All Saints

This feast day grew out of the love and devotion of God's people. The Church chose this feast to honor God in His saints, in whom He has shown Himself so wonderful. We thank God as the creator of all holiness and for the graces He has showered upon them. The communion of saints is made up of all true children of God. They may belong to: the militant Church on earth the suffering Church in purgatory or the triumphant Church in heaven Some saints needed to pass through purgatory to be purified before they were fit for the Lord's presence. They stayed there until they were ready to see God. They are with him now forever. A few saints have their own feast day but as there are not enough days in the year we cannot celebrate a special day for each of the saints. Some stayed close to God all their lives. Others found Him along the way. Some led good lives without too much difficulty. Others made big mistakes, but were truly sorry for their sins and drew close to God. They made it! We celebrate their journey that led to eternal happiness with God. We celebrate our own family members, relatives, neighbors and friends whom we believe are in heaven. Today we can rejoice in our hearts with all the saints in heaven. We can make up our own prayer to them, thanking them for the witness of their lives. We can thank them too, for helping us overcome our difficulties and temptations. We ask them to help us on our own journey through life so we can be saints like them and go to heaven.

St Narcissus

Feast Day: October 29 Born: 99 :: Died: 215 Saint Narcissus from the time he was young, took great interest and care to study about his Christian faith. When he was of age, he became a priest and because he was so good, people called him "the holy priest". He only became the Bishop of Jerusalem when he was eighty years old but he ruled the Church with the energy of a young man. Narcissus was an excellent bishop and with God's grace performed many miracles. One Holy Saturday, the members of his Church were all upset because they could not find any oil to light the lamps in the Church for the Easter Vigil. St. Narcissus asked them to draw water from a nearby well and after he blessed it, told them to put it in the lamps. To the delight of the people, the water changed to oil and some of this oil was later saved in a sealed jar in Jerusalem in memory of the miracle. Everyone admired this good and holy man except people who chose to live evil lives. Three enemies of the saint accused him of a terrible crime. One said: "May I die by fire if it is not true!" The second said: "May I be wasted away by leprosy if it is not true." The third said: "May I be struck blind if it is not true." Yet no one believed their lie and the wicked story. The people knew how good Narcissus was. But Narcissus who wanted to spend time alone with God in prayer used it as an excuse to go off and live in the desert. His put his trust in God, whom he served so lovingly. And God took care of Narcissus by proving that the story of those men was not true. Each of the men got the punishment they had called upon their own heads. Then because his people pleaded, Narcissus returned to be bishop of Jerusalem to the great joy of his people. Although he was even older, he seemed to be more energetic and stronger than ever. When he became too weak to carry on, he begged God to send him a bishop to help him. Our Lord sent him another saint, Alexander of Cappadocia. With great love and eagerness, they ruled the diocese together. Narcissus lived to be over 116 years old. He died in the year 215.

Sts Simon and Jude

Feast Day: October 28 Born / Died: around the same time as Jesus The Church celebrates the feast of these two apostles of Jesus on the same day. St. Simon was called "the zealous one" because he had so much devotion to the Jewish law. Once he was called by Jesus to be an apostle, he gave his heart and his energy to preaching the Gospel. With the other apostles, he received the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. He first went to Egypt to spread the good news. Then he went to Persia with the apostle St. Jude. Both of them gave their lives for God when they were martyred there. St. Jude is sometimes called Thaddeus, which means "the brave one." At the Last Supper, Jesus said: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and show myself to him." And St. Jude asked: "Lord, how is it that you are about to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered him: "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." St. Jude is also called the saint of "desperate or impossible cases." People pray to him when things seem hopeless. Often God answers their prayers through the intercession of this beloved apostle.

Blessed Richard Gwyn

Feast day October 25 Born: (around) 1465 :: Died: 1539 Richard was a non-Catholic Welshman (from Wales). He studied in Cambridge and when he had finished college he became a teacher. Then Richard adopted the Catholic faith and decided to join the priesthood. After becoming a priest he was made the Chamberlain of his monastery. A few years later he was chosen to be the abbot of Glastonbury (which is similar to a Parish-Priest). At this time Queen Elizabeth I ruled England and Wales. Because most people in Wales were still Catholic, the queen and her officials tried to crush the faith by cruel laws. Priests or people who were loyal to the Holy Father - the Pope, were put in prison and many were tortured and killed. Soon Richard became a hunted man. He escaped from jail once, and a month later was arrested again. They said to him, "You will be freed, if you give up the Catholic faith." But Blessed Richard refused. They took him to a non-Catholic church by force and he upset the preacher's whole sermon by clanking his chains loudly. The angry officers locked him up for eight hours, and many came to abuse and insult him. He was again put in prison and tortured. The queen's men wanted him to give them the names of other Catholics whom they could arrest, but Richard would not. When he was taken to court, men were paid to tell lies about him and he was sentenced to death. Then his wife and baby were brought to court. "Do not imitate your husband," the poor woman was told. She bravely said, "If you want more blood, you can take my life with my husband's. If you give more money to your witnesses, they will definitely find something against me, too." As Blessed Richard was being martyred, he cried out in terrible pain: "Holy God, what is this? Jesus, have mercy on me!" Then he was beheaded. Blessed Richard wrote some beautiful poems when he was in prison. In them, he begged his countrymen of Wales to be loyal to the Catholic faith. Blessed Richard died a martyr in 1539.

