Dear friends, Each year we celebrate the feast of Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven and so it is fitting that we, like the Apostles who all gathered around her during her lifetime, come together around our celestial Mother to celebrate this great feast. Eventually, the time came also for Mary to pass from this world […]
Rome, 12 April, 1947. In a grotto on the Via Laurentina, the Virgin Mary appeared to a man, Bruno Cornacchiola. She presents herself as the “Virgin of Revelation” and delivers a powerful call: “Be missionaries of the Word of Truth.” It’s a compelling call, meant for courageous hearts. But what is Truth? Today, it’s an […]
When pilgrims meet in St. Peter’s square they usually arrange to: “Meet under the obelisk!”. This great Egyptian monument is really a sundial which is delineated by the colonnade designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini from 1956 to 1667. The obelisk is a great monolithic monument which is made of red granite and stands more than 25 […]
Giovan Battista Salvi, otherwise known as Sassoferrato (1609-1685), is an artist of the 17th Century whose career was distinguished by the painting of great portraits and devotional images particularly of the Virgin Mary. Indeed, he is often referred to affectionately as the “painter of the Madonna’s”. His natural style, that depicted his subjects with a […]
A city like Rome, with its abundance of history and art, can, at times, produce sentiments of inadequacy and disorientation. Here we can find places that open our minds to the possibility of a recuperation of our Christian identity and roots. For a moment, let us abandon the noisy hub-bub of the streets and try […]
The practice of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was spread due to Jesus’ private revelations to St Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun of the Paray le Monial Convent in Paris, and was propagated by her confessor the Jesuit, Fr Claude de la Combiere (1641-1682). The feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated for […]
general audience, 21 May 2025 Pope Leo XIV has begun his weekly General Audiences, continuing Pope Francis’ catechetical reflections for the Jubilee Year. This week’s theme was Jesus Christ, Our Hope. Reflecting on the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1–17), Pope Leo XIV offered a new perspective on how Jesus communicates the Gospel. He emphasized […]
In the early days of a new papacy, some of the most telling indicators of a Pope’s mission and vision come not through speeches or documents but in the quieter symbolism of his chosen motto and coat of arms. These heraldic and textual signs offer a profound synthesis of the Pope’s personal spiritual journey and […]
Dear friends, what emotion to hear the resounding phrase ‘Habemus Papam’! Ancient words that are always new, words that always mark a new beginning. We have great joy because the Lord cares for His Church, and the Holy Spirit is always at work, acting with surprising wisdom and simplicity. Pope Leo XIV’s name indicates a […]
From 9.00pm on the 21 April 2025 the Seat of Peter became known officially as Apostolica Sedes Vacans, awaiting the election of the new Holy Father. The preparations are now underway to elect the new Pope in the historic setting of the Sistine Chapel. As the Conclave approaches, the Sistine Chapel – “la Cappella Magna” […]