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This is an important time for woman. Throughout his pontificate, St. John Paul II has written extensively on the dignity, nature and role of woman in the plan of God, and has exhorted her to come to a deeper experience of her essential nature and spirit which he calls the genius of woman or the feminine genius. Part of her feminine genius is her ability to create and foster genuine friendships. In this short mini-study, we reflect on the importance of “true friendship,” how we find them, and how we become them. Read More …

My dear friends in Christ,This year the Church celebrates the 25th anniversary of the landmark pro-life encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life). Written by Pope St. John Paul II, this prophetic document passionately reaffirmed the Church’s constant teaching on the value and sacredness of every human life. It remains a foundational text for all our efforts to ensure that the life of every human person is protected and cherished.This special anniversary is the inspiration behind this year’s Respect Life theme, “Live the Gospel of Life,” as well as many of the new materials. Thank you for responding to the call to actively live out the Gospel of Christ, which necessarily includes cherishing, serving, defending, and protecting human life. May we always strive to “see in every human face the face of Christ” (EV 81) and treat each person as we would treat Christ Himself.Sincerely yours in Jesus, the Lord of Life,Most Reverend Joseph F. NaumannChairman, USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities Read More …

In honor of the 25th anniversary of Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities has developed a condensed version of this landmark pro-life encyclical. This thorough summary makes Pope St. John Paul II’s prophetic writing more concise for those looking to deepen their understanding of the Church’s beautiful teachings on the sacredness of human life. An introductory foreword provides background and context to help readers better understand The Gospel of Life.  Read More …

This meeting builds on last month's teaching on humility as a key evangelical virtue of our Blessed Mother Mary and an essential characteristic of authentic Catholic Women's Leadership. Several facilitators share perspectives on striving to lead with humility, recognizing that God gives us the grace needed to be humble and to accomplish the work entrusted to His daughters. Mary Dillenback, Regional Coordinator Liaison, then provides a teaching on the role of our "feminine genius," incorporating Pope St. John Paul II's insights from his Letter to Women that encourages all women to accept and appreciate the gifts and talents God has given to them and reinforcing the great role that Holy Mother Church has given women. Read More …

Women of Grace® Benedicta Leadership Enrichment Seminar Online Presents ﾿ Rekindling Eucharistic Amazement ﾿ A Webinar with Kathleen Beckman, L.H.S. ﾿ Founder of Foundation of Prayer for Priests ﾿ January 28, 2020 at 8PM ETThe Eucharist is a mystery to be believed, celebrated, and lived. On this inspiring webinar, popular speaker, evangelist and author, Kathleen Beckman, L.H.S. shows us how to live a Eucharist spirituality in our everyday life.In this webinar, participants will learn about: Why St. John Paul II wrote, “I would like to RekindleEucharistic Amazement”.Why is it necessary to renew our love of the Eucharist?How the Eucharist animates the interior life and conversation with God.What is Eucharistic Life and how do I live it?How is the Eucharist a healing prescription?Mary: A School of Eucharistic PietyCarrying the family to the Lord’s Eucharistic Heart at Mass Read More …