St Anthony Claret

Feast Day: October 24 Born: 1807 :: Died: 1870 Anthony was born at Catalonia in Spain and the same year Napoleon attacked Spain. In 1835 he became a priest and was sent to his home parish. Later he went to Rome and worked to help the missions. He joined the Jesuits as a novice, but his became ill. So he returned to Spain and became a pastor. But Father Anthony knew that the whole world was a mission field and he had the heart of a missionary. He was a dedicated preacher in his parish. He gave conferences to priests. Father Anthony knew how powerful books were to reach people and he wrote at least 150 books. His most well-known book, The Right Way, has reached millions of people. Some people did not understand the work that Father Anthony did. His success made them very unhappy. But the Lord allowed people to find fault with his work so that this energetic priest could visit the Canary Islands. He spent a year there preaching the Good News and then returned to Catalonia, Spain. In 1849, Anthony started a new religious order called the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They are known as the Claretians. Queen Isabella II of Spain thought highly of St. Anthony. She suggested that he was the best person to become archbishop of Santiago, Cuba. And he spent seven exciting years as Archbishop in Cuba. Archbishop Anthony visited parishes, speaking out against social evils, especially slavery. He blessed marriages and baptized children. He made many changes in Cuba, but this made him many enemies. He received death threats often but did not stop his wonderful work until he was called back to Spain in 1857. Anthony was head of a seminary in Madrid and he established the school of St. Michael to encourage arts and literature and even tried to start a school of agriculture. He went to Rome to help prepare for the First Vatican Council in 1869 but died in 1870.

St John Capistrano

Feast Day: October 23 Born: 1386 :: Died: 1456 St. John was born at Capistrano in Italy. His father who was a German knight, died when John was still young. John studied law at the University of Perugia and then became a lawyer and governor of the city of Perugia. When war broke out between Perugia and Malatesta, John tried hard to make peace but failed. Enemies of the city threw John into prison and he started to think about the real meaning of life. John's enemies were not in a hurry to set him free. He realized that the salvation of his soul was more important than anything else. So when he was miraculously set free, at the age of 30, John joined a Franciscan monastery. For John, life as a poor friar was a big change. He had to sacrifice his freedom for the love of Jesus and he tried with all his heart to do this. After he became a priest, John was sent out to preach. He and St. Bernardine of Siena, spread devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, everywhere. John traveled all over Europe preaching for forty years and those who heard him were moved to love and serve Jesus better. When St. John was 70 years old, The Turks decided to conquer Europe and to wipe out the Church of Jesus. Pope Callistus II sent St. John to all the Christian kings of Europe to beg them to unite and fight the mighty Turkish army. The kings obeyed this poor, barefoot friar. He then marched off at the head of 70,000 Christian soldiers leading them and encouraged the men to keep fighting. He stirred up their love of God and their courage with his fiery words. But even though a big army of Christians came to fight Mohammed II and his Turks, it looked as though they would lose. The enemy army was much bigger. Then the saint himself ran to the front lines. Holding his crucifix up high, this thin, small old man kept crying, "Victory, Jesus, victory!" And the Christian soldiers felt full of courage. They fought until the enemy ran away in fear and they won the battle of Belgrade. St. John Capistrano died a short time later, on October 23, 1456.

Blessed Joseph Giaccardo

Feast Day: October 22 Born: 1896 :: Died: 1948 Joseph Giaccardo was born at Narzole in Italy. His parents were hard-working farmers and Joseph grew up under their loving care. From his parents, he too learned to love the Catholic faith and the Church. Joseph specially prayed to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and to Mother Mary. He had a little statue of Mary on a shelf in his room. Joseph became an altar server at Mass when he was still in school. That is how he met a young priest who came to help at St. Bernard's church. The priest was about to begin a wonderful new religious order, the Society of St. Paul. His name was Father James Alberione. Joseph liked him very much. Father Alberione was impressed with Joseph too and guided Joseph in the spiritual life. Joseph told him that he would very much like to become a priest, but his parents were poor and could not afford to send him to the seminary. Fr. Alberione promised Joseph that he would help and with his parents blessings, the 18 year old Joseph joyfully entered the seminary in Alba to study for the priesthood. Ten years later, though still a seminarian, Joseph asked his bishop for permission to leave the seminary. He wanted to join Father Alberione's new order, the Society of St. Paul and the bishop halfheartedly allowed Joseph to go. Joseph took his vows and chose the name "Timothy" after the best loved disciple of St. Paul. Father Timothy was ordained two years later, the first priest in Father Alberione's new congregation, the Society of St. Paul which started in 1914. Father Timothy's work as a Pauline priest was to be a media apostle. He wrote, edited, printed and distributed the Word of God. They used modern ways of communication to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Some people did not understand the work of the Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul. They wondered how priests, brothers and sisters could be publishers. How could they use media as their tools for communicating the Good News? Father Timothy helped people understand the marvelous vocation (work) of the Paulines. He carried out many responsible duties with courage and humility. He was also a great teacher of the priests and religious who joined their order. He served the Lord in northern Italy and in Rome as the Vicar General of the Society. He became Father Alberione's closest helper and friend. In fact, Father Alberione called Blessed Timothy "most faithful of the faithful." But he could not take over from Father Alberione as the founder had hoped. Father Timothy became very ill with leukemia and died on January 24, 1948.

