Gwen Stefani, a Grammy award-winning singer and co-founder of the rock group “No Doubt,” sat down with Catholic Biblical scholar Jeff Cavins for an in-depth interview about her Catholic faith.

Hosted by the Hallow App and conducted inside a beautiful Catholic Church, Stefani shared multiple factors that impact her faith life, including motherhood, her talents, and reflecting the light of Christ through her work and personal life.

While Stefani covered many topics, including her upbringing as a Catholic and her faith journey, she stressed her desire to be the light of Christ to others. She believes her talents are a gift from God and she has a responsibility to use them for His glory. 

"I always have so much anxiety about it because I knew it wasn't coming from me, but I didn't know necessarily it was coming from God, or I didn't recognize it," Stefani explains, referring to her musical talents.

"But then I remember at a certain point in the last 10 years going, 'No.' Yet, God made this for me to do. And if I don't do it and share it, that's a sin,” she continues.

"And being able to accept that God chose me to do that is something that I've learned how to accept," she says.

Stefani then reveals that she is “the closest to God” when she “is doing music.” She wants people to see God in and through her.

“I want people to see God’s light through me,” she says. “I'm desperate for Him because I'm about ready to go on stage, and I'm not nervous, but I just want God to use me.”

“The only thing that’s important in life is your relationship with God,” Stefani continues. “Everything is from God. It’s a miracle!”

Listen to the full interview with Gwen Stefani below:

Let us pray in thanksgiving for Gwen Stefani's fearless Catholic testimony!

Here is a selection of both recent productions and older classics that can inspire prayer and help us encounter Jesus more deeply as we spiritually prepare for Holy Week.

1) The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel, this powerful film portrays the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion.

The movie is both realistic and deeply moving, immersing viewers in what the Lord endured and helping us remember the immense love behind his sacrifice.

You can find it on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Daily Wire+.

2) Marcelino Bread and Wine (1955)

This classic film is one of the most tender and moving movies you will ever see about Jesus on the Cross and a young orphan named Marcelino.

It became one of the greatest commercial and critical successes in the history of Spanish cinema and went far beyond the typical conventions of religious films at the time.

The movie is based on the novel of the same name by José María Sánchez-Silva.

You cannot miss it—it truly feels like a hug for the heart.

You can find it on YouTube.

3) The Chosen: The Last Supper (2025)

These episodes from season five of the popular series "The Chosen" focus on the final moments Jesus spends with his disciples before his Passion and death, centered around the Last Supper.

It is worth watching the entire season as we await the premiere of the sixth season in 2027.

You can find it on the official website of the series and on Amazon Prime.

4) Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018)

This film tells the story of Paul the Apostle and his crucial role in the early Church before he was executed under the persecution of Emperor Nero in Rome.

The film stars James Faulkner and Jim Caviezel.

You can find it on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

5) Of Gods and Men (2010)

This film tells the true story of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine, Algeria, from 1993 until their kidnapping in 1996.

Seven monks were abducted and later killed by Islamic terrorists.

It is a powerful and moving story of freedom, martyrdom, and love lived to the very end.

You can find it on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

6) Risen (2016)

Directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring Joseph Fiennes, this film tells the story of Clavius, a Roman tribune ordered by Pontius Pilate to crucify three rebels, including a man named Jesus of Nazareth.

Clavius is also tasked with securing Jesus’ tomb with a guard of soldiers. However, everything changes when he discovers that the body has disappeared and the tomb is empty.

You can find it on Amazon, YouTube, and Apple TV.

7) The Chronicles of Narnia (Film Series)

The first film in this series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was released in 2005 and is based on the beloved books by C. S. Lewis.

Two additional films followed: Prince Caspian (2008) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010).

Filled with Christian allegories, these films transport viewers to a fantasy world rich with spiritual lessons about love, sacrifice, and life conquering death.

You can stream them on Disney+.

8) Les Misérables (2012)

Based on the famous novel by Victor Hugo, this musical film takes place in France beginning in 1815 and tells the story of Jean Valjean and the people whose lives intertwine with his.

Amid suffering and hardship, the characters discover redemption, faith, and hope even in the most difficult circumstances.

It is a great literary classic you should not miss.

You can find it on Peacock, Amazon, YouTube, and Apple TV.

What movies would you add to the list?