Queen of the most holy Rosary, in these times of such brazen impiety, manifest thy power with the signs of thine ancient victories, and from thy throne, whence thou dost dispense pardon and graces, mercifully regard the Church of thy Son, His Vicar on earth, and every order of clergy and laity, who are sore oppressed in the mighty conflict. Do thou, who art the powerful vanquisher of all heresies, hasten the hour of mercy, even though the hour of God's justice is every day provoked by the countless sins of men. For me who am the least of men, kneeling before thee in supplication, do thou obtain the grace I need to live righteously upon earth and to reign among the just in heaven, the while in company with all faithful Christians throughout the world, I salute thee and acclaim thee as Queen of the most holy Rosary. Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us. (Indulgence: 500 days, per Leo XIII, July 3, 1886) The History of the Rosary The rosary, an icon of Catholicism and one of the Church’s most beloved prayers, began its glorious history in the humble realm of pebbles, knotted chords and the hearts of simple peasants. Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians have been using rosary-like counting devices for prayer and penitential exercises. Mostly comprised of knotted rope, pebbles, or chains, penitents originally used them to count the number of “Our Fathers” to be recited in a day, a devotion they referred to as a “Paternoster.” Evidence dating back to the 4th century proves that the Desert Fathers used similar prayer chords to keep track of their devotions and Venerable Bede (d. 733) tells us about churches in France and England that were making prayer beads available for use by the faithful during his era. But it was not until the Middle Ages that the rosary as we know it today began to take shape. This was when Christians began using strings of beads to recite 50 Hail Marys which they called “Aves” because the second half the Hail Mary wasn’t added until sometime later. These Aves were recited along with verses from the Gospel relating to the joys of Mary, such as the Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension and Assumption. This style of prayer became known as a rosarium, which means rose garden. The first clear historical reference we have of the rosary as we know it today comes from the life of St. Dominic (d.1221), founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans. According to tradition, Dominic devised the rosary after receiving a vision of Our Lady during which she told him to pray in this manner as an antidote for heresy and sin. He obeyed, and preached the rosary with great success in France during the time of the Albigensian heresy. One of the most famous miracles of the Rosary was performed at the hands of St. Dominic. It occurred when the saint expelled thousands of demons from a possessed man in front of a crowd of 12,000 eyewitnesses after putting a rosary around the man’s neck. In spite of this and many other spectacular miracles, the rosary fell into disuse and it wasn’t until two centuries later when a Dominican theologian named Alain de Roche (d. 1475) made it his life’s mission to restore the devotion. He is credited with establishing Rosary Confraternities to promote the rosary and is believed to have developed what is known as the “Dominican Rosary” which was structured in three groups of mysteries related to the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection of Christ. Since the end of the 15th century, this became the most popular and commonly used form of the rosary. The beads underwent many changes during this time with special devotions, local customs, and even the latest fashions impacting the style of beads in use. For instance, a short form of the rosary containing only ten beads and known as a “tenner” was a favorite among men in past centuries. Women liked the longer version and often adorned their rosaries with gems, pearls, miniature figurines, and even scented fruits and flowers. Rosaries have been known to be made of everything from pure gold to painted apricot pits. Filigree rosaries were popular in the 18th century and chain-stitched rosaries were the rage during the 19th century. It was also during this time that the three beads for faith, hope and charity were added to the beginning of the rosary. The rosary grew in popularity and became the spiritual weapon of choice during the 1500s when Moslem Turks were ravaging Eastern Europe. In 1571, when it seemed as though the whole continent would fall under their control, Pope St. Pius V organized a fleet to ward off the invaders. He then asked all of the faithful to say the rosary and beg for Mary’s intercession under the title Our Lady of Victory for victory against the Turks. The famous battle, now known as the Battle of Lepanto, took place October 7, 1571, and even though the Moslems outgunned the Christians in both vessels and sailors, the much smaller Christian fleet managed to prevail. In thanksgiving, the pope established the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7 to forever memorialize the great victory wrought by the powerful intercession of the Mother of God. Since that time the rosary has been adorned with a steady stream of papal honors. Pope Adrian VI called it the “scourge of the devil” and Pope Paul V called it a “treasure of graces.” Pope Leo XIII issued a record 12 encyclicals and five apostolic letters on the rosary during his pontificate (1878-1903) and instituted the custom of praying the rosary daily during the month of October. Pope Pius X taught that “amidst all prayers, the Rosary is the most beautiful, the richest in graces, and the one that most pleases the Most Holy Virgin.” His successor, Pius XI called it “a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight.” In 1974, Pope Paul VI issued the Apostolic letter Marialis Cultus which devotes 14 sections to the use of the rosary within the Church. In 2002, Pope John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries (Mysteries of Light) in the Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. Added to this list of admirers are some of the Church’s most revered saints, such as Saint Francis de Sales who named the rosary as the greatest method of prayer. St. Thomas Aquinas once preached for 40 days in Rome on just the Hail Mary and the legendary St. John Vianney, patron of priests, was rarely seen without a rosary in his hand. St. Pio of Pietrelcina called it “the weapon” and when Mother Teresa died, she owned nothing but the sari she was wearing and her beloved rosary. The rosary is still the best antidote to sin and heresy and remains the weapon of choice for Christians. As Pope Pius IX so aptly said, “Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world." Read More …

