This past Saturday, September 15, the Catholic Church celebrated the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows in her liturgical calendar. Pope Pius VII gave this devotion from Sacred Tradition to the Church […]
“Mondays with Mary” – Our Lady of Sorrows
The 25th Anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II Visit to Phoenix, Arizona
On September 14, 1987, I had the privilege to attend the Papal Mass of Pope St. John Paul II at Sun Devil Stadium along with my Mom and cousin. It was a […]
Saint John Chrysostom – “Golden Mouth”
Today is the feast day for the great eastern Church Father, who was Archbishop of Constantinople and is a Doctor of the Church – St. John Chrysostom. He was born around the […]
“Mondays with Mary” – Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI on the Assumption of Mary
As Catholics, we have been blessed to live during two of the most memorable pontificates in recent history. Many people my age (late 30’s) consider ourselves the JP2 Generation and will go […]
“Mondays with Mary” – The Queenship of Mary
The Council of Vatican II in the document, Lumen Gentium – the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, declares in Chapter VIII – “Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this […]
Saint Maximilian Kolbe – The Saint of Auschwitz
Today we commemorate the great saint of Auschwitz, Saint Maximilian Kolbe. St. Maximilian was born, Raymond, to Julius Kolbe and Mary Dabrowska on January 17, 1894. At the age of ten years […]
“Mondays with Mary” – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On November 1, 1950, Blessed Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution, Munificentissiumus Deus, through an ex cathedra (“from the chair” – infallible) statement declared solemn “that the Immaculate Mother of God, […]
Hiatus Continued
Hello Everyone, Well I am safely back in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, Arizona) after two days of traveling on the road between Austin to Phoenix. I arrived back in Phoenix […]
Good-bye St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School – Austin, Texas
This was the good-bye letter that I wrote to the St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School Community one month ago. I added some pics to this post for aesthetic purposes. Dear Savio […]
Saint Josemaría Escrivá – Founder of Opus Dei
Saint Josemaría Escrivá was born on September 9, 1902 in Barbastro, Spain. On March 28, 1925, he was ordained to the priesthood in Saragossa. In the year 1928, he founded the organization […]
“Mondays With Mary” – Our Lady of the Americas and the New Evangelization
In 1999, Blessed John Paul II wrote the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America (The Church in America). This document was to unite the particular (local dioceses) churches in the America’s – […]
“Mondays With Mary” – The Love the Saints Have for Mary
Today’s “Monday’s with Mary” is a small collection of quotes about the Blessed Mother from the some of the great saints of the Catholic Church. There is no doubt there are many […]
“Mondays with Mary” – The Magnificat
This post should have been part of the blog from last Monday on the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, however with last week being Final Exams week for my students and […]
Reflections on the Pentecost Readings
These readings are some of my favorites from the entire Canon. I truly love the First Reading because as I Lector at Mass I have read it numerous times. The Gospel is […]
The Magisterial Teachings of Blessed John Paul II
Today, in 1920, Karol Józef Wojtyla was born to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska in the Polish town of Wadowice. If Blessed John Paul II was still with us today, he would […]
Motherhood, Mary, and Blessed John Paul II
On May 2nd, Pat Ryan of Relevant Radio interviewed me here in Austin (the interview will air in the middle to late June). One of the first questions he asked me was […]
“Mondays with Mary” – The Holy Rosary
After my students and I finish each new theology chapter, I like to take them to the school chapel for prayer. I think it’s important to pray with our students since theology […]
TOM PERNA 