Today’s Readings – Saint Francis Borgia, Priest

St Francis Borgia, Priest, SJ (Memorial)

Francis Borgia was born in Gandia, Spain, in 1510. He was the eldest son of the Duke of Gandia, great grandson of the notorious Pope Alexander VI (known as the ‘Borgia Pope’) and of King Ferdinand V of Aragon. He received a private education and was presented to the Emperor’s court at the age of 18. In the following year (1529) he married Leonor de Castro and was made viceroy of Catalonia by the Emperor Charles V. He and Leonor had eight children.

In 1543, he succeeded his father as the fourth Duke of Gandia. Because of problems arising from his attempts to put an end to corruption by legal officials, he retired to his estate. He then devoted his time to the development of his property, including the setting up of a Dominican house and t … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – The Holy Guardian Angels

The Church has never formally declared that every individual has a protecting angel. However, a writer as far back as St Jerome said it was the “mind of the Church”. He wrote in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew:

How great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from birth … Continue