May 30 – Most Valiant King

May 29, 2014

Saint Ferdinand III of Castile King of Leon and Castile, member of the Third Order of St. Francis, born in 1198 near Salamanca; died at Seville, 30 May, 1252. He was the son of Alfonso IX, King of Leon, and of Berengeria, the daughter of Alfonso III, King of Castile, and sister of Blanche, the […]

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May 30 – When God chose sides in war between two Christian nations, He sent her to win it

May 29, 2014

St. Joan of Arc In French Jeanne d’Arc; by her contemporaries commonly known as la Pucelle (the Maid). Born at Domremy in Champagne, probably on 6 January, 1412; died at Rouen, 30 May, 1431. The village of Domremy lay upon the confines of territory which recognized the suzerainty of the Duke of Burgundy, but in […]

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May 31 – St. Camilla Battista da Varano

May 29, 2014

St. Baptista Varano (also spelled Varani). An ascetical writer, born at Camerino, in the March of Ancona, 9 Apr., 1458; died there, 31 May, 1527. Her father, Julius Caesar Varano or de Varanis, Duke of Camerino, belonged to an illustrious family; her mother, Joanna Malatesta, was a daughter of Sigismund, Prince of Rimini. At baptism […]

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May 31 – St. Mechtildis of Edelstetten

May 29, 2014

St. Mechtildis was a Benedictine abbess and renowned miracle worker. Mechtildis was the daughter of Count Berthold of Andechs, whose wife, Sophie, founded a monastery on their estate at Diessen, Bavaria, and placed their daughter there at the age of five. In 1153, the Bishop of Augsburg placed her as Abbess of Edelstetten Abbey. Mechtildis […]

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June 1 – Kidnapped for Christ

May 29, 2014

Bl. John Story (Or Storey.) Martyr; born 1504; died at Tyburn, 1 June, 1571. He was educated at Oxford, and was president of Broadgates Hall, now Pembroke College, from 1537 to 1539. He entered Parliament as member for Hindon, Wilts, in 1547, and was imprisoned for opposing the Bill of Uniformity, 24 Jan.-2 March, 1548-9. […]

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June 1 – The Aristocrat Who Gave His Life for the Poor

May 29, 2014

Saint Hannibal Mary Di Francia (1851-1927)  (sometimes written as Annibale Maria Di Francia) Hannibal Mary Di Francia was born in Messina, Italy, on July 5, 1851. His father Francis was a knight, the Marquis of St. Catherine of Jonio, Papal Vice-Consul and Honorary Captain of the Navy. His mother, Anna Toscano, also belonged to an […]

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First Communion for Prince

May 26, 2014

According to The Royal Forums: The Luxembourg Grand Ducal Family…celebrated their first communion of Prince Gabriel, the elder son of Prince Louis and Princess Tessy. Taking place at the Saint Michael Church in Luxembourg City, the event was attended by the whole Grand Ducal Family, including great-grandfather Jean, as well as members of the Antony […]

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Garcia Moreno: the much-liked, volunteer tax collector

May 26, 2014

García Moreno had been one of the principal actors in this religious and political drama. Struck with the ascendancy which he exercised over all with whom he came in contact, the Government confided to him a difficult and delicate mission. It was absolutely necessary to give the troops their long arrears of pay, and as […]

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The Quest for the Sublime

May 26, 2014

By returning to a transcendental and supernatural vision of society, we touch on issues that go to the very core of our modern afflictions. We address those desires for spiritual things long suppressed by the acedia of our materialistic culture. We engage in a search for meaning beyond the frustrations of self-interest and the great […]

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May 26 – He converted a young nobleman by showing him a vision of hell, and called the City of Rome his “Desert”

May 26, 2014

THE APOSTLE OF ROME St. Philip Romolo Neri Born at Florence, Italy, 22 July, 1515; died 27 May, 1595. Philip’s family originally came from Castelfranco but had lived for many generations in Florence, where not a few of its members had practised the learned professions, and therefore took rank with the Tuscan nobility. Among these […]

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May 26 – Saint Bruno of Würzburg

May 26, 2014

Saint Bruno of Würzburg (c. 1005 – 26 May 1045) Also known as Bruno of Carinthia, he was imperial chancellor of Italy from 1027 to 1034 for Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, to whom he was related, and from 1034 until his death prince-bishop of Würzburg. Bruno was the son of Conrad I, Duke of […]

