Stephen K. Ray's Blog, page 8

Italy 2025 8 Assisi, Holy House of Loreto, Ancona

Visited St. Mary of the Angels (Porziuncola) in the valley from Assisi. Departed for Loreto.

Visit the Basilica della Santa Casa which is a shrine of Marian pilgrimage. Celebrate Mass at the Crypt of Basilica of Loreto. Dinner and overnight Ancona.

DAILY VIDEO

STEVE’s 8-MINUTE TALK ON HOLY HOUSE OF LORETO

The post Italy 2025 8 Assisi, Holy House of Loreto, Ancona appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Italy 7 Assisi, Sts Francis and Clare, Blessed Carlo Acutis

We are joined by guests and friends Teresa Tomeo and her husband Dominic. We started by visiting the tomb of Saint Francis before the crowds arrived and celebrating Mass at St. Francis Basilica (Cappella Frate Leone) followed by our guided tour of the Basilica, the city, especially the Basilica of St. Clare.

Visited the tomb of Blessed Carlos Acutis. Free afternoon and evening to explore, shop, rest, and find the exquisite restaurants in cafés. Many people went back to the churches to pray.

The post Italy 7 Assisi, Sts Francis and Clare, Blessed Carlo Acutis appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Italy 2025 6 Siena, Eucharistic Miracle, Wine Tasting

We arrived in Siena for Mass at Basilica of St. Francis in Siena. We were given a special honor of being blessed with the Eucharistic miracle that took place there 300 years ago. Our folks were very moved by this.

Guided tour of Cathedral and Siena including the Piazza del Campo and Church of St. Dominic where we venerated the relics of St. Catheriine of Siena. Everybody scattered for lunch in this beautiful quaint medieval city.

We did a tour of the winery and wine tasting at Siena-Tenuta di Corsignano. Great fun! We arrived in Assisi to our Domus Laetitia Hotel.

The post Italy 2025 6 Siena, Eucharistic Miracle, Wine Tasting appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Italy 2025 5: Florence, Mass at Duomo, Cooking Class

Walking tour of Florence, especially the magnificent Cathedral Duome of Florence concluding with Mass. Construction began on the groundbreaking structure in 1296, completed in 1436.

Walking tour including Santa Croce, which includes the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, and Niccolo Machiavelli. Free time in historical for lunch and exploration. Lunch on own

Depart for Montecatini. Attend our cooking class to learn about the food of this region at Ristorante Montebuoni. Dinner at Tuscany Inn where we ate the pasta meal that we had made in our class!

The post Italy 2025 5: Florence, Mass at Duomo, Cooking Class appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Proud of our 2nd Graduating Grandson Dominic Brown

Very proud of our grandson Dominic Brown who graduated from Wyoming Catholics with top honors.

Here is a picture of him with three of his four siblings. He’s going to cap off this graduation with his marriage to Anna on June 30 (circled below).

 

The post Proud of our 2nd Graduating Grandson Dominic Brown appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Italy 2025 4: Pavia (Tomb of Augustine), Florence (David Statue)

Milan – Pavia – Milan
Teresa Tomeo joins our group in Florence
with group today
Arrive in Pavia to celebrate Mass at St. Augustine’s Tomb at the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oroin, Tour of the Basilica

Lunch stop on the way to Florence. Prayers, talks, fun and naps along the way. Continue on to Florence, lunch stop en route (on own)
Walking tour including the Baptistry Doors, Palazzo Vecchio, and Ponte Vecchio, where locals sell their leather and gold.

Visit Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s “David”. Dinner at Osteria dei Baroncelli and check in at Hotel Tuscany Inn in Montecatini Terme.

The post Italy 2025 4: Pavia (Tomb of Augustine), Florence (David Statue) appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Italy 2025 3 Milan: Tomb of St. Ambrose, Tour of Milan and more

Visited Basilica of St. Ambrose and venerated the bones of Bishop St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church. At 6:30 the Archbishop was there because we were not able to get into the crypt. Also the remains of Gervasius and Protasus interred with him. (Look up Bishop Barron’s article “Musings on the Teeth of Saint Ambrose”).

Toured the Sforzesco Castle, and much of Milan. Lunch on own and free time in the quaint and gorgeous city center.

Mass at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Mary of Grace). Dinner at Restaurant La Dogana del Buon Gusto.

The post Italy 2025 3 Milan: Tomb of St. Ambrose, Tour of Milan and more appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

My Talk at Primacy of Peter: Understanding John 21 and Jesus’ Appearance at the Sea of Galilee

Since we have a new pope, it is always good to learn and remember about the first pope and how it all got started.

This is a 12-minute version of my 25 minute talk I have given almost 100 times on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy of St. Peter Church. It is an explanation of St. John 21 where Jesus appoints Peter to be the shepherd of his sheep. (see my YouTube video below).

But there is much more here than meets the eye when you first read John 21, especially if you are reading in English.

What do the net, the 153 fish, the shoreline, and the water represent? Did you know that Jesus and Peter used two different Greek words for “LOVE” in their dialogue, but there is only one word used in English? Why couldn’t Peter say he loved Jesus, but was only his good friend?

This is a sample of the teaching I give at the holy sites in the Holy Land and I hope you enjoy what our group is listening to today  This is my whole 20 minute talk expounding on John 21.

The post My Talk at Primacy of Peter: Understanding John 21 and Jesus’ Appearance at the Sea of Galilee appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Italy 2025 1-2: Arrivals, Milan Duomo, Baptismal Font of St. Augustine

It’s the Jubilee Year of 2025 and we have a new Holy Father (who we will see in two weeks! Our group landed today in Milan Italy in the Melpensa Airport.

Our first stop was the cathedral Duomo in the heart of downtown Milan. This gorgeous cathedral took over 600 years to build. Its intricate spires look lacy and light, some reaching 365 feet!

Holds 40,000 people; with more statues than any church in the world — 3,400 with 134 gargoyles and stunning stained glass. Both inside and outside you stand with your mouth open in awe and no pictures can do this Church justice.

4th-century Baptistery beneath Milan’s Duomo

We had Mass here today in front of the church under the relic of a nail from Jesus’s crucixion. My favorite part is going to the grotto below to see the baptismal font where St Ambrose baptized St. Augustine in 387 (both Doctors of the Church)! Renewed our baptismal vows here.

Free time in the Square before we checked into our hotel, had a nice meal together with introductions and announcements and early to bed. Off to a good start!

The post Italy 2025 1-2: Arrivals, Milan Duomo, Baptismal Font of St. Augustine appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Steve Discusses Mary with Marcus Grodi on Coming Home Network

Since May is the Month of Mary, I thought it would be good to share this interview again In this interview with Marcus Grodi of the Journey Home on EWTN, we analyse the doctrines of Mary — what I believed as a Baptist and how I came to understand the fullness of the truth about Mary. It was a long journey, but I love to share the excitement of the discovery.

Marcus Grodi welcomes back former Baptist and good friend Steve Ray. “Jerusalem Jones” talks about the way in which biblical typology opened his eyes to the Catholic Church. Ray focuses this episode on the Virgin Mary in Scripture and how the Catholic Church’s tradition on the Mother of God is the most biblical interpretation.

The post Steve Discusses Mary with Marcus Grodi on Coming Home Network appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.