Saint Irenaeus
On June 28, the Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr, is celebrated in the Church. Irenaeus is an important figure in the development of Christian theology. He was an early church father who was instrumental in defining church doctrines during a time when other religious movements—such as Gnosticism, Montanism, and Marcionism—sought to pull the […]
Corpus Christi
Today, June 15, is the Feast of Corpus Christi, in which the Catholic Church celebrates the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. While not a holy day of obligation, it is a major holiday in many countries throughout the world. You might wonder why a celebration of the Eucharist occurs a full […]
The Greek and Latin Churches
The Greek and Latin churches have been at odds with each other since the early days of Christianity. While cultural differences were bound to exist between the two—the See of Constantinople being Greek (East) and the See of Rome being Latin (West)—disagreements in theology, liturgy, doctrine, and jurisdiction over time resulted in a gradual process […]
Pentecost
During his final post-Resurrection appearance in the upper room, Jesus directed the apostles to stay in Jerusalem to await a great event. What was this event? We know it as Pentecost, which we will celebrate this Sunday, June 4. The Christian holiday of Pentecost commemorates the moment when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples […]
The Church Fathers
About AD 100, the last of the apostles, John, died in Patmos, Greece. With the passing of the twelve men called by Jesus to build his church—as well as Paul, who been killed about thirty-five years earlier—the responsibility for sharing the teachings of Jesus and defining his universal church fell to Christian bishops and theologians […]
The Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo
The Shroud of Turin, Jesus’ burial cloth, and the Sudarium of Oviedo, the napkin that covered his head after his death, are both mentioned in the Bible. Matthew 27:59 tells us that Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in the tomb. John 1–7 relates that […]
King Abgar and the Mandylion
King Abgar and the Mandylion In 2009, the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia introduced a banknote depicting King Abgar and the Mandylion. The front of the note shows Abgar, described as the King of Armenian Mesopotamia, looking at a flag bearing the image of the Mandylion; the back shows Thaddeus of Edessa handing […]
The Ascension of the Lord
On May 25, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. This holy day of obligation commemorates the transition of Jesus’ humanity into divine glory—of the risen Jesus into the exalted Christ who from that time forward would be seated at the right hand of the Father. Christian tradition holds that the […]
Jesus’s Post-Resurrection Appearance in Galilee
The gospels tell us that on the morning of the Resurrection, Jesus was planning to go to Galilee. Matthew relates that an angel told Mary Magdalene and the other women at the tomb, “he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” Not long after, the women saw Jesus, who directed them […]
The Apostle Thomas
“Unless I see…” is the beginning of the most famous statement of disbelief in history. The apostle Thomas, the disciple who would not believe Jesus had risen from the dead without definitive proof, has stood through time as the ultimate symbol of the doubter, as firmly fixed in our consciousness as Judas is betrayer. Yet, […]
