Catholic Saints

Dr. Elizabeth Klein and Taylor Kemp sit down to discuss St. Marcella, the early Church martyr of Rome, who's feast day is celebrated on January 31st. St. Marcella was born in 325 AD and died in 410 AD, around the time of the sack of Rome. During this tumultuous time in Church history (between the Council of Nicaea and the sack of Rome) St. Marcella befriended St. Jerome who wrote several letters to and about St. Marcella. Through these letters, we learn of a woman of the Church who modeled virtue and walked the path of Christ to the end. Eventually, St. Marcella died of wounds she received during the sack of Rome.Watch Catholic Saints on FORMED.Sign Up for FORMED.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute on the Mission Circle. Watch Catholic Saints and other great content on Formed.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Formed.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Christopher O. Blum, scholar and translator of St. Francis de Sales, discusses courage in the Christian life. He explores fortitude in ordinary duties, steady virtue versus flashy behavior, and how small faithful acts can influence others. Conversation covers handling discouragement, building habit-based willpower, focusing on one vice and one virtue, and trusting God to calm fear.

Dr. Christopher O. Blum, Scripture scholar and translator who studies saints like St. Francis de Sales, joins to unpack sincerity and humility in the moral life. They discuss virtue as ordered to charity. They contrast self-fashioning with Christ-centered attentiveness. They stress choosing virtues by state of life, avoiding comparison, and interior humility that reorders the soul.

Dr. Christopher Mooney, a theology professor at the Augustine Institute Graduate School, guides a lively look at St. Thomas Aquinas. Learn about Aquinas's dramatic choice to join the Dominicans. Explore his teaching career, the method and purpose of the Summa, and his synthesis of Aristotle with Christian faith. Hear about his prayer life and Eucharistic devotion.

Dr. Christopher O. Blum, Academic Dean and scripture scholar, offers theological commentary on St. Francis de Sales and prayer. He discusses prayer as friendship with God and how it purifies mind and will. They explore attentiveness, practical routines for prayer time, and using imagination and method as training wheels for a deeper, Christ-centered meditation.

Dr. Elizabeth Klein, a professor and scripture scholar who studies the Church Fathers, explores St. Paula the Elder, a Roman aristocrat turned monastic leader. She discusses Paula’s support of Jerome’s Vulgate, her founding of women’s monasteries in Bethlehem, her heroic renunciation of wealth, and her model of changing vocations and female leadership in the early Church.

Dr. Michael Barber, a Pauline scholar and professor of biblical studies, offers a fresh look at St. Paul. He explores Paul’s dramatic Damascus Road encounter and what it meant for his Jewish identity. Barber rethinks Paul’s theology, discusses the situational nature of his letters, and connects Paul’s mission with suffering and baptismal imagery.

Dr. Christopher O. Blum, Academic Dean and translator of St. Francis de Sales, offers scholarly commentary on the saint and his writings. He outlines de Sales's life and the origin of Introduction to the Devout Life. They discuss the book's reception, de Sales's literary aims, devotion as a minor virtue, and obedience as readiness for God's will.

Dr. Elizabeth Klein, a scripture scholar from the Augustine Institute, dives into the inspiring story of St. Agnes of Rome, who at just twelve chose martyrdom over renouncing her faith. They discuss her courageous stance against marriage proposals and the historical context provided by St. Ambrose. Klein connects Agnes’s virginity to Eucharistic themes and explores the significance of her martyrdom during Diocletian's persecution. The conversation highlights Agnes's lasting legacy in church tradition and offers valuable lessons on perseverance and faith, especially from the young.

Dr. Elizabeth Klein, a theology professor at the Augustine Institute and scripture scholar, dives into the life of St. Anthony of Egypt, the original hermit and a key figure among the Desert Fathers. They discuss Anthony's radical abandonment of worldly possessions after a life-changing call from Christ and his fierce battles against demonic temptations in the desert. Elizabeth shares how modern retreats echo Anthony's practices of prayer and solitude, linking his influence to saints like Augustine. The duo emphasizes lessons in trust, prayer, and self-discipline from Anthony's inspiring legacy.