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May 27 – St. Augustine of Canterbury

May 26, 2014

St. Augustine of Canterbury First Archbishop of Canterbury, Apostle of the English; date of birth unknown; died 26 May, 604. Symbols: cope, pallium, and mitre as Bishop of Canterbury, and pastoral staff and gospels as missionary. Nothing is known of his youth except that he was probably a Roman of the better class, and that […]

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May 28 – Whether She Was Upstairs Or Downstairs, She Was Ever Steady

May 26, 2014

Blessed Margaret Pole Countess of Salisbury, martyr; born at Castle Farley, near Bath, 14 August, 1473; martyred at East Smithfield Green, 28 May, 1541. She was the daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, and Isabel, elder daughter of the Earl of Warwick (the king-maker), and the sister of Edmund of Warwick who, under Henry […]

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May 28 – After Defeating the Saracens, He Joined the Benedictines

May 26, 2014

St. William of Gellone Born 755; died 28 May, c. 812; was the second count of Toulouse, having attained that dignity in 790. He is by some writers also given the title of Duke of Aquitaine. This saint is the hero of the ninth-century “Roman de Guillame au court nez”, but the story of his […]

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May 28 – St. Germain of Paris

May 26, 2014

St. Germain Bishop of Paris; born near Autun, Saône-et-Loire, c. 496; died at Paris, 28 May, 576. He studied at Avalon and also at Luzy under the guidance of his cousin Scapilion, a priest. At the age of thirty-four he was ordained by St. Agrippinus of Autun and became Abbot of Saint-Symphorien near that town. […]

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Going out with a bang

May 22, 2014

According to BBC News: A Royal Marine from Devon will lead 468 servicemen in front of the Queen and Prince Philip in the final performance of a 34-year military career. James Whitwham, from Ivybridge, will front the biggest ever Beating Retreat in London in June. The bi-annual event will also feature musicians from the United […]

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The crown prince of France is spanked for poor table manners

May 22, 2014

While dining with one of his sisters, Prince Louis, eldest son of Louis XV and Dauphin of France, noticed that she helped herself first, and he made up his mind to teach her something. — “Madame,” he said to her, “I was under the impression that, whenever I am present, the honors are not given […]

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“Omne Delectamentum in se Habentem”

May 22, 2014

When we search for that which is most elevated, dignified, and noble, we inevitably encounter the supernatural and divine, which is at the pinnacle of all beauty and the true wellspring of Christian civilization. Omne delectamentum in se habentem, says the liturgy for Benediction. We might say of this vision that it has “within it […]

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May 22 – Hanged for Printing a Book

May 22, 2014

Blessed James Duckett Martyr, born at Gilfortrigs in the parish of Skelsmergh in Westmoreland, England, date uncertain, of an ancient family of that county; died 9 April, 1601. He was a bookseller and publisher in London. His godfather was the well-known martyr James Leybourbe of Skelsmergh. He seems, however, to have been brought up a […]

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May 22 – Queen’s Confessor

May 22, 2014

Blessed John Forest Born in 1471, presumably at Oxford, where his surname was then not unknown; suffered 22 May, 1538. At the age of twenty he received the habit of St. Francis at Greenwich, in the church of the Friars Minor of the Regular Observance, called for brevity’s sake “Observants”. Nine years later we find […]

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May 23 – Appointed bishop to replace a corrupt one, then imprisoned for defending the King’s legitimate wife

May 22, 2014

St. Ivo of Chartres (YVO, YVES). One of the most notable bishops of France at the time of the Investiture struggles and the most important canonist before Gratian in the Occident, born of a noble family about 1040; died in 1116. From the neighbourhood of Beauvais, his native country, he went for his studies first […]

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May 23 – St. John Baptist de Rossi

May 22, 2014

St. John Baptist de Rossi (De Rubeis). Born at Voltaggio in the Diocese of Genoa, 22 February, 1698; died at Rome, 23 May, 1764; feast on 23 May. His parents, Charles de Rossi and Frances Anfossi, were not rich in earthly goods, but had solid piety and the esteem of their fellow-citizens. Of their four […]

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May 23 – Chevalier of the Order of Leopold

May 22, 2014

Fr. Pierre-Jean De Smet Missionary among the North American Indians, born at Termonde (Dendermonde), Belgium, 30 Jan., 1801; died at St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., 23 May, 1873. He emigrated to the United States in 1821 through a desire for missionary labours, and entered the Jesuit novitiate at Whitemarsh, Maryland. In 1823, however, at the suggestion […]

