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Representational image of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Source: ckybe / Adobe Stock

Who Was Thomas Aquinas and Why Is He Mentioned So Often?

Thomas Aquinas, who lived from 1225 to 1274 AD, played a crucial role in medieval Catholic theology and philosophy. Thanks to his profound insights and masterful integration of faith and reason,...
Representational image of the pious Saint Drogo. Source: nsit0108 / Adobe Stock

Saint Drogo was the Bilocating Patron of the Unattractive

Sometimes it really does seem that there is a saint for everything. For among the vast pantheon of saints stands Saint Drogo, a 12th-century Flemish nobleman who, after experiencing an inexplicable...
The sunken church known as St Cavan's Church on Inisheer Island. Source: David Matthew Lyons / Adobe Stock

The Sunken Church of Inis Oírr and the Heritage of Saint Cavan

With its long history and even longer memory, Ireland is a nation that offers plenty to historians. From its ancient history and Celtic identity, to the Viking invasions and many wars for...
Saint Ephraim Monastery, Nea Makri, Greece. Photo: Joanna Gillan

The Tragic History of Saint Ephraim Monastery in Greece

Situated in Nea Makri, Attica, the Saint Ephraim Monastery stands as a significant landmark showcasing Greece’s historical and spiritual lineage. While originally called the Annunciation of the...
Joan of Arc, Patron Saint of France. Source: ckybe / Adobe Stock.

Joan of Arc Was Far from The Saint She's Portrayed As (Video)

The well-known Joan of Arc , often referred to as la Pucelle, stands as a complex historical figure, far from the conventional depiction of a holy maiden. She emerged as an iconic female warrior ,...
Saint Valentine is today associated with lovers. Here, lovers shown in the Medieval Miniature from the Codex Manesse. Source: Public Domain

Valentine’s Day’s Connection with Love was Probably Invented by 14th-Century Poets

Natalie Goodison / The Conversation As an undergraduate, on a tour of Europe, I happened to step into the church where Saint Valentine’s head was kept. The tour guide told us a (likely fictitious)...
Saint Bernard and the Virgin by Alonso Cano. Source: Public domain

The Virgin Mary Squirted Saint Bernard with Breast Milk

Mythology is filled with an array of outlandish and far-fetched stories. Christianity is no exception. One of the most surprising, at least for me, is the story of the 12th century monk, Saint...
There are many Christian martyrs, whose deaths were often evilly innovative. Shown: The central panel of the altarpiece of St. Sebastian. Source: Public Domain

Six Supremely Sadistic Deaths of Christian Martyrs

Standing up for what you believe in isn’t always easy. The early Christians are a prime example of this. They faced centuries of persecution at the hands of various Roman rulers. These early...
St. Francis of Assisi was said to preach to animals as well as humans.	Source: J. Ossorio Castillo / Adobe Stock

St. Francis of Assisi: The Transformation from Spoiled Rich Kid to Saint

St. Francis, born Giovanni di Pietro Bernadore, was a mystic Italian Catholic friar. To this day, he is one of the most revered of all the saints and is remembered as the founder of the Franciscan...
A chapel to worship St Erasmus has been discovered at Westminster Abbey, shown here. Source: Richie Chan / Adobe Stock

Lost Medieval Chapel Sheds Light on Royal Burials at Westminster Abbey

New evidence, helping to form a 15th century reconstruction of part of Westminster Abbey, demonstrates how a section of the building was once the focus for the royal family’s devotion to the cult of...
The statue of St. Nicholas in Demre, Turkey. Source: olinchuk / Adobe Stock

Saint Nicholas Discovery! Has the Tomb of the Real Santa Been Found in Turkey?

