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All Saint’s Day—- The Road to Sainthood is a Fascinating Journey into Human Holiness
By Larry Peterson November 1, we celebrate the Feast of All Saint’s Day. Interestingly, more than 10,000 saints are venerated in the Catholic Church. How did over 10,000 people manage to be canonized? For starters, it is probably safe to say that since the church has been around for 2000 years that only works out…
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Halloween and the Legend of the Jack-O-Lantern (one version)*
By Larry Peterson My Annual Halloween Post (Written way back when on a stormy All Hallows Eve) Long ago in Ireland, the land of shamrocks, leprechauns, soft winds and smiles, there lived a man named Jack. Jack was quite lazy and did not like to work. But he had the gift of “blarney” and could…
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Peter of Alcantara—This little know Franciscan mentored none other than St. Teresa of Avila
By Larry Peterson Peter of Alcantara was born in 1499 in the Province of Caceres in Extremadura, Spain. He was named after his father, Peter Gravita, who was the governor of Alacantara. His mom was from a noble family who came from Sanabia. Already as a child, Peter displayed an exceptional gift of prayer, and…
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The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is embodied in the Mass: The two are inseparable and it is an ongoing Miracle that is always occurring
By Larry Peterson The United States has a population of close to 330 million people. Of those, there are more than 74 million people who claim to be Catholic. 70 million are registered (signed in with a parish as members). That means that Catholics comprise more than 22% of the entire population of the USA.…
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This Smiling Dominican Stigmatist, loved Children and became the Patroness of Catechists
By Larry Peterson Magdalen Panettieri was born in Trino, Italy, in 1443. Her mom and dad were very devout Catholics, and their deep faith inspired their daughter. Even as a toddler, Magdalen exhibited a spirituality that was recognizable. When she was still a youngster she made a vow of virginity, and before her twentieth birthday…
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Rooted in the Incarnation of the Lord, the Confraternity de la Virgen de la Cinta has become a powerful weapon protecting the unborn
By Larry Peterson On April 12, 2019, Pope Francis welcomed a group to the Vatican known as the Archconfraternity of the Virgen de la Cinta (Ribbon). The group, led by Bishop Enrique Benavent Vidal of Tortosa, Spain, was celebrating their founding 400 years earlier, during the 17th century. Honoring the Virgin of the Ribbon (the…
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Saint Maria Soledad Torres y Acosta saw the Hand of God in everything around her
By Larry Peterson There are those people that are seemingly in-tune with the Holy Spirit from their earliest years. They sense His presence, understand His desires, and do their best to accommodate His requests. Such was the woman known as Maria Soledad Torres y Acosta. She indeed “heard the cry of the poor” and knew…
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The “Angel of Dachau” stared into the faces of the dying every day and never turned away—
By Larry Peterson The first concentration camp to be opened by the Nazis was known as Dachau. It opened in 1933 under the direction of Hitler’s primary henchman, Heinrich Himmler. The initial idea was for Dachau to house political prisoners, but it quickly evolved into a death camp primarily for Jews. Dachau also became known…
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A holy time-saver: This saint recruited his donkey to help him multiply his hours and energy
By Larry Peterson Juan de Arcas y Sanchez was born on March 2, 1585, in the Palencia Diocese located in the northwest part of Spain. His mom and dad were poor peasant farmers who worked hard to take care of their children. Sadly, both of them died when Juan and his sister were both very…
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He was born in Venice and became the Apostle of Hungary: Meet St. Gerard Sagredo; Bishop and Martyr
By Larry Peterson Gerard Sagredo was born In Venice sometime near the end of the tenth century. Even though the exact year is not known, the date was confirmed as April 23, the feast day of St George. His father, who was named Gerard, and his mom, Catherine, had waited a long time for the…
Cradling Catholic 