Maria Vickroy-Peralta, Author at Queen of Peace Media

How to Celebrate St. John Paul II’s 100th Birthday

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

Today marks the centenary of the birth of Pope St. John Paul II—he would have been 100 years old today. Here are ways to celebrate this extraordinary saint.

Our Lady of Fatima: Prayer and Peace

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

As Our Lord makes known through the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, we can lift up ourselves and others along the way. Give Jesus and Mary a hand in the task of saving the world, and help change the course of history.

Advent: Time for Fasting, not Feasting

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

The Advent season has turned into a non-stop feasting marathon. This year, try Advent fasting to prepare your heart to receive the newborn Jesus at Christmas.

Holy Rosary: Spiritual “Weapon” for Our Time

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Find Your Way Home, Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

As we honor Our Lady of the Rosary, we can help combat scandal with the most distinctively Catholic devotion: the Rosary, a spiritual weapon to reform the Church and heal her members.

St. Padre Pio: “Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry”

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Find Your Way Home, Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

This special year marks the 100th anniversary of the stigmata of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionately known as Padre Pio, and the 50th anniversary of his death.

Pierre Toussaint: Former Slave, Future Saint?

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

Pierre Toussaint—former slave, society hairdresser, philanthropist, and potential future saint—became spiritually free long before he was legally free.

Start Your Lent with Love: Ash Wednesday and St. Valentine’s Day

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Find Your Way Home, Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

Celebrating Ash Wednesday and St. Valentine’s Day together shows us how to make this Lenten season a Lent of Love.

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Advent Hope for the Americas

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

Our Lady of Guadalupe embodies hope for the Americas, just as in Advent the pregnant Madonna carrying the Christ Child is hope for humankind.

Praying for the Impossible? Try St. Jude, Patron of Hope

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Find Your Way Home, Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

If you’re praying for what seems like an impossible petition, you’re not alone. St. Jude, patron saint of seemingly impossible or lost causes and desperate situations, can help.

St. John Paul II: “Open Wide the Doors for Christ”

Posted by Maria Vickroy-Peralta | Holy Days, Holy Heroes. Feasts and Saints. (by Maria Vickroy-Peralta)

Today is the feast day of Pope St. John Paul II, patron saint of World Youth Day. Reflect on his extraordinary influence on our lives, the Church, and the world, and on how you can meaningfully celebrate his life today.