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May 24 – St. Vincent of Lérins

May 22, 2014

St. Vincent of Lérins Feast on 24 May, an ecclesiastical writer in Southern Gaul in the fifth century. His work is much better known than his life. Almost all our information concerning him is contained in Gennadius, “De viris illustribus” (lxiv). He entered the monastery of Lérins (today Isle St. Honorat), where under the pseudonym […]

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May 24 – Our Lady Help of Christians, to commemorate the liberation of the Pope from prison

May 22, 2014

  This commemoration was introduced in the liturgical calendar by decree of Pope Pius VII on September 16, 1815, in thanksgiving for his happy return to Rome after a long and painful captivity in Savona and France due to Napoleon’s tyrannical power. By order of Napoleon, Pius VII was arrested, 5 July, 1808, and detained […]

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May 25 – He Forced the Emperor To Wait Three Days in the Snow

May 22, 2014

Pope St. Gregory VII (HILDEBRAND). One of the greatest of the Roman pontiffs and one of the most remarkable men of all times; born between the years 1020 and 1025, at Soana, or Ravacum, in Tuscany; died 25 May, 1085, at Salerno. The early years of his life are involved in considerable obscurity. His name, […]

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May 25 – She withstood the devil

May 22, 2014

St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi Carmelite Virgin, born 2 April, 1566; died 25 May, 1607. Of outward events there were very few in the saint’s life. She came of two noble families, her father being Camillo Geri de’ Pazzi and her mother a Buondelmonti. She was baptized, and named Caterina, in the great baptistery. Her […]

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Prince Harry meets Estonian troops, familiar faces

May 19, 2014

According to BBC News: Prince Harry, who has twice served in Afghanistan, spent more than two hours meeting the multi-national forces, near the southern Estonian town of Otepaa. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment…have worked alongside their Estonian counterparts in Afghanistan… On Friday he paid tribute to Estonia’s troops as he […]

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Monarchy Support Highest in 20 Years

May 19, 2014

According to News in English: The new poll conducted by research firm Norstat for NRK showed that more than eight out of 10 Norwegians support the royal family and don’t want any other form of government, such as a republic with an elected president. “These are clearly the highest numbers I have heard about in […]

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St. Bernard masters the fiery Duke of Aquitaine

May 19, 2014

Bernard was commonly regarded as a saint, even in his own lifetime, and he was in the habit of addressing her husband as though Louis [of France] were a mere pupil. There seems little doubt that Eleanor herself was drawn to the abbot more out of curiosity than veneration. Her father before her had clashed […]

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The Good, True, and Beautiful

May 19, 2014

The inspiration of this [vertical] vision is found inside man himself. It corresponds to the most fundamental desires of the human heart. It comes from our constant search for all that is good, true, and beautiful. This impulse is something that occurs naturally in us and sets in motion powerful movements inside our souls that […]

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May 19 – Charlemagne’s Scholar

May 19, 2014

Blessed Alcuin of York An eminent educator, scholar, and theologian born about 735; died 19 May, 804. He came of noble Northumbrian parentage, but the place of his birth is a matter of dispute. It was probably in or near York. While still a mere child, he entered the cathedral school founded at that place […]

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Alexandertorte — the Latvian delight associated with a Tsar

May 19, 2014

We do not know the origins of this delightful Latvian dessert, but convention associates it with Alexander I, Tsar of all Russias. This grandson of Catherine the Great was the most powerful monarch in Europe at his time, and after Napoleon’s 1812 occupation of Moscow, the usurper’s ruthless enemy. For the French despot who had […]

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May 19 – He Grabbed the Devil By the Nose

May 19, 2014

St. Dunstan of Canterbury Archbishop and confessor, and one of the greatest saints of the Anglo-Saxon Church; born near Glastonbury on the estate of his father, Heorstan, a West Saxon noble. His mother, Cynethryth, a woman of saintly life, was miraculously forewarned of the sanctity of the child within her. She was in the church […]

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May 20 – St. Bernardine of Siena

May 19, 2014

St. Bernardine of Siena Friar Minor, missionary, and reformer, often called the “Apostle of Italy”, b. of the noble family of Albizeschi at Massa, a Sienese town of which his father was then governor, 8 September, 1380; d. at Aquila in the Abruzzi, 20 May, 1444. Left an orphan at six Bernardine was brought up […]

