St Edmund Champion

Feastday December 1 Born:1540 :: Died:1581 Edmund was born at London in England. He was the son of a Catholic bookseller who was converted and became an Anglican. When he grew up he planned to join his father in business but received a scholarship to Saint John's College in Oxford. He was a very popular young English student and a very good speaker. In fact, Edmund was chosen to deliver a welcoming speech to Queen Elizabeth when she visited his college. Some students were very attracted by his happy nature and his many talents and made him their leader. Even the queen and her chief ministers were fond of this handsome young man. The Queen wanted to make him a Deacon in the Church of England. But Edmund was troubled about his religion, as he believed that the Catholic Church might be the only true Church. He did not hide his feelings, and the government, which was persecuting Catholics, became very distrustful of him. Edmund knew that he would lose the queen's favor and all his chances of a great future if he chose to become a Catholic. The young man prayed about it and decided to become a Catholic anyway. After he had escaped from England, Edmund studied to become a priest. He entered the Society of Jesus. When the Holy Father decided to send some Jesuits to England, Father Campion was one of the first to go. The night before he left, one of the other Jesuit priests wrote over his doorway: "Father Edmund Campion, martyr." Although he knew what danger faced him, the holy priest set out cheerfully. In fact, he had many a laugh because of his disguise as a jewel merchant. In England he preached with great success to Catholics who had to meet with him in secret. Spies of the queen's men were everywhere trying to catch him. He wrote: "I won't escape their hands much longer. Sometimes I read letters that say 'Campion has been caught'!" It was a traitor who finally had Edmund captured. The government officials who had been so fond of him visited Edmund in jail. Even Queen Elizabeth came. But none of their threats or promises could make him give up the Catholic faith. Although they made him suffer, he still defended himself and his fellow priests so well that no one could answer him. But the enemies of the Church condemned him to death anyway. Before he was put to death, St. Edmund forgave the man who had betrayed him. He even helped save the man's life. He was tortured in the Tower of London, then hanged, drawn and quartered. Parts of his body were displayed as a warning to other Catholics at each of the four city gates. St. Edmund Campion died in 1581.

St Andrew Apostle

Feastday November 30 Born / Died: around the time of Jesus St. Andrew was born at Bethsaida in Israel. He and his brother, Simon Peter, grew up to become fishermen. And when Andrew heard the great St. John the Baptist preach, he became his disciple. When Jesus came to be baptized, John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God," Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John and followed Jesus. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him and turning back, asked why he was being followed. Andrew said that he would like to know where Jesus lived. Jesus warmly invited him to, "Come and see." Andrew had been with Jesus only a short while when he realized that this was truly the Messiah and he became the first disciple of Christ. Then Andrew brought his brother Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus. The Lord welcomed him as his disciple too. At first the two brothers continued their fishing trade and family affairs. But soon the Lord called them to stay with him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time they left their nets for good. St. Andrew went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after Jesus died. After Jesus ascended into heaven, St. Andrew preached the Gospel in Greece. There, he was put to death on a saltire cross (x shaped), to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering but still found enough strength to preach to the people who gathered around their beloved apostle. Hundreds of years later, when the king of Scotland faced a large invading army, he prayed for guidance. A white cloud in the form of a saltire cross floated in the blue sky above him and he won the battle. Saint Andrew was named the patron saint of Scotland and the Saltire became the national flag of Scotland. St. Andrew is also the patron saint of Russia.

Blessed Francis Anthony of Lucera

Feastday Nov 29 Born: 1681 :: Died: 1742 Francis was born at Lucera in Italy and was nicknamed Johnny as a child. He was the son of an Italian farmer. His father died before he was ten. His mother's second husband (step-father) was good to him. He sent Francis to be educated by the Franciscans. When he was fifteen, Johnny asked to be admitted to the order and became Brother Francis Anthony. He did very well in all his studies and became a priest. But as a youth, he was reserved, timid and pious. It was his lifelong friendship with Blessed Antonio Lucci (Bishop of Bovino) that helped transform him into "the star of Lucera." Antonio teased him saying that the fastest way to become a saint was through laughter. Father Francis Anthony soon became famous as a preacher and teacher. He also was chosen as superior. He tried his best to be of loving service to all the friars. Francis was especially interested in prisoners. The prisons of his day were terrible places. He did his best to help the poor prisoners in every way. His love went out to everyone in need. It was he who began the custom of collecting gifts at Christmas time for poor families. In Lucera, the city in which he spent his life, it was said: "If you want to see St. Francis of Assisi, just look at Father Francis Anthony!" Blessed Francis Anthony had a great devotion to Mary. He loved to pay special honor to her Immaculate Conception. It was at the beginning of the solemn novena for this feast that he died. A short while before, when he was in good health, he had said he would die soon. He suggested to a priest-friend that he too come along. This good priest was upset and said, "Listen, Father, if you want to die, that is your affair, but I'm in no hurry!" And Francis replied, "We must both make this journey, I first and you afterward." And that is just what happened. The other priest lived only two months after Blessed Francis Anthony passed away. When Father Francis Anthony died in 1742 the children of the village ran into the streets crying, "The saint is dead! The saint is dead!"

