These General Catholic Articles will help you make better buying decisions and teach you more about the Catholic Faith.

Divine Mercy - What is it?
Excerpt: The Divine Mercy is one of the newest feasts of the Church, instituted by Pope John Paul II. It is celebrated the Sunday following Easter. Learn more....

Feast of Epiphany
Excerpt: Epiphany is the Christian feast that celebrates the Incarnation and in particular the revelation to mankind that God took on human form. It is curious then that in the West we typically associate January 6th with the three wise men.

Feast of St. Basil the Great
Excerpt: St. Basil was Bishop of Caesarea (an area now in eastern Turkey) in the fourth century and is one of the foremost Doctors of the Church, who along with St. Athanasius, is noted as an outstanding defender of Christian orthodoxy during the Arian heresy – a heresy which, among its other errors, denied the Divine Nature of Christ. St. Basil was the son of St. Basil the Elder and Emmelia, the daughter of a Christian martyr, and was one of ten children, three of whom became saints – Basil, Macrina and

Feast of St. John Neumann
Excerpt: In America it isn't easy being Catholic. Christmas always makes this particularly obvious as we're bombarded things we must buy, movies we must see and parties we must attend. Even the best in our culture would have us believe that the true meaning of Christmas is spending time with family. The belief in America as the land of opportunity has often been twisted into the idea that America is the place for me to live my life and further my material interests. But this was not the belief of early A

Feast of St. Stephen, Martyr
Excerpt: St. Stephen, the patron saint of deacons, lived in the Apostolic era and was martyred in the year 33 A.D. St. Stephen was one of the first deacons and was the first Christian martyr. His feast is on December 26. In the Acts of the Apostles the name of St. Stephen occurs for the first time on the occasion of the appointment of the first deacons of the Church (Acts 6:5). Dissatisfaction concerning the distribution of alms from the community's fund having arisen in the Church, seven men were

Feast of St. Sylvester I, Pope
Excerpt: Pope St. Sylvester I was born in Rome to Rufinus and Justa in the late 200's. He was educated by a priest named Charitius or Carinus in literature and theology and was ordained a priest by Pope St. Marcellinus. He witnessed Constantine's triumph in 312 and upon the death of Pope St. Melchiades was elevated to the papacy in 314. The same year he sent four legates to the Western Council held at Arles. The Donatist schism and the Quartodeciman heresy were condemned at this council and Pope Sy

Feast of St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr
Excerpt: The Fifth Day of Christmas – Feast of St. Thomas Becket, Martyr St. Thomas Becket is the OTHER St. Thomas, martyred for the Catholic Faith in England by a king named Henry over matters of Church governance.

Feast of the Annunciation
Excerpt: Today, when we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, we not only celebrate the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, but also the great mystery of the Incarnation, taking place at the moment Mary declares, in obedience to the Lord, “be it done.” The dialogue we observe between Mary and the angel (found in Luke, chapter 1) is rather concise; the angel’s greeting to Mary, the announcement of God’s plan, and Mary’s humble acceptance to be the Lord’s handmaid. But in this short narration- just a few h

Feast of the Holy Family
Excerpt: The Feast of the Holy Family is dedicated to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, commemorating their life together in Nazareth and calling us to focus on Catholic family life.

Feast of the Holy Innocents
Excerpt: Herod was the king in Judea at the time Christ was born. He was an unpopular king, working as he did for the Romans, and his cruelty knew no bounds. He feared any threat to his power, and news of this newborn king troubled him. The wise men whom he had asked to report the whereabouts of the Christ Child, did not return to him. Thus, "Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Excerpt: In the New Testament, St. Paul writes that God the Father “bestowed on him (Christ Jesus) the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phillipians, 2:9)

History of the Advent Wreath
Excerpt: The Advent wreath has been introduced into Advent traditions only in recent times. The first Advent wreath was conceived by Johann Hinrich Wichern in 1839. He was the founder of a home for poor children in Hamburg, Germany and during the weeks leading up to Christmas was constantly being asked by the children if it was Christmas yet.

Lavabos

Lecterns

Lecterns

Liturgical Colors

Ostensorium (Monstrance)

Our Mother (Our Lady) of Perpetual Help
Excerpt: The story of the icon of and the devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Patens

Prayers for First Communion
Excerpt: Here are some traditional prayers associated with First Communion.

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