Saint Peter Chrysologus (d.450)

Born during the early fifth century, Saint Peter Chrysologus was appointed Bishop of Ravenna, a diocese located in northern Italy. As a young priest, Saint Peter Chrysologus quickly noticed that many of his parishioners unwittingly adhered to remnants of their …

Saint Martha (1st century)

The story of Saint Martha, and her profound friendship with Jesus and trust in his power, is found in the Gospels. Martha is first mentioned as the busy and frustrated hostess of Jesus and his followers. Poor Martha. She was …

Saint Leopold Mandic (1887-1942)

Saint Leopold Mandic, a Capuchin Franciscan, was born in Croatia in 1866. He was a man of unusually small stature, and suffered from numerous disabilities: arthritis, which often made it difficult for him to walk, speech impediments, which inhibited his …

Saint Pantaleon (d.303)

Saint Pantaleon was such a celebrated doctor that the Roman Emperor Galerius appointed him as his personal physician. Pantaleon's excessive involvement in the pagan court influenced him to deny his Christianity. He lived as a pagan for some time before …

Sts. Joachim and Anne (1st century)

According to an ancient Church tradition, Joachim and Anne are the names of Mary’s parents. While we do not know much about them, we do know they raised Mary to practice her faith and to be a strong and courageous …

Saint James (1st century)

Saint James and his brother Saint John the Apostle were two of Jesus' Twelve Apostles. Jesus first encountered James and John while they were fishing with their father. After joining Jesus, James and John were among Jesus' closest disciples. James …

Saint Adele (d.730)

Saint Adele was the daughter of King Dagobert II of Germany. She married and had a son, who would become the father of Saint Gregory of Utrecht. After the passing of her husband, and after she made arrangements to provide …

Saint Bridget (1303-1373)

Saint Bridget of Sweden was born in 1303 and from an early age experienced visions of the nativity, the crucifixion, and purgatory. These visions became well known and inspired artistic depictions. Married at age 14 to Magnus II, the King …

Saint Mary Magdalene (1st century)

Mary of Magdala ("Magdalene" indicates she was from the town of Magdala) is among the first and greatest saints who lived in the company of Jesus. Yet she came from a very troubled past. We are told that Jesus cast …

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619)

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi was born in 1559 in Brindisi, Kingdom of Naples, and died exactly 60 years later, on his birthday in 1619. Born to successful merchants who died while Saint Lawrence was young, he was raised and educated …

Saint Apollinaris (1st century)

Tradition teaches that Saint Apollinaris was sent to Ravenna by Saint Peter to preach the gospel. The pagans of the city were angered at Saint Apollinaris and allegedly attacked him before expelling him from the city. He then preached in …

Saint Justa (d.287)

Saint Justa and her sister, Saint Rufina, earned their living by selling pottery. One day, they received a very large order for pottery from a wealthy customer. The sisters discovered that the pots would be used for pagan rituals, and …

Saint Bruno of Segni (d.1123)

Saint Bruno joined the Benedictines when he was a young man. He was appointed Bishop of Segni by Pope Saint Gregory VII. Saint Bruno was a great defender of orthodox Church wisdom and ardently fought against simony and lay investiture. …

Saint Francis Solano (1549-1610)

Saint Francis Solano was born in Spain in 1549. He came from a prominent family and, as a student, once broke up a deadly duel. At the age of 20, Saint Francis joined the Franciscans, studied philosophy and theology, and …

Saint Marie Magdalen Postel (1756-1846)

Saint Marie Magdalen Postel was born in Barfleur, France. She established a school for young girls in her hometown when she was just 18 years old. When the school closed due to the French Revolution, Marie used the school building …

Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274)

Saint Bonaventure was born in 1221 in Italy. He was a prominent theologian and bishop and is now a Doctor of the Church. As a young child, Bonaventure was cured of a fatal illness through prayers to Saint Francis of …

Saint Camillus of Lellis (1550-1614)

Saint Camillus of Lellis was a big, burly man. He was "hasty of temper," and such a ferocious and bad gambler that he eventually lost everything he owned and had to go to work digging ditches and building houses. From …

Saint Henry II (972-1024)

Saint Henry II was born in 972 and was Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Germans, and King of Italy. He fought many battles and quelled many rebellions, and assisted Pope Benedict XIII in subduing uprisings in Rome. His ultimate …

Sts. John Jones and John Wall (c.1530-1598; 1620-1679)

John Jones was born during the murderous reign of Queen Elizabeth, who despised Catholics and sought to remove all remnants of Catholicism from England. As a young man, Saint John traveled to France to take his vows as a Franciscan. …

Saint Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547)

Much of what we know about Saint Benedict comes from legends, and their accuracy is debated by scholars. Legend holds that he was born in the mountains northeast of Rome, and that he fled the eternal city as a young …

Saint Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727)

Saint Veronica exhibited tremendous holiness and understanding, even as a young child. She regularly set aside portions of her food and clothes to give to the needy, and once, at only 18 months of age, reprimanded a dishonest shop owner. …

Sts. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions (17th-20th centuries)

Between 1648 and 1930, 87 Chinese-born Catholics and 33 non-Chinese-born Catholics, mostly priests and women religious, were martyred by Chinese authorities. Many died during the Boxer Rebellion, in which Chinese citizens afraid of Catholic influence murdered thousands of Christians. The …

Sts. Gregory Grassi and Companions (d.1900)

In the late 1800s, Russia, France, Britain and Germany forced China to relinquish large portions of its territory. This heightened already powerful xenophobic elements in Chinese culture and resulted in an intense hatred of foreigners. Among others, missionaries became targets …

Saint Odo of Urgell (d.1122)

Saint Odo of Urgell was born into a noble family in Barcelona, Spain. He was a soldier in his early years, but gave his position up when he felt called to religious life. Odo was selected as Bishop of Urgell, …

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