commentary
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St. Telesphorus —The Pope who began the practice of Lenten Fasting
By Larry Peterson The eighth pope in the line of succession that began with St. Peter was Pope Telesphorus. He was a pope from 126 AD until 137 AD. He was followed by Pope Hyginus, who reigned from 136 AD to 142 AD. Both of these sainted popes have feast days in January and both…
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Pope St. Hyginus–The Pope who initiated having Godparents for the Newborn
By Larry Peterson The ninth pope in the line of succession and the person who succeeded Telesphorus was a man named Hyginus. According to the Liber Pontificalis (this is the widely referenced history of the Popes from St. Peter up until the 15th century) Hyginus, a contemporary of St. Justin Martyr, was a Greek from…
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Celebrating Catholic Black History Month: Meet Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange*
Honoring Black History Month; 2019 By Larry Peterson In July of 1990, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States designated November as Black Catholic History Month. To be truthful, up until that time, I had never even heard of the Black Catholic Clergy Caucus or any other black Catholic organizations. I was…
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An American story about an Irish priest, a brave girl, and the KKK
By Larry Peterson Each and every one of us is an individual work of art, crafted by God for Himself. Why would He do that? He does it because He is Love and wants to share Himself with us. We all are truly special in His eyes. He loves us all, individually and without reservation.…
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Venerable Henriette Delille–A Catholic Woman of Color on the Road to Sainthood*
Honoring Black History Month; 2019 By Larry Peterson I’m sure most of us have heard of the people known as French Creoles. The Creoles are simply descendants of the settlers of Louisiana who were of French descent. The term also became applied to African descended slaves who were born in Louisiana. One of those descendants…
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From American Slave to Catholic Priest: Meet “Good” Father Gus; the First Black Man in the United States ordained a Catholic Priest
By Larry Peterson Honoring Black History Month; 2019 April 1, 1854, Brush Creek, Missouri: Peter Tolton, paced nearby as his wife, Martha Jane, gave birth to their second son. They named him Augustus (after his uncle) and, before the month was out, the baby was baptized in nearby St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Mrs. Savilla Elliot…
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When it comes to Life and Death, the Paradox that is Humanity is Inexplicable
By Larry Peterson On January 22, 2019, New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed into law the Reproductive Health Act. This was also the anniversary of Roe v.Wade. When the governor finished signing this bill, a suffocating wind exploded from the halls of the capitol caused by the cheers and screams of those upstanding “lawmakers” who…
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St. Yvo of Chartres: This little-known Saint is responsible for much of the Code of Canon Law
By Larry Peterson His name was quite unusual; it was Yvo. He was born in the year 1040 near Chartres, France, which is why he is called Yvo of Chartres. Not much is known about his family background and his adolescent life. The documented history of his life seems to begin when Yvo became a…
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Roe v Wade—46 years later hurting Baby Turtles is illegal but, in America, killing Baby People is a “guaranteed right.”
By Larry Peterson Sea turtles are protected by Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Act of 1977. They are also protected by federal law which prohibits disturbing sea turtles while they are “nesting” (aka; unborn). Also, the Marine Turtle Protection Act states that “no person may take, possess, disturb, mutilate, destroy, cause to be destroyed, sell,…
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St. Dominic of Silos…His intercession is credited with the birth of St. Dominic, the Founder of the Dominicans
By Larry Peterson Dominic of Silos was born in the year 1000 to a family of peasants. Their home was on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees Mountains, in Navarre, Spain. At an early age, Dominic was out in the fields working as a shepherd boy helping his father to manage their flocks. It was…
Cradling Catholic 