gabriel ringwald

The Brown Scapular, by Benjamin Cabeen Derived from the Latin word Scapulae, or “Shoulders”, a scapular is a Western Catholic garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two different types of scapulars. One is called the Monastic scapular, the other is called the Devotional scapular. The word scapular is a general term. A Monastic scapular is a large piece of cloth that monks wear over their heads. Originally just the aprons that they wore, the scapulars are worn by many orders of monks....

Blessed Alice Kotowska, by Evelyn Wagner Blessed Alice Kotowska was born on November 20, 1899. Her birth name was Maria. She had 8 siblings and was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was an organist at her church and his holiness affected her throughout her life. The two most important things in her life were God and Country because she was born in a time when Poland was trying to free itself from the captivity of other nations....

The Camino de Santiago, by Gabriel Ringwald This life is a journey. We will have many experiences throughout our life, be they good or bad. One thing remains certain: we need to be spiritually in a personal relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ. When I get a chance to hear a talk about something related to our Catholic faith, you’ll see me there trying to learn more and get closer to God....

Unconsecrated Hosts, by Emma Bidelspach Communion hosts are the small, circle shaped pieces of bread that are transformed into the Body of Christ during the Mass. Once the communion hosts (also called communion wafers) become Christ’s Body in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, they are consecrated hosts. The unconsecrated communion wafer consists of only wheat and water, and in the Roman Rite is unleavened, which means it contains no yeast. The Vatican officially stated that the host must include some amount of gluten, which is in wheat, in order to be used in the Sacrament of the Eucharist....