Calendar Class of October 18, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

Here in the tiny church of Santa Maria Cappella in Trastevere, our friend Rebecca introduced the group of pilgrim ladies I was fortunate enough to accompany to one of Rome's most distinguished citizens--- Santa Francesca Romana. Mystic, wife, mother, peace-maker, foundress, and patron saint of Rome, she is also the patron saint of our Rome program. The morning's walk around Rome to learn about the inspiring women who walked these cobblestones before us was organized by that "sibyl of Rome," my friend and neighbor Ashley Noronha. Check out the Truth and Beauty project that she and her husband John created in the Etc. category below!

Liturgical: Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist

He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.

Luke 10:1-9

Sanctoral:St. Luke the Evangelist (1st c.) was a well-educated Greek physician and a native of Antioch in Syria. He was a follower of St. Paul the Apostle and spent most of his life evangelizing with him in Asia Minor up until the time of Paul's martyrdom.

His account of these events, contained in the Acts, is firsthand history.

St. Luke's Gospel is, above all, the Gospel of the Merciful Heart of Jesus. It emphasizes the fact that Christ is the salvation of all men, especially of the repentant sinner and of the lowly. Legend says that Luke painted the Blessed Virgin's portrait. It is certainly true that he painted the most beautiful word-picture of Mary ever written.

Human: St. Luke's Little Summer

Lovely, summerlike days that occur around October 18 are called Saint Luke’s Little Summer in honor of the saint’s feast day. Around this time, Saint Luke’s feast day, there is a brief period of calm, dry weather. Of course, it’s difficult to generalize today across the vast continent of North America, but the temperature is usually mild and the leaf colors are turning a gorgeous color. It’s a good time for a brief vacation or visit to a park. In Venice, Italy, they say: “San Luca, El ton va te la zuca” (Pumpkins go stale on St Luke’s Day), but here in North America, pumpkins are enjoying their finest hour. Saint Luke is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons, so it seems only fitting that the good doctor gives us these calm days. In olden days, St. Luke’s Day did not receive as much attention in the secular world as St. John’s Day (June 24) and Michaelmas (September 29), so it was to keep from being forgotten that St. Luke presented us with some golden days to cherish before the coming of winter, or so the story goes. Some folks call this Indian Summer, but that officially occurs between November 11 and November 20.

Alaska Day

Alaska Day marks the anniversary of the formal transfer of the Alaska Territory from Russia and the raising of the U.S. flag at Sitka in 1867.

Natural: All About the REAL Betelgeuse, the Strangest Star

Betelgeuse, the massive red supergiant star marking Orion’s left shoulder, is back in the night sky for its seasonal return—just as we all start tuning into our favorite Beetlejuice movies! This ultrabright star isn’t just eye-catching; it’s one of the strangest stars in the sky, famous for its size, color, and the occasional scare it gives astronomers.

Italian: Notizia (news)

The word notizia in Italian is all about knowing things, being informed, in the loop, or, as we say in Italy, sul pezzo (on top of things).

Quote: “Faith and love are like the blind man’s guides. They will lead you along a path unknown to you, to the place where God is hidden.”

-St. John of the Cross

Etc.: The Truth and Beauty Project in Rome