“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them” (Matthew 5:1—2). Jesus preached eight Beatitudes, roughly translated “blessings,” as the hallmarks of true spiritual richness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” [...]

Father Don, a Triple Eagle, has been an integral part of BC Campus Ministry since 1995. Coordinating the Urban Immersion program, the Arrupe Immersion program in Cuernavaca, Mexico and the Ignatian Family Teach-In/School of Americas Vigil, he is also advisor to the Bands Program. Q: Could you describe your call to the priesthood and the [...]

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” said Jesus (Matthew 16:18). As the first pope, Peter is an especially important saint to study. Born as Simon in Bethsaida, his brother was fellow apostle Andrew. Simon would [...]

“A historic event which has no precedent” is how Giovanni Maria Van characterized the upcoming May 1 beatification of Pope John Paul II. Van is director of L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. According to Zenit, a news agency covering the Holy See, no pope has been beatified by his immediate predecessor in the past thousand [...]

Santa Claus. Most understand the popularly commercialized character who is ubiquitous from Thanksgiving to December 25. Few, however, realize what tradition tells us about the “real” Santa Claus—Saint Nicholas of Myra. If we confined ourselves to what is known with certainty about Saint Nicholas, it would not be surprising that few people know about him. [...]

Advent. Christmas. Lent. Easter. Most Catholics can readily engage you on the meaning and purpose of these liturgical seasons. Images of mangers and wise men, ashes and the Passion all quickly come to mind. However, most people’s perception of Ordinary Time, those remaining weeks of the year, is more nebulous. Ordinary Time occurs between the [...]

Legend maintains that St. Christopher was born, probably in the third century, to a heathen king. The king’s wife had prayed to Mary the Mother of God for a son, and they named him Offerus, commending him to the special protection of the pagan gods Machmet and Apollo. As a young man, Christopher sought to [...]

Last Monday, students packed into Cushing 001 to hear philosophy professor Kerry Cronin’s talk, “Sex and the Single Student.” The Saint Thomas More Society sponsored the event, which was standing room only before Professor Cronin even arrived. She began her talk by recounting a trip to White Mountain with BC seniors eight years ago. Toward [...]

St. Anthony of Padua, known as the quickest saint, was canonized less than one year after his death. The swiftness with which the Church thus confirmed his life and works makes him a particularly important saint from whom we can learn. In our times where there seems to be a watering down of the faith [...]

According to New Advent, Saint Cecilia is “one of the most venerated martyrs of Christian antiquity.” Some might argue this title precludes any relevance Saint Cecilia could hold for today’s generation. To the contrary, her life of chastity and martyrdom starkly contrasts with the sexual excess of our culture and reminds us that with God’s [...]