Saints and Martyrs
Known as the "Maid of Orleans," this French heroine was burned at the stake in 1431 but later canonized.
Who is St. Joan of Arc?
Catholics recognize four of these in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which detail the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
What are the Gospels?
In this sacrament of healing, a priest absolves the sins of the person with the words "I absolve you from your sins."
What is reconciliation, penance or confession?
This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent with the imposition of ashes on the forehead, symbolizing repentance and morality.
What is Ash Wednesday?
This 4th-century council, convened in Nicaea in 325 AD, condemned Arianism and created the creed still recited at Masses today.
What is the Council of Nicaea?
This 3rd-century Roman soldier and martyr is the patron saint of England; legend says he slew a dragon to save a princess.
Who was St. George?
This Old Testament figure, whose story includes the burning bush and the parting of the Red Sea, is seen in Catholic tradition as a foreshadowing of Christ.
Who is Moses?
Reserved for men entering the priesthood, this sacrament imparts an indelible spiritual character through the laying on of hands by the bishop.
What is Holy Orders?
This January 6 feast, also known as Three Kings' Day, celebrates the Magi's visit to the infant Jesus and is a holy day in many countries.
What is the Epiphany?
This 12th-century series of military campaigns, authorized by the Church to reclaim the Holy Land, began with in 1096 and influenced East-West relations for centuries.
What are the Crusades?
This English chancellor and author of Utopia was beheaded in 1535 for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as head of the church.
Who is St. Thomas More?
This event in John 2, where Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding, is the first of his public miracles and is meditated upon in the Luminous Mysteries.
What is the Wedding at Cana?
A series of 14 stations depicting the Passion of Christ, often walked as a Lenten devotion.
What are the Stations of the Cross?
Observed on November 1, this holy day honors all saints, known and unknown, and is often followed by a day of praying for the deceased.
What is All Saints' Day?
This Edict of Milan in 313 AD, issued by this Roman emperor, granted religious tolerance to Christians and ended widespread persecution.
Who is Constantine?
This Polish Franciscan friar volunteered to die in place of another prisoner in Auschwitz in 1941, earning him the title of "Martyr of Charity."
Who is St. Maximillian Kolbe?
Found in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, this archangel helps Tobiah and is invoked in Catholic prayers for healing and protection against evil.
Who is Raphael?
This ritual name is derived from Latin meaning "provision for a journey" and is the final reception of the Eucharist for those nearing death?
What is Viaticum? Half point for Last Rites.
This August 15 solemnity celebrates the belief that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life.
What is the Assumption of Mary?
This 13th-century saint, known as the "Angelic Doctor", wrote the Summa Theologica and was declared a Doctor of the Church for his scholastic theology.
Who is St. Thomas Aquinas?
This Jesuit missionary known as the "Apostle of the INdies," died in 1552 while attempting to evangelize in China; his body remains incorrupt.
Who is St. Francis Xavier?
From the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, this widow heroine beheads at Assyrian general Holofernes, symbolizing Mary's role in crushing evil in Catholic tradition.
Who is Judith?
In Catholic exorcism rituals, this prayer, named after a saintly angel, is often recited for protection against evil spirits.
What is the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel?
This February 22 feast commemorates St. Peter's role as the first pope and the authority of his successors, symbolized by a special chair or "cathedra".
What is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter?
This 16th-century council, held in an Italian city, reformed the Catholic Church in response to the Protestant Reformation, defining doctrines like transubstantiation.
What is the Council of Trent?