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May 20 – Mentor of the Duke of Ferrara

May 19, 2014

Blessed Colomba of Rieti Born at Rieti in Umbria, Italy, 1467; died at Perugia, 1501. Blessed Colomba of Rieti is always called after her birthplace, though she actually spent the greater part of her life away from it. Her celebrity is based — as it was even in her lifetime — mainly on two things: […]

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May 20 – King of the East Angles

May 19, 2014

St. Ethelbert Date of birth unknown; died 794. King of the East Angles, was, according to the “Speculum Historiale” of Richard of Cirencester (who died about 1401), the son of King Ethelred and Leofrana, a lady of Mercia. Brought up in piety, he was a man of singular humility. Urged to marry, he declared his […]

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Another step into fake bloodlines and meaningless titles

May 15, 2014

According to The New York Times: The College of Arms, guardian of noble titles and insignia here since the 15th century, has issued a ruling that married same-sex couples may combine their heraldic symbols on a single shield as generations of heterosexual aristocracy have done before them. The gay rights group Stonewall welcomed the change. […]

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November 29 – The coronation of St. Louis IX of France

May 15, 2014

Traditionally, new sacred music was composed for a coronation. The motet…which was sung for the anointing of Louis IX has come down to us. It was called Gaude, felix Francia…. The boy who was to be anointed and crowned was already on a platform built in front of the chancel, surrounded by the great lords […]

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Clashing worldviews: Equality vs. Christian Inequality

May 15, 2014

Horizontal Vision of Society By returning to the source of our values, we engage in a real search for meaning and unity. It is not the scattered modern vision of things that so characterizes our age of individualism. To employ a metaphor, we might say that the present socio-economic model resembles a horizontal line drawn […]

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May 15 – Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac

May 15, 2014

Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac (December 27, 1556 – February 2, 1640) was founderess of the order The Company of Mary Our Lady. She was born in Bordeaux, France in 1556 to a prominent family. Her father, Richard de Lestonnac, was a member of the French Parliament while her mother, Jeanne Eyquem, was the sister of […]

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May 15 – Beautiful Princess, Tragic Story

May 15, 2014

St. Dymphna Virgin and martyr. The earliest historical account of the veneration of St. Dymphna dates from the middle of the thirteenth century. Under Bishop Guy I of Cambrai (1238-47), Pierre, a canon of the church of Saint Aubert at Cambrai, wrote a “Vita” of the saint, from which we learn that she had been […]

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May 16 – Patron of Poland

May 15, 2014

Saint Andrew Bobola Martyr, born of an old and illustrious Polish family, in the Palatinate of Sandomir, 1590; died at Janów, 16 May, 1657. Having entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Wilno (1611), he was ordained in 1622, and appointed preacher in the Church of St. Casimir, Wilno. After making his solemn […]

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May 16 – Leper King

May 15, 2014

Modern society obsessively avoids suffering, risk and danger. It secures everything with seatbelts and safety rails, air conditions the summer heat, prints warnings on coffee cups and advises that that safety glasses should be used while working with hammers. Certainly such precautions have prevented misfortune. However, since heroism and excellence are born from confronting rather […]

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May 16 – St. Honoratus of Amiens

May 15, 2014

Saint Honoratus of Amiens (Honoré, sometimes Honorius, Honortus) (d. May 16, ca. 600) was the seventh bishop of Amiens. His feast day is May 16. He was born in Port-le-Grand (Ponthieu) near Amiens to a noble family. He was said to be virtuous from birth. He was taught by his predecessor in the bishopric of […]

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May 18 – St. Eric, King of Sweden, Martyr

May 15, 2014

St. Eric, King of Sweden, Martyr Eric [1] was descended of a most illustrious Swedish family: in his youth he laid a solid foundation of virtue and learning, and took to wife Christina, daughter of Ingo IV, king of Sweden. Upon the death of King Smercher in 1141, he was, purely for his extraordinary virtues […]

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A Dauphin of France learns self-control

May 12, 2014

The count of Châtillon explained to Louis XV’s eldest son Louis, Dauphin of France, that he needed to repress his irritability, and the young prince promised that he would. — “Lord Count,” he said, “I would like to make it clear that I renounce all my stupidities and urge you to please look upon them […]