St Hilarion

Feast day: October 21 Born: 291 :: Died: 371 Hilarion was born at Tabatha, south of Gaza in Palestine. He was the son of Pagan parents who did not believe in God. When he was a teenager he left his home in Palestine to study in Alexandria in Egypt. There at the age of 15, he learned about the Christian faith, and soon was baptized. His conversion started him out on a glorious journey leading him closer to God. Before long, he was off to visit the famous St. Anthony of Egypt in the desert. Hilarion wanted to be alone to serve Jesus, whom he had just come to love. He stayed two months with St. Anthony, but it was not quiet enough there for him. Many people came to St. Anthony for help. Hilarion could not find the peace he was looking for, so he left. After giving everything he had to the poor, he went into the wilderness to live alone as a hermit. He wore a shirt made of hair and skins and a short shepherd's cloak. He fasted during the day and had a small meal after sunset. He supported himself by weaving baskets but spent the rest of his time in prayer. Hilarion faced many temptations and at times he felt that God did not hear his prayers at all. But he did not let these temptations stop him from praying even harder. After twenty years in the desert, the holy man worked his first miracle. He was also able to drive demons out of people. Soon many people began coming to his hut to beg his help. Several men asked him to let them stay with him to learn from him how to pray and do penance. In his great love for God and people, the saint invited them to stay. But finally, when he was sixty-five, he began to travel. He went from one country to another in search of peace and quiet. However, the fame of his miracles of mercy always brought crowds of visitors. A few years before his death in 371, Hilarian finally found a lonely cave in Cyprus and at last felt that he was truly alone with God. He was eighty years old when he died.

St Paul of the Cross

Feast Day: October 20 Born: 1694 :: Died: 1775 Paolo Francesco Danei or Paul Daneo was born at Ovada, in northern Italy, into a family of merchants. He was a good and pious Christian who practiced his faith. When he was nineteen years old, Paul decided to become a soldier, but after one year he left the army. During the summer of 1720 Paul had three visions (in his dreams) about starting a new religious order. He couldn't understand what was happening, so he went to his bishop for guidance. The bishop studied his case and believed that the visions were real. He told Paul to go ahead and do what he was being told to do in this special call from God. Paul spent forty days in prayer and penance. He then started the order called the Barefoot Clerks of the Cross and the Passion (Passionists). Paul was joined by his brother John and two other young men. Paul and John were ordained priests by the Pope. Ten years later, they started the first Passionist monastery. The Pope approved the new order. He also agreed to the new rule St. Paul added, a short time later. Besides the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Paul of the Cross added a fourth vow: devotion to the passion of Christ. By 1747, the Passionists had three monasteries. They were preaching parish retreats everywhere in Italy. Paul was a preacher of such power that even tough soldiers and bandits cried when they heard his sermons. St. Paul asked people to imitate the patience of our dear Jesus because this is the height of pure love and to practice heroic goodness through patience that has been strengthened by courage. He wanted people to live in such a way that others may see in them Jesus crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy. Before he died in 1775, Paul of the Cross also started a congregation of Passionist nuns.

