24 June 2026
The Life of the Real Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Who Was Married to George III?
From History Calling
What was the REAL QUEEN CHARLOTTE like? She’s been made famous through Netflix shows like Bridgerton, but who was Queen Charlotte really? Born Princess Sophie Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, she grew up to become the woman who was married to George III, the Queen with the most children in British history (or at least the highest number who survived infancy) and the first Queen of the United Kingdom. In this video on the history of the Hanoverians from History Calling I’ll reveal details of Charlotte’s entire life from her birth in 1744 to her death in Kew Palace in 1818 and I’ll answer the question, how many children did Queen Charlotte have and tell you why being the wife of George III was no easy task.
George is known to history for two things. One is being the King who lost America, after the American Revolution successfully ended British control in the country on his watch. The other is his famous mental health problems. But what happened when George III went mad, not once, but twice? How did his wife deal with the situation, especially when her eldest son became the Prince Regent and did Queen Charlotte love King George III, or was she stuck with an ailing spouse she didn’t even like at the best of times?
This video has all the answers. It will take you through the marriage of George III and Queen Charlotte, her experience of being his consort and her many children (she was the mother of George IV among others). Along the way I’ll tell you about the madness of King George III, explain what the Regency period was above all introduce you to the real Queen Charlotte.
It’s Christmas in June! How St John’s Day Is Connected to Jesus’ Birthday
Today we honour the Birth of St John the Baptist, one of only three people whose birthday the Church keeps as a Feast, the others being Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
From Aleteia
By Philip Kosloski
The two feasts were liturgically similar and continue to share a spiritual connection.
Have you ever heard of the phrase "Christmas in July"? Well, medieval Christians used to celebrate "Christmas in June."
On June 24 the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, which commemorates the birth of Jesus' cousin, John. It is one of three feasts in the Church's calendar that celebrates a birthday.
St. John’s birthday is celebrated on June 24, three months after the Annunciation and six months prior to the birth of Christ. The feast coincides with the summer solstice, the time of the year when the days are the longest.
After the celebration of St. John’s birthday the days become progressively shorter up until the winter solstice around December 25 when the days start to get longer. This corresponds to the words of St. John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Historically Christians would celebrate this day in a very similar way to Christmas. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains the extent to which medieval Christians connected the two feasts.
The resemblance of the feast of St. John with that of Christmas was carried farther, for another feature of the 24th of June was the celebration of three Masses: the first, in the dead of night, recalled his mission of Precursor; the second, at daybreak, commemorated the baptism he conferred; and the third, at the hour of Terce, honored his sanctity.
The whole liturgy of the day, repeatedly enriched by the additions of several popes, was in suggestiveness and beauty on a par with the liturgy of Christmas. So sacred was St. John's day deemed that two rival armies, meeting face to face on 23 June, by common accord put off the battle until the morrow of the feast (Battle of Fontenay, 841).
Francis X. Weiser also gives some background on the medieval celebration of this feast.
The Council of Agde, in 506, listed the Nativity of Saint John among the highest feasts of the year, a day on which all faithful had to attend Mass and abstain from servile work. Indeed, so great was the rank of this festival that, just as on Christmas, three Masses were celebrated, one during the vigil service, the second at dawn, the third in the morning. In 1022, a synod at Seligenstadt, Germany, prescribed a fourteen-day fast and abstinence in preparation for the Feast of the Baptist.
Many Eastern Christians maintain some of these traditions, such as an all-night vigil preceding June 24.
In many ways the feast of St. John the Baptist prepares us for the celebration of Christmas, and even though it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, June 24 gives us a hint of what's to come in December!
Pope Leo Declares the Church Serves the United Nations
Jesus Christ gave the Church its mission: the Great Commission, the spreading of the Gospel to bring souls to Christ. Pope Leo XIV announced a different mission before the UN.
Life In A Medieval Hospital
From Studium Historiae
Medieval hospitals were in some ways similar to our modern ones, but in many ways very different. They were not just what we would today call hospitals; they were also churches, charities, retirement homes, schools, hostels, affordable housing, orphanages, hospices, almshouses, religious communities, and so much more. Living in one, whether as staff or as someone receiving care, would have been quite a different experience from anything you would experience in most hospitals today.
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Sources and Recommendations for further reading:
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Sources and Recommendations for further reading:
- Barnhouse, Lucy C. Hospitals in Communities of the Late Medieval Rhineland (Routledge, 2025).
- Biller, Peter, and Joseph Ziegler, eds. Religion and Medicine in the Middle Ages (York Medieval Press, 2001).
- Bowers, Barbara S., ed. The Medieval Hospital and Medical Practice (Routledge, 2016).
