St. Bonaventure

JULY 14 is the traditional memorial of ST. BONAVENTURE, BISHOP OF ALBANS (+1274). In 1221, a son was born to Giovanni de Fidanza and his wife, Maria Ritella. They named the child after the father, hence, Giovanni, Jr. The father was a physician and a man of means....

POPE ST. ADRIAN III–ANOTHER ASSASSINATION?

Pope Adrian III was a controversial, short-lived pope. He was born in Rome, probably around 834. This would have set him up to be a child during the attacks of the Saracens on Rome and its environs in 846. Nothing is known of the early life of Adrian. He was elected...

POPE MARINUS I

Pope Marinus I, mistakenly referred to as Pope Martinus II, had a short, but controversial papacy. The man, Marinus, must have been an intellectual of some repute, considering the responsibilities and assignments he was given. Born in Gallese, in the province of...

Birthday of St. John the Baptist

On June 24, we celebrate the birthday of the cousin and precursor of Jesus Christ, St John the Baptist. Today we examine why June 24. The most simplistic reason is that it is 6 months before the birth of Christ. If you will remember, on March 25, the Annunciation, the...

POPE JOHN VIII, FIRST ASSASSINATED POPE

Pope John was a native of Rome, born in the first quarter of the 9th century, some say in 816. His father was known as Gundus. As a young man, John witnessed the sack of Rome by the Saracens. During that battle, the enemy partly destroyed Old St. Peter’s Basilica...