St Isaac Jogues

Feast day: October 18 Born:(around) 1600 :: Died: between 1642 and 1649 More than three hundred years ago, six Jesuit priests and two holy laymen, all from France, died as martyrs in North America. These eight men were some of the bravest and most daring missionaries in the New World. They put their own lives in danger to bring Jesus to the Red Indian people. They worked very hard and were able to convert many of the Huron tribe. But the Iroquois, bitter enemies of the Hurons, put them all to death. St. Isaac Jogues was a Jesuit priest who was sent as a missionary to New France in Canada. This was a difficult job. Not only were the living conditions hard, but the locals blamed the "Blackrobes" for any disease, bad-luck or other problems they had. Then the Mohawks captured and made him suffer for thirteen months. During that time, he tried to teach the Faith to anyone who would listen. When he was set free by the Dutch, he went back to France to get better, but as soon as he could, he returned to North America to continue his work. Father Jogues finally had his head chopped off with a tomahawk (large axe) by the Bear Clan of the Mohawks. When St. John de Brebeuf was in France, he had tuberculosis and was so sick that he could not teach much. But then he too was sent as a missionary to New France. There the harsh and hearty climate agreed with him so well that the Native Indians called him Echon or load-bearer. He was so huge that they were afraid to share a canoe with him as they feared it might sink. Although he was a famous professor of Theology in France, it took him a long time to learn the Huron language. Finally he was able to write a catechism in Huron for the native people. He also wrote a French-Huron dictionary and a list of Instructions for other Jesuit Missionaries on how to work well with the Indians. He was a wonderful and brave apostle of Jesus and his courage amazed the fierce Iroquois as they tortured him to death. St. Gabriel Lallemont was also tortured to death with St. John de Brebeuf. St. Anthony Daniel had just finished celebrating Mass for his Huron converts (those who had become Christians) when the Iroquois attacked the village. The Christian Indians begged him to try and escape. But Father Daniel stayed. He wanted to help all those who were crying to him for Baptism before they would be killed. The Iroquois burned him to death in his little chapel. St. Charles Garnier was shot by an Iroquois musket during a surprise attack, but he still tried to crawl to help a dying man. When the Iroquois saw this they angrily killed him with a hatchet blow. Father Noel Chabenel found the life of a missionary very hard, but had made a promise to stay in North America. He was killed by a Huron traitor using a tomahawk. The two lay helpers, Rene Goupil and John Lalande, were also both killed with tomahawks. These brave martyrs were heroes of Christ and gave their lives for the native people of North America so that they too could know the love and friendship of Jesus. After their death, new missionaries were able to convert almost every tribe that the martyrs had known. List of Instructions You must love these Hurons as brothers because Jesus paid for their lives by his blood, as he did for ours. You must never keep the Indians waiting when it is time to leave on a journey. Carry a tinder-box or piece of burning-glass, or both, to make fire for them during the day for smoking, and in the evening to light the bonfire at camp; these little services win their hearts. Try to eat the little food they offer you, and eat all you can, for you may not eat again for hours. Eat as soon as day breaks (when the sun rises), for Indians when traveling, eat only at the rising and the setting of the sun. Be quick to get in and out of the canoes and do not carry any water or sand when you get in. Try not to be troublesome to the Indians. Do not ask many questions; silence is golden. Bear with their faults, and you must try always to appear cheerful. Carry folding knives and some plain and fancy beads with which to buy fish and things you need from the other tribes you visit. Tell your Indian companions at the very beginning that here is something with which to buy fish and treat them to the food. Do not be formal with the Indians. Do not begin to paddle unless you always intend to paddle. The Indians will always remember how you handled your first trip. Always show any other Indians you meet on the way a cheerful face and show them that you willingly accept the tiring journey.

St Luke

Feast Day: October 18 Born:(around the time of Jesus) :: Died:(some years after Jesus) St. Luke was born in Antioch. He was a gentile doctor who was a good and kind man. He heard about Jesus from the great apostle Paul and soon became a Christian. The Bible calls Luke "the beloved physician." After becoming a Christian, he went everywhere with St. Paul. Luke was a great help to him in spreading the faith in Greece and Rome. He was with Paul when he was shipwrecked and through other dangers as they traveled from place to place. St. Luke wrote two books in the Bible: the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Although he did not meet Jesus while he was on this earth, he wanted people to know and love Jesus like he did. So he talked to people who knew Jesus. He wrote down all that they had seen Jesus do and heard Jesus say. Saint Luke spent time with Mother Mary learning all he could about Jesus from her. From Mary he heard about how the angel Gabriel appeared to her at the Annunciation. He also heard all about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. Luke also wrote the story of how the apostles began to teach and spread the good news after Jesus went back to heaven. It is in Luke's book, The Acts of the Apostles that we learn how the Church began to grow and spread. St. Luke is the patron saint of doctors. We believe he died in Greece. He is one of the four evangelists, or Gospel writers.

St Ignatius of Antioch

Feast Day: October 17 Born:50 :: Died:107 St. Ignatius of Antioch was born in the year 50 to a pagan family (people who do not believe in God). He later wanted to become a Christian and was converted. Ignatius was the third bishop of Antioch. This is the city where St. Peter labored before he moved to Rome. It is also the city where followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Ignatius was condemned to death by Emperor Trajan who hated the Christians. He was taken from Antioch to the amphitheater in center of Rome. This was the place where the Christians who were to die were left in the center of a big ground to be eaten by hungry lions that were let out of their cages. All around this large ground were seats for the Romans to watch while the lions killed the people and they enjoyed watching the Christians die. Although St. Ignatius traveled to Rome under military guard, he stopped in Smyrna and Troas. From each of those cities, he wrote letters to the Christian communities. He was the first writer to use the term "the Catholic Church." He told the churches that he was very happy to die for Jesus so they must not stop him. He asked them to pray that God would grant him his wish. In this way, like the great St. Paul, he preached the Good News to the people. When the beloved Ignatius arrived in Rome, he joined the brave Christians who waited in prisons. The day came when the bishop was pushed out into the amphitheater. Two fierce lions devoured him. He left the beautiful witness of Christian life and his letters. St. Ignatius died around 107. St. Jerome and St. John Chrysostom both thought of his tomb as near the city gates of Antioch. Let us find courage in the witness and prayers of St. Ignatius.

