The last pope to die as a martyr (d. 655) His life + Martin was born in Italy and was elected Bishop of Rome in 649. + Soon after his election he convoked a council in Rome to condemn the Monothelite Heresy (which denied the human will of Christ) and the involvement of Emperor Constans… Continue reading Saint of the Day: Pope St. Martin I (TUESDAY, APRIL 13)
Category: Life of Saints
Saint of the Day: St. Oscar Romero (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24)
Bishop and Martyr (1917-1980) + Born in El Salvador in 1917, Oscar Romero was a carpenter’s apprentice during his youth before entering seminary and worked in a gold mine to help support his family. He was ordained a priest in Rome in 1942. + Romero spent several years serving as a parish priest and… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Oscar Romero (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24)
Saint of the Day: The Solemnity of Saint Joseph (FRIDAY, MARCH 19)
Patron Saint of the Universal Church (First Century) His life + Joseph was a poor tradesman (tektōn, cf. Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3) in the village of Nazareth. + Following the announcement by an angel that Mary was to be the mother of Jesus, Joseph willingly accepted the responsibility of caring for the young mother and… Continue reading Saint of the Day: The Solemnity of Saint Joseph (FRIDAY, MARCH 19)
Saint of the Day: St. Leander of Seville (SATURDAY, MARCH 13)
“A man of suave elegance and eminent talent”. Bishop (d. ca. 600) His life + Leander was born in Cartagena, Spain. His younger brothers, Isidore and Fulgentius, and his sister, Florentina, are also honored as saints. His family settled in Seville, Spain, when he was a young man. + Around the year 575, Leander… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Leander of Seville (SATURDAY, MARCH 13)
Saint of the Day: The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10)
Roman soldiers who died for their faith in Christ (d. 320) Their story + The Martyrs of Sebaste were a group of Roman soldiers in the Legio XII Fulminata (“Lighteningbearers”) who were killed for their faith near the city of Sebaste (present-day Sivas, Turkey). + What we know of their witness comes to us from… Continue reading Saint of the Day: The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10)
Saint of the Day: St. Frances of Rome (TUESDAY, MARCH 9)
Patron Saint of Benedictine Oblates. Widow and Foundress (1384-1440) Her life + Francesca Busssa de’ Leoni was born to an aristocratic family in Rome. She was married at the age of 12 to Lorenzo de’ Ponziani and the couple had three children during their 40 years of marriage. + With her sister-in-law, Frances visited the… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Frances of Rome (TUESDAY, MARCH 9)
Saint of the Day: St. John of God (MONDAY, MARCH 8)
Patron of those with heart disease. Founder of the Hospitaller Brothers (1495-1550) His life + John was born in 1495 and spent his early years working as a shepherd. + In 1522, he enlisted as a soldier, losing the piety of his youth during his years of service. After he was released from the… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. John of God (MONDAY, MARCH 8)
Saint of the Day: St. Colette (SATURDAY, MARCH 6)
Reformer and Mystic. Foundress of the Poor Clares Colettine (1381-1447) Her life + Nicolette Boilet was born in Corbie, France, to older parents who died before Nicolette was 17. + After spending time with the Beguines and the Benedictines, she failed to discover her vocation and eventually became a Franiscan tertiary and, later, an anchoress.… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Colette (SATURDAY, MARCH 6)
Saint of the Day: St. Casimir
Patron Saint of Poland and Lithuania. Prince (1458-1484) His life + Casimir was born in Krakow, Poland. The third child of Casimir IV, the king of Poland and Lithuania, he was educated at court but secretly fostered habits of penance and devotion. + Casimir was especially devoted to the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin,… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Casimir
Saint of the Day: St. Chad (TUESDAY, MARCH 2)
Humbly relinquished control of his diocese. Bishop (d. 620-672) His life + Chad was born in Northumbria (England) and was a disciple of Saint Aidan and was probably educated at the monastery at Lindisfarne. + After living as a monk in Ireland, Chad returned to England around 653 and was ordained a priest. In… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Chad (TUESDAY, MARCH 2)
Saint of the Day: St. Polycarp (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23)
One of the Apostolic Fathers. Bishop and Martyr (d. ca. 152) His life + Polycarp was born around the year 69 and, according to tradition, he was a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist. + When Saint Ignatius of Antioch visited the city of Smyrna in 107, Polycarp was serving as the city’s bishop.… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Polycarp (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23)
The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter (MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22)
“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” + Today’s feast, an ancient celebration of the authority entrusted to Saint Peter and his successors, highlights the reality of Peter’s special role in the life of the Church. + The Gospel for this feast recounts the confession of Simon that Jesus is… Continue reading The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter (MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22)
Saint of the Day: Sts Francisco and Jacinta Marto (SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20)
Visionaries of Fatima (d. 1919 and 1920) Their story + Francisco was born in 1908 and Jacinta in 1910 near Fatima, Portugal. The brother and sister, children of peasant farmers, spent their days tending sheep with their cousin, Lucia Santos. + Friends and family recall that Francisco was the more serious of the two,… Continue reading Saint of the Day: Sts Francisco and Jacinta Marto (SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20)
An image of St. Joseph that melted the heart of St. Francis de Sales
St. Francis de Sales would frequently meditate on Jesus in the arms of St. Joseph, and the image became a way he spread devotion to the saint. Devotion to St. Joseph wasn’t always widespread in the Catholic Church, and it took many centuries before his popularity grew among Christians. One saint who worked to… Continue reading An image of St. Joseph that melted the heart of St. Francis de Sales
3 Saints who show us how Lent should look
With their feast days in March, they can help us go higher in this time of preparation for Easter. Our liturgical calendar is filled with saints who lived colorful lives of extraordinary grace. They serve as models of the Christian life for us. They are “raised to the altars” precisely to show us that… Continue reading 3 Saints who show us how Lent should look
Saint of the Day: St. Juliana of Nicomedia (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16)
A special patron and protector of the sick. Martyr (d. 304) Her story + There is no doubt that a woman named Juliana was martyred in the year 304 in Nicomedia, Turkey. The few scant details of her life have been enhanced numerous legends through the centuries. + According to Saint Bede the Venerable,… Continue reading Saint of the Day: St. Juliana of Nicomedia (TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16)