June 17, 1793: Pius VI condemns the revolutionary concepts of liberty and equality

June 16, 2014

Pius VI repeatedly condemned the false concept of liberty and equality. In the Secret Consistory of June 17, 1793, quoting the words of the encyclical Inscrutabilie Divinae Sapientiae of December 25, 1775, he declared: “‘The most perfidious philosophers go farther. They dissolve all those bonds by which human beings are joined to one another and to […]

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El Cid

June 16, 2014

El Cid (Rodrigo, or Ruy, Diaz, Count of Bivar). The great popular hero of the chivalrous age of Spain, born at Burgos c. 1040; died at Valencia, 1099. He was given the title of seid or cid (lord, chief) by the Moors and that of campeador (champion) by his admiring countrymen. Tradition and legend have […]

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Monarchist vs. Republican Sentiment in Spain

June 12, 2014

According to Royal News Blog: If a referendum were to be held, the poll found 49% of people would prefer to have a monarchy with Felipe as king while 36% would support a republic. Republican sentiment remains strong in Spain, which only restored the monarchy in 1975 after the death of General Franco. The prime […]

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Garcia Moreno: the much-liked, volunteer tax collector

June 12, 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 Search for Meaning

June 12, 2014

Christian civilization was not only turned towards those sublime things but also found meaning in them. Medieval man believed happiness came from a true understanding of the order of the universe. He saw the universe as a great lesson book that was understood above all by its symbolism and its hierarchical order. Thus, with great […]

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June 12 – He Crowned Charlemagne

June 12, 2014

Pope St. Leo III Date of birth unknown; died 816. He was elected on the very day his predecessor was buried (26 Dec., 795), and consecrated on the following day. It is quite possible that this haste may have been due to a desire on the part of the Romans to anticipate any interference of […]

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June 13 – He Lived Only 36 Years, But the Whole World Knows Him

June 12, 2014

St. Anthony of Padua Franciscan Thaumaturgist, born at Lisbon, 1195; died at Vercelli, 13 June, 1231. He received in baptism the name of Ferdinand. Later writers of the fifteenth century asserted that his father was Martin Bouillon, descendant of the renowned Godfrey de Bouillon, commander of the First Crusade, and his mother, Theresa Taveira, descendant […]

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June 15 – St. Bernard dogs carry his name

June 12, 2014

St. Bernard of Menthon Born in 923, probably in the castle Menthon near Annecy, in Savoy; died at Novara, 1008. He was descended from a rich, noble family and received a thorough education. He refused to enter an honorable marriage proposed by his father and decided to devote himself to the service of the Church. […]

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June 15 – The Northern Crusades

June 12, 2014

The Battle of Lyndanisse was a battle which helped King Valdemar II of Denmark establish the territory of Danish Estonia during the Northern Crusades. Valdemar II defeated the Estonians at Lyndanisse (Estonian: Lindanise), during the Northern Crusades, by orders from the Pope. The Battle Valdemar II, along with Archbishop Anders Sunesen of Lund, Bishop Theoderik […]

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June 15, 1215 – Magna Carta

June 12, 2014

Magna Carta The charter of liberties granted by King John of England in 1215 and confirmed with modifications by Henry III in 1216, 1217, and 1225. The Magna Carta has long been considered by the English-speaking peoples as the earliest of the great constitutional documents which give the history of England so unique a character; […]

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June 16 – Death threats meant nothing to him

June 12, 2014

Saint John Francis Regis Born 31 January, 1597, in the village of Fontcouverte (department of Aude); died at la Louvesc, 30 Dec., 1640. His father Jean, a rich merchant, had been recently ennobled in recognition of the prominent part he had taken in the Wars of the League; his mother, Marguerite de Cugunhan, belonged by […]

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Queen Elizabeth politely asks for “classic French”

June 9, 2014

According to AFP: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Paris on Thursday for an increasingly rare overseas visit…at D-Day commemorations… The special treatment included seeking the monarch’s preferences for Friday’s banquet menu. “Very classic French” was the request relayed back. After her arrival, the queen laid a wreath at France’s national monument to its war […]

