St. Joan of Arc: Sanctity, Trial, and Martyrdom in the Hundred Years’ War
©2026 Victor R. Claveau, MJ Table of Contents Introduction Among the most extraordinary figures in Christian history stands St. Joan of Arc, the peasant girl from Domrémy who altered the course of the Hundred Years’ War and became one of the most beloved saints of the Catholic Church. Born around 1412 during one of the […]
BABE RUTH AND THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL
On August 16, 1948, the magazine Guideposts, a non-denominational inspirational magazine, received an autobiographical article written and submitted by Major League Baseball icon and American legend George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. In a twist of tragic irony, the same day Guideposts received the article at their office, Ruth died of cancer. The Babe— as he […]
SAINT JOAN OF ARC, VIRGIN—1412-1431
Feast: May 8Savior of France and the national heroine of that country, Joan of Arc lives on in the imagination of the world as a symbol of that integrity of purpose that makes one die for what one believes. Jeanne la Pucelle, the Maid, is the shining example of what a brave spirit can accomplish […]
Naito Joan
Born: c1549 – Died: 1626 Baptismal Name: João (=John) Japanese: ジョアン, 如安 or 如庵 Naito Joan was the son of Matsunaga Jinsukue 松永甚介), brother of Matusnaga Danjô Hisahide 松永久秀. His mother was the daughter of Naitô Sadafusa内藤 定房 of Yagi castle八木城 in Tanba province. His father died when he was a child and his position as heir to Yagi castle seems to have been […]
Justus Ukon Takayama
Fr. Johannes Laures, SJ One of the greatest heroes of the glorious Martyr Church of Japan is undoubtedly the Catholic lay apostle, Justus Ukon Takayama (1552-1615), or Justus Ucondono, as he was usually called by missionaries. Although he greatly desired to shed his blood for Christ, he was not granted this honor, yet he sacrificed […]
Saints Stanislaus Kostka and Mother Cabrini
By Catholic Insight – November 13, 2025 Saint Stanislaus Kostka – who died in 1568 just a few months shy of his eighteenth birthday – is one of the most popular saints in Poland. His short life demonstrates two primary lessons: That much can be done in little time, and that whatever time we are given […]
BLESSED MARGARET OF CASTELLO
Madeline Pecora Nugent, SFO It’s a pretty safe bet that, had Blessed Margaret of Castello been conceived in the 1990’s, we would never know about her. Why? Because her parents would have chosen prenatal diagnosis and aborted her. Margaret’s parents were members of the Italian nobility. Her father Parisio was Captain of the People, a […]
The Incredible, Inspiring Death of St. Catherine of Siena
April 29th is the feast day of the great St. Catherine of Siena. Known for her holiness, St. Catherine was a mystic, theologian, philosopher, and spiritual advisor. Famously, she helped convince Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome (the papacy had resided in Avignon, France for decades). Today, she is honored as a Doctor of the […]
Bl. Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943)
Layman and martyr Franz Jägerstätter was born on 20 May 1907 in St Radegund, Upper Austria, to his unmarried mother, Rosalia Huber, and to Franz Bachmeier, who was killed during World War I. After the death of his natural father, Rosalia married Heinrich Jägerstätter, who adopted Franz and gave the boy his surname of […]
Cuthbert Maine, Priest. — Martyred in 1577.
He was the first missionary priest that suffered in England for religious matters, and the protomartyr of Douay college, and all the seminaries. I have a short account of his life and death in English, published in 1582: I have also a more ample account of him in a Latin manuscript of Douay college. I […]