St Margaret Mary

Feast Day: October 16 Born:1647 :: Died:1690 Margaret Mary was born in Burgundy in France. As a child, she was a happy little girl who loved the nuns at school. But when she was eleven, she became very sick. It was four years before she was well again after she saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. Her father had died, and an aunt had moved into their home. This aunt and her husband made Margaret Mary and her mother suffer very much. Almost every day, Margaret would hide in the garden to cry and pray. What hurt her most was seeing her mother get hurt. Her mother wanted her to marry and so did her relatives. They were worried about her, especially when she brought beggar children into the garden to try to teach them. Margaret Mary hesitated a while, neither marrying nor entering the convent. At last she decided on the convent and joined the Visitation sisters. She was kind and humble but often made others impatient since she was slow and clumsy. But she was dear to Jesus. Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary and showed her his sacred heart. His heart was encircled by a crown of thorns that was a symbol of his great sacrifice. Jesus told her how much he loves each one of us and wanted her to spread devotion to his Sacred Heart. It was a very hard thing to do as not many people believed she had really seen Jesus. Some were angry with her for trying to spread the new devotion. This brought her lots of suffering. Yet she did her best to carry out the Lord's wish. Jesus blessed her hard work and pain. Today, this wonderful devotion to the Sacred Heart is practiced all over the world. Our Lord made twelve great promises to St. Margaret Mary for those who are devoted to his most Sacred Heart. They are: I will give them all the graces they need in life. I will create peace in their families. I will comfort them in all their troubles. They shall surely find in My Heart protection during life and especially at the hour of their death. I will shower them with blessings in everything that they do. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy. Weak souls shall become fervent. Fervent souls shall speedily rise to great perfection. I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored. I will give to priests the power of touching the most hardened hearts. Those who spread this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be erased. The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine continuous months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My heart shall surely be their protection at that last hour. From St. Margaret Mary we can learn to trust in the Heart of Jesus, which - as she wrote - is filled with "love to meet our every need."

St Teresa of Avila

Feast Day: October 15 Born:1515 :: Died:1582 Teresa was born in Avila in Spain. As a little girl in her parents' rich home, Teresa and her brother Rodrigo loved to read the lives of the saints and martyrs. They felt that the martyrs got to heaven an easy way. The two children set out secretly to go to the land of the Moors. As they walked along, they prayed that they might die for Christ. But they had not gotten far when they met an uncle. He took them back to their worried mother at once. Next the children decided to be hermits in their garden. This didn't work out either. They could not get enough stones together to build their huts. St. Teresa herself wrote down these amusing stories of her childhood. But when she grew to be a teenager, however, she changed. Teresa read so many novels and foolish romances that she lost much of her love for prayer. She began to think more of dressing up to look pretty. But after she recovered from a bad illness, Teresa read a book about the great St. Jerome. Then and there, she made up her mind to become a bride of Christ. As a nun, Teresa often found it hard to pray. Besides that, she had poor health and also wasted time every day in long, foolish conversations. But one day, in front of a picture of Jesus, Teresa felt great sorrow that she did not love God more. She started then to live for Jesus alone, no matter what sacrifice had to be made. In return for her love, the Lord gave St. Teresa the privilege of hearing him talk to her. She also began to see visions and Jesuit and Dominican priests came to see if this was true. They were convinced and declared that the visions were holy and true. She learned to pray in a marvelous way, too. St. Teresa of Avila is famous for having opened new Carmelite convents. These convents were filled with sisters who wanted to live holy lives. They made many sacrifices for Jesus with Teresa herself giving them the example. She prayed with great love and worked hard at her duties in the convent. St. Teresa was a great leader and true lover of Jesus and his Church. She died in 1582. St. Teresa taught that we must have a great trust in God's care for us. She wrote that a person who has God, will need nothing; God alone is enou

St Callistus1

Born:(around) 165 :: Died:222 This great pope and martyr was once a young slave in Rome, who got into serious trouble. His master, a Christian, had put him in charge of a bank. Because other Christians, who took loans from the bank, refused to pay back the money, the bank went broke. Callistus knew that he would be blamed even though he was not at fault and in fear, he ran away from Rome. He was caught, after jumping into the sea to try to get away. His sentence was a terrible one: he was chained and put to hard labor in a mill. From this punishment Callistus was released, only because the people the bank owed money to, hoped he could get some of their money back. But once again he was arrested, this time for having gotten into a fight and was sent to the mines of Sardinia. Fortunately, when the emperor freed all the Christians who had been punished and sent to those mines, Callistus was freed too. From that time on, things became better for him. Pope St. Zephrinus got to know and trust St. Callistus. He put him in charge of the public Christian cemetery in Rome. This cemetery even today is called the Cemetery of St. Callistus. Many popes were buried in it. Callistus proved himself worthy of the pope's confidence in him. St. Zephrinus not only ordained him a priest, but also made him his friend and advisor. Later on, St. Callistus himself became pope. Some people complained because he showed too much mercy to sinners. However, the holy pope ruled that even murderers could be given communion after they had done penance for their sins. He also declared that the rich could marry the poor. This made the Romans very angry because it was against their law. But Pope Callistus would not give in; he said that the Church law was always greater than the Roman law. This great pope always defended the true teachings of Jesus. He was killed for his faith in 222 with a glorious martyrdom. The life of St. Callistus reminds us that God can choose anyone to do his work. We only need to have faith and trust in Him.