St Catherine Laboure

Feastday Nov 28 Born: 1806 :: Died: 1876 Zoe Laboure, was born at Burgundy in France as the bells of the Angelus sounded. She was the ninth of eleven children that Peter and Louise Laboure had. Her father Peter, was a well-to-do French farmer. When Zoe was just nine years old her mother died. Zoe was her father's favourite and he depended on her. When she was twelve, she received her First Holy Communion. From that day on she got up at 4:00 am every morning and walked many miles to church to attend Mass. Then her older sister became a nun and Zoe had to run the house. Zoe, would have liked to enter the convent when she was in her early teens. But because she was needed at home, she waited until she was twenty-four. Zoe became a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and took the name of Catherine. Soon after she finished her training, Sister Catherine received a special favour. She prayed to St. Vincent de Paul that she might see with her own eyes the mother of God. Catherine was sure her wish would be granted. One night, she was awakened from sleep by a brilliant light and the voice of a child saying "Sister Laboure, come to the Chapel; the Blessed Virgin awaits you." Catherine followed the little angel who touched the locked Chapel doors and they swung open. The Blessed Virgin appeared with a rustle of silk in a blaze of glory and spoke with Catherine. Then one Advent, in another vision, the Blessed Mother showed herself standing on a globe with streams of light coming from her hands. Underneath were the words: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to thee!" The Virgin this time gave her a direct order: "Have a medal struck as I have shown you. All who wear it will receive great graces." Sister Catherine told her confessor and he later told the bishop. So it was that the medal, which we call the miraculous medal, was made. Soon many, many people all over the world were wearing it. Yet no one in the convent knew that humble Sister Catherine was the one to whom Our Lady had appeared. She spent the remaining forty-five years of her life doing ordinary convent tasks. She answered the door. She looked after the hens that provided the nuns with eggs. She also took care of elderly and sick people. She was happy to keep her special privilege hidden, and was only interested in serving God as best she could. Then before she died in 1876, Mother Mary gave her permission to reveal her secret, which she shared with her Sister Superior. After she died, many miracles were reported at her tomb.

St James Intercisus

Feastday November 27 Born: (around) 375 :: Died: 421 James was a Persian military officer and courtier to King Yezdigerd I. He was a great favorite of the king, so when this king began to harass Christians, James did not have the courage to confess his faith. He was afraid of losing the king's friendship. Instead he gave up his faith or at least pretended to. James' wife and mother were broken-hearted. When the king died, they wrote a strong letter to him to change his ways. This letter had its effect on James. He had been a coward, but at heart, he was still good. Now he began to stay away from court. He blamed himself openly for having given up his faith. The new king Bahram sent for him, but this time, James did not hide anything. "I am a Christian," he said. The king accused him of being ungrateful for all the honors his father, King Yezdigerd, had given him. "And where is your father now?" St. James calmly answered. The angry king threatened to put the saint to a terrible death. James replied, "May I die the death of the just." The king and his council ordered for James to be tortured to death and be cut up into many pieces. But James was not afraid. He said, "This death which appears so dreadful is very little for the purchase of eternal life." Then he told the executioners, "Begin your work." All the while, he kept declaring what he believed, that his body would one day rise in glory. St. James Intercisus died in 421. The word Intercisus means "cut into pieces".

