By their very name, secret societies inspire curiosity, fascination and distrust. These societies were the incubators of democracy, modern science and ecumenical religion. They elected their own leaders and drew up constitutions to govern their operations. It wasn’t an accident that Voltaire, George Washington and Ben Franklin were all active members. And just like today’s Read more
The Rev. John Sanqiang Cao was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison while coming back from a missionary trip in Myanmar. After completing his sentence, Cao is no longer behind bars. But he is facing another major obstacle. He is without any legal documentation in his country, unable to access even the most Read more
Christspiracy: The Spirituality Secret is a documentary that claims Jesus and his early followers were against killing and eating animals. According to the filmmakers, this has been hidden for centuries. The movie’s premise may be debatable, but the people who made it are notorious for their controversial work. Kip Andersen, the director, co-produced successful documentaries Read more
Stephen Colbert, one of the most famous Catholics in the entertainment business, is moving one step closer to Pope Francis. The Late Show host will narrate Pope Francis’ audiobook Life: My Story Through History. He will narrate the six-hour audiobook, which comes out on March 19 via HarperAudio, alongside Franciscan friar and priest John Quigley. Read more
The “Stealing of the Statue” is an annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition in Mt. Adams, a suburb of Cincinnati. A yearly Mass honours St. Patrick and the local members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians who have passed away over the last year The Mass culminates with stealing the Read more
A woman who had filed an insurance claim of $820,000 claiming that she had suffered debilitating injuries in a car accident has had her claim dismissed after it was proven that she won a Christmas tree-throwing contest a year after the accident. Kamila Grabska was involved in a car accident on her way to work Read more
When a Greek Orthodox monk passed away at the age of 82, all the other monks living at Mount Athos gave him a special burial. They believed that he was the only man in the world who had never seen a woman in his entire life. He learned about their existence only through descriptions in Read more
Frida Kahlo is a name many are familiar with. But a remarkable Mexican nun, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz is less well-known. Her name before becoming a nun was Juana Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez, and she was born around 1651. Nicknamed “The Mexican Phoenix” and “The Tenth Muse”, she advocated for the feminist Read more
Children can come up with some pretty interesting and thought-provoking questions about God and the Church that can leave parents and adults scratching their heads. Father Kyle Ingels of the Diocese of Colorado Springs was asked about how best to answer tough questions. He recommends focusing on reviewing the basics with children before diving into Read more
The Cistercian nuns of Our Lady of the Snows (Notre Dame des Neiges) have been selling snowmen to help support themselves. Since guaranteeing cold transportation is a challenge, the purchased snowmen are shipped in liquid form by mail in plastic bags similar to goldfish bags. Even if you don’t speak French, you can enjoy this Read more