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Veterans reduced to tears as Queen Elizabeth and French families thank them for their D-Day sacrifices

June 9, 2014

According to the Mirror: …when the clock began ticking on the longest day, she prayed for the young men who would be jumping into enemy waters and battling their way onto the beaches. Today the Queen was back with the survivors, listening to their stories and assuring them the world would never forget. Many of […]

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Sir Winston Churchill: Victorious abroad, politically defeated at home

June 9, 2014

I flew home with Mary on the afternoon of July 25. My wife met me at Northolt, and we all dined quietly together. Excellent arrangements had been made by Captain Pim and the staff of the Map Room to present a continuous tale of election results as they came in the next day. The latest […]

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Supernatural Aspects

June 9, 2014

  While the sublime can be considered from a purely natural and more metaphysical perspective, its highest expression is the supernatural. The concept of God naturally flows from a knowledge of sublime things. God created us with an appetite for sublime things because they are His masterpieces and speak most about Him. By knowing them, […]

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June 9 – A simple palace servant, God confided to her the destiny of nations

June 9, 2014

Blessed Anna Maria Gesualda Antonia Taigi (Maiden name Giannetti.) Venerable Servant of God, born at Siena, Italy, 29 May, 1769; died at Rome, 9 June, 1837. Her parents, Luigi Giannetti and Maria Masi, kept an apothecary shop at Siena, but lost all their fortune and were obliged to go to Rome in search of a […]

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June 9 – Apostle of Brazil

June 9, 2014

St. Joseph Anchieta A famous Jesuit missionary, commonly known as the Apostle of Brazil, born on the Island of Tenerife, in 1553, of noble family; died in Brazil, 1596. After studying in Coimbra, he entered the Society of Jesus, at the age of seventeen, and when a novice nearly ruined his health by his excessive […]

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February 1 – She and Saint Patrick were “one heart and one mind”

June 9, 2014

Saint Brigid of Ireland Born in 451 or 452 of princely ancestors at Faughart, near Dundalk, County Louth; d. 1 February, 525, at Kildare. Refusing many good offers of marriage, she became a nun and received the veil from St. Macaille. With seven other virgins she settled for a time at the foot of Croghan […]

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St. Gregory of Utrecht

June 9, 2014

St. Gregory of Utrecht Abbot; born about 707 or 708; died 775 or 780. Gregory was born of a noble family at Trier. His father Alberic was the son of Addula, who, as widow, was Abbess of Pfalzel (Palatiolum) near Trier. On account of the similarity of names, and in consequence of a forged last […]

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Breaking: Abdication of King who told Chavez to “shut up”

June 5, 2014

According to City A.M.: King Juan Carlos I of Spain, whose abdication was announced today, has been a slightly more relaxed monarch than Queen Elizabeth II. The King also wasn’t above telling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez “te callas” at at a conference in 2007. The full sentence, “Por que no te callas?” means “Why don’t […]

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Old republicans protest young monarchy

June 5, 2014

According to El País: The demonstrations were a result of King Juan Carlos’ televised address at 1pm, in which he informed Spaniards of his decision to abdicate the Spanish throne in favor of his son Felipe. The Madrid demonstration was quickly organized by leftist parties and associations… Spain’s old republican flag…featured prominently in Madrid and […]

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Queen’s Coronation anniversary marked in unique way

June 5, 2014

According to the Telegraph: A 62-gun salute has marked the anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The Honourable Artillery Company were responsible for assembling and positioning the weapons opposite HMS Belfast, before taking their places along the bank of the Thames. All 62 rounds were fired at 10-second intervals outside the Tower of […]

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García Moreno Refuses to Be Silent and Is Exiled for Denouncing His Country’s Rape