St John Berchmans

Feastday Nov26 Born: 1599 :: Died: 1621 John was born at Driest, Brabant in Belgium. He was one of five children and the son of a shoemaker. As his parents brought their five children up with much care and love, three of their children entered the religious life. As a child, John stayed very close to his sick mother. Still, he liked to join with his young friends in putting on plays about Bible stories. He was especially good at playing the part of Daniel defending the innocent Susanna. From the age of seven he formed the habit of rising early and would serve two or three Masses with great eagerness. He once said, "If I do not become a saint when I am young, I shall never become one." By the time he was thirteen, he wanted to begin studying for the priesthood. However, his father, a shoemaker, needed his help in supporting the family. Finally, Mr. Berchmans decided to let John become a servant in the household of a priest. From there he could go to classes in the seminary. Three years later, John Berchmans entered the Society of Jesus. He prayed, studied hard, and enthusiastically acted out parts in religious plays. He made a motto: "Have great care for little things," and he lived up to it. St. John Berchmans never did any great or heroic things during his life. But he did every little thing well and for the love of God, from waiting on tables to copying down notes on his studies. He was known as the saint who performed ordinary actions with extraordinary perfection. Kindness, courtesy and constant fidelity were an important part of his holiness. When his was in his third year of college doing philosophy, he was asked to participate in a public debate, defending the Catholic faith, at a Greek college. He spoke with great confidence and knowledge on the subject. But when he returned to his own college after the debate, he became sick with a violent fever and no doctor could discover what illness he had. Yet John knew he was going to die. He was very cheerful as always. When the doctor ordered that his forehead be bathed with wine, John joked: "It's lucky that such an expensive sickness is not going to last long." John did not live to become a priest. In fact, he died in 1621 at the early age of twenty-two but he had, without any doubt, reached his goal of holiness. John died clutching his rosary, crucifix and rules of his order in his hands. Miracles took place at his funeral. Right away people began to call him a saint.

St Andrew Du Lac

Feastday Nov 24 Born: (around) 1785 :: Died: 1839 St. Andrew was born in Vietnam. He was a diocesan priest who worked with the priests of the Foreign Mission Society of Paris. Christian missionaries from Portugal first brought the Catholic faith to Vietnam in the sixteenth century. Jesuit priest opened the first mission at Da Nang in 1615. They cared for Japanese Catholics who had been driven out of Japan. All foreign missionaries in the kingdom were forbidden by the King and he tried to make Vietnamese Christians give up their faith by trampling on a crucifix. When they refused to obey they began to suffer for their faith and were killed. Although the faithful offered hiding places to priests in their homes, many were martyred, especially during the reign of Emperor Minh-Mang (1820-1840). One hundred seventeen martyrs are in the group. St. Andrew Dung-Lac, who represents this group of heroes were proclaimed saints by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988. The group was made up of ninety-six Vietnamese, eleven Spaniards, and ten French. Eight of the group were bishops, fifty were priests and fifty-nine were lay Catholics. The martyrs of Vietnam suffered to bring the greatest treasure that they possessed: their Catholic faith. They were able to endure the torture they were put through because they believed that Jesus was with them in everything.

St Columban

Feastday Nov 23 Born: 543 :: Died: 615 St. Columban, the most famous of the Irish missionary-monks was born at West Leinster in Ireland. His family was wealthy and he received a good education. As a handsome teenager, he had a great wish to serve God but he was also tempted by all the pleasures the world had to offer him. He finally decided to become a monk. His mother could not bear the thought of him leaving her and she even blocked the door to stop him from leaving. However, Columban felt the call to serve God in a quiet monastery. After many years as a monk in Ireland, Columban and twelve other monks sailed to France. There was a shortage of priests there at that time. The French people were inspired by the lives of the monks and came to them for prayer and healing. These holy men did penance, prayed a lot and lived in charity. Many young men were attracted to this holy way of life. They came and asked to join the monks. Soon the monks were building other monasteries to house all the disciples of St. Columban. There were some people, however, who thought the rules of these monks were too strict. St. Columban also faced danger when he spoke to the king about his sins. The king immediately put him in prison. Later, he and his Irish monks had to leave France. St. Columban, though quite old, still tried to preach to unbelievers in Switzerland. When he was seventy, he went into Italy and defended the faith against the Arians who were against the Catholic teachings. In his letters to Pope St. Boniface IV, St. Columban showed his great devotion to the Holy Father. He said, "All we Irish, living in the most distant parts of the earth, are bound to the Chair of St. Peter." In his last years, St. Columban built the great monastery of Bobbio in Italy. Columbanus always enjoyed being in the forests and caves and as he walked through the woods, birds and squirrels would ride on his shoulders. When he knew his time was near, he went into a cave alone and stayed there until he died on November 23, 615. After his death, both the Irish and the Italians were very devoted to this wonderful missionary.