St Edward

Feast Day: October 13 Born:1003 :: Died:1066 Prince Edward was born at Oxford in England to King Ethelred II and Queen Emma. Then the Danes attacked England and his father the king lost his throne. Prince Edward who was only 10 years old at that time was sent along with his brother to Denmark to be quietly killed. But the officer in-charge took pity on the boys and sent them to Sweden. Later the King of Hungary raised and educated them. When they were grown they moved to Normandy in France where they waited for things to get better so they could return to England. Finally when he was 40 years old, Edward returned to England where he was chosen king and ascended the throne. King St. Edward was one of the best loved of all the English kings and the people welcomed him with great joy. St. Edward was a tall, well-built man, but he was never healthy. Still he was able to rule his country well and keep peace most of the time. This was because he trusted in God and held firm when necessary. King Edward went to daily Mass. He was a gentle, kind man who never spoke sternly. He showed special charity and was always generous to poor people and foreigners. He also helped monks in every way he could. It was his justice to everyone and his love for God's Church that made St. Edward so popular with the English people. They would cheer him as he rode out of the castle. Although he was a king with great power, St. Edward showed his honesty by the way he kept his word-to God and to people. This holy king tried throughout his life to use the gifts he had been given in order to help others. He died in 1066 and was buried in the marvelous monastery he had rebuilt. E-mail this page to a friend

Sts Felix & Cyprian

October 12 Died:484 Felix and Cyprian were African bishops. They suffered with over 4,900 martyrs in the terrible persecution by the Vandals. Huneric, the Arian Vandal king, drove these Christians into the Libyan desert. There they were treated with great cruelty, tortured and killed by the Moors for their faith in Christ. A holy bishop named Victor tried to help the poor Christians who had been shut up in a horrible prison and packed in without sufficient air or light. He wrote the story of their courage and their sufferings. Bishop Victor says that when they were ordered into exile in the terrible desert, they came out of that prison singing hymns. Other Christians burst into tears at the sight of their great courage. Even women and children went with them to exile and death. The story is told of Bishop St. Felix. He was so old, half-paralyzed and so crippled that someone said to the Vandal king Hunneric: "You might just as well leave him here to die." But King Huneric cruelly answered, "If he cannot ride a horse, he can be dragged by oxen." In the end, they decided to tie the brave old bishop to a donkey and he was carried off to die in the desert. We also celebrate St. Cyprian who risked his own life to take care of as many prisoners as he could. He spent all his time and strength, plus everything he owned, to help them. At last, he, too, was arrested and sent into exile. There he also died a martyr from the cruel treatment reserved for Christians. These two men followed the example of Jesus as leaders in the Church. They gladly served those whom they guided with great generosity.

St Kenneth

Born:515 :: Died:600 Feast Day: October 11 St. Kenneth who is sometimes called St. Canice or Kenny was born in Ireland and is famous in both Ireland and Scotland. His father was a bard or professional singer of ballads and stories in song. He tended his father's flocks as a young boy. But when Kenneth grew up, he felt that God was calling him and went to Wales to study for the priesthood. St. Cadoc was his teacher and after he became a priest, Kenneth went to visit Rome to get the blessings of the Pope. He then returned to Ireland to study further at the school of St. Finnian where he became good friends with three other Irish saints-Kieran, Comgall and Columba. After preaching throughout Ireland, St. Kenneth went with St. Columba to Scotland on a mission to the pagan King Brude. This made the king angry and he seized his sword to strike the two missionaries. St. Kenneth made the sign of the cross, and a miracle took place. The king's hand was suddenly paralyzed, and the saints were saved. St. Kenneth and St. Columba were always close friends. Once Columba was sailing with some companions and Kenneth was far away in his monastery in Ireland. Suddenly he became aware that Columba was in great danger at sea. He jumped up from the dinner table and ran to church to pray for his beloved friend. Out at sea, Columba cried to his frightened companions: "Don't be afraid! God will listen to Kenneth. Right now he is running to church with only one shoe on to pray for us!" The Lord did listen to St. Kenneth's prayer and they were saved. Although Kenneth and Columba often worked in different places, they knew that prayer is a powerful expression of friendship. St. Kenneth started several monasteries and converted many nonbelievers. He became famous for preaching the Gospel with much love and joy. Even more, he became well-known for the perfect way in which he himself practiced the teachings of Jesus.

