A recent decision by officials in El Salvador to remove a painting of Saint Óscar Romero from a prominent location in the nation’s main airport and move it to a more secluded area, generated backlash from Catholics and opinion leaders, who have been critical of how the nation’s government is treating national symbols while trying to rebrand the country as a safe and tourist-friendly destination.
Saints
Carlo Acutis’ canonization news leaves U.S. devotees ‘over the moon’ with joy
On May 23, Pope Francis formally recognized a second miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, clearing the way for him to be formally recognized as a saint of the Catholic Church.
Pope signs decrees advancing several sainthood causes
In addition to clearing the way for the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, Pope Francis signed decrees in seven other sainthood causes, including that of Blessed Giuseppe Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries, who also is now ready to be declared a saint.
Pope recognizes miracle needed for church’s first ‘millennial’ saint
Pope Francis formally recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager whose birth in 1991 will make him the first “millennial” to become a saint.
U.S. bishops to decide whether to affirm opening the cause for Marian visionary Adele Brise
The U.S. bishops will soon hold a consultation on a petition to open the cause for canonization of Adele Brise, to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared in northeast Wisconsin in 1859.
Catholic wartime teacher never abandoned her call, even under threat of arrest
This Catholic teacher worked to bolster the spiritual and cultural identity of Polish slave laborers, for which she died a martyr’s death in the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp. Blessed Natalia Tulasiewicz was 39 when she perished in 1945 just as World War II horrors were coming to an end.
New photos reveal many sides of Padre Pio
A foundation that promotes devotion to St. Pio of Pietrelcina, more widely known as Padre Pio, is making 10 never-before-seen photographs of the saint available to the devout for free.
Radio Interview: Who really was St. George?
The dragon-slaying tale of St. George is most likely mythological. The saint is not. But who was this elusive figure? With the Feast of St. George coming up April 23, George Matysek talks with Hanael Bianchi, author of “St. George’s Day: A Cultural History of England’s National Holiday.”
Murdered Polish missionary begins ‘path to sainthood’
Poland’s church is seeking the beatification of a young lay missionary, who was stabbed to death in a bungled robbery shortly after starting work with Catholic nuns at a children’s home in Bolivia in 2017.
St. Teresa of Kolkata’s motherly wisdom
Mother Teresa lived to satiate the thirst of Jesus on the cross. She accomplished this through her prayers and through her loving hands as she ministered to the sick and suffering.
Pope marks 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s stigmata
The wounds of Christ’s passion and death and the stigmata given to some Christians over the centuries are reminders of “the pain Jesus suffered in his flesh out of love for us and for our salvation,” Pope Francis said.
Six well-known converts from Christianity’s earliest days to now
As Catholic converts around the world enter the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil, here’s a look at well-known converts who have had a significant impact on the Catholic church.