St Cecilia

Feastday Nov 22 Born: around 90 :: Died: around 117 Cecilia was a Roman noblewoman who had given her heart to Christ. Under the rich clothes worn by women of high class, Cecilia wore a rough shirt that caused her suffering. She wanted to be able to offer this sacrifice to Jesus, whose bride she intended to be. But Cecilia's parents gave her in marriage to a young pagan noble, Valerian of Trastevere. Celia is considered the patroness of music because during the wedding celebration, the lovely bride sat apart, singing a hymn of love to God in her heart and praying for his help. When she and Valerian, her husband, were alone, she gathered up courage and said to him: "I have a secret to tell you. You must know that I have an angel of God watching over me. If you let me keep my promise to be Christ's bride only, my angel will love you as he loves me." Valerian was surprised and said kindly, "Show me this angel. If he comes from God, I will do as you wish." Cecilia said, "If you believe in the one true God and receive the waters of Baptism, then you will see my angel." Valerian went to Bishop Urban and was received with joy. After he had professed his belief in the Christian religion, he was baptized and returned to St. Cecilia. There by the saint's side, the young man saw the splendid angel. The angel placed a crown on each of their heads, and offered Valerian a favor and Valerian asked that his brother also be baptized. Valerian's brother, Tiburtius, learned of the Christian faith from Cecilia. She spoke so beautifully of Jesus that before long, he too was baptized. Together the two brothers performed many works of charity and mercy, like burying dead Christian martyrs. When they were arrested for being Christians, they went bravely to death rather than give up their new faith in Jesus. St. Cecilia lovingly buried their bodies, before she too was arrested. She even converted the officers who tried to make her sacrifice to false gods. When she was put into a fire, it did not harm her. Then they tried to suffocate her and finally, a man was sent to her house to behead her. He struck her neck three times, but Cecilia did not die immediately. She lay on the floor unable to move. Yet by holding out three fingers of one hand, and one of the other, she still professed her belief in the Blessed Trinity. When her tomb was opened about one thousand five hundred years later in Rome, her body was still found perfect and incorrupt.

Presentation of BLM

When she was only three years old, her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne, took Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem. There she would be educated in the service and the law of God so that she would be protected against the sins of the world. Mary's whole life was to belong to God as He had chosen her to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus. And St. Joachim and St. Anne were pleased to offer their saintly little girl to God. They knew that God had sent her to them. In the Temple, the high priest received the child Mary, where she was placed among the girls who were dedicated to prayer and Temple service. The high priest kissed and blessed the holy child. He realized that the Lord had great plans for her. Mary was happy to begin serving God in the Temple. She did not weep or turn back to her parents but came so happily to the altar that everyone in the Temple loved her at once. St. Joachim and St. Anne went back home. They praised God for their blessed daughter. And Mary remained in the Temple, where she grew in holiness. She spent her days reading the Bible, praying and serving the Temple priests. She made beautiful linens and wonderful vestments (robes that the priests wear). All the other girls loved Mary because she was so kind. Mary tried to do each of her duties well, to please God. She grew in grace and gave great glory to the Lord. Note to Parents: "Parents, God does not simply want you to offer your children to Him in the temple, but requires you to take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have been consecrated in Baptism."

St Edmund

Feastday Nov 20 841-870 Edmund was born in Germany. He was an English king who was given the throne when he was only fourteen. But his high position did not make him proud or snobbish. Instead, he took as his model the Old Testament king, David. Edmund tried to serve God as well as David had. In fact, Edmund even learned David's psalms by heart. The psalms are beautiful hymns of praise to God contained in the Holy Bible. King Edmund ruled wisely, showing kindness and justice to all his people. When Danish barbarians attacked his land, he fought them bravely. Their army was much larger than his. At last, the English king was captured. The barbarian leader offered to spare Edmund's life if he would agree to give his Christian people to them. But the king refused and said he would never save his life by offending God and his people. In anger, the pagan chief ordered for him to be put to death. St. Edmund was tied to a tree and then cruelly whipped. The holy king took it all patiently, calling on Jesus for strength. Next, his torturers shot arrows into every part of his body. They were careful not to hit any vital organ, so he would suffer for a long time. At last they chopped off his head. King Edmund died in 870.

St Nerses

Feastday Nov 19 Born: (around) 300 :: Died: 369 Nerses lived in Armenia and was educated at Cappadocia. He married a princess and was the father of St. Isaac the Great. He was an official in the court of King Arshak. After Nerses' wife died, he was ordained a priest. He became chief bishop of Armenia in 363. He and St. Basil worked to help the people become more fervent Catholics. They called a meeting of all the Armenian bishops and wanted to help the priests and people grow in holiness. Bishop Nerses respected the vocation of monks. He wanted new monasteries to begin. He started hospitals and encouraged the rich to be honest and generous. King Arshak was not living a good life. When he murdered his wife, Olympia, Bishop Nerses publicly condemned this terrible crime. The king sent Bishop Nerses away from his diocese and appointed another bishop. King Arshak was killed in battle against the Persians. His son became king but the son was more evil than his father. Bishop Nerses corrected him. The new king pretended to be sorry. He invited the bishop to his palace for supper to show he was sorry. But the food was poisoned and Nerses died right there at the king's table. He is considered a martyr and the Armenians call him "the great."

