Saint Sharbel Makhlouf was a Lebanese Maronite Rite monk, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches who follow a slightly different liturgy and canon law. We in the Latin or Roman Rite often forget that we have sisters and brothers in the East. Saint Sharbel is a good reminder of the wider Church.
Read MoreSaint Bridget of Sweden was married, a mother of eight, and the foundress of a monastery for men and women. She spent her final days in Rome seeking to correct Church abuses for which she received much opposition.
Read MoreWhether or not Saint Mary Magdalene was a notorious sinner—and she most likely was not—she was one of the women who traveled with Jesus and the Apostles, and was present at the cross. She also was the one chosen to bring the good news of the resurrection to the Apostles.
Read MoreUnwilling to take no for an answer, Saint Apollinaris was exiled from Ravenna several times, but he always returned trying to preach the good news to the people. He finally died of a beating he received in a suburb of Ravenna.
Read MoreSaint Camillus de Lellis was rejected by the Capuchins because of an ongoing medical condition. Against the advice of a friend, he founded a religious community on his own to care for the sick. These men proved to be invaluable during the plague, caring for the worst of its victims.
Read MoreSaint Francis Solano asked to be sent to Africa as a missionary. Instead he was sent to South America, where he spent the rest of his life. After years of ministry in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, he died in the city of Lima, Peru.
Read MoreThe Blessed Virgin has many, many titles—among them is Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is in northern Israel and has long been the site of a monastery of religious monks.
Read MoreKnown as the Lily of the Mohawks, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha courageously converted to Catholicism at age 19 despite her family’s disapproval. She was ostracized and forced into extreme poverty. Escaping to Montreal, Kateri continued to live a life of prayer and penance.
Read MoreA Capuchin Poor Clare nun, Saint Veronica Giuliani received the unique gift of the stigmata of Christ. Few people have been blessed with these marks; Saint Francis of Assisi was probably the most notable among them.
Read MoreAmong the Chinese martyrs was the diocesan priest, Father Augustine Zhao Rong. Facing the strong anti-foreign and anti-Catholic feelings present in China for centuries, these martyrs were caught up in a situation that in many ways had nothing to do either with religion or with the Church. But they stayed loyal to Christianity and to their people, and gave their lives in witness.
Read MoreFranciscan friar Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and his companions were tortured and killed for their faith in 1860. Little else is known about them, but the testimony of their lives speaks volumes.
Read MoreSaint Maria Goretti has captured the love and affection of thousands of people because of the simplicity and purity of her life.
Read MoreSaint Elizabeth of Portugal did not have an easy time in spite of the fact that she was royalty. She spent her life seeking peace between herself and her unfaithful husband, and between many of her relatives. Elizabeth saw some progress in this endeavor before retiring to a Poor Clare monastery where she died.
Read MoreWe don’t know a lot about Saint Thomas the Apostle, but tradition has it that he traveled to and preached the gospel in India, where he was eventually martyred. His name means “twin,” and due to his skepticism, he is also known as “Doubting Thomas.”
Read MoreMission San Gabriel Arcangel in San Gabriel, Calif., is seen in this 2015 file photo. The fourth mission established by St. Junipero Serra caught fire before sunrise July 11, 2020. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)
Read MoreAround 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.
Read MoreWe celebrate two great saints today, Saints Peter and Paul. Saint Peter is often considered the Apostle to the Jews and Saint Paul to the Gentiles (based, most probably, on his extensive travels among the Gentiles). Together they witnessed to the budding of Christianity, and both laid down their lives for the faith.
Read MoreSaint Cyril of Alexandria was instrumental in the Church’s doctrinal statement that there is one person but two natures in Christ. The practical implication of this teaching is that we believe that Jesus is truly God and truly human.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreBlessed Jutta of Thuringia, a noble woman with children, became a widow at a young age. She used her means to provide for the children, but once they were grown, she disposed of her wealth, became a Secular Franciscan, and lived a life of austerity.
Read MoreSaint John Fisher’s name is usually associated with Saint Thomas More and their difficulty with King Henry VIII. A bishop and cardinal, John Fisher refused to agree with Henry’s divorce and remarriage, as well as the idea that the king, rather than the pope, was the head of the Church in England. He was imprisoned and eventually martyred.
Read MoreSaint Aloysius Gonzaga was a precocious child who had a spiritual awakening at the age of 7. As a young adult, and after a prolonged battle with his father, he entered the Jesuits where he had to learn to live and maneuver within community, and give up some of his independent ways of doing things. Aloysius helped nurse patients of the plague which he caught and from which he died.
Read MoreSaint Paulinus was a married priest and bishop. In his day, marriage was not an impediment to the priesthood. Though married for many years, Saint Paulinus and his wife were childless. When they finally were blessed with a son, he lived but a few weeks.
Read MoreSaint Romuald had the strange experience of being uncomfortably holy and asked to leave a monastery. When he tried to become a missionary, he was repeatedly hindered by an illness. Next he was falsely accused and excommunicated for a few months. But he didn’t give up.
Read MoreAt a time when rigorist ideas were rampant in the seminaries of Italy, Saint Joseph Cafasso proved to be a moderate, leading the students to the best of Catholic thought without going to extremes. He also encouraged them to join the Secular Franciscans and develop a love for the Eucharist.
Read MoreKnown for his long hours of prayer and notable ability to communicate, John Francis Regis served the people of France during a “dry” period, when the faith and the Church seemed in decline. He conducted missions to counteract the malaise.