These are not obligatory celebrations, but rather a beautiful tradition of Catholic piety that focuses, month by month, on a mystery in the life of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the saints.

These devotions may vary slightly from country to country, but a common pattern is widely observed throughout the Catholic world. 

From January to December, here is what each month is traditionally dedicated to and how you can incorporate these devotions into your daily life:

January: The Holy Name of Jesus

January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, closely linked to devotion to the Christ Child. Eight days after Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, recalling that “God gave him the name that is above every name.”

How to live it:

• Frequently invoke the name of Jesus throughout the day.
• Teach children to say with love, “Jesus, I trust in you.”

February: The Holy Family

The month of February is usually dedicated to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This devotion invites us to look to Nazareth as a school of prayer, work, silence, obedience, and love lived in simplicity.

How to live it:

• Offer a daily family prayer.
• Bless your home, if possible, with a visit from a priest.
• Place an image of the Holy Family in a visible place in your house.

March: Saint Joseph

March is dedicated to Saint Joseph, the guardian of Jesus and husband of the Virgin Mary. As a hardworking, silent, and faithful father, he is a model of obedience to God’s will and a protector of the Church and families.

How to live it:

• Pray a prayer to Saint Joseph each day.
• Entrust your work, finances, and family needs to his intercession.
• Prepare with special devotion for his solemnity on March 19.

April: The Eucharist and the Resurrection

April is often associated with the Eucharist and the Resurrection of Christ, since it frequently coincides with the celebration of Easter. It is an opportunity to rediscover the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

How to live it:

• Attend weekday Mass whenever possible.
• Visit the Blessed Sacrament and participate in Eucharistic adoration.

May: The Virgin Mary

For centuries, the Church has dedicated the month of May to honoring the Virgin Mary in a special way. This tradition gradually developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, eventually establishing May as the Marian month.

How to live it:

• Pray the Rosary with family or friends.
• Crown an image of the Virgin Mary at home or in your parish.

June: The Sacred Heart of Jesus

June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Church invites us to contemplate the pierced Heart of Christ, a sign of God’s faithful, merciful, and inexhaustible love for humanity.

How to live it:

• Consecrate yourself (or renew your consecration) to the Sacred Heart.
• Practice receiving Holy Communion on the First Fridays of the month.
• Make acts of reparation for sins and indifference against the Heart of Jesus.

July: The Most Precious Blood of Christ

The month of July is associated with devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, shed for our salvation. This devotion reminds us that “we were not redeemed with perishable things, but with the precious Blood of Christ.”

How to live it:

• Pray the Litany of the Most Precious Blood.
• Offer small sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.
• Meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, reflecting especially on the Passion.

August: The Immaculate Heart of Mary

In August, many popular traditions focus devotion on the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The month includes the Solemnity of the Assumption and encourages us to contemplate Mary as Mother and Queen who leads us to Jesus.

How to live it:

• Consecrate yourself (or renew your consecration) to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
• Pray the Rosary, asking for a pure and open heart like Mary’s.

September: The Bible and Our Lady of Sorrows

In many places, September is known as Bible Month, connected to Saint Jerome and his love for Sacred Scripture. The Church also especially remembers Our Lady of Sorrows, with her feast day celebrated on September 15.

How to live it:

• Read a passage from the Gospel each day.
• Keep the Bible in a visible place in your home and read it as a family.
• Meditate on the “seven joys” and “seven sorrows” of the Virgin Mary.

October: The Holy Rosary

October is known as the month of the Holy Rosary, linked to the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Church proposes this sacramental as a “compendium of the Gospel” and a school of contemplation with Mary.

How to live it:

• Pray at least one mystery each day if the full Rosary feels difficult.
• Organize Rosary groups with family, friends, or parish members.
• Offer the Rosary for peace, for the Church, and for those who have fallen away from the faith.

November: The Souls in Purgatory

November is dedicated to praying for the faithful departed, especially the souls in purgatory. It is a concrete way of living the communion of saints and the hope of eternal life.

How to live it:

• Visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased.
• Offer Masses for deceased family members and friends.
• Pray the Rosary or prayers for the most forgotten souls.

December: Advent, Christmas, and the Immaculate Conception

December centers on Advent and Christmas, a time of preparation for and celebration of the birth of Jesus. At the same time, many devotions highlight the Immaculate Conception of Mary, whose solemnity is celebrated on December 8.

