St. Bona (1156 - 1207 A.D.) was born in Pisa, Italy. She experienced visions at a young age which led her into an ascetical life of penance and fasting. She dedicated herself to God at the early age of ten and became an Augustinian tertiary. At the age of fourteen she went on her first pilgrimage to Jerusalem where her father was fighting in the crusades. On her trip home she was captured and...

St. Quadratus is said to have been the first of the Christian apologists. He is counted among the Seventy Apostles in the tradition of the Eastern Churches. He is said by Eusebius of Caesarea to have been a disciple of the Apostles. In his Ecclesiastical History, Book IV, chapter 3, Eusebius records that: 1. After Trajan had reigned for nineteen and a half years Ælius Adrian became his...

While the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces on November 8, the Franciscan Friars celebrate this feast on May 8. The friary which houses the General Curia of the Order of Friars Minor is named for Mary under this title. The term “Mediatrix” refers to Mary’s unique role in the economy of grace. Here are some key points: Cooperation...