The past several years have been a tough time to be Catholic in America. In many ways, this is a time of tragedy for the Church. Morale is low, and the number of Catholics leaving the Church is higher than ever before. The effects of all these tragedies are far-reaching. They have left society at large with a very low opinion of Catholicism and caused many Catholics to be ashamed of the Church.

One thing that has become startlingly clear is that we, as Catholics, have forgotten our story. 

Saint Mark of Rome knew the importance of remembering our story…and he made it his goal that we would never forget who we are. Mark was an early Christian who was pope for just under a year. During that short time, he did many things that helped the Church, but one of his most important projects was to compile stories of the lives of martyrs and bishops before his time. He also built a basilica—San Marco—to honor Mark the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel of Mark. Pope Mark understood the incredible power of remembering your story as a Catholic, honoring your story, and sharing it with others.

Have you forgotten your story as a Catholic? Have you forgotten that every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, and clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to?

Consider this question: When Jesus was alive, where were the sick people? Were they in hospitals? Of course not; there were no hospitals at the time of Christ. The sick were huddled at the side of the road and on the outskirts of town, and that is where Jesus cured them. The very essence of health care emerged through the Church, through the religious orders, in direct response to the value and dignity that the Gospel assigns to each and every human life. 

Allow me another question: How many people do you know who were born to nobility? Not many, I suspect, and probably none. Well, that is the number of educated people you would know if the Catholic Church had not championed the cause to make education available to everyone. Almost the entire Western world is educated today because of the Church’s pioneering role in universal education.

There are certainly dark moments in the history of the Catholic Church. But, by and large, our story is one that has radically changed the world for the better. It’s time we rediscover our story.



Feast Day: October 7 (Our Lady of the Rosary)

Patron Saint of: Abbadia San Salvatore, Italy

Also Known As: Pope Saint Mark