How to live it:

• Prepare the Nativity scene as a family, praying as you place each figure.
• Participate in Advent practices such as Mass, confession, and works of charity.
• Honor the Immaculate Virgin with a novena or consecration.

Living the Devotions Throughout the Year

These monthly devotions do not replace the liturgy, but accompany and enrich it. They can serve as a helpful guide for personal prayer, family life, or the pastoral activities of parishes, youth groups, and communities.

Living the year according to these devotions is a beautiful reminder that time belongs to God—and that each month offers a new opportunity to love Jesus more, hand in hand with Mary and the saints.

The story goes back to 1962. Lou Groen had opened up the first McDonald’s franchise in Cincinnati, Ohio, but could not make a profit.

He quickly pieced together why: His restaurant was located in a Catholic neighborhood (Groen himself was also Catholic), Catholics didn’t eat meat on Fridays, and McDonald’s only served entrées with meat.

“My grandfather was losing his shirt,” explained Groen’s granddaughter, Erica (Groen) Shadoin, in an interview with the National Catholic Register. “The area is mostly Catholic. Everyone was going down the street on Fridays to Frisch’s restaurant that sold a fish sandwich.”

Groen quickly got to work on a solution. He created a special batter, made his own tartar sauce, and put it together into a new kind of fish sandwich.

But since he was franchising, he couldn’t start selling it on his own. So he took his new creation to McDonald’s headquarters and showed it to Ray Kroc, the CEO of the company.

Kroc wasn’t sold on Groen’s sandwich right away. Part of the reason was that Kroc had been working on his own meatless sandwich: the Hula Burger—a normal burger with a slice of pineapple instead of meat.

Kroc made Groen a wager: they would make Groen’s fish sandwich and Kroc’s Hula Burger available for one Friday at one location, and whichever sold more would be added to the national menu.

“At the end of the day, the score was Hula Burger, 6; Filet-O-Fish, 350. And the rest is history,” Shadoin recalled.

Groen’s fish sandwich was added to the national menu as the Filet-O-Fish and has been there ever since.

“My fish sandwich was the first addition ever to McDonald’s original menu,” Groen explained. “It saved my franchise.”

And, boy, did his operation grow after that! When Groen finally sold his franchise 24 years later, he had grown his business to 43 McDonald’s restaurants.

The Filet-O-Fish also became part of a larger family and faith legacy.

“My faith has been a huge blessing,” Shadoin said. “It has given me my foundation for life.”

Today, she owns the very franchise where her grandfather first introduced the sandwich, continuing a tradition of family involvement in McDonald’s that spans three generations.

On Metacritic, it holds a score of 99/100, the highest score ever awarded to a video game. But beyond its gameplay, beautiful music, and epic story, Ocarina of Time contains layers of symbolism and storytelling that echo some of the most profound truths of the Catholic faith. 

Sacred Time and the Liturgical Year

At the heart of Ocarina of Time is the theme of time itself. Link journeys back and forth between childhood and adulthood using the Master Sword and the Temple of Time. His mission depends on moving within a timeline that is not just linear, but sacred. Time in the game is a tool for redemption, restoration, and growth.

This mirrors the Catholic understanding of time, especially within the liturgical year. The Church doesn’t simply mark time—it sanctifies it. Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time are not arbitrary seasons, but moments where heaven breaks into earthly time. 

The Temple and the Sacred

Throughout the game, Link travels to various Temples—Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, Spirit, and Light—to conquer evil and restore order. These aren’t just dungeons; they’re sacred places with symbolic significance. Each represents an elemental and spiritual struggle, and Link’s quest within each Temple is marked by purification, trial, and ultimate victory.

Catholic churches, too, are more than buildings. They are Temples of God, spaces in which the divine is encountered and the faithful enter into sacred mysteries. The Temple of Time in the game, which houses the Master Sword, feels particularly resonant: a solemn, quiet place that invites awe and reverence—much like a Catholic sanctuary before the Blessed Sacrament. 

The Triforce and Divine Virtue

The Triforce—comprised of Power, Wisdom, and Courage—is the mystical source of balance and harmony in Hyrule. Its misuse brings destruction; its proper balance brings peace. This triad closely resembles key Christian virtues and even the life of the Trinity.

Some interpret the Triforce as a symbol of the three theological virtues: Faith (Power), Hope (Courage), and Charity (Wisdom). In Catholic theology, harmony among the three Divine Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is at the heart of holiness and salvation.