St Rose Duchesne

Feastday Nov 18 1769-1852 Rose was born at Grenoble in France. Her family was very wealthy and had strong political connections. From the time she was eight years old, she had a wish to spread the good news about Jesus in the Americas after hearing a Jesuit missionary talk about his work there. She was educated at home until she was twelve and was then sent for her religious education to the convent of the Visitation in Grenoble. As a youngster, there was nothing especially holy about Rose. In fact, she often did her best to get her own way. She ordered everyone else to do what she wanted. In school, her favorite subject was history. She later became very interested in stories about Native Americans. At the age of seventeen, Rose entered the convent. She was not allowed to take her vows when the time came, because of the French Revolution. All the sisters were forced to leave the country closing down the convent, and Rose had to return to her family for ten years. Still she did not give up her desire to belong to Jesus. When the revolution was over, she joined the newly formed Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne's great desire was to be a missionary. However, she was fifty before she was sent to the United States. It was still a mission land at this time. In Mississippi, she and a small group of sisters started a free school for the children of poor families in a log cabin. The work was hard, because of the different languages and ways of the people and Rose's English was terrible. Despite the many difficulties, Mother Duchesne never lost her youthful enthusiasm. As she grew older, she became less commanding and gentler. Mother Duchesne was a real heroine who went through terrible journeys. She nearly died from yellow fever. She overcame all kinds of obstacles to open convents in the New World. Then, when she was seventy-one, she resigned her position as superior. She went off to open a school among her beloved native people. The Native Americans called her the "Woman-Who-Prays-Always." She died in 1852 at the age of eighty-three.

St Elizabeth of Hungry

Feast Day: November 17 Born: 1207 :: Died: 1231 Elizabeth, the daughter of King Andrew of Hungary was born in Presburg. When she was only thirteen years old, she married Louis, the ruler of Thuringia. Elizabeth was a beautiful bride who dearly loved her handsome husband. Louis returned her affection with all his heart. God gave them three children and they were very happy for six years. She build a hospital at the foot of the mountain where the castle stood and looked after the sick herself. Once when she was taking food to the poor and sick in secret, Prince Louis stopped her and looked under her cloak. The food she was carrying miraculously changed to roses. Then St. Elizabeth's sorrows began. Louis died of the plague. She was so heart-broken that she cried: "The world is dead to me and all that is joyous in the world." Louis' relatives had never liked Elizabeth because she had given so much food to the poor. While Louis was alive, they had not been able to do anything but now they began to trouble her. Within a short time, this beautiful, gentle princess and her three children were sent away from the castle. They suffered hunger and cold. Yet Elizabeth did not complain about her terrible sufferings. Instead she blessed God and prayed with great fervor. She accepted the sorrows just as she had accepted the joys. Elizabeth's relatives came to her rescue. She and her children had a home once more. Her uncle wanted her to marry again, for she was still very young and attractive. But the saint had decided to give herself to God. She wanted to imitate the poverty of St. Francis. She went to live in a poor cottage and spent the last few years of her life serving the sick and the poor. She even went fishing to try to earn more money for her beloved poor. St. Elizabeth was only twenty-four when she died in 1231. On her death bed, she was heard to sing softly. She had great confidence that Jesus would take her to himself.

St Margaret of Scotland

Feast Day: November 16 Born: 1046 :: Died: 1093 Margaret was an English princess who was born in Hungary and was the great-niece of St. Stephen of Hungary. She and her mother sailed to Scotland to escape from the king who had conquered their land. They got ship wrecked on the Scottish coast and King Malcolm of Scotland welcomed them. He fell in love with the beautiful princess and Margaret and Malcolm were soon married. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters and they loved their children very much. Margaret changed her husband and the country for the better. Malcolm was good, but he and his court were very rough. When he saw how wise his wife was, he willingly listened to her good advice. Margaret helped him control his temper and practice the Christian virtues. She made the court beautiful and civilized. The king and queen were wonderful examples because of the way they prayed together and treated each other. They fed crowds of poor people. They tried very hard to imitate Jesus in their own lives. Margaret was a blessing for all the people of Scotland. Many people had bad habits that kept them from growing closer to God. Margaret worked hard to find good teachers to help the people correct their evil ways. She and Malcolm had new churches built. She loved to make the churches beautiful to honor God. In fact, Queen Margaret embroidered some of the priests' robes herself. Their youngest son became St. David and one of their daughters St. Maud. But Margaret had sorrows, too. She was very ill, and she learned that both her husband and her son, Edward, had been killed in battle. They died just four days before Margaret's death. She died on November 16, 1093.