June 5, 2014

From that moment Ecuador was treated as a conquered country. Thefts, pillage, sacrilege, murders, became the order of the day. The “Tauras,” a guard of mamelukes whom Urbina called his “canons,” armed with daggers, went up and down the country, attacking inoffensive men, insulting women, and assassinating all who would not be robbed without a […]

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Sublime Civilizations

June 5, 2014

Like individuals, civilizations and cultures can also seek and appreciate the sublime. This happens when any social grouping subconsciously elaborates and appreciates together splendorous works such as art, architecture, political achievements, or religious devotions. To the degree that members of social units appreciate the sublime together, the greater is the culture or civilization. We ignore […]

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June 5 – My God Is Greater Than Your Tree

June 5, 2014

St. Boniface (WINFRID, WYNFRITH). Apostle of Germany, date of birth unknown; martyred 5 June, 755 (754); emblems: the oak, axe, book, fox, scourge, fountain, raven, sword. He was a native of England, though some authorities have claimed him for Ireland or Scotland. The place of his birth is not known, though it was probably the […]

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June 5 – Friendship is tested in adversity

June 5, 2014

Blessed Ferdinand of Portugal Prince of Portugal, born in Portugal, 29 September, 1402; died at Fez, in Morocco, 5 June, 1443. He was one of five sons, his mother being Philippa, daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his father King John I, known in history for his victories over the Moors and […]

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June 6 – Patron and Protector of Bohemia

June 5, 2014

St. Norbert Born at Xanten on the left bank of the Rhine, near Wesel, c. 1080; died at Magdeburg, 6 June, 1134. His father, Heribert, Count of Gennep, was related to the imperial house of Germany, and his house of Lorraine. A stately bearing, a penetrating intellect, a tender, earnest heart, marked the future apostle. […]

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June 7 – The Crusaders reach the walls of Jerusalem

June 5, 2014

In June of 1099 [the First Crusade] arrived before the walls of Jerusalem, which was then held by the Fatimid Arabs of Egypt. With their usual religious zeal and grim determination, the Christians prepared to attack the walls. Their fighting force had been reduced to 1,200 knights and 10,000 foot soldiers, with a similar number […]

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June 8 – She did what St. Ignatius could not

June 5, 2014

Ven. Anne de Xainctonge Foundress of the Society of the Sisters of St. Ursula of the Blessed Virgin, born at Dijon, 21 November, 1567; died at Dôle, 8 June, 1621. She was the daughter of Jean de Xainctonge, councillor in the Dijon Parliament, and of Lady Marguerite Collard, both of noble birth and virtuous life. […]

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June 8 – Accused of theft and other misconduct

June 5, 2014

St. William of York (WILLIAM FITZHERBERT, also called WILLIAM OF THWAYT). Archbishop of York. Tradition represents him as nephew of King Stephen, whose sister Emma was believed to have married Herbert of Winchester, treasurer to Henry I. William became a priest, and about 1130 he was canon and treasurer of York. In 1142 he was […]

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June 8 – The Noble Countess Who Dedicated Her Life to Bringing Dissolute Women to Repentance

June 5, 2014

Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart (died in Porto, Portugal, June 8, 1899), born Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a noble of Germany and Roman Catholic nun best known for influencing Pope Leo XIII’s consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Leo XIII called this consecration “the greatest act of my […]

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Court rules that king does not deserve a Catholic burial

June 2, 2014

According to The Telegraph: When Richard III was hacked to death in rural Leicestershire in 1485, the royal House of York fell, bringing an end to the Plantagenet line…. Many people see his death as the end of the English middle ages. …the ruling of the High Court last Friday truly made history, as three […]

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Aspiring beekeepers will receive help from Duchy

June 2, 2014

According to Blue & Green Tomorrow: The Duchy of Lancaster has offered financial support for those who wish to begin beekeeping on its land, in an effort to combat the decline of bees in the UK. Nathan Thompson, chief executive of the Duchy of Lancaster, said, “As custodian of the land with significant interest in […]

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Georgia professor knighted for work to save agriculture