Zelda as a Marian Figure

Princess Zelda plays the role of a wise, humble, and sacrificial guide. She works behind the scenes, protecting and directing the hero at key moments. While never dominant or forceful, her influence is quietly powerful.

In many ways, Zelda mirrors the Virgin Mary. She is the handmaid of the kingdom’s salvation, cooperating with divine grace to bring about redemption. Her hidden identity, intercessory role, and final act of self-offering align with Marian theology—Mary as the New Eve, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Queen of Heaven.

Ganondorf as a Luciferian Figure

Ganondorf, the primary antagonist, represents the corruption of power and the desire to dominate. His fall from grace and misuse of the Triforce of Power echoes the fall of Lucifer, the once-glorious angel who rebelled against God and sought his own throne.

In Catholic thought, evil is not an equal force to good—it is a distortion of it. Ganondorf seeks not just power, but the throne of the gods. His lust for control and rejection of harmony place him firmly in the tradition of Satan, whose non serviam (“I will not serve”) echoes in Ganondorf’s rebellion.

Baptism, Trials, and Transformation

In many parts of the game, Link must purify himself—often through water, fire, or shadow—before advancing in his mission. The Water Temple, in particular, has a strong baptismal feel: it is confusing, humbling, and cleansing. Emerging from it, Link is more fit for the battle ahead.

This parallels the Catholic understanding of the sacraments, especially Baptism and Confession. Before we can fight the good fight or receive spiritual gifts, we must be cleansed. Transformation, in the Catholic life, always involves death to self, just as Link must leave behind comfort and childish things to fulfill his destiny.

Conclusion

The Catholic imagination is drawn to stories that echo the deepest truths of the Gospel: sacrifice, redemption, sacred time, virtuous struggle, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. The Ocarina of Time is a fairy tale in the truest sense: one that reveals the invisible through the visible, and the eternal through the temporal.

Come into the Catholic Church and take on this lifelong quest. Like all good stories, it invites you to take up your sword, face the darkness, and fight for heaven.

He was 26 years old and a seminarian in the Diocese of Frederico Westphalen in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Two weeks earlier, he had written what he called a “Spiritual Testament,” which was published on his Instagram profile after his death.

The epigraph came from Psalm 30:

“Into your hands, Lord, I commit my spirit.”

Igor wrote the document on Feb. 20, 2026, aware of the seriousness of his health condition:

“Sensing the possibility of the end and the encounter with the Judge—whose day and hour only He knows—but aware of my health and the weaknesses that accompany me, I decided to write these lines as my spiritual testament.

I know nothing about the time that will still be granted to me. I know, however, that life is short and that each day is a silent preparation to appear before Him who is the Truth.”

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A post shared by Igor Pavan Tres (@igorpavantres)

Igor offered his cross for the Holy Church, for the Pope, for his diocesan bishop, for the clergy, for the conversion of sinners, for the souls in purgatory, and for persecuted Christians.

He then reflected on his own experience with illness:

“I know that suffering, in itself, does not automatically sanctify. It can harden or purify. In my weakness, I acknowledge that I have often been unfaithful. However, I can testify that pain has taught me not to remain separated from God for long.

“Like an unruly horse trying to escape, I was kept on the reins by the Lord, who used suffering to prevent my ultimate flight. If I remain today, it is by mercy, not by merit.”

Igor publicly apologized to anyone he had harmed. He thanked his family, friends, and healthcare professionals. He also asked for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He concluded:

“If I am called, I ask the Lord to grant me eternal rest while I await, in the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.”

The post received more than 20,000 likes.

The Return to the Seminary

Igor stepped away from priestly formation in 2024 to focus on his health and to be closer to his family.

He later expressed a desire to return and was officially readmitted to the Major Seminary of the Diocese of Frederico Westphalen.

He died the following day.

The Stole

The bishop of the diocese, Dom Antônio Carlos, announced Igor’s death and explained how he was buried:

“When a seminarian dies, the custom is to bury him clothed in his cassock and to place a priestly stole in his hands, symbolizing the unfulfilled vocational calling. In his hands were also his rosary and his crucifix. That is how we buried seminarian Igor.”

Sister’s Letter

Giovana, Igor’s sister, published an open letter after his death.

