St. Benedict of Nursia (480–547), the father of Western monasticism, is remembered for his holiness, wisdom, and miracles that revealed God’s protection. The Miracle of the Poisoned CupWhen St. Benedict began his monastic life, not everyone welcomed his strict discipline. Some monks, angered by his rules, plotted to kill him. They offered him a cup…
In 1953, in the city of Syracuse, Sicily, a young married couple had a small plaster image of the Virgin Mary hanging in their home. On August 29th, the image miraculously began to shed real tears. Neighbors and relatives rushed to the house, and priests were called. All witnessed the astonishing sight: tears welling up…
St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968), an Italian Capuchin friar, was renowned for his extraordinary spiritual gifts: the stigmata, miraculous healings, and most famously — bilocation (being present in two places at once). Witnesses from all over the world claimed to have seen Padre Pio even though he never physically left his monastery in San…
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Loretto Chapel was built in the late 19th century. The nuns of the chapel realized too late that there was no staircase to reach the choir loft. Carpenters told them that the only way would be to use a ladder, since the space was too small for a staircase….
For centuries, on Holy Saturday in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, thousands of faithful gather to witness the ancient miracle of the Holy Fire. The Orthodox Patriarch enters the tomb of Christ in the sepulchre, carrying no matches or fire. After fervent prayer, a mysterious blue flame is said to appear spontaneously…
In the 13th century, St. Anthony of Padua, great preacher and Franciscan saint, wanted to prove the truth of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist to a stubborn nobleman who mocked the Catholic faith. Anthony challenged the man to bring his mule — but to starve it for three days. On the appointed…
In the year 358 AD, during the pontificate of Pope Liberius, a wealthy Roman couple prayed to the Virgin Mary, asking for guidance on how to dedicate their fortune in her honor. That night, both the couple and the Pope had a vision of Mary, who told them to build a church on the spot…
Since the 4th century, in Naples, the relics of St. Januarius (San Gennaro) — bishop and martyr — have been venerated. In a sealed glass vial is preserved his dried blood. Three times a year, during solemn ceremonies in Naples Cathedral, the blood miraculously liquefies, bubbling and turning from solid to liquid before the eyes…
St. Joseph of Cupertino, an Italian Franciscan friar (1603–1663), is known as the “flying saint”. He was a simple and humble man, mocked in his youth for being slow to learn. However, he had an extraordinary mystical gift: during prayer and Mass, he would often levitate into the air, overcome by ecstasy in the presence…