Read MoreSaint Albert Chmielowski was a talented painter and a Secular Franciscan. In mid-life, he founded the Brothers of the Third Order of Saint Francis, Servants to the Poor, who worked with the poor and homeless. Known also as the Albertine Brothers, this community was renowned for depending completely on alms.
Read MoreAn 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.
Read MoreBlessed Jolenta of Poland and her husband assisted many from their means. Once widowed, and with two of her three daughters married, Blessed Jolenta and her third daughter entered the Poor Clares. She eventually became an abbess.
Read MoreSaint Joachima was a wife, mother, widow, and founder of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity. Used to taking care of others, she experienced total dependency on others toward the end of her life.
Read MoreSaint Ephrem was ordained a deacon, but refused ordination to the priesthood. He was a teacher, defender of the faith, and a prolific writer. He refuted many heresies of his day, often through the lyrics of hymns that he wrote.
Read MoreSaint William of York, born William fitzHerbert, faced great obstacles as Archbishop of York just trying to take hold of his diocese. His ordination as bishop was refused, then it was performed by another bishop but then not recognized by Rome. When he finally took over his diocese, he died within a few months.
Read MoreBlessed Franz Jägerstätter, a married man with children, refused to fight in Hitler’s army and was arrested and executed as a result. Not condemning fellow Catholics who did serve, Blessed Franz felt he had to follow his conscience and resist.
Read MoreSaint Norbert founded the order with the most difficult name to pronounce and spell—Praemonstratensians. Perhaps that’s why they go by the name of Norbertines. But this order was anything but hard to appreciate when it comes to the work they did. They were very effective in converting heretics and reconciling enemies.
Read MoreSaint Boniface was an English Benedictine monk who made it his life’s mission to convert the Germanic tribes to Christianity. He found it was no easy task and ended up giving his life for the cause. Boniface was martyred on June 5, 754.
Read MoreBlessed Angeline of Marsciano founded the first Third Order community of women in the Franciscan family; something new in her day. While briefly married, Blessed Angeline did not set aside the vow of perpetual chastity she’d made as a child. She spent her life caring for the sick and the poor.
Read MoreToday we celebrate the 22 martyrs of Uganda, Saints Charles Lwanga and Companions. Their stories are set in the court of a chief who did not share their faith. Even though they were pages in his court, their faith meant more to them than his approval and support.
Read MoreWe know very little about these two martyrs, but Saints Marcellinus and Peter are mentioned in the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Roman liturgy. They made the ultimate sacrifice for the faith and are remembered by the faithful for that reason.
Read MoreSaint Justin Martyr was the first recognized philosopher of the Christian era. Converted to Christianity, he continued his love of philosophy and used it to defend the faith.
Read MoreToday’s feast is about both two women and two men. The Blessed Virgin Mary goes to visit Elizabeth to assist her in her final days of pregnancy. But as she greets Elizabeth, the babe in Elizabeth’s womb—John the Baptist—leaps for joy at the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Great mysteries of life are at play here.
Read MoreSaint Joan of Arc has been the subject of many plays and books, and her life is riddled with legend. But we know that she was a very spiritual young woman who led the French in battle against the English. In a politically motivated trial, Joan was condemned to death and burned at the stake.
Read MoreSaint Madeleine Sophie Barat lived in France during the French Revolution. Concerned about the education of children, especially girls, and feeling a call to the religious life, she founded the Society of the Sacred Heart. The sisters worked for the education of the poor and ran boarding schools for the well-to-do.
Read MoreBorn in Haiti and brought to New York City as a slave, Venerable Pierre Toussaint lived an exemplary Catholic life both before and after gaining his freedom. Married and then widowed, Pierre continued his charitable works well into his elder years.
Read MoreSaint Augustine of Canterbury, a monk, was the first bishop of Canterbury. While he only labored for another eight years after establishing the diocese, his influence lives on. Part of his success, limited though it was, was due to his compassionate approach to the local peoples.
Read MoreFor many years after his student days, Saint Philip Neri lived as a layman engaged in prayer and apostolic works in Rome. During this time, he attracted many to join him—poor and rich. After ordination, he became a noted confessor and eventually founded the Oratory, a religious institute, with some of his followers.
Read MoreSaint Bernardine of Siena seems to have been a man with a whole lot of energy. He preached, reconciled cities, fought heresy, and attracted great crowds. Bernardine always traveled by foot, and often preached in more than one city on a given day. He is best known today for his great devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.
Read MoreSaint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi is known as the “ecstatic saint” because of her unusual gifts from God. To safeguard the authenticity of her visions, her confessor had her dictate them to fellow sisters. The result was five volumes encompassing ecstasies, letters, and inspirational sayings. But her life was not all sweetness; she also battled with temptations.
Read MoreSaint Gregory VII, originally known as Hildebrand, was a reformer before and during his papacy. He struggled to gain the Church’s freedom from undue civil influence and paid a price for his efforts. Gregory VII died in exile in 1085. Thirty years after his death, the Church won its struggle.
Read MoreSaint Rita of Cascia was a wife, widow, and mother before becoming an Augustinian nun. She seems to have done most of her ministry within the convent, yet counseled many lay people who came to the monastery. Rita was known for her austerity and charity, along with prayerfulness.
Read MoreSaint Cristóbal Magallanes and Companions, 21 diocesan priests and three laymen, belonged to the Cristero movement during the 20th-century persecution of the Church in Mexico. Martyred over a number of years in eight Mexican states, they were beatified and canonized together.
Read More