Show notes
It's the Feast of Sts. Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla and Pancratius, 3rd Class, with the color of Red. In this episode: the meditation: "The Rogations", today's news from the Church: "The Easy Explanation of the Fraternity of Saint Peter", a preview of this week's episode of The SSPX Podcast: "Rooted and Rising - a New St. Joe's Armada, MI", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org
Sources Used Today:
- "The Rogations" — Eastertide Day by Day
- "The Easy Explanation of the Fraternity of Saint Peter" (FSSPX.news)
- The SSPX Podcast: "Rooted and Rising - a New St. Joe's Armada, MI" (SSPX Podcast)
- The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Please support our new project, the Archbishop Lefebvre Biography Audiobook!
Saint Rictrude was a noblewoman, wife, mother, and abbess whose life reflects the transformation of Christian family life in the early medieval Church. She lived in the seventh century in the region of what is now northern France, during a time when the Christian faith was still shaping the culture of Europe. Born into a noble family, Rictrude was raised with strong Christian values and became known for her intelligence, charity, and devotion to God.
She married a nobleman named Adalbald, and together they built a household rooted in faith. Their marriage became known for generosity toward the poor and support for the Church. Yet their peaceful family life was shattered when Adalbald was murdered, leaving Rictrude widowed with children to raise.
Rather than retreat into bitterness or despair, Rictrude turned more deeply toward God. Guided by Amandus of Maastricht, she embraced a life of prayer and eventually founded the Abbey of Marchiennes. There she became abbess, leading a community of religious women while continuing to care for her children, several of whom would also be honored as saints.
As abbess, Rictrude was known for wisdom, discipline, and maternal care. She governed firmly but gently, encouraging humility, charity, and fidelity to prayer. Though she had once lived amid the privileges of nobility, she embraced simplicity and service, dedicating herself to the spiritual growth of her community.
The Church honors Saint Rictrude as a model of Christian widowhood and holy motherhood. Her life demonstrates how suffering, when united to God, can become a path to deeper holiness. She is also remembered as part of a remarkable family in which multiple members pursued sanctity, showing how faith within the home can bear fruit across generations.
Devotion to Saint Rictrude remained especially strong in northern France, particularly around Marchiennes, where her abbey became an important spiritual center. Her feast day on May 12 is observed with prayers for families, widows, and religious communities.
In some traditions, she is invoked by mothers seeking wisdom and strength in raising children amid hardship. Her example reminds the faithful that sanctity can flourish in both family life and religious life when rooted in trust and perseverance.
Saint Rictrude, faithful mother and servant of Christ, pray for us.
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What is the SSPX Podcast?
The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.
What is the SSPX?
The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.
Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it.
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