Author Archives: Steve Benner

Francis XavierFrancis was born at the castle of Xavier in Spanish Navarre in 1506. He was educated in Paris and, with Ignatius of Loyola, became one of the group of seven who took vows as the first members of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. Since preaching the gospel overseas was an integral part ofContinue reading “Oremus for Tuesday, December 3, 2024”

The Martyrs of El SalvadorThe Salvadoran Civil War was a civil war in El Salvador which was fought between the military-led junta government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) (a coalition or “umbrella organization” of left-wing groups) from 15 October 1979 to 16 January 1992. A coup on October 15, 1979, was followed by killings of anti-coup protesters by the government and of anti-disorder protesters byContinue reading “Oremus for Monday, December 2, 2024”

AndrewThough Andrew is named among the apostles in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, it is in John’s gospel that most is learned about him. Andrew was a Galilean fisherman, mending his nets, when Jesus called him to follow him, which he promptly did. He then seems to have remained with Jesus until theContinue reading “Oremus for Saturday, November 30, 2024”

Dorothy DayDorothy Day was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 8, 1897, the third child of Grace and John Day.  Her nominally religious family moved to the San Franciso Bay area and then to Chicago where she was baptized in the Episcopal Church.  She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana and became interestedContinue reading “Oremus for Friday, November 29, 2024”

Joseph and Michael Hofer, 1918Michael and his brother Joseph were Hutterite pacifists and conscientious objectors who both died in Leavenworth, Kansas on December 2, 1918, while imprisoned at the Fort Leavenworth military prison. In the spring of 1918, four young Hutterite men from the Rockport Colony in South Dakota were conscripted into the US Army.Continue reading “Oremus for Thursday, November 28, 2024”

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/aezynjmu Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights,and behold the joy which comes to you from God. Baruch 5 Almighty God,to whom all hearts are open,all desires, known,and from whom no secrets are hid:Cleanse the thoughts of our heartsby the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,that we may perfectly love youand worthily magnify your holy name;through ChristContinue reading “Oremus for Wednesday, November 27, 2024”

Sojourner TruthIsabella (Sojourner Truth) was the next-to-youngest child of several born to James and Elizabeth, slaves owned by a wealthy Dutchman in New York. For the first 28 years of her life she was a slave, sold from household to household. She fled slavery with the help of Quaker friends, first living in Philadelphia, thenContinue reading “Oremus for Tuesday, November 26, 2024”

Isaac WattsBorn in Southampton in 1674, Isaac Watts was educated at the local grammar school and had the opportunity to go on to university, but declined because he preferred the dissenting academy at Stoke Newington. He received there an education of high academic standard and he went on to become the pastor to the IndependentContinue reading “Oremus for Monday, November 25, 2024”