June 2, 2014

According to Lancaster Farming: …a British ambassador inducted a University of Georgia professor into a chivalric order for his struggle to halt the demise of bees. …Keith Delaplane for years has studied bees and the reasons the possible reasons behind their population decline. The entomology professor conducts that research so well it recently earned him […]

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A Queen obtains mercy for six heroes

June 2, 2014

The die was cast. Calais must surrender…. [King] Edward said: “…Tell the Commandant that six of the principal citizens must come, barefoot and bareheaded, with ropes around their necks, and the keys of the city in their hands. These six shall lie at my mercy….” The bells were rung, and all the citizens assembled in […]

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Defining the Sublime

June 2, 2014

The sublime consists of those things of transcendent excellence that cause souls to be overawed by their magnificence. It provokes what Edmund Burke rightly calls “the strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling.”* Throughout history, man has been drawn to extraordinary panoramas, works of art, music, ideas, or heroic feats that have rightly […]

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June 2 – Saved from the Byzantine Emperor’s roaster, ironically, by the Moslems

June 2, 2014

Pope Saint Eugene I Elected August 10, 654, and died at Rome, June 2, 657. Because he would not submit to Byzantine dictation in the matter of Monothelism, St. Martin I was forcibly carried off from Rome (June 18, 653) and kept in exile till his death (September, 655). What happened in Rome after his […]

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June 3 – She had to witness her children kill each other

June 2, 2014

St. Clotilda, Queen of the Franks (French: CLOTILDE; German: CHLOTHILDE). Queen of the Franks, born probably at Lyons, c. 474; died at Tours, 3 June, 545. Her feast is celebrated 3 June. Clotilda was the wife of Clovis I, and the daughter of Chilperic, King of Burgundians of Lyons, and Caretena. After the death of […]

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June 4 – St. Francis Caracciolo

June 2, 2014

St. Francis Caracciolo Co-founder with John Augustine Adorno of the Congregation of the Minor Clerks Regular; born in Villa Santa Maria in the Abrusso (Italy), 13 October, 1563; died at Agnone, 4 June, 1608. He belonged to the Pisquizio branch of the Caracciolo and received in baptism the name of Ascanio. From his infancy he […]

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How Feudalism reformed and revived monasticism: Cluny

June 2, 2014

Congregation of Cluny (CLUNI, CLUGNI, or CLUGNY) The earliest reform, which became practically a distinct order, within the Benedictine family. It originated at Cluny, a town in Saone-et-Loire, fifteen miles north-west of Macon, where in 910 William the Pious, Duke of Aquitaine, founded an abbey and endowed it with his entire domain. Over it he […]

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Royals Join Pilgrimage and Eucharistic Adoration

May 29, 2014

According to the Luxemburger Wort: Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa…made their way through town on foot from Notre Dame Cathedral to the palace. They were joined by pilgrims for the final procession through the capital, before taking the Eucharist outside the Luxembourg City palace. The Octave pilgrimage celebrates the Virgin Mary, Our […]

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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Attend the Household Cavalry Standards Parade (VIDEO)

May 29, 2014

According to the British Monarchy: The Queen attended the Household Cavalry Standards Parade… – Her Majesty is Colonel in Chief. The Queen presents new standards every ten years, which are used on a daily basis in London by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. If video does not play, please click here.

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St. Louis IX’s reasons for staying four years in the Holy Land

May 29, 2014

The following Sunday we all came back again before the king; and when the king saw we were all assembled, he made the sign of the cross upon his mouth (invoking thereby, as I think, the aid of the Holy Spirit, for my lady mother once told me that every time I wished to say […]

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A Quest for Plenitude

May 29, 2014

This driving force is found in our great desire for plenitude: that is, a sense of full satisfaction or completeness. Because of our composite nature, we are not satisfied with mere material security. In our quest for perfection, we naturally seek after spiritual satisfaction as well. Our souls are strongly attracted to that which moves […]

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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 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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