St Albert the Great

Feastday November 15 1206-1280 Albert was born in a castle on the Danube River in Swabia (southwest Germany) and was the son of a military nobleman. He studied at the University of Padua in Italy and there he decided to become a Dominican Priest. His uncle tried to change his mind but Albert would not as he felt that this was what God wanted. His father, the count of Bollstadt, was very angry. The Dominicans thought that he would force Albert to come back home and transferred him to a location farther away. But his father did not come after him. St. Albert loved to study. The natural sciences, especially physics, geography and biology, interested him. He also loved to study his Catholic religion and the Bible. He used to observe the ways of animals and write down what he saw, just as scientists do today. He wrote a great number of books on these subjects. He also wrote on philosophy and was a popular teacher in different schools. One of St. Albert's pupils was the great St. Thomas Aquinas. It is said that Albert found out about the death of St. Thomas directly from God. He had guided St. Thomas in beginning his great works in philosophy and theology. He also defended his teachings after Thomas died. As St. Albert grew older, he became more holy. Before, he had expressed his deep thoughts in his writings. Now he expressed them in his whole way of living for God.

St Lawrence O'toole

Feastday November 14 1128-80 Lawrence was born at Castledermot in Ireland. He was the son of the chief of Hy Murray. When he was only ten years old, a neighboring king Dermot McMurrogh Leinster attacked his father's territory and kidnapped him. Young Lawrence suffered for two years. Then his father forced the king to give him up to the care of a bishop. When he did, Lawrence's father hurried to see his son and gratefully brought him home. The chief wanted one of his sons to enter the service of the Church. While he was wondering which one to send, Lawrence told him with a laugh that he need not wonder anymore. "It is my desire," said Lawrence, "to have for my inheritance the service of God in the Church." So his father took him by the hand and gave him into the care of the Bishop of Glendalough. Lawrence became a priest and the abbot of a great monastery. Once food became very scarce in the whole neighborhood of the monastery. The good abbot gave great quantities away to keep the people from starving. He had many problems to handle as head of the monastery, too. Some of the monks criticized him for being too strict. But Lawrence kept right on guiding the community in the way of self-sacrifice, despite the criticism. Then, there was the problem of the robbers and outlaws who lived in the nearby hills. Yet nothing discouraged the fearless Lawrence O'Toole. In fact Lawrence was very strict with himself too. He wore a hair shirt under this robes. He made a 40 day retreat in St. Kevin's cave every year. He never ate meat or drank wine and fasted every Friday. But when he was in company, he would color his water and make it look like wine to avoid bringing attention to himself. He became so famous that soon he was chosen to be archbishop of Dublin. In this new position, he lived as holy a life as ever. Every day, he invited many poor people to be his guests and helped many others as well. Lawrence loved his people and Ireland, and his country very much. He did all he could to keep peace. Once a madman attacked him as he was going up to the altar to say Mass. He was knocked to the floor unconscious. Yet he came to his senses right away. He asked for water, blessed it and washed the wound at once. The bleeding stopped and he went right ahead with the Mass. After years of labor for the Church, St. Lawrence O'Toole became very ill. When he was asked if he wanted to make a will, the holy archbishop smiled. He answered, "God knows that I don't have a penny in the world." He had long ago given everything he had to others, just as he had given himself completely to God. St. Lawrence O'Toole died on November 14, 1180 when he was traveling with King Henry II, as a peacemaker.

St Frances Cabrini

Feastday November 13 1850-1917 Frances was born at Lombardy in Italy. She was one of thirteen children and was raised on a farm. As a child, she dreamed about being a missionary to China. She sailed paper boats down a stream to play her "pretend game." The paper boats were ships taking missionaries to China. And she began giving up candy because in China, she probably wouldn't be able to have any. But when she grew up, Frances was not accepted into the two convents that she asked to join. Her health was not too good, so she taught at girl's school for six years. Then a priest asked her to help out in a small home for orphans. Things were very hard for Frances because of the lady who ran the house. Yet Frances stuck to the work, and some other generous women joined her. Together they took vows. At last the bishop told Frances to begin her own congregation of missionary nuns, which Frances did without hesitation. This congregation is called the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Soon it began to grow, first in Italy and then in many other countries. Frances, whom everyone called Mother Cabrini, had always had her heart set on going to China. But it seemed that God wanted her to come to America. When Pope Leo XIII told her, "Go west, not east," the matter was settled. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini sailed for the United States and became an American citizen. She helped large numbers of Italian immigrants and was like their real mother and friend. Mother Cabrini and her sisters found things very difficult in the beginning. The archbishop of New York even suggested that they go back to Italy. But Mother Cabrini answered, "Your excellency, the pope sent me here and here I must stay." The archbishop admired her pioneer spirit, and so she and her sisters were allowed to begin their great work for God. Schools, hospitals, and homes for children were opened up in different states. As the years passed, Mother Cabrini made many trips to spread her congregation and its works. She founded 67 institutions, and there were always difficulties, but she put all her trust in the Sacred Heart. "It is he who is doing everything, not us," she would say.

