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 Gregory the Great (c.540-604)
When he was in his 30s, Gregory sold the many properties he owned, established seven monasteries in Italy, and distributed much of his considerable wealth to the poor. The next year he became a monk, and devoted himself to an …
Saint Ingrid of Sweden (d.1282)
Saint Ingrid was born in Sweden in the 13th century. She lived under the spiritual guidance of a Dominican priest, and became the first Dominican nun in Sweden. Ingrid established a Dominican cloister in Sweden, called Saint Martin's. When she …
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 John the Baptist (d.30)
Saint John the Baptist was a selflessly giving religious reformer. He is quoted in Matthew 3:11 as saying, "I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am …
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
Saint Augustine of Hippo is one of the most significant figures in the history of Western Christianity. The influence of his many books, sermons, and letters can be found on virtually every Christian doctrine, particularly the theology of Original Sin. …
Saint Monica (332-387)
Monica was the mother of Augustine of Hippo, a difficult young man who became a great theologian and bishop. He did everything he could to avoid God, but Monica never stopped praying for him. She once declared, “Nothing is far …
Saint Teresa of Jesus Jornet Ibars (1843-1897)
Saint Teresa was born in Catalonia, Spain. She faced many hardships in her youth, finally becoming a teacher at Lerida. Teresa yearned to begin religious life, but was not accepted into the convent that she wished to enter. After she …
Saint Louis of France (1214-1270)
Saint Louis, a king of France, was born in 1214. He lost his father at a young age, and was moved to a love of holy things by his mother. He married a virtuous women, and became king two years …
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 Rose of Lima (1586-1617)
Saint Rose was born in Lima, Peru, on April 20, 1586. She was given the name Isabel, but nicknamed Rose because of her great beauty. However, Rose did not want people to admire her beauty, because it might lead to …
Saint Antoninus (d.186)
Saint Antonius held a very gruesome profession; he was a Roman public executioner. He was involved in the trial proceedings of Saint Eusebius. During the proceedings, Antonius received a vision, and converted to Christianity. Because he proclaimed himself a Christian, …
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 Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was called at the age of 20 to leave his family and join the Monastery of Citeaux. He was soon joined in his new monastic lifestyle by numerous family members and friends. Bernard was fervent and …
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 Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941)
Maximilian Kolbe was born in Poland in 1894 with the name Raimund Kolbe. He attended a Franciscan seminary as a teen, where he took the name Maximilian. Despite having tuberculosis, he was ordained a Franciscan priest and earned two doctoral …
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 …
