Franciscan Spirit Blog

Top 10 Most Influential Catholics: Famous Catholic People That Impacted the Faith

In celebration of their holiness, virtue, and influence, here is a Top Ten list of saints who substantially shaped the face of the Catholic Church.
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The 14 Stations of the Cross at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville, Tenn., are seen in this composite photo. As Catholics, we surround ourselves with depictions of the passion and death of Jesus. (CNS composite; photos by Katie Peterson, Tennessee Register)

Following Christ to Calvary

When I look at the unfair judgments endured by Jesus for our salvation, I think of the judgments I have made in my lifetime.
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people holding a lantern | Photo by Sourabh Barua on Unsplash

Wendell Berry on Humility

When I was young, my family took a trip to the Epcot Center at Disney World.
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Letters that read let it go | Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Free Yourself by Forgiving

In the stillness, when the silence seems mystical and we are by ourselves in a comforting place, we can sometimes hear the whispers of higher things. One of these is forgiveness.
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Jesus risen

Easter and the Coming of the Holy Spirit

After the crucifixion of Jesus, Scripture tells us that the disciples were in the Upper Room and the doors were locked “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).
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St. Gianna Beretta Molla is seen with her children in this 1959 photo. The Italian doctor and mother, who sacrificed her own life for the life of her child, was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004. (CNS photo/courtesy Diocese of Springfield)

Gianna Beretta Molla: A Saint for Mothers

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about being a mom, it’s that it’s not always easy. And that while we relish the tender moments, sometimes it involves making tough choices. Enter Saint Gianna Beretta Molla—pediatrician, wife, mother, saint.
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Eucharist | Photo by Laura Allen on Unsplash

Letting the Eucharist Work in Us

Sister Holda, my Franciscan sixth-grade teacher at St. Peter’s in Skokie, Illinois, made all of us memorize Anima Christi.
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