In the Gospel of Mark, the first written notice that there were women who followed Jesus to Jerusalem actually appears near the end (15:40, 47; 16:1). Mark notes the presence of such women as silent witnesses to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. More »

Mary and Joseph come to the temple, the center of Israel’s faith, to carry out two Jewish customs: the mother’s purification on the fortieth day after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8) and the consecration of the first-born son (Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16). Jesus’ parents are observant Jews who greatly respect the Mosaic law and conscientiously fulfill its requirements (Luke 2:22, 23, 24, 27, 39). More »

What would the future hold for him, wondered young John Neumann as he gazed at the New York harbor from the deck of the Europa, the ship that had just brought him across the Atlantic in a rough, forty-day voyage. More »

Thousands of cheers—and a few jeers—greeted the news that Juan Diego, the humble visionary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was proclaimed a saint by Pope John Paul II on July 31, 2002. As with many canonizations, there were challenges. In this case, the challenge involved both the person and the miraculous image connected with his story. More »

When was the last time you visited an art gallery or museum and wandered about, enjoying the paintings and sculptures? More »

The saints were not immune from the suffering that comes from loss and grief. No one is; it’s part of the human condition. More »

Let us join with the whole Church on October 28 to celebrate the feast of these blessed apostles. More »

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, popularly known as the Little Flower, died in 1897 at the age of twenty-four. Had she lived to be ninety, as two of her blood sisters did, she would have died in 1963. More »