Santa Claus is a mythological character, loved by children and adults alike around the world. But the fictional Jolly Old Saint Nick was actually inspired by a real-life St. Nicholas, who resided not...
Craco, Italy

Craco: The Abandoned Medieval Ghost Town of Italy

For nearly fifty years, the town of Craco in southern Italy has stood uninhabited. Here, dark windows look out at potential travelers like empty eye sockets and the streets and buildings of this...
St Rumwold was an infant saint. Source: Framestock / Adobe Stock

St Rumwold: The Infant Saint and Medieval Miracle Stories

Tucked away in an almost-forgotten manuscript from the 11th century is the extraordinary tale of St Rumwold, an infant saint who lived on this earthly plane for only three days. But in that short...
The Venerable Bede and the Origins of the English ‘Nation’

The Venerable Bede and the Origins of the English ‘Nation’

How do you define a nation? Most people would probably think of a nation as being a defined geographical area governed by a political body of some sort which acts on behalf of its citizens, who are...
A figure wearing a face mask in St Albans Cathedral

New Masked Carving in St Albans Cathedral Restoration is Distasteful

St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain and work to restore its rare medieval shrine has just been completed. But the addition of a new...
Aethelthryth: The Extraordinary Medieval Virgin Queen and Saint

Aethelthryth: The Extraordinary Medieval Virgin Queen and Saint

It’s a name most people have never heard of and even fewer can pronounce, but St Aethelthryth of Ely is one of England’s most fascinating saints whose name has survived throughout the centuries and...
A ‘Cult of Saints’ Meant Plentiful Sainthoods For Celtic Aristocracy

A ‘Cult of Saints’ Meant Plentiful Sainthoods For Celtic Aristocracy

Dark Age Britain was apparently full of “saints”…well, at least hundreds of people gained membership into the ‘cult of saints’ at that time. Up to 3-4 percent of aristocrats may have been awarded...
Left: St Januarius’ blood being examined in Naples. Credit: The Catholic Herald. Right: An early portrait of Saint Januarius. Note the two blood ampoules in the lower left corner. (Louis Finson / Public domain)

The Blood of Saint Januarius and The Miracle of Liquefaction

Saint Januarius is a saint venerated in the Roman Catholic Church . He is the patron saint of Naples but is best-known for a miracle that happens several times each year – the liquefaction of what is...
Inside the Wieliczka salt mine in Poland

The Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland is a Timeless Masterpiece

A travel along the corridors of the Wieliczka salt mine inspired Polish writer Bolesław Prus to write his most famous novel -''Pharaoh''. Over the centuries, all of the explored chambers of the salt...
Detail of ‘The Maid of Orléans’ (1886) by Jan Matejko - Joan of Arc

Speaking of Angels and Saints: The Story of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a young peasant woman who lived during the last phase of the Hundred Years’ War . This war was a series of military conflicts between France and England which began in 1337 due to an...
Representation of an Irish holy well. Source: Michal / Adobe stock

Believers Flock to Irish Holy Wells Seeking Solace From Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has led many people to seek comfort in a variety of ways. Some have returned to traditional customs and beliefs. In Ireland many people are making a pilgrimage to holy wells...
Aerial view of the ruins of the Cherven medieval fortress near Rousse, Bulgaria Source: Atanas / Adobe Stock

Forgotten Warrior-Saints Exposed in Murals of Medieval City

In Bulgaria, a previously unknown medieval church has been unearthed in an abandoned medieval city. It dates from the Second Bulgarian Empire and archaeologists have found some important murals in...
Ostrog Monastery in the rocks, Montenegro              Source: flu4022 / Adobe Stock

Why Ostrog Monastery is a Shining Beacon for Pilgrims

The small republic of Montenegro has a rich and fascinating history with many astounding historic sites that date back to the Classical period. Perhaps the most famous site in all of Montenegro is...
Conservators discovered a silver casket, in which the relics of St. Jadwiga of Silesia were placed 250 years ago.            Source: trzebnica.pl

Lost Remains of St. Jadwiga Discovered in Hidden Silver Casket

The bones of a Polish saint that have been lost for centuries have been re-discovered by chance during restoration work in a Christian basilica in Silesia. Conservators were working on the tomb of St...

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