Mother Teresa was born in Albania, but is known for her work in India. A member of the Sisters of Loreto, she felt a call to live among the poor. While working with the poorest of the poor in India, she founded the Missionaries of Charity who continue her work.
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Gregory, called “the Great,” became pope at the age of 50. In his new role, he had much to do both within and outside the Church. Known for his reform of the liturgy, he is credited as the author of the Gregorian chant used for centuries in the Latin church.
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Victims of the French Revolution, these blesseds witnessed to their faith by refusing to take a civil oath which amounted to a denial of their faith. On a single day in Paris, 185 priests and religious were martyred.
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We know little about Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus except what we find in scripture. We do know that they were Jewish men of some standing who were not afraid to express their respect for Jesus.
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Canonized in 2009, Saint Jeanne Jugan had a history of helping the elderly and the poor. She founded the Little Sisters of the Poor to help her with her work, and by the time of her death the community numbered 2400 women.
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The martyrdom of John the Baptist is one of the most gruesome stories in the New Testament. Yet it is the story of the victory of faith and loyalty over cowardice and hate.
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Perhaps Saint Monica is best known as the mother of Saint Augustine—a pretty noble label. But Saint Monica was also the mother of two other children, and is known as a woman of great prayer.
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Saint Joseph Calasanz dedicated his life to poor children. He gathered teachers to help him, and eventually organized the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools–also known as the Piarists or Scolopi. But his work was not without opposition, as some objected to the education of the poor.
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Saint Louis of France took his position seriously as both king and Christian. A true son of the Church, Louis worked for peace and reconciliation within his kingdom and beyond. He was generous with his wealth and his time. He was named a patron of the Secular Franciscans.
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A member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Saint Rose of Lima lived a life of penance and devotion to the poor at home under the disapproving eyes of her parents.
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The notion of a queen is somewhat foreign to American ears, but this feast of Mary recognizes her role in the Kingdom of her Son, Jesus.
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Wanting to be a simple monk in the quiet of a monastery, Bernard of Clairvaux was called instead to be a very active member of the Church in his day.
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Saint John Eudes was a noted preacher and confessor. He founded several seminaries because he saw the need for clerical formation. He also founded a couple of religious communities to address other needs that he saw. Saint John had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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Transformation from greedy and surly businesswoman to saint is the story of Saint Joan of the Cross. Her conversion is credited to an elderly woman who most people thought was crazy, but who reached Saint Joan’s heart. Joan of the Cross went on to found a religious congregation and several charitable institutions.
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Stephen of Hungary was both a king and a Christian. So, he embodied both the civil and the religious aspects of life in his person. Saint Stephen expressed those aspects in the best way he knew how according to his culture and period of history.
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Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, a Conventual Franciscan, is best known for volunteering to take the place of a condemned prisoner in a death camp. But he also worked tirelessly for the spiritual welfare of people through his deep devotion to the Blessed Mother.
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The son of Irish immigrants, Blessed Michael McGivney saw a need for Catholics to come together to assist widows and orphans who were often left destitute. That organization became the Knights of Columbus.
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Jane Frances de Chantal was a wife and the mother of six. When her husband was killed, Saint Jane Frances took a vow not to remarry and sought to join a religious community. She was dissuaded by her spiritual director, Saint Francis de Sales.
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Devotion to Saint Lawrence dates back to the earliest days of the Church. While we do not know many facts about him, his courageous witness to the faith is well known, as well as some interesting legends which may or may not be true. They show a fascination with Saint Lawrence and his testimony to the faith.
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The story of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross begins with her life as Edith Stein, a noted philosopher raised in the Jewish faith. Her studies led Edith to the Catholic Church and to becoming a Carmelite nun. She died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1942.
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Saint Dominic became aware that the preacher had to practice what he preached and connect with the people of God. He and a few Cistercians formed what was the beginning of the Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominicans.
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Founder of the Society of Jesus Ignatius of Loyola, like Francis of Assisi, had a conversion experience while recuperating from a serious illness. Being a military man, the Rule of Life that Saint Ignatius wrote for his followers shows the discipline and rigor of a soldier, but a soldier of faith with the mercy and compassion of the Gospel.
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A mild-mannered Dutch Carmelite professor, Saint Titus Brandsma became a fierce critic of the Nazi movement and was put to death by lethal injection at the Dachau concentration camp in 1942.
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Around the year 64, the city of Rome experienced a devastating fire. Emperor Nero blamed it on the Christians, and a severe persecution followed. Included in the mass murder of Christians were the First Martyrs of Rome. We don’t know their names, but their witness to the faith is certain.
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A Secular Franciscan, Blessed Raymond Lull spent his life supporting the study of languages necessary for successful work in the missions. It wasn’t until late in life that he saw any fruition of his labors, when language chairs were established in several universities.
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An Augustinian monk who was inspired by the martyrdom of Franciscan missionaries, Saint Anthony of Padua joined the Franciscans hoping to be a missionary. But God had other plans for him. He became one of the outstanding philosopher/theologians of the Order.
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