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Returning to the Wellspring

May 12, 2014

As the stage is set for a great storm, our common peril forces us to look for a vision of life that will serve to unify the nation. We believe this vision will not be inspired by economic reforms, financial policies, or government programs. The question remains as to where we must go to find […]

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May 12 – She said no to the crowns of England, France and the Holy Roman Empire

May 12, 2014

Blessed Joanna of Portugal Born at Lisbon, 16 February, 1452; died at Aveiro, 12 May, 1490; the daughter of Alfonso V, King of Portugal, and his wife Elizabeth. She was chiefly remarkable for the courage and persistence with which she opposed all attempts on the part of her father and brother to make her marry.  […]

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May 13 – “Can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die?”

May 12, 2014

Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1322 – May 13, 1333) is the patroness of First Holy Communicants. Imelda was born in 1322 in Bologna, the only child of Count Egano Lambertini and Castora Galuzzi. Her parents were devout Catholics and were known for their charity and generosity to the underprivileged of Bologna. As a very young girl, […]

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May 13 – St. John the Silent

May 12, 2014

St. John the Silent (Hesychastes, Silentiarius). Bishop of Colonia, in Armenia, b. at Nicopolis, Armenia, 8 Jan., 452; d. 558. His parents, Encratius and Euphemia, wealthy and honoured, belonged to families that had done great service in the State and had given to it renowned generals and governors, but they were also good Christians, and […]

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May 14 – The Right to Revolt

May 12, 2014

May 14, 1264: Simon de Montfort Defeats King Henry III at Battle of Lewes The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons’ War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de […]

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Prince William travels coach on private US visit

May 8, 2014

According to the London Evening Standard: William, 31, was travelling from Memphis to Dallas in the United States on Sunday after celebrating the wedding of his best friend Guy Pelly. Reporter Eli Ross, who has been covering the trip for Local 24 News…Memphis, posted a picture of the Prince on the American Airlines flight on […]

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Left-leaning royals alienate their own subjects

May 8, 2014

According to News and Views from Norway: The outspoken deputy leader of the Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet, FrP), Per Sandberg…claimed the royal couple was too left-leaning. “The royal couple is on the left of Norwegian politics, especially on environmental, climate, immigration and some questions of values,” Sandberg continued. “I note that Haakon and Mette-Marit act aggressively […]

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Royal Crown of Hanover displayed publicly for the first time

May 8, 2014

According to The Royal Forums: The heirs of Hanover yesterday officially opened The Road To The Crown – The Kingdom of Hanover and Its Rulers exhibition celebrating the history of the Hanoverian Kingdom. The exhibition features 70 pieces which illustrate Hanover’s history. The royal crown and sceptre are amongst these, displayed for the first time […]

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New Crown commissioned for reburial of Richard III

May 8, 2014

According to BBC News: An ornate golden crown that will go onto the coffin of Richard III when he is re-buried is being displayed at Tewkesbury Abbey. The crown was commissioned and paid for by the historian Dr John Ashdown-Hill who helped identify the king’s remains. Amanda Thomas from Tewkesbury Abbey said: “It’s gold with […]

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Honor: Never Leave A Poor Crusader Behind as a Muslim Captive

May 8, 2014

During these eight days the legate came to me and said that he did not see how the king could remain overseas; and he besought me, very instantly, to return with him in his ship. And I told him this was not within my power; for I was without means, having, as he knew, lost […]

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Two Americas Clash

May 8, 2014

We have observed—and many political analysts concur—that the country is divided into two Americas. One is defined by our faltering cooperative union; the other is formed around the willingness to sacrifice for God, family, and country. The outcome of this clash of mentalities depends upon the actions we will be forced to take. The force […]

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May 8 – When St. Michael Appeared

May 8, 2014

Well known is the apparition of St. Michael the Archangel (a. 494 or 530-40), as related in the Roman Breviary, 8 May, at his renowned sanctuary on Monte Gargano, where his original glory as patron in war was restored to him. To his intercession the Lombards of Sipontum (Manfredonia) attributed their victory over the Greek […]

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May 8 – Matriarch of the Carolingian family

May 8, 2014

Saint Itta (or Itta of Metz) (also Ida, Itte or Iduberga) (592–652) was the wife of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace of Austrasia. Her brother was Saint Modoald, bishop of Trier. Her sister was abbess Saint Severa. There is no direct record of their parents, but it has been suggested that she was […]

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