St Josaphat

Feast Day: November 12 Born: 1580 :: Died: 1623 Josaphat was born in Lithuania, Ukraine and baptized John in 1580. His father was a municipal counselor and his mother a pious woman. A merchant at Vilna trained him to do business. Later the merchant offered to make John his partner and asked him to marry his daughter. But John felt that God was calling him to serve and he respectfully refused both the offers. He became a monk in the order of St. Basil and chose the name Josaphat. He was a self-sacrificing, brave man and because of his many natural qualities, he was chosen to lead the people. Josaphat became an apostle of ecumenism and preached unity among the Christian churches of the Ukraine. There were three main categories of Christians: the Latin Church united with the pope, the Orthodox Greek Church and the Greek Catholic Church. Josaphat became the bishop of Polotsk in 1617. He spent the next ten years helping the people know and love their Catholic faith better. He organized celebrations of prayer and religion classes. He called clergy meetings and worked with the priests to put into effect rules that helped the people live closer to Jesus. Archbishop Josaphat had a very good influence on people. He was a dynamic leader, which is why some people feared him. People who were against the unity of the Churches formed a big mob and came to attack him. Josaphat tried to make sure his servants were all safe before fleeing himself but was not able to get out in time. He was killed and his body was thrown into a local river. Josaphat died on November 12, 1623.

St Willibrord

Feast Day: November 7 Born: 658 :: Died: 739 Willibrord was born at Northumbria, in England and was the son of St. Hilgis. He did his early studies at the Abbey of Ripon near York, as a disciple of St. Wilfrid and then entered the Benedictine Order. When twenty years old he went to Ireland and spent twelve years in the Abbey of Rathmelsigi under St. Egbert. Willibrord and eleven companions were sent on a mission to Frisia (in the Netherlands) by St. Egbert, at the request of King Pepin. For a long time he had a great desire to go those countries where people did not believe in God and preach the Gospel. At last, his dream came true. With the encouragement of the pope, who made him a bishop, St. Willibrord led many people to accept Jesus as their saviour. When Radbod gained possession of all Frisia and became king, Willibrord was forced to leave. Radbod destroyed most of the churches that Willibrord had helped build and replaced them by temples and shrines to the idols. He also killed many of the missionaries. At one time the missionary's ship was driven onto an island which the pagans (people who did not believe in God) of Denmark and Friesland (a province in the north Netherlands) considered sacred to their god. No one was allowed to kill any animal on it. They were not allowed to eat any vegetable or fruit that grew there, or draw water from its spring, unless in complete silence. To show them that their god did not exist, St. Willibrord killed some wild animals there to provide food for his companions. He also baptized three persons in the spring. Hearing him say the words, "I baptize you" loudly, the pagans felt sure he would drop dead. Of course, nothing happened. King Rodbod was told about this and he ordered that one of the Christians should die to "calm the god's anger." So one missionary became a martyr. After this king died, St. Willibrord eagerly went ahead converting many nonbelievers. Although he was growing very old, nothing could stop this apostle. He was still a fine-looking man, cheerful, wise and holy. He was full of love and concern for people right to the end of his life. Bishop Willibrord died in 739.

St Bertilla

Bertilla was born in Soissons, France. When she was just a teenager, she felt the call to grow closer to God. She realized that if she joined a monastery, she could lead the life of prayer and sacrifice that she wanted. She went to her bishop, St. Ouen, and asked his advice. He encouraged her to follow her calling. So her parents sent her to a monastery of nuns who followed the rule of an Irish monk, St. Columban. When she arrived, she knew that she had found peace. Years passed and Bertilla spent her time praying and doing different tasks. She was very good at offering hospitality to travelers and the sick who came to the monastery. She also cared for the children who were being educated at the monastery. St. Bathildis, the queen and wife of King Clovis II, started a new monastery. She asked the abbess at Soissons to send some nuns to begin the community. Bertilla was among those chosen and she was appointed the abbess. She was very surprised, but decided to do the best she could. She knew that the Lord would help her in every way and the community of nuns grew. Queen Bathildis herself became a nun after her husband died. Then, another queen, Hereswitha, widow of the king of the East Angles, became a nun, too. Abbess Bertilla must have been amazed to have two queens in her community. But everyone lived in peace because the queens were as humble as St. Bertilla. Bertilla lived a long life and ruled the monastery of Chelles for forty-six years. Her heart was open and ready to follow wherever the Spirit led her. She died around the year 705.

