Gertrude, a Benedictine nun in Helfta, Saxony, was one of the great mystics of the 13th century. Together with her friend and teacher Saint Mechtild, she practiced a spirituality called "nuptial mysticism," that is, she came to see herself as the bride of Christ.

Saint Albert the Great was a highly influential 13th-century German Dominican. Probably best known in philosophical circles as the master of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Albert deserves recognition on his own. He was a voracious writer who composed a compendium of all knowledge.

Saint Margaret of Scotland was considered Scottish because her family was rescued by the king of Scotland as they fled William the Conqueror. She married the king and introduced him and his country to a more cultured life. They had six sons and two daughters.

She died before her 24th birthday, but in those few years Saint Elizabeth was a wife, mother, queen, widow, the founder of a hospital, and did other charitable works of mercy. For the last three years of her life she was a Secular Franciscan and worked tirelessly for the poor.

Holy Spirit Parish - Holy Spirit Book Group page

The Ladies Guild's November 17 program is "Stories in the Stars" featuring Suzie Dills of Hoover Prince Planetarium.

St. Peter Basilica is probably the most famous church in Christendom and the largest in the city of Rome. St. Paul Outside-the-Walls is second in size only to St. Peter's. Built over the presumed graves of these two saints, they are attractive places of prayer for the faithful.

Upcoming parish events are posted on our website. See what's happening and mark your calendar.

Some people believe that the demands of faith contradict happiness. However, researchers in positive psychology, the science of happiness, have discovered that traditional Christian practices actually promote human happiness and well-being. Certainly, the Christian life involves loving neighbor and loving God rather than seeking personal satisfaction at other people's expense.

Calling God "Mother".

Heresy? Revolutionary? Something else?