Did a head injury cause the death of Thomas Aquinas?
This 2024 research sheds light on his mysterious death in 1274, proposing that a chronic subdural hematoma was the likely cause. Thomas Aquinas, the towering theologian and philosopher of the …
Church
Knowing the lives of the saints will transform your life
By knowing the lives of the saints and not simply their words, theological concepts can become a reality and create new virtues in us. The first time I heard the …
What is the Apostolic Pardon and why is it important?
Reserved for those on their deathbed, the Apostolic Pardon is a true gift of grace for the dying. As a person draws closer to the doors of death, there is …
Was St. Jude the one getting married in Cana?
And how did he become the patron of impossible causes anyway? We know that Jesus went to a wedding feast at Cana and turned water to wine. We know that …
Here are St. John Paul II’s first words when he was elected
St. John Paul II said these words privately, though he later made them public when writing his first encyclical in order to explain the centrality of Christ. Many of us …
4 Icons of Mary attributed to St. Luke the Evangelist
Various traditions claim the Gospel writer drew one or more icon portraits of the Virgin Mary from life. According to tradition St. Luke was a very talented young man. He …
Did Mary die before going to Heaven? John Paul II had this to say
Jesus changed the meaning of death by taking it on himself. Could Mary of Nazareth have experienced the drama of death in her own flesh? Reflecting on Mary’s destiny and …
The Dormition icon: Christ cradles Mary’s soul in Heaven
The Dormition of the Theotokos is celebrated with solemnity in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches on August 15. In the iconography of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, the …
What is the sensus fidei and why does it matter?
The Synod on Synodality stresses the idea of the “sensus fidei,” which has a long history in the Church. The current synod in Rome is part of a much longer …
4 Saints who served in the military
We remember those holy people who chose to be a beacon of light in the midst of war. Each year those in the United States celebrate two holidays, Memorial Day and …