Padre Pio (May 25, 1887–September 23, 1968) is a good role model for any of us who are dealing with physical suffering. This Capuchin priest is a contemporary saint and one of the most popular of modern times. St. Pio of Pietrelcina, as he is more formally known, is famous for bearing the stigmata, the marks of Christ’s passion, for more than fifty years. The pain he experienced from the open wounds was intense and unending. More »

We’ve all heard about the typical “renaissance man”—someone who is talented in a wide variety of areas and who puts those talents to good use. More »

By any account, 590 was a disastrous year in Rome. Plague had struck, sweeping through the homes of poor and wealthy alike. Even the pope was carried away by the fearsome disease. The spring floods were the worst in memory; the Tiber broke through its retaining walls, causing enormous damage. More »

It was an adolescent prank—pears stolen from a neighbor’s tree. But as Augustine looked back on the incident many years later, it seemed reprehensible to him. More »

Most people are familiar with the eight hundred-year-old Dominican Order, one of the ten largest religious communities in the world. But how many know much about its founder, St. Dominic? More »

In third grade Sr. Cordelia gave out free tickets to the movies for every student in the class. In fact, Catholic school kids throughout Chicago were offered the tickets to see a movie about a Catholic saint. More »

Teens and twenty-somethings from around the world are converging on Brazil this month for World Youth Day. Among early photos of Karol and Agnes, two in particular would make great WYD posters. More »

Around the middle of the sixth century, an Italian monk wrote some guidelines for people interested in the monastic life. The result was a small book that he described as “advice from a father who loves you.” More »