St. Frances of Rome: The Archangel and the Flaming Heart One of the most celebrated mystics of the fifteenth century, Saint Frances of Rome, was born in the Eternal City in 1384, to a noble family.  She had from a young age desired to enter religious life, but her father had other plans, and she was married as a young woman to Lorenzo de’ Ponziani, a nobleman and soldier.  Saint Frances distinguished herself by her charity towards the poor and … Read More

Born c. 340 AD, Saint Ambrose came from a high ranking Roman patrician family. He received a classical education, and then engaged upon the civil career his father had planned for him. He enjoyed great success, rapidly rising through the ranks and becoming the Prefect of Milan, one of the most important posts in the Western Empire at that time. Despite a pious mother and sister, Ambrose himself was only a catechumen during the first 33 years of his life. … Read More