St Denis

Feast Day: October 9 Born: (around 190) :: Died: 258 St. Denis (also know as Dionysius) was born in Italy but is very popular in France. In fact, he is considered the patron saint of France. Because he lived at the beginning of Christian history-during the third century - we don't know as much about him as we would like to. He came to France and became the bishop of Paris. Then the Emperor Valerian began to harass and trouble the Christians in 258. One day St. Denis was preaching the Good News of Jesus when he and two companions were martyred. His companions were a priest named Rusticus and a deacon named Eleutherius. The Christian community cherished the memory of these brave martyrs. At first, they were only able to build a little chapel to mark the sight of their death. Later the chapel became the great church of St. Denis. St. Denis and his companions remind us of the brave men, women and children who have gone before us. They give us the example of their lives and also remind us that they will help us now if we ask them. The courage of these martyrs sprang from living each day in faithfulness to the spirit of the Gospel.

St Simeon

Feast Day: October 8 Born: (before Christ) :: Died: (soon after Christ was born) In Luke's Gospel, chapter two, Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. That is where they meet Holy Simeon. The holy man had waited patiently for the Lord to grant him a request: he wanted to live to see the Messiah, the Savior of the world. But he did not know who that would be, or when and if his prayer would be fulfilled. The young couple from Nazareth approached him with their baby. He looked into the eyes of the Child and felt a burst of joy in his heart. His eyes glowed. He lifted Jesus into his arms, then held him up and prayed: "Now, my God, I can die in peace. I have seen with my own eyes the world's salvation. You have prepared this for all your people." Mary and Joseph looked at one another. They were silently amazed. Then the old man turned to Mary. His eyes became sad as he said softly, "Your own soul will be pierced by the sword." Mary did not understand what this meant, and she prayed to God for courage. God had answered the prayer of Holy Simeon and he remained in joyful thanksgiving as the couple and their baby left.

Our Lady of the Rosary

Feast Day: October 7 It was St. Dominic who began encouraging people to say the Holy Rosary around the year 1190. St. Dominic was very saddened and felt great pity for the group of people who went about spreading a terrible heresy (untruth) called Albigensianism. With the priests of his new Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), he did his best to destroy this dangerous heresy as it was doing great harm. He begged the Blessed Virgin for help, and she told him to preach devotion to the Holy Rosary. St. Dominic obeyed and the Dominicans conquered that dangerous heresy with prayer, especially by praying the Holy Rosary. Dominic also encouraged people to be humble and to make sacrifices. The Holy Rosary is a simple devotion which can be said by all people-old and young, learned or unlearned. It can be said anywhere, at any time. While we say the Our Father, ten Hail Marys and Glory to the Father, we think about great moments in the lives of Jesus and Mary. In this way, we grow closer and closer to Jesus and his Blessed Mother. We learn to imitate their holy lives. Mary is very pleased when we say the Holy Rosary often and well. She used to say it with St. Bernadette when she appeared to her at Lourdes. The three little children of Fatima also learned from Mary the power of the Rosary. Mary taught them that the Rosary obtains graces and saves sinners from hell. This feast is celebrated to show our gratitude to Mary for a military victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571.

St Bruno

Feast Day: October 6 Born: 1030 :: Died: 1101 Bruno was born at Cologne in Germany. He studied in France and then joined the priesthood. For eighteen years he was a professor of theology and did his best to bring his students closer to God. Then he was given the important position as President of the cathedral school in the diocese of Rheims. This did not make Bruno proud of the honor or frightened by responsibilities. He made it clear that he was not happy with the love for money and material things that the priests and Archbishop showed. He became aware that his heart was longing to be alone with Jesus. He received a vision from God showing him a hermitage where he should spend his life becoming closer to God. St. Hugh of Grenoble gave Bruno and his friends this hidden desert land called Chartreuse. There they built a church and little huts to live in. This was the beginning of the Carthusian order. They were very happy there, working their fields, fasting and praying, hidden in God. After six years, however, Pope Urban II, who was earlier one of Bruno's students, asked Bruno to make a great sacrifice. He asked him to go to Rome to be his advisor. It broke the saint's heart, but he obeyed and served the Pope well. Then finally he was allowed to live his monk's life nearer to Rome. So with new disciples, Bruno began all over again in Calabria, Italy. St. Bruno was always a cheerful and active man. He did not want to see any of his monks sad and describes their hard life in delightful words. St. Bruno died in 1101 but his order continues today. The followers of St. Bruno keep his loving, self-sacrificing spirit alive. St. Bruno was known to have a special love of silence. How often do I take a few quiet moments to pray during the day?

St Flora

Feast Day: October 5 Born: 1309 :: Died: 1347 Flora was born at Auvergne in France and grew up in a very loving family. When her parents tried to arrange a marriage for her she pleaded with them and said that she would like to join the convent. They finally agreed and at the age of 13, she joined the sisters of St. John of Jerusalem at Beaulieu. She was an innocent, good girl who gave herself to God as his spouse. God rewarded her love by making her strong and helping her resist all kinds of trials and temptations. She spent all her time looking after the poor and the sick in the hospital attached to the convent. She sometimes felt that she was leading too comfortable a life. At other times, when the other sisters often made fun of her, it was too hard and feeling sad she would be tempted to return home to her family. Yet, because she kept trying to love God, Sister Flora grew dearer and dearer to him. At last, he blessed her with wonderful visions and the gift of knowing the future. She also received the gift of suffering the pain of Christ's cross. She seemed to feel it pressing into her, making a wound in her side. She joyfully accepted this suffering out of her great love for Jesus. Soon, people realized that Sister Flora was very holy and special. They came to ask for prayers and advice until she died in 1347.

