Catholic Saints Augustine Institute

Dr. Carl Vennerstrom and Mary McGeehan share details of the life of St. Alfred the Great, a 9th century English saint. Due to Danish invasion, Christian practices and clerical literacy rates were in decline as Alfred was growing up. Inspired by his faith and his duty as king, St. Alfred dedicated his life to rebuild England’s Christian education and culture.

Dr. Carl Vennerstrom and Mary McGeehan discuss the life and impact of St. Rose of Lima. Born in Lima in the late 16th century, Rose is known for her zealous faith, strong fasting, self-imposed penances, and her desire to remain unmarried to be Christ’s spouse. St. Rose experienced much tension between her vocation and her family life as her devotion to God sometimes conflicted with her obedience to her parents.

Taylor Kemp and Dr. Elizabeth Klein discuss the life of a lesser-known monastic saint from the 4th century, St. Isidora of Egypt. She is one of the oldest recorded “holy fool” saints – a saint archetype lesser known in the West but well known in the East. How she lived humility in her Christian life was highly despised and scorned by the world. Her feast day is May 1.

Taylor Kemp and Dr. Elizabeth Klein discuss the life of St. Anselm of Canterbury, monk, abbot, and second archbishop of Canterbury. A doctor of the Church, St. Anslem was admired by Thomas Beckett and Thomas More because he resisted English kings during the investiture controversy. St. Anselm’s masterpiece Cur Deus Homo includes his argument for the ontological argument for God’s existence.

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Dr. Elizabeth Klein and Taylor Kemp share key moments from the life of St. Martin of Tours. Martin’s cloak, or “capella,” became a famous relic that inspired the word “chapel.” St. Martin lived the life of a hermit, monk, and bishop, and his feast day is November 11.

St. Paula was a Roman Christian who married at young age and became a religious after the death of her husband. Dr. Elizabeth Klein shares about the life of this influential woman who sponsored St. Jerome's translation of the vulgate and founded two monastic communities!