The 1st saint canonized by a pope is celebrated July 4
When Pope John XV canonized Ulrich on July 4, 993, he became the first saint actually canonized by a pope instead of through local veneration.
Ray Cavanaugh
Latest articles by Ray Cavanaugh
An Irish Jesuit captured the last of the Titanic
And it was obedience to his superior that resulted in his life being saved.
This missionary showed how to appeal to a far-away culture
Adaptation -- or what the Church refers to as inculturation -- is key to successfully sharing the Good News of Christ, but tricky to implement.
The tumultuous early days of Church records
By the time the Apostolic Archive was established, the Church had held (and also lost) documents in multiple locations dating back to the first century A.D.
After 50 years, Cambodia about to have a cathedral
When the Khmer Rouge took over, they demolished the former cathedral -- even using some of the iron to make instruments of torture.
A Protestant doctor who became a Catholic priest and hymn composer
The hymns of Johann Scheffler / Angelus Silesius have been popular for Protestants and Catholics alike.
This saint preserved the Jesuit Order during its suppression
He maintained correspondence with numerous Jesuit brothers scattered across the continent, and kept the young members studying.
This Catholic horseman helped America gain independence
October 11 is Casimir Pulaski Day. Here's the story of this adventure-loving Polish (American) hero.
A saint for all souls (in purgatory)
It is surprising that St. Nicholas of Tolentino is not more prominent, and more frequently called upon.
This historian basically saved American Catholic history
Some people were throwing away documents out of ignorance, others precisely because they knew what they were doing.
America’s 1st president was an ally to Catholics
Washington donated his own money to build a Catholic church in Baltimore.
Bringing the faith to rural America
The founder of one of Church's most desperately needed organizations was a visionary and an author.
Have you ever prayed to a cephalophore?
Saints who carried their own severed head after having been decapitated are among the most memorable forms of Church iconography.
Have you ever been called a “papist”?
The word “papist” as a derisive term to describe Roman Catholics has been around now for almost exactly half a millennium.
What’s a hagiography?
Although often linked with the Church, hagiography is by no means the sole preserve of Roman Catholicism.
By what name should a pope be called?
A fascinating look at the popes who didn't take new names and those who did -- why, when, and what's next.
Unbowed when facing evil: This Dutch cardinal resisted the Nazis
Johannes de Jong, a Dutch cardinal credited for personally saving “hundreds of Jewish families and children," has now received the distinction of “Righteous Among the Nations”
This French priest witnessed the “hell on earth” in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge
Fr. François Ponchaud, S.J. was one of the last Westerners evacuated before the totalitarian regime devoured the country.
These children are living without running water, in the freezing cold
Mongolia has winters colder than Moscow, and poverty, corruption and rampant alcoholism have left its young people in an "unbearable" situation.
These three priests fought against witch paranoia
... and they did so at considerable risk to themselves.