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“When you were with Mother Teresa, you knew you were in the presence of someone special. She was truly authentic to her identity. You knew she was the Lord’s. She was always a saint, and now the church is recognizing it.” | Father Jim Kean, pastor of St. Damien of Molokai Parish in Pontiac, Mich., on “kidnapping” Blessed Teresa in Rome in the late 1980s — while he was still a seminarian — so she could visit a dying woman. (Catholic News Service)
In the news
Fruitful faith-based art
VATICAN CITY — There’s another kind of academy award being hosted this year.
A pontifical academy founded during the Renaissance has announced a cash prize of $22,000 in a contest for young artists whose work promotes “Christian humanism.”
Pope Francis was scheduled to award the “Prize of the Pontifical Academies” to the winner or winners at the Vatican later in the year.
The contest “is open to young artists and institutions of any nationality, active in the fields of literature, poetry and music and also to institutions dedicated to artistic formation in these fields. Their work or activity must contribute to the development of Christian humanism and its artistic expressions,” the academy said in a press release.
Individuals must be between 25 and 40 years of age on April 30, and institutions must have been active for less than 20 years, it said. (CNS)
Saints under 40
Overwhelmed by love
Born in 1322, Blessed Imelda Lambertini of Bologna was called to religious life at a very young age — 9 years old — after a pious childhood that was filled with devotion and charity. She yearned to be fully accepted into the Dominican community and receive the Holy Eucharist, but the rules at the time barred children from receiving Communion until age 12. Imelda filled her time with prayer and reading about the saints. When she was 11, she could wait no longer and prayed for the grace to receive Communion. A bright light appeared above her head and a host materialized within the light; a priest came with a paten to catch it and Imelda finally received Communion. It is said that she then died instantly, her heart broken from the immensity of Jesus’ love. (ncronline.org)