Vatican Insider

I hope and pray that each one of you had a beautiful and blessed Christmas, marked by meaningful liturgies and many happy moments with family and friends. My days were full and delightfully happy, filled with wonderful memories.

In this weekend’s pre-Christmas edition of Vatican Insider, instead of an interview, I present a fun Special on Christmas and New Year, how both are celebrated in the Vatican and in Rome. Some interesting history, color and traditions are included in this report. So, gather around for a Christmas Story a la Italiana, and be sure to include the young ones!

In the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” this weekend, just days after the December 10 feast of Our Lady of Loreto, I present a Special on the stunning Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto on Italy’s Adriatic Coast. You will be enchanted by the story of this beautiful and historic shrine. This and more in today's Vatican Insider with Joan Lewis.

This week, in what is normally the interview segment of Vatican Insider, I offer a special report on the recently completed, 3-year-long Synod on Synodality in which I present what several U.S. prelates attending the synod had to say about that experience from pieces they wrote, press conferences they spoke at, or interviews they gave to the media. This and much more in today's edition of Vatican Insider.

Instead of a guest interview this week, I offer a two-pronged special on Thanksgiving, my own thoughts on how I am thankful for God’s multitude of blessings in my life, and then a very special reflection by Pope Francis on the meaning of Thanksgiving.

The interview segment of Vatican Insider this weekend features my conversation with celebrated Chicago sculptor Lou Cella and the story he tells of the statue he sculpted of the world’s beloved St. Frances Xavier Cabrini – Mother Cabrini – a statue now in Rome at the basilica of St. Paul. An American saint is back in her native Italy forever.

The interview segment of Vatican Insider this weekend features my conversation with celebrated Chicago sculptor Lou Cella and the story he tells of the statue he sculpted of the world’s beloved St. Frances Xavier Cabrini – Mother Cabrini – a statue now in Rome at the basilica of St. Paul. An American saint is back in her native Italy forever.

In the interview segment of Vatican Insider this week, I accompany you on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anthony of Padua, describing this much-acclaimed shrine and looking at the life and times of this celebrated saint.

My special guest this week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider is Michael Heinlein, editor of Simply Catholic, a ministry of Our Sunday Visitor and he is a frequent contributor to OSV. Our focus is his captivating book “Glorifying Christ” on the life and times of Cardinal Francis George, the late archbishop of Chicago.

My special guest this week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider is Michael Heinlein, editor of Simply Catholic, a ministry of Our Sunday Visitor and he is a frequent contributor to OSV. Our focus is his captivating book “Glorifying Christ” on the life and times of Cardinal Francis George, the late archbishop of Chicago.

Join me on Vatican Insider this weekend as I offer a number of interesting stories and audiences the Pope had this week and then my special report in what is normally the interview segment on the College of Cardinals. On October 6 the Pope announced he would create 21 new cardinals on December 7 and so I look at the College they will join that day – its history and makeup and some interesting statistics.

I met Fr. Maher a few years back through a mutual friend, Irini de Saint Sernin, the Society’s Director of Philanthropy. We have become fast friends and I have to say, if you could just spend five minutes with Irini, you’d somehow believe, as I do, that her passion for the Bollandists played a role in the papal visit! So stay tuned after the news for Part II of my conversation with Fr. Maher.

Welcome to my first post-vacation edition of Vatican Insider as we start the busy news month of October with the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican and a number of interesting appointments for the Pope, including a canonization ceremony. But now, as I do every Friday, let me tell you about my guest in this week’s interview segment, Jesuit Fr. Michael Maher. He is an expert in the Belgium-based Societe des Bollandistes (Society of Bollandists) whose scholars, Jesuits and lay people, since the early 17th century, specialize in the study and research of hagiography, the writing of lives of saints and blessed.

As you know, because of the COVID-19 crisis and restrictions imposed on and by people for in person interviews – at least up to now – in recent weeks I have filled what is normally the interview segment of Vatican Insider with Specials. So far, I’ve explored 6 of the 7 Roman basilicas known as the Pilgrim Basilicas – St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, St. Paul’s outside the Walls, Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and St. Lawrence al Verano. Come with me this weekend as we go to the basilica of St. Sebastian that was built above the catacombs of the same name and is dedicated to the third-century saint who was twice martyred. Also we will actually take a mini pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, a half hour south of Naples, which has a beautiful and even touching story. It is a shrine that has a special place in my heart.

VATICAN INSIDER: ST. JOHN CANTIUS, THE STORY OF A CHICAGO PARISH My guest this week in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is a longtime friend, Fr. Frank Phillips, former pastor for 30 years at Chicago’s well-known St. John Cantius Church. After a number of years, we met serendipitously over my vacation at a pre-investiture ceremony for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre that was held at St. John Cantius. I’ve always been intrigued by the rich history of this parish and you will be too as you hear Fr. Frank talk of his 30 years here, of his love of reverent and beautiful liturgy, of his founding of a religious community, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, and so much more. Thanks to Fr. Frank’s dedication, inspiration, as well as decades of both material and spiritual renewal, the current pastor, Fr. Josh Caswell and his staff offer many liturgies during the week, including morning, afternoon and evening prayers, vespers and high and low Masses in both Latin and English. Astonishingly enough, the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius today work in 3 parishes in 2 dioceses in Illinois, offering 57 public Masses weekly and hearing more than 700 confessions each week! Yes, you read that right! First called the Society of St. John Cantius by Cardinal George, the name was later changed to the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius. The reference is to St. John of Kenty, Poland! Here are some of the dozens of photos I took at the Holy Sepulchre liturgy on September 24. Some kind of technical glitch prevented me today from uploading all the pictures I took but when I finally make that happen, there are many photos and many stories to tell What you see is only a small representation of the main body of the church, the reliquary room and what I call the Polish chapel, a room in which Fr. Phillips had recreated to one-third original size the main altar of St. Mary Church on Market Square in Krakow. You’ll love the story of this Polish parish! (originally