St Francis of Assisi

Born: (around) 1181 :: Died: 1226 St. Francis was born around 1181 in Assisi, in Italy. As a young man he loved parties and good times. He was handsome and rich, so he bought himself the finest clothes and spent money freely. Francis had no wish to study or to learn his father's business, as he was having too much fun. One day he refused to give alms to a poor beggar but as the man was leaving, he felt sorry for what he had done and ran after him with some money. After he fell ill twice, Francis realized that he was wasting precious time. He realized that he should be serving Jesus and began praying more and making sacrifices to grow strong in spirit. While riding his horse one day he saw a leper and quickly turned his horse to ride away. Then he thought to himself, if Jesus saw a leper he would not turn the other way. So he kissed the horrible-looking leper, and gave him money. Often he gave his clothes and money to the poor. He served the sick in hospitals. Still he felt he must do more. He fasted and began to go around in rags to humble himself. It is not hard to imagine how his rich friends must have looked at him now! His father was so angry that he beat him and locked him up at home. Francis bore all this suffering for love of Jesus. When his father took everything from him in disgust, Francis put all his trust in his Father in heaven. He said that he was married to "Lady Poverty" and he began to live as a beggar. He had no shelter. His food was what kind people gave him. Everywhere he went, he begged people to stop sinning and return to God. Many men began to see how close to God this poor man really was, and they became his followers. Francis followed the example of Jesus closely by living a life of simplicity and teaching the Gospel message with great joy. That is how the great Franciscan order of priests and brothers began. They helped the poor and sick and preached everywhere. Even after the order had spread all over Italy, Francis insisted that they should not own anything. He wanted his priests to love poverty as he did. St. Francis had the power of working miracles. He loved all creatures and the birds and animals happily obeyed his commands! As a reward for his great love, Jesus gave him his own wounds. Two in his hands, two in his feet and one in his side but the humble Francis tried to hide them from people. Toward the end of his life, he became very sick. He was told he would live only a few more weeks and he exclaimed, "Welcome, Sister Death!" He asked to be laid on the ground and covered with an old habit. He advised his brothers to love God, to love being poor, and to obey the Gospel. "I have done my part," he said. "May Jesus teach you to do yours." Francis died on October 3, 1226.

St Gerard Brogne

Feast Day: October 3 Born: (around) 890 :: Died: 959 Gerard was born in Brogne in France and came from a very wealthy family, but Gerard was not proud. In fact, he was known because of his friendly and kind ways. After a hunting trip, he and his friends returned to his estate tired and hungry. After he invited the others inside for refreshments and rest, he left. Gerard went out and slipped into a little chapel that was on his property. He prayed for a long time. His tired body seemed rested and he forgot all about his hunger. The idea struck Gerard that if people only realized the joy of praying, they would be so much more willing to pray. Then he thought about the monks who spend their life praising God. Imagine how lucky they are, he thought. He prayed and asked God to help him lead a life of prayer. Soon he was able to join the monastery of Saint-Denis. Gerard loved the life he had chosen and after studies became a priest. Eleven years later he was given permission to start a monastery on his own property at Brogne. The monastery flourished but Gerard felt there was too much activity and excitement. He built himself a little hermitage next to the church. He lived there quietly and alone. But he was not allowed to stay in peace for very long. His superiors asked Gerard to visit the monasteries in Flanders and Normandy. The monks needed some guidance and help in becoming more holy. This work took Gerard on many journeys for about twenty years. All of his life Gerard lived a life filled with sacrifices. He did this because he wanted to show Jesus that he loved him. He showed that love by willingly offering little acts of self-denial. When he knew his life on earth was nearly over, Gerard asked for permission to return to his little hut back in Brogne and died peacefully on October 3, 959.

Guardian Angels

Feast Day: October 2 Today we celebrate the feast of our Guardian Angels. They are God's messengers who are always by our side to protect us. Angels delivered messages from God, protected people from dangers and rescued them. They are mentioned in many places in the Bible. " The New Testament Acts of the Apostles tells in chapter 12 how St. Peter was led out of prison by an angel. " Psalm 91:10-12 also beautifully tells us how God's Angels care for us. The belief that we each have a guardian angel has been common to Christians for hundreds of years. It is very comforting to know and believe that we each have an angel guarding and protecting us. Our guardian angel is a gift from our loving God. They are given to us to guide our thoughts, words and actions and keep us from all harm and evil. The picture of a guardian angel that we often see is an angel protecting a little child as he or she walks over a small bridge. We can say this brief prayer as often as we would like to throughout the day: Angel of God, my guardian dear to whom God's love, entrusts me here. Ever this day, be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.