“God wanted you with Him sooner, and now only longing remains,” she wrote.

She ended with a phrase Igor often used to say:

“We’ll see each other when God wills it.”

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A post shared by Giovana Tres (@_giovanatress)

Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Many parents who raised children in the faith long for their fallen-away children to return home to the Catholic Church.

Both priests and Catholic figures often encourage those yearning for their loved ones' return.

Brandon Vogt writes in his book, Return: How to Draw Your Child Back to the Church, that "No child is hopeless."

"Your child is ultimately in God’s hands, who loves him even more than you do," Vogt advised. "He wants him back more than you do, and in his providence, he can do anything."

Father Goyo Hidalgo of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles published a book about his journey back to the Church after leaving for many years.

He often encourages parents of fallen-away children, as well as his followers who fell away from God's grace.

"I am who I am today because of the Mercy of God," Fr. Goyo wrote on X (Formerly Twitter).

"The mercy of God will always be there, for free. The prodigal son took that mercy and came back home. So if you are thinking about your journey to God, don’t hesitate. He is waiting, and He wants to forgive you."

Prayer to Saint Joseph to Obtain a Conversion

As the husband of Mary, foster father of Jesus, and the patron of the Universal Church, Saint Joseph is the perfect intercessor for those hoping to obtain the conversion of a family member.

Here's a powerful prayer to Saint Joseph to obtain a conversion:

O Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph,
who merited to be called “just’ by the Holy Ghost,
I urgently recommend to the soul of [name],
which Jesus redeemed at the price of His Precious Blood.

Thou knowest how deplorable is the state
and how unhappy the life of those
who have banished this loving Savior from their hearts,
and how greatly they are exposed to the danger of losing Him eternally.

Permit not, I beseech thee, that a soul so dear to me
should continue any longer in its evil ways;
preserve it from the danger that threatens it;
touch the heart of the prodigal child
and conduct him back
to the bosom of the fondest of fathers.

Abandon him not, I implore thee,
till thou hast opened to him the gates of the Heavenly city, where he will praise and bless thee throughout eternity
for the happiness which he will owe to thy powerful intercession.

Amen.

Saint Joseph, please pray for us! 🙏

While the Gospels provide little information about Saint Joseph, the Spanish mystic and nun Venerable Mary of Ágreda revealed the alleged answer to this question.

In Sister Ágreda’s private revelations, she recounted that Saint Joseph expressed his admiration and praise to the Lord, together with the Virgin, when Jesus looked at him and said:

“My Father, I came from heaven to earth to be the light of the world and to redeem it from the darkness of sin; to seek and know my sheep as a good shepherd, to give them pasture and food for eternal life, to teach them the way to get there and to open the doors which had been closed due to their sins. I therefore want you both to be children of the light, since you have it so close to you.” (681)

What was the first word the Child Jesus said to Saint Joseph?

These words flooded Saint Joseph’s heart with love, reverence, and joy.

He then humbly knelt before the Child Jesus and thanked him because the first word he heard was “Father.” 

Through tears, he then asked the Lord that His divine light would shine upon him and guide him in the fulfillment of his perfect will.

“Saint Joseph was not the natural father of the child God, but putative; however, the love that he bore him, exceeded without measure all that with which the natural fathers have loved their children, because in him grace and also nature were stronger than in others, indeed more than in all fathers put together.” (682)

Saint Joseph and Venerable Mary of Ágreda, please pray for us!

In a recent video from EWTN’s new podcast, “Catholics and Cappuccinos,” Father Donald Haggerty of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City explained why he believes there is a “profound difference between people who pray the rosary every day and those who don’t.”

Father Haggerty joined the podcast to discuss the importance of praying during Lent and his new book, Conversion: Spiritual Insights Into an Essential Encounter with God.

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Here’s the full text of EWTN’s video:

"My sense of Catholics, literally, is that there's a profound difference between people who pray the Rosary every day and those who don't,” Father Haggerty says.

“It would be an interesting scientific study: literally follow people for a year—like with rats in an experiment—and see, these people pray the Rosary, these do not. Who's happier at the end of the year?” podcast host Siobhan Fallon Hogan adds.

“I think it's a very important thing today," Father Haggerty continues. "And probably that's part of the message in that book too: that if we are in a time of crisis, some uncertainty—where's the world going? Where's the Church going?—Then we need Mary in a very serious way. And the best way to draw close to her is to pray the Rosary, to carry a Rosary with you.

