Read more
In 1782, Saint Junípero Serra founded his final mission—San Buenaventura—in what is now the city of Ventura, California. In 1833, the Mexican government confiscated the land and sold it to ranchers. By 1936, over 100 years after the Mexican secularization act and almost a century after becoming part of the United States, … Read more
On a blistering June 27 in St. Louis, Mo. forces of good and evil clashed at the feet of a majestic statue of the city’s patron. Fueled by emotion over substance, around 150 Black Lives Matters (BLM) proponents cried obscene slogans to a tribal drumbeat demanding that the statue be torn down, … Read more
(May 30 is the feast day of Saint John of Arc) Pray novena for 9 consecutive days Eternal Father, Thou gave us Saint Joan of Arc through Thine infinite love and mercy for us. We humbly ask Thee to send down Thine Holy Spirit upon us, as the intermediary by which the … Read more
April 21 is the feast of Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church. Intrepid in the battles for the Faith, he defended the Church against the English King William Rufus. He once said that “Christ does not want a slave for a spouse. He loves nothing in … Read more