Blessed Francisco: Contemplator of the Universe

Blessed Francisco: Contemplator of the Universe 1

In May 1946, Sister Lucia, then a Dorothean nun, went to Fatima to visit the sites of the apparitions of the angel (1916) and Our Lady (1917). At Valinhos, where the fourth apparition of Our Lady took place, a group was waiting for her that including her uncle Marto, the father of … Read more

A Story of Exceptional Valor and Faith

A Story of Exceptional Valor and Faith 1

An old adage states that you only meet two great people in a lifetime. After visiting Col. John W. Ripley (USMC Ret.), I can say I met my first one. As Col. Ripley politely invited my colleagues from Tradition, Family and Property Student Action and me into his office on October 31, … Read more

“Jesus, Mary, Get Me There!”

Capt. John Ripley Vietnam 1972 Dong Ha bridge

Introduction When a society no longer respects and honors the fighting men willing to shed their blood for its principles, the fault lies not with the fighting men but with society itself. Ingratitude is a subtle vice, but a vice nevertheless. Saint Thomas Aquinas says that a debt of gratitude is a … Read more

The Paratrooper’s Prayer

The Paratrooper’s Prayer 1

The Paratrooper’s Prayer was written by Second Lieutenant André Louis Arthur Zirnheld, a parachutist in the Free French Army. While serving with the British SAS deep behind enemy lines in Libya, he was killed in action on July 27, 1942. Found in his officer’s note book was the following prayer entitled “The … Read more

Why Doesn’t God Always Listen?

Two Million Rosaries

Question: I pray and pray, but I feel as if God is not listening. We always had a good, peaceful family life, but these last years have been tough. We don’t seem to be getting along and our finances have taken a turn for the worse. I am so anxious about this … Read more

Lourdes’ Lesson in Suffering

Lourdes’ Lesson in Suffering 1

At Lourdes, Divine Providence takes two different attitudes towards human suffering. The first is more sensational and thus catches our attention more. It is when Our Lady, as a compassionate mother, heals the sick and lame and thus proves the veracity of the Faith. This, in turn, shows her mercy for wayward … Read more

Rekindling the Crusading Spirit

Rekindling the Crusading Spirit 4

On a recent trip to Fatima, I stopped to spend a night in the city of Obidos, Portugal. As I stood atop the walls of that medieval city, I felt almost as though I were breathing history…but not just any history. I was filling my lungs with a Catholic combative history. With … Read more

The Apostolic Strategy of Blessed Pius IX

The Apostolic Strategy of Blessed Pius IX 1

The Nineteenth Century: Ravished by Modernism and Rationalism It is not easy for someone today to have a clear idea of the devastation which rationalism and modernism wrought on European and American society throughout the nineteenth century. At that time, the human soul had been profoundly worked over by materialists and revolutionaries … Read more

St. Louis IX Crusader and Statesman

St. Louis IX Crusader and Statesman

August 25 is the feast of Saint Louis IX, King, Confessor of the Faith, Crusader and model of a Catholic head of state. There are two different ways people picture Saint Louis IX. One is as he truly was, the other is a soft, effeminate distortion of his person. This dichotomy is … Read more