Francis of Assisi is a good example of why the legends should never overshadow the life, Father James Martin writes. For within his life lie many surprises awaiting those who are willing to meet Francis on his own terms.

On this feast day of his favorite saint, James Martin, S.J., shares a reflection on Therese of Lisieux.

The stunning news that a soon-to-be-saint was excommunicated for urging the church to take action against a sex offender is a reminder of the virulence of the crimes of clerical abuse.

An excerpt from ‘The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything,’ by Father James Martin

St. Vianney spent upwards of 12 to 13 hours a day in the confessional. I once mentioned that in a lecture in a large parish and one young man immediately raised his hand and said, “Why, what did he do?”