Calendar Class of October 29, 2025

A Carpe Diem Snapshot:

My favorite churches in Rome are the ones where you can still experience a sense of mystery, history, and antiquity, the ones off the beaten track that feel like a personal discovery when you walk through the doors. This is certainly the case with the church of Santa Prassede, in the shadow of the enormous Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Here some color-coordinated students knelt before the tombs of the sisters Prassede and Pudentiana. The sisters, daughters of the Roman senator Pudens, an early convert of St. Peter, were executed for providing a Christian burial for martyrs. The most distinctive period in this ancient church's history came with the reign of Pope Paschal I (817-824), who brought 2,300 relics of martyrs from the catacombs to be buried within this church. He also commissioned some exquisite mosaics behind the altar and in the chapel of St. Zeno, which are still in excellent condition today.

Liturgical: Wednesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

Romans 8:26-30

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Sanctoral: St. Narcissus (c. 99 – c. 216 A.D.) was a holy and esteemed priest of Greek origin who became the 30th bishop of Jerusalem in the year 180 A.D., about a century after the city's destruction by the Romans. He was known as a miracle-worker, as well as for governing his diocese with vigor and discipline despite being in his 80th year when he was made bishop. Of his many miracles, the one for which he is most famous was turning water into oil on Holy Saturday, as recorded by the historian Eusebius: when the deacons had no oil to burn in the altar lamps for the Easter liturgy, St. Narcissus had them use water instead. After he prayed over the water and it was put into the lamps, it was miraculously converted into oil. In 195 A.D. St. Narcissus was part of a council of bishops who settled the date for the observance of Easter, deciding on Sunday and not the ancient Jewish Passover. Despite his reputation as a holy bishop, St. Narcissus drew opposition. Three enemies accused him of a serious crime and prayed that he might be cursed by God in punishment. This took a toll on the saint, and, forgiving his persecutors, he retired from public life and lived as a hermit for many years. His enemies meanwhile were struck by the calamities that they wished upon him. When St. Narcissus eventually returned to Jerusalem he was exuberantly welcomed by the faithful. He served the people of Jerusalem in many ways until his death at over 116 years old.

Human: On October 29th, 1929, the US stock market collapsed in a wave of panic selling, wiping out billions of dollars in value. The crash marked the start of the Great Depression, a global economic crisis that lasted over a decade and reshaped financial systems around the world.

2015 — China announced the end of its one-child policy, allowing families to have two children after more than three decades of restrictions.

1956 — Israeli forces invaded Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, launching a military campaign that escalated the Suez Crisis.

1923 — The Republic of Turkey was proclaimed with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as its first president, officially replacing the Ottoman Empire.

1901 — US authorities executed anarchist Leon Czolgosz for assassinating President William McKinley weeks earlier.

1618 — English explorer and writer Sir Walter Raleigh was executed for treason after a failed expedition in South America.

539 BC King Cyrus "the Great" of Persia marches into Babylon, freeing Jewish captives and allowing them to return home

1268 Conradin, the last legitimate male heir of the German Hohenstaufen dynasty of kings and Holy Roman Emperors, is executed with Frederick I, Margrave of Baden, by Charles I of Sicily

1665 Battle of Mbwila [Ambuila]: Portuguese forces defeat the Kingdom of Kongo and decapitate King António I of Kongo, also known as Nvita a Nkanga

Natural: Halloween Traditions Explained: Jack-o’-Lanterns, Costumes & More

Also: How to Make Caramel Apples (3 Ingredients)

Also: Redeeming the Raven, Evermore

Italian: Fischio (whistle)

The word fischio in Italian refers to any kind of high-pitched sound emitted by blowing through the teeth and lips, in addition to a similar range of sounds emitted by birds, animals or objects. Generally we’d translate this word as whistle, but other possible translations include hiss, call, cry, or whizz.

Quote: "Let all creation help you to praise God. Give yourself the rest you need. When you are walking alone, listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, the sun and the whole world. Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to proclaim the greatness of the one who has given them being."

-St. Paul of the Cross