Today the Church honours one of the most important theologians of the early Church, St Athanasius. He was bishop of Alexandria in Egypt for much of the fourth century, in the decades following the end of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. He was a resolute defender of the
Continue readingCAFOD launched its coronavirus emergency appeal on 30 April. The effects of coronavirus on developing countries where CAFOD works are likely to be devastating. Families without enough to eat and without access to clean water and healthcare are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. The poorest and most marginalised communities will be
Continue readingThe feast of St Joseph the Worker was established on 1 May by Pope Pius XII after the Second World War to associate the Catholic Church with Labour day, which had become an important celebration of workers’ rights throughout the world (and still is). The Church is conscious that Our
Continue readingToday the Church in its calendar honours St Pius V, who was pope from 1566 until 1572. He had been a Dominican friar, and unlike many popes of this period had an exemplary private life: indeed he was very austere and disapproved, for example, of naked statues among the Holy
Continue readingI reflected last week on St George’s day that one of the purposes of patron saints is to inspire us by their teachings and example and give us coherence and a sense of identity. Today is the feast of St Catherine (Caterina) of Siena, one of the six patron saints
Continue readingIn the narrative we hear from the book of Acts at Mass this week about St Stephen, the first deacon and the first martyr, we don’t hear the speech he makes before the Sanhedrin, but move today to his closing words (7:51 – 8:1). Stephen doesn’t compromise – he accusers
Continue readingAs we move into chapter 6 of Acts as our first reading at Mass today, there is another omission: this is the beginning of the chapter when we’re told that the apostles choose seven men to take on particular tasks for them. This is the traditional origin of the order
Continue readingToday’s gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Easter, the account of the meeting of the two disciples with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35) also occurred in Easter week and I commented on it then and displayed the well known depiction of it by
Continue readingToday is the feast of St Mark the Evangelist – normally in Venice, where his relics are held, this would be a great festival. The author of the earliest and shortest gospel is usually depicted with or by a lion. We don’t know much about his life except that he
Continue readingAs it happens today we can honour four saints – four exceptional saints of Europe. Their lives help us understand our shared Christian culture in this continent, important in these challenging times. St Adalbert is honoured on 23 April in most places, but the feast is transferred to today in
Continue reading