Author

Derek Pettinelli
Derek Pettinelli is a 2017 graduate of Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a bachelor of arts degree in writing and mass communications and political science.
The Saint Marianne Cope Shrine & Museum located in Syracuse, New York, is dedicated to spreading the message and legacy of St. Marianne Cope. For St. Marianne Cope’s feast day on Jan. 23, we spoke with Museum Director Kristin…
Five facts about the Camino de Santiago
St. James the Greater, an apostle of Jesus, is entombed in northwestern Spain. The numerous routes leading to his tomb are collectively known as the Camino de Santiago. Hundreds of thousands of people take pilgrimages along these routes…
Five facts about St. Padre Pio
St. Padre Pio (Francesco Forgione) was a priest and friar in the Capuchin order. An Italian, he was beatified and canonized by St. John Paul II and is widely known for various supernatural phenomena such as exhibiting the stigmata, being a…
What does the Catechism say about work?
With summer coming to its unofficial close, we celebrate the importance of work on Labor Day, a national holiday in the United States and Canada. As Christians, we know that even Jesus himself worked. Pope Francis wrote this in his 2015…
Five facts about St. Kateri Tekakwitha
St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s feast day is July 14. Here are five quick facts about her. St. Kateri, pray for us! 1. St. Kateri Tekakwitha was the first Native American saint in the United States and Canada St. Kateri Tekakwitha was a Mohawk…
Facts about the Church in early America
Take some time this Independence Day to teach your family about the early history of the Catholic Church in the United States. May God bless America! Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832) Carroll was a delegate to the Continental…
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, first American saint
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850–1917) was an Italian-American religious sister who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She is the patron saint of immigrants. In honor of her feast day on Nov. 13, here are five…
Five Ways to Observe Memorial Day
1. Attend Mass at a cemetery Some Catholic cemeteries offer Mass on Memorial Day. To find one near you, contact your diocese or parish. 2. Learn about Fr. Emil Kapaun Emil Kapaun was a priest from Kansas and a U.S.…
St. Patrick: ‘A man of prayer, holiness, and love’
St. Patrick’s Day is here once again and people all over the world are getting ready to celebrate with festivities and parades. But why is it that St. Patrick’s Day has become such a huge celebratory event? And did he really drive all the…
Five ways to observe Advent
Advent begins Dec. 1 this year. It can be easy to miss out on this liturgical season because of the hectic nature of the holidays. Here are five ways to observe these important weeks before Christmas. Make a Jesse tree Create your own Jesse…