Saint of the day
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When Francesco Forgione was born in 1887, no one expected how great an impact he would make on the world. No one knew he would become a saint well-known and well-loved, referred to today as Padre Pio. He seemed to be the average, humble Capuchin priest, but he was blessed with many gifts such as…
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St. Maurice was a Roman soldier and commander of the Theban Legion, a unit of Christian soldiers from Egypt. Around the year 286 AD, Emperor Maximian ordered the legion to march to Gaul to suppress a rebellion. When Maurice and his men were commanded to persecute fellow Christians and offer sacrifices to pagan gods, they…
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Saint Matthew was formerly a tax collector but was transformed into one of the Twelve Apostles. Saint Matthew is the author of the Gospel of Matthew, one of the synoptic Gospels, which means he was an eyewitness to Jesus’s life on earth. His Gospel emphasizes Jesus as the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Old…
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Saints Andrew and Paul were 2 of 103 clergy members and laypersons that were martyred in Korea for their beliefs in Christ. Andrew Kim Taegon was the first native Korean Catholic priest, and enabled thousands of faithful to receive the sacraments in secret. Paul Chong Hasang was not a priest, but sought to unify scattered…
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Januarius was a bishop, a martyr, and a neighbor to the people of Naples. He died in the early 300s, likely beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith. That part’s not unusual. What is unusual is what came after. His blood is kept in two glass ampoules in the Cathedral of Naples. On three days…
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He was awkward. Poorly educated. Often misunderstood. And yet, Saint Joseph of Cupertino became one of the most mystically gifted saints in the Church’s history. Born in a small Italian village, he struggled with learning and was dismissed as slow. But his heart burned with a love for God that couldn’t be measured by exams…
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Saint Robert Bellermine was born on October 4, 1542, in Montepulciano, Italy. He had nine siblings and his mother was the niece of Pope Marcelus II. After he was ordained as a Jesuit, Robert began his work as a professor and wrote many works throughout his life to defend the Pope against protestant teachings. Pope…
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Saint Cornelius was elected pope in 251 A.D. during a hiatus in Christian persecution under Emperor Decius. However, he faced a major schism led by Novatian, who believed that all Christians who renounced their faith under the pressure of persecution should not be forgiven. Cornelius knew that with sincere repentance and penance, they could in…
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The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows focuses on Mary’s devotion as she stayed by Jesus through His suffering and death. Devotion to Mary’s heart and her shared suffering with her Son grew throughout the Middle Ages, eventually leading the Church to dedicate a specific feast day to honor her seven sorrows: the prophecy of…
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Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, which commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena in the 4th century. It was burried and hidden by local Jews or early Christians to protect it from the pagans that were trying to suppress Christianity. More deeply, this feast celebrates…