Michael Rennier

1 month ago | aleteia.org | Sarah Robsdottir |Michael Rennier

I have a 10-year old daughter who is obsessed with St. Joan of Arc. Every shirt she owns is Joan of Arc themed and she once tried to rename herself “Joan.” So when I saw that Sarah Robsdottir’s new book Joan of Arkansas was being released by Voyage Publishing, I was pleased to read it. The more St. Joan of Arc stories there are in the world, the better. She’s a saint who appeals particularly to modern day little girls. The world is a big scary place, but little girls are stronger than they think.

Jan 13, 2025 | aleteia.org | Michael Rennier

St. Anthony the Abbot has a colorful history. Born to wealthy parents in 3rd-century Egypt, as a young man he heard the call of God to give everything away he’d inherited from them and disappear into the desert to fast, pray, and do battle with his sins. Stories abound about how the solitary eccentric lived in a hole in the ground and personally battled the devil. He was so inspiring that would-be monks flocked to meet live near him, which caused Anthony to go to even more remote areas.

Jan 5, 2025 | aleteia.org | Michael Rennier

There’s an old curse that goes, “May you live in interesting times.” I always think about it on the feast of St. Raymond, a man who wanted nothing more than to live a boring, quiet life tucked away in a monastery with his books of canon law, but the King of Aragon just would not leave him alone. Raymond lived in 13th-century Spain, a time when the area was broken up into smaller kingdoms and slowly extricating itself from the influence of Islamic conquest.

Dec 29, 2024 | aleteia.org | Michael Rennier

Help Aleteia continue its mission by making a tax-deductible donation. In this way, Aleteia's future will be yours as well. Donate with just 3 clicks*Your donation is tax deductible!During his lifetime, St. Thomas More achieved international esteem as a writer and government official. His position as Lord Chancellor for King Henry VIII kept him away from his family for long periods of time while he worked in London and traveling abroad.

Dec 22, 2024 | aleteia.org | Michael Rennier

Help Aleteia continue its mission by making a tax-deductible donation. In this way, Aleteia's future will be yours as well. Donate with just 3 clicks*Your donation is tax deductible!When I was a little boy, I would crawl under the Christmas tree and play with the figures in our family’s nativity set. Our stable was brilliant. It had all the figures, including quite a few animals, and even had a loft for the animals to look down from.