- Brodman, James. Charity & Religion in Medieval Europe (Catholic University of America Press, 2009).
- Davis, Adam Jeffrey. The Medieval Economy of Salvation: Charity, Commerce, and the Rise of the Hospital (Cornell University Press, 2019).
- Rawcliffe, Carole. “Isolating the Medieval Leper: Ideas—and Misconceptions—about Segregation in the Middle Ages.” In Freedom of Movement in the Middle Ages: Proceedings of the 2003 Harlaxton Symposium, edited by Peregrine Horden (Shaun Tyas, 2007).
- Rawcliffe, Carole. Leprosy in Medieval England (The Boydell Press, 2006).
- Rice, Nicole R. The Medieval Hospital: Literary Culture and Community in England, 1350-1550 (University of Notre Dame Press, 2023).
Traditional Catholic Morning Prayers in English | June
Traditional Catholic morning prayers to help start your day in a godly way! The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May our devotion to the mystery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus increase more and more each day. We've included the Memorare of the Sacred Heart and litany of the Sacred Heart. Begin your June with daily morning prayer. This video is a compilation of many traditional morning prayers Catholics say, and should not be considered a replacement for those who have an obligation to pray the Divine Office morning prayers.
Impossible: Protestants Existed 500 Years Before Luther?
From Totus Catholica
Was Martin Luther really the first Protestant? Spoiler alert: No. The ideas of Protestantism—sola scriptura, rejection of sacraments, distrust of clergy—were alive and well centuries before 1517. In this eye-opening video, we trace the roots of Protestant thought back to ancient heresies like Donatism, Arianism, and movements like the Waldensians and Albigensians. By the end, you’ll see how the Catholic Church has always faced challenges—but also how it has preserved the truth through saints, councils, and unwavering faith.
đź“Ś Watch until the end to discover how these early "protestant" movements connect directly to the Reformation—and why the Church’s response remains relevant today.
✨ What You’ll Learn in This Video:
đź“– The Donatist Heresy and Its Echo in Modern Protestantism
🌟 How Arianism Paved the Way for Denying Christ’s Divinity
đź‘‘ The Waldensians and Their Rejection of Church Authority
🙏 Why the Printing Press and Politics Made Luther’s Message Catch Fire
đź“š Resources & Links Mentioned in This Video:
đź“– Scripture References:
Matthew 16:18 – Jesus establishes His Church on Peter.
John 6:53–58 – “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
Acts 2:42 – The early Church devoted itself to apostolic teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers.
đź”— Additional Resources:
đź“– St. Augustine’s Against the Donatists : On the validity of sacraments despite sinful clergy
đź“– Council of Nicaea (325 AD): The Nicene Creed affirming Christ’s divinity
đź“– St. Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Smyrneans : On the necessity of bishops and sacraments
đź“– Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1124): Sacraments as channels of Christ’s grace
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đź’¬ Join the Discussion!
What surprised you most about the history of Protestant ideas before Luther? How does this video deepen your understanding of the Church’s role in preserving truth? Share your thoughts or questions below—I’d love to hear from you!
Celebrate “Summer Christmas” With These 5 Traditions for St John the Baptist
Today is the Nativity of St John the Baptist, often called "Midsummer Day" because it falls immediately after the summer solstice.
From Aleteia
By Theresa Civantos Barber
The great feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist has beautiful traditions for the whole family!St. John the Baptist is highly unusual among the saints: He’s the only person besides Mary and Jesus whose birthday is celebrated instead of his day of death. That’s because he was "filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15) and Jesus said that "among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John" the Baptist (Matthew 11:11-16). Christians have traditionally honored his feast day on June 24 with distinctive customs.
The Nativity of John the Baptist coincides with the feast of Midsummer, or the Summer Solstice. Some believe this is because Church leaders wanted to “Christianize” a pagan feast, but most likely it is because his birthday falls six months before Christ’s birth.
There is great theological significance to St. John’s birth coinciding with the summer solstice: Christ is the “light of the world” (John 8:12) and John famously said of Christ, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). After this feast, the days get progressively shorter until Christ’s birth, when they begin to get longer again.
The birth of St. John the Baptist was a high holy day for much of Church history. It was called “the summer Christmas”, and Christians marked the day with festivals, parades, and many other celebrations. These customs have fallen by the wayside in some places, but they remain a beautiful way to celebrate this special feast.
If you’d like to observe the feast of St. John the Baptist in the traditional way, check out the 5 suggestions in the slideshow below. Each one is rich in meaning and truly honors Christ through his cousin, St. John. Enjoy celebrating the summer Christmas!
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