St Charles Borromeo

Born 1538 Died 1584 Charles was born at Aron in Italy. He was the son of a rich Italian count and the nephew of Pope Pius IV. Like other wealthy young men, he went to the University of Pavia. But he was different from most of the students there and refused to take part in sinful activities. He seemed to be a slow student because he was not a good speaker, but he really made good progress and became a lawyer at the age of twenty-one. He was only twenty-three when his uncle, Pope Pius IV, gave him many important duties, which Charles managed to handle well. He was afraid that he might stray from God because of the many temptations around him so he denied himself many pleasures. He also made a great effort to be humble and patient. As a priest and later the cardinal archbishop of Milan, St. Charles was a model for his people. He gave away great amounts of money to the poor. He had only one shabby cassock (long black habit) of his own. But in public, he dressed grandly as a cardinal should and took great care to give dignity and respect to Church ceremonies. In Milan, the people followed many bad practices and superstitions (wrong beliefs). By wise laws, gentle kindness and his own wonderful example, St. Charles made his diocese (the Churches under his care) a model for the whole Catholic Church. He was never a good speaker - people could barely hear him but his words reached the hearts of the people. When a terrible disease caused many deaths in Milan, Cardinal Borromeo spent all his time caring for his people. He prayed and did penance. He organized crews of attendants and borrowed money to feed the hungry. He even had altars set up in the streets so that the sick could assist at Mass from their windows. This great man was never too busy to help simple people. He once stayed with a little shepherd boy until he had taught him the Our Father and the Hail Mary. As he lay dying at the age of forty-six, St. Charles said peacefully, "Behold, I come!" He died on November 3, 1584.

St Martin de Porres

Feast Day: November 3 Born: 1579 :: Died: 1639 Martin was born at Lima in Peru. His father was a Spanish knight and his mother was earlier an Indian slave from Panama who had been set free. Because of his dark complexion, his father soon became ashamed of Martin and his mother. When Martin was very young, his father went away, leaving the family to look out for themselves. As they were very poor, his mother could not support Martin or his sister and they were sent to live at a primary school for two years. When he was just ten years old, Martin was placed with a surgeon to learn about the medical field and earn his living. He felt great joy while helping the sick. He also learned how to cure many diseases according to the practices of those days. Even as a young boy, he spent some time every night in prayer. Martin grew up good and holy. Martin's father finally decided to take care of his son's education. But Martin wanted to give himself to God and asked for admission to a Dominican Convent. Brother Martin soon proved to be a wonderful religious. No one was kinder or more obedient or holy. Before long, he began to work miracles, too. He was known to go through locked doors to help the sick. He was even seen in other countries helping the sick although he never left Lima all his life. He cured so many sick people that everyone in the city of Lima would ask for Brother Martin when there was sickness. He would go to them all, whether they were blacks or whites. He loved all people as his brothers and sisters in Christ. When he took in an old beggar who was covered with ulcers and laid him on his own bed, one of the other brothers scolded him. Martin told him that it was better to be kind that to be clean because you only needed soap to wash off dirt. Large amounts of money were given to this good, lovable Brother for his charities. People knew how well he could organize works of charity. His sister offered her house as a hospital for the sick when there was a plague in Lima. This kind-hearted saint was also very good to animals. He excused the comings and goings of rats and mice by saying, "The poor little things don't have enough to eat." In his sister's house, he kept a home for stray cats and dogs too. Although he was so famous in Lima, St. Martin always had a very humble opinion of himself. His name for himself was, in fact, "Brother Broom." When Martin died on November 3, 1639, this beloved saint was carried to his tomb by bishops and noblemen who wanted to honor the humble and holy brother.

All souls

This feast day is one of the most loving celebrations in the Church's liturgy. It is the day that we especially remember all those who have passed from this life into the next. Today we stop to remember all who have died especially our relatives and friends. We pray for those who taught us good things and made sacrifices for us. We pray for those who prayed for us while they were on this earth. We pray for the most forgotten souls. We pray for those who had great responsibilities while they were on earth. We think of those holy souls in purgatory and we realize that they are saved. Now they wait, being purified, until the moment when they can be with God, face to face. We can offer the sacrifice of the Mass and pray for these suffering souls in purgatory to hasten their journey to God. Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.