“Yes, I mean, I tell people in the confessional often enough: pray a Rosary every day, and then Mary will recognize your voice when you're in need. You'll be able to pray a Hail Mary to fight off some temptation."

As of this writing, the reel has generated approximately 10,000 likes and over 50,000 views. Here’s how some people responded:

“110%! The days I pray a rosary, there’s a drastic difference in how I approach things, and a deeper sense of calm,” a user said. “My mom used to advocate hard for me to do this daily, and she was on fire with Faith.”

“I had an MRI and was given explicit instructions not to sleep,” another user shared. “During the hour or so session, I decided to pray the rosary using my fingers. At this point, the technicians kept on telling me over the speaker not to sleep. I said. I was praying, not sleeping. When done, they said that they could tell the difference in the MRI when I started praying.”

“When I'm driving to work, I listen to music for five minutes, then pray my rosary,” someone else said. “I've been doing it for almost two years now, and I'm happier and have noticed that our mother always guides me. 🙏"

Listen to the full episode below:

Their story is not merely an ancient tale of persecution, but a living testament to hope, inner freedom, and unwavering fidelity to God.

Their names are read in the Eucharistic Prayer of the Roman Canon of the Mass because they were two saints deeply venerated in the Early Church. Their testimony was preserved in the Acts of the Martyrs.

Here are some key points to help you understand who these two brave women were:

1) Their historical context.

Perpetua and Felicity lived in the third century in Carthage, North Africa, and were arrested around the year 203 during the persecution of Emperor Septimius Severus for professing the Christian faith.

Perpetua was a young noblewoman and the mother of a small child. Felicity, on the other hand, was her slave and was pregnant. United by faith, they faced martyrdom together.

Other catechumens were also arrested with them, along with their catechist, the deacon Saturus, who had instructed them in the faith and prepared them for baptism. He later voluntarily surrendered himself to share in their fate.

The Acts of the Martyrs recount:

“The young catechumens Revocatus and Felicity, the latter his companion in servitude; Saturninus and Secundulus were arrested, and among them also Vibia Perpetua, of noble birth, educated in the liberal arts, legitimately married, who had a father, mother, and two brothers, one of them a catechumen like herself, and a small child whom she herself fed. She was about twenty-two years old.”

2) The value of faith over fear.

One of the most moving aspects of this story is Perpetua’s diary, one of the oldest surviving Christian texts written by a woman. In it, she recounts her visions, her inner struggles, and the pain of being separated from her son.

Her pagan father repeatedly tried to persuade her to renounce her faith and save her life. But Perpetua responded with serene firmness:

“When we were still among our persecutors,” she writes, “my father ardently desired to make me apostatize with his words, and, driven by his affection, he would not cease in his efforts to bring me down.

‘Father,’ I said to him, ‘do you see that utensil lying there on the ground, a jar or something similar?’‘I see it,’ he replied.‘Can it be called by any other name than what it is?’ 'No,’ he answered.‘Well, neither can I call myself by any other name than what I am: a Christian.’”

3) Strength in weakness.

Felicity gave birth in prison just a few days before her martyrdom.

According to the Acts of the Martyrs, when a prison guard heard her crying out during childbirth, he said to her:

She replied:

“Now it is I who suffer what I suffer; but then there will be another in me who will suffer for me, because I also will suffer for Him.”

She gave birth to a baby girl, whom one of the Christian sisters raised as her own daughter.

4) Their martyrdom and spiritual legacy.

After enduring numerous trials and tortures, both women were taken to the amphitheater and died for their faith.

Felicity's head was severed with a machete blow. The executioner assigned to kill Perpetua, however, was extremely nervous and missed his first strike. Though she cried out in pain, she calmly guided his trembling hand and indicated the exact place on her neck where he should strike.

Even in her final moments, she demonstrated that her martyrdom was embraced freely and courageously.

The Church celebrates their feast day on March 7.

The story of Perpetua and Felicity spread rapidly among Christians, becoming a powerful symbol of:

• faithfulness in the midst of persecution
• equality in faith (a noblewoman and a slave united as sisters)
• Female strength in the early Church
• hope in eternal life despite suffering

Today, Saints Perpetua and Felicity are considered patron saints of mothers and pregnant women.

Saints Perpetua and Felicity, please pray for us!