The Clash of KingdomsWebinar Presented by Msgr. John EsseffThursday, December 5th8 PM to 9 PM EST The Clash of KingdomsAn Exorcist will teach you how to prepare your family for this battle!Blessed John Paul II said, "We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced! We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church between the Gospel and the anti-gospel between Christ and the antichrist."What is is this historical confrontation and how does it impact us? Hear it LIVE from a priest who has been an exorcist for over 30 years; one who is the spiritual son of St. Padre Pio, Msgr. John Esseff. Do not fear. God has the winning plan. He promises us victory only if we follow His plan. Learn how to prepare yourself and your family for the current battle underway in our culture. This is a life-changing, engaging webinar unlike any we have hosted in the past. Msgr. Esseff will be sharing God’s remedy for the ensuing battle:How baptismal grace is the remedy to the darkness of our time.How to live Ephesians 3:14-20What is the winning plan for this battle eroding our civilization?Msgr. Esseff will affirm us in victory! Jesus is the Lord. Evil is defeated. God ALWAYS WINS! Give yourself and your family the hope and joy of our salvation this Christmas!Msgr. John Esseff is a Roman Catholic priest of 60 years and an exorcist of Lebanese decent based in the Diocese of Scranton, PA. Having lived in Lebanon from 1984 to 1986 serving as the head of the Pontifical Mission, he directly assisted the Pope in bringing the Good News to the world, especially the poor. Msgr. Esseff experienced the terror and threat of radical fundamentalist Islam, even seeing innocent children blown apart in a car bomb. He was a personal confessor, friend and retreat director to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta who asked him to give retreats to the Missionary Sisters of Charity fulfilling her desire even after her death. He met St. Padre Pio in Italy during his early priesthood; St. Padre Pio mentored Msgr. Esseff during his lifetime becoming a spiritual father to him. Msgr. Esseff also provides spiritual formation to seminarians across the country.As the author of "Building a Kingdom of Love", Msgr. Esseff is also one of the founding members of the Global Team of the Sacred Heart Apostolate in Solvay, NY. As an official exorcist for over 30 years, Msgr. Esseff understands the perils facing all of us today. Heaven and hell are on a collision course. Listen to Msgr. Esseff for the Master Plan. Read More …

Learn about the power of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!  It's not just about hanging a picture; learn the real truth and promises given to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the mandate from the late Pope John Paul II in "building a civilization of love." Originally Aired:  Wednesday, February 20th Hosted:  Rev. William F. Petrie ss.cc Read More …

Presented by Dan Lynch Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST Our Lady of Guadalupe told St. Juan Diego, "I am the merciful Mother of all mankind. Am I not your hope?" That is why Blessed Pope John Paul II named her the "Mother of Hope". Our Lady of Guadalupe brings us this hope through her Missionary Image.Visitations of the Missionary Image bring healings, conversions and protection through the Mother of Hope. The Miraculous Image The Missionary Image Visitations of the Missionary Image Signs and Wonders through the Missionary Image Hope and Healings through the Missionary Image Dan Lynch of St. Albans, Vermont is the Director of the Apostolates of The Jesus King of All Nations Devotion and The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He coordinates the journeys of their Images. He also speaks at Missions, Retreats and Conferences throughout the world. The Images are sent to local Guardian Teams who have requested Visitations to churches, abortion centers, monasteries, convents, prisons, hospitals, nursing homes and schools. These Teams prepare the reception and coordinate all liturgical events with the local pastors. Read More …

Have you ever been asked why Catholics pray the rosary? Maybe you have been challenged with the charge that "Jesus condemned repetitious prayer and therefore the rosary is anti-Scriptural". Well in this awesome new audio tape series, "The Rosary in Scripture and the New Luminous Mysteries", Dr. Edward Sri takes you on a journey through the Scriptures and shows how the Rosary is actually a very Scriptural prayer. He begins by debunking the claims that repetitious prayer was condemned by Jesus and puts Jesus' comments in context with the practices of His time. Moving into the rosary itself, Ted unpacks the prayers and structure of the rosary, beginning with the words of the angel Gabriel as the origin of the "Hail Mary" and how Christ Himself give us the "Our Father". Drawing heavily from Scripture and the latest document by our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, Dr. Sri presents an inspiring reflection on the new Luminous Mysteries introduced this year by the Holy Father and explains the intense meaning of these 5 new mysteries in the praying of the rosary. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Edward (Ted) Sri is Assistant Professor of Theology at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He is the author of Mystery of the Kingdom: On the Gospel of Matthew (Emmaus Road 1999), a co-author of the Catholic for a Reason (Emmaus Road 1998, 2000) series and the author of a forthcoming book entitled The New Rosary in Scripture: Biblical Insights for Praying the 20 Mysteries (Servant 2003). He is a co-founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) and speaks and publishes articles on topics such as Scripture, the new evangelization and apologetics. He resides with his wife Elizabeth and their two children in Atchison. Read More …