Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant, Pope Francis, our Supreme Pontiff, and direct him, according to Thy loving kindness, in the way of eternal salvation; that, of Thy gift, he may ever desire that which is pleasing unto Thee and may accomplish it with all his might.

The Laity’s Mission in the Church: We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church. In light of this intention from Pope Francis, I thought it appropriate to mention two of the four female Doctors of the Church, who both have feast days in October! We celebrate the Feast day of St.Therese of Liseaux on October 1st. The feast of St. Teresa of Avila is celebrated Oct. 15th. Both of these women are great Carmelite saints who wrote numerous books to help us grow in holiness! The term “Doctor of the Church” is a special and specific title bestowed on certain Saints who are deemed to have contributed significantly to the life of the Church,…