Saint Bertin (d.709)
Saint Bertin was born in France in the beginning of the seventh century. He began his religious life at the Abbey of Luxeuil, and then joined the bishop of Therouanne, who was sharing the message of Christ with the pagans. …
Saint Rosalia (c.1130-c.1160)
Saint Rosalia had a famous lineage, she was a descendant of Charlemagne. She was born in Sicily, and turned away from earthly pleasures to God when she was a young girl. Rosalia left the comforts of her home to reside …
Saint Giles (650-710)
Saint Giles was born in France during the seventh century. While in France, he built a monastery that became a popular halfway destination for pilgrims traveling from Spain to the Holy Land. Giles also became well known in England, where …
Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (d.651)
Saint Aidan was born in Ireland. It is said that he may have been a student of Saint Senan before dedicating himself to monastic life. At the request of the king of Northumbria, Aidan became the bishop of Lindisfarne. He …
Saint Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879)
Saint Jeanne Jugan, also known as Sister Mary of the Cross, was born in France in 1792. She and two other companions formed a Catholic community of prayer, dedicated to teaching the catechism and assisting the poor. Jeanne then set …
Saint Bartholomew (1st century)
Saint Bartholomew is listed in the Bible as one of the Twelve Apostles. Not much is known about this saint. Some scholars believe him to be the Nathanael who is mentioned in the Gospel of John. The Apostles were tirelessly …
Saint Pius X (1835-1914)
Saint Pius X is one of the 20th century's greatest popes. He had grown up in a poor family, and he was often embarrassed by the showiness and excess of the papal court. He often saw this insistence on grandeur …
Saint John Eudes (1601-1680)
Saint John Eudes was born in France in 1602. He felt called to religious life, and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. When plagues struck France in 1627 and in 1631, John ministered to those afflicted. He …
Saint Helen (d.330)
Saint Helen was the mother of the first Christian emperor, Constantine. She married the Roman general Constantius Chlorus. In 292 he divorced her to marry the emperor's stepdaughter. Helen's ex-husband and eventually her son each became emperor. Her son, Constantine, …
Saint Joan of the Cross (1666-1736)
Saint Joan was born in 1666 in France. Her parents owned a small business, which she took over upon their deaths. In her business dealings, Joan was notorious for her greed and heartlessness to beggars and the poor. However, Joan's …
Saint Stephen of Hungary (975-1038)
Saint Stephen of Hungary was baptized at a young age. His father was the chief of the Magyars, and Stephen succeeded his father as chieftain. Stephen married the daughter of Duke Henry II, and dedicated much of his time to …
Saint Tarsicius (3rd or 4th century)
Saint Tarsicius was either a layman or a deacon who lived sometime in the third or fourth century. He was attacked by a pagan gang while he was on his way to deliver the Eucharist to a bedridden Christian friend. …
Saint Hippolytus (170-235)
Saint Hippolytus was a presbyter in Rome. He had a strong passion for discipline and was a very important theologian and a productive religious writer. He maintained that the pope should come down harder on heretics and stop listening so …
Saint Hilaria (d.304)
Saint Hilaria and her daughter, Saint Afra, hid their bishop from harm during the Diocletian persecutions. In turn, their bishop converted them. Saint Afra was martyred because she refused to sacrifice to pagan gods. After her daughter was martyred, Hilaria …
Saint Edith Stein (1891-1942)
Edith Stein was born to a Jewish family in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland). As a teenager she turned away from Judaism and professed atheism. Years later, after becoming a noted philosopher, Stein was drawn to Catholic thought. Her reading …
Saint Cajetan (1480-1547)
Saint Cajetan began his adult life by first becoming a lawyer and then turning to the priesthood. He was ordained at 36, and at the age of 42 established a hospital in Venice, Italy, for those suffering from incurable ailments. …
Saint Hormisdas (d.523)
Saint Hormisdas was born in Frosinone, Italy, in 450. He was married before he was ordained, and had a son, Silverius, who followed in his father's footsteps and also became a pope. Hormisdas became a deacon during a time of …
Saint Addai (2nd century)
Legend has it that Saint Addai was ordered by Saint Thomas to go to the court of King Abgar the Black. Tradition tells us that Abgar, the king of Edessa, was stricken with an incurable sickness. Hearing of Jesus' power …
Saint Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868)
Saint Peter Julian Eymard was born in La Mure d'Isere, France. Peter joined the seminary at Grenoble, and was ordained a priest in 1834. At first, Peter's father opposed his choice to pursue religious life, which made the decision difficult …
Saint Eusebius of Vercelli (283-371)
Saint Eusebius was born on the island of Sardinia, Italy. After his father was martyred, he moved to Rome, where he eventually became a bishop. He stood up for the Church during one of its most difficult periods. This hard …
