St. Zacchaeus has one of the greatest conversion stories of all time, so much so that the Eastern Church gives him his own Sunday. Falling this year on Feb. 3, it is the first harbinger of a new pascal cycle. Remember how I told you last…

St. Malachi (Mal-a-kai) is a member of the minor prophets club of the Old Testament. Placed alongside Obadiah and Habakkuk, his name seems quite normal. Before I get started, this Malachi is not to be confused with the 12th century Irish…

St. Matrona (fifth century) Feast day: Nov. 9 Here we have a saint who left her husband and daughter to become a monk. Nope. Not a typo. Matrona is complicated. So much so that you might reasonably wonder: Why is this person a saint? Let us…

One out of three Catholic marriages ends in divorce. This, according to a study by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), is a lower rate than the general population, but it’s still nothing to brag…

There is not a lot of information on this month’s saint with a funny name and that suits a greater purpose. You see, St. Bucolus was the first bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor (present day Turkey to you and me). He reposed peacefully in the…

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction. (James 1:27)  Nazar sits in a crib in a bare room, smiling and laughing. Staffers gather around in amazement. They’ve…

For once, you have probably heard of these saints with funny names whose feast day the Eastern churches celebrate on May 11. These two brothers, who hailed from the ancient Greek city of Thessalonica, are well beloved by Catholics of both…

St. Sosipater (aka Sopater) is mentioned twice in the Bible and both times he comes across as, well, boring. But stick with me because boring people often have exciting friends and therein lies our story. We first read his name in the Book…

This month’s saint with a funny name is not “Nice 4 Us” like some ancient precursor of Toys R Us. Think hard “k” sound. Something like: Ni-ki-for-os. That’s more like it. Nicephorus (feast day March 13) spent most of his life close to the…