Religious News

Saint Gabriel the Archangel, messenger of the Good News

Biblical origin and roleSaint Gabriel the Archangel is one of the three archangels mentioned in the Bible, along with Michael and Raphael. His name means "Strength of God". Gabriel is above all God's messenger, the one who brings mankind the most decisive announcements in the history of salvation. In the Book of Daniel, he explains to the prophet the vision of the times to come. But it is above all in the New Testament that his role becomes central: he is the angel who announces to Zechariah the birth of John the Baptist and, even more so, the one who brings Mary the news of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Read more...

Our Lady of Sorrows, consolation in times of trial

Origins of the devotionThe feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on 15 September, the day after the Glorious Cross. It is rooted in meditation on the sufferings experienced by the Virgin Mary, particularly at the time of her Son's Passion. From the 13th century onwards, the Servites of Mary, a religious order founded in Florence, spread this devotion widely, inviting the faithful to contemplate the compassion of the Mother of Christ. Read more...

The Glorious Cross

Origin of the feastThe Feast of the Glorious Cross is celebrated every year on 14 September. It originated in the 4th century, when Saint Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine, discovered in Jerusalem the wood of the true Cross on which Christ had been crucified. This relic became a powerful sign of faith and hope for Christians, recalling Christ's victory over death. Read more...

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary

Origin and significanceThe feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This date was fixed by the Church as early as the first centuries, to mark the importance of Mary in the plan of salvation. Her birth is seen as the dawn that heralds the light of Christ, for it is through her that God has chosen to enter the world. Read more...

The origins of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela has its roots in the heart of the Middle Ages, at a time when Christianity was seeking to affirm its faith and gather around holy places. After Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Rome, the shrine of Compostela was to become one of the greatest spiritual centres in the West. The figure of the apostle James the Greater, disciple of Christ and first martyr of the apostles, became the pivot of this devotion. Read more...