This week sees the Feast of St Catherine of Siena who is not only co-patron of Italy and a Doctor of the Universal Church but she *even* received the honour of a full The Rest Is History episode

Today, 29 April, we celebrate the feast of our Dominican sister, St Catherine of Siena, patron of Europe, Italy, and Dominican tertiaries. This photo shows the chapel in Siena where her head is enshrined. May she pray for us, & for the unity of the Church flic.kr/p/2pN7AeF

“Turn off the TV and open the Gospel. Set aside your smartphone and encounter people!”

During his visit to Venice, Pope Francis urges young people to help others instead of complaining about being alone or misunderstood.

vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2…

Pray the Rosary every day!

Kudos to the The Catholic Union of Great Britain on lobbying for this for years.

Illustrating today's Gospel: 'I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.' (John 15:5) Mural from Montserrat Abbey church.
flic.kr/p/2pMTd1G

This week Catholic Church *finally* offered 'A pastoral reflection on gender' safely in the wake of Dignitatis infinata and the Cass report - if you haven't read it, you can catch up here: cbcew.org.uk/bishops-issue-… I would love to know what my dear followers make of this document!

A Sunday, but a bumper day for well known Saints!
St Peter Chanel, St Louis Marie de Montfort, St Gianna Beretta Molla, & for us in Carmel, one of our newer Beati: Bl María Felicia de Jesús Sacramentado.
All solid models of abandonment to Christ. May they pray for us!

Delighted to hear that Bl Pier-Giorgio Frassati (a Dominican tertiary) will be canonised in 2025. He loved life and was deeply committed to the sick and poor. He was a man of prayer, an opponent of communism and fascism, a terrible singer, an academic failure, and a loyal friend.

Today, 27 April, is the feast of Our Lady of Montserrat:
'Regina caeli, lætare, alleluia. 
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. 
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia. 
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.'
flic.kr/p/2pMJNh6

My grandpa, who was a professional jazz pianist, plays Somewhere Over the Rainbow for my six-month old son upon meeting him for the first time. He turns 90 this year and recently developed arthritis in his hands but still plays daily, says it’s what keeps him going🙌

Does it feel like you have to swim against the tide to be a Mass-going Catholic? In the latest episode of Into the Truth podcast, we talk to Stephen Bullivant about whether the Catholic Church is dying. Listen to the full episode: bit.ly/3xNTTIC

Pope Francis - new interview with CBS News
He calls the only Catholic parish in Gaza every evening at about 7 pm., and they keep him informed about the dire situation on the ground.
He urges prayers for peace, especially in Gaza and Ukraine.

Today the 26th April is the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
The picture shows the original miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Counsel, with baby Jesus holding on tightly round her neck & also onto the neck of her dress. The many beautiful copies usually share these features

As it's Friday, I'm asking all my followers to please retweet this post if you see it, to help my bird account be seen!🙏
To make it worth sharing, here's 'The Watcher'... a Barn Owl on the Somerset Levels. 😍🦉
Thank you very much! 😊🐦

The winged Lion, symbol of the Evangelist St Mark, whose feast is today: His Gospel opens in the Judean desert with a voice crying in the wilderness. In the desert of our modern world, may we listen to the majesty and beauty and power of St Mark's Gospel.
flic.kr/p/2pMjgcy

The winged Lion, symbol of the Evangelist St Mark, whose feast is today: His Gospel opens in the Judean desert with a voice crying in the wilderness. In the desert of our modern world, may we listen to the majesty and beauty and power of St Mark's Gospel.
flic.kr/p/2pMjgcy

💔🙏🏼🙏🏼

I forgive every cruelty unleashed upon me. I love & pray for those persecuting me. I accept the abuse & use it to do penance for all my past sins.

Above all shadows rides the sun.

No matter how much I am reviled, I keep my eyes on Christ. Above all darkness of evil, God reigns!