Saint John Damascene has the double honor of being the last but one of the fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is surprising, however, how little that is authentic is known of his life. The account of him by John of Jerusalem, written some two hundred years after his death, contains an admixture of legendary matter, and it is not easy to say where truth ends and fiction begins. The ancestors of John, according to his biographer, when Damascus fell into the ...

St. Francis Xavier was a Navarrese-Basque Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre on April 7, 1506. His father was a privy counselor and finance minister to King John III of Navarre. He was the youngest in his family and resided in a castle which still partially stands today and is in the possession of the Jesuit order. As the young Francis grew, he was surrounded by war. Navarre was the target of a campaign by King Ferdinand of Aragon and Castile, and the kingdom was ...

St. Bibiana, Virgin and Martyr (Feast day - December 2nd) Other than the name, nothing is known for certain about this saint. However, we have the following account from a later tradition. In the year 363, Julian the Apostate made Apronianus Governor of Rome. St. Bibiana suffered in the persecution started by him. She was the daughter of Christians, Flavian, a Roman knight, and Dafrosa, his wife. Flavian was tortured and sent into exile, where he died of his wounds. Dafrosa was beheaded, ...

Eligius (also known as Eloi) was born around 590 near Limoges in France. He became an extremely skillful metalsmith and was appointed master of the mint under King Clotaire II of Paris. Eligius developed a close friendship with the King and his reputation as an outstanding metalsmith became widespread. With his fame came fortune. Eligius was very generous to the poor, ransomed many slaves, and built several churches and a monastery at Solignac. He also erected a major convent in Paris with ...

St. Andrew, also known as Andrew the Apostle, was a Christian Apostle and the older brother to St. Peter. According to the New Testament, Andrew was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee during the early first century. Much like his younger brother, Simon Peter, Andrew was also a fisherman. Andrew's very name means strong and he was known for having good social skills. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is said Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and saw Andrew ...

St. Saturninus Bishop of Toulouse and Martyr November 29 A.D. 257 St. Saturninus went from Rome by the direction of pope Fabian, about the year 245, to preach the faith in Gaul, where St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles, had some time before gathered a plentiful harvest. In the year 250, when Decius and Gratus were consuls, St. Saturninus fixed his episcopal see at Toulouse. Fortunatus tells us, that he converted a great number of idolaters by his preaching and miracles. ...

The Shrine of Santa Maria della Consolazione in Deliceto, Italy, where St. Alphonsus Liguori was inspired to write and compose the famous Italian Christmas carol, “Tu Scendi dalle Stelle,” in 1744. / Credit: Gianpiero Passalia/EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Dec 25, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Christmas song, written and composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori in the mid-18th century, describes Christ, King and Creator, coming into the world as a poor baby.

Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice celebrates Mass with homeless and people in need at the Archdiocesan Charity in Košice, Slovakia, during a traditional Christmas gathering in December 2025. / Credit: Archdiocesan Charity of Košice

EWTN News, Dec 24, 2025 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, Slovakia, found a special gift under the Christmas tree: a new “cathedra,” a wooden bench prepared by homeless people.

The Berlaymont building in Brussels, seat of the European Commission. / Credit: EmDee/Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 23, 2025 / 16:25 pm (CNA).

The European Commission has decided to withdraw funding from the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe.

A protester holds up a St. George’s cross flag with the slogan “Get Off My Land” outside the High Court in London on Aug. 29, 2025, as the government seeks to challenge a High Court ruling that will stop asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping beyond Sept. 12. / Credit: CARLOS JASSO/AFP via Getty Images

London, England, Dec 23, 2025 / 09:37 am (CNA).

Caritas Social Action Network has strongly criticized recent announcements by the U.K. government concerning asylum seekers’ rights to remain in the country.

Father Manuel Chouciño. / Credit: ACI Prensa

Madrid, Spain, Dec 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Father Manuel Chouciño is convinced that Catholics “are in vogue” because people “are tired of feeling so empty.”

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London, England, Dec 21, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

On Dec. 9 the Guardian U.K. reported that 40% of 13- to 17-year-olds in England and Wales affected by violence are turning to AI companions for support.