Sometimes our choices change our lives. In 1805, Elizabeth Seton chose to become a Catholic. This choice changed her life and ours.
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Sometimes our choices change our lives. In 1805, Elizabeth Seton chose to become a Catholic. This choice changed her life and ours.
The new Bishop of Philadelphia had just about had it with the unfair treatment of Catholic students in the public school system of his city. We can hardly imagine such an occurrence today, but in the middle 1800s, school boards, administrators, and teachers were mostly Protestant and forced their beliefs on all the students. Catholic children were pressured (often with whippings) to read the Protestant Bible and participate in Protestant worship services in their schools.
Do you remember the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:29-37? Mother Marianne of Molokai brought Jesus’ story to life in her ministry to the lepers of Hawaii.
Marianne Cope was born Barbara Koob in Germany in 1838. When she was two years old, her family emigrated to the United States, to upstate New York, to find a better life. After eighth-grade graduation, she worked in a factory to earn money to help her family. Her dream of becoming a nun had to be delayed until her younger brothers and sisters could support themselves. She joined the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse when she was 24.
Katharine Drexel was born to a well-known Philadelphia family in 1858. Her mother died just a few weeks after her birth, but her father remarried, and she and her sisters were raised in a family of deep faith. Katharine was taught from a young age to share what they had with others in need.
Damien was born Joseph de Veuster in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840. When he was only 13 he had to quit school to work on the family farm. At age 19, he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. As a member of this religious community, he took the name Damien. He chose this name after a fourth-century physician and martyr.
Pierre Toussaint was born a slave in 1766 in the French colony of Saint Domingue, which is modern-day Haiti. His great-grandmother had been born in Africa and sold into slavery in the Caribbean. Pierre worked as a house slave inside a plantation owned by Jean Berard. He was educated by the family’s tutors, which was very unusual for the time.Pierre Toussaint was born a slave in 1766 in the French colony of Saint Domingue, which is modern-day Haiti.
More than 300 years ago, around 1656, Kateri lived in what is now the state of New York. Her mother was a Catholic and a member of the Algonquin tribe, and her father was a Mohawk warrior. At the time, this Native American nation did not believe in the Christian God.
As one of 16 children growing up on a farm in Wisconsin, Barney Casey learned about the importance of sharing. This virtue shaped his life and ministry.
Problems defeat some people. But problems make heroes of others. Problems made St. Frances Xavier Cabrini a hero. Throughout her life, she turned problems into solutions.
Despite his humble beginnings, Fulton J. Sheen would accomplish great things for Christ.