Saint Brigid

Brigid was born a short time after St Patrick began spreading Jesus' message in Ireland. She grew up knowing and loving Jesus. She had a great love for poor people and would often share food and clothes with them. Once she gave a whole pail of milk to people who were hungry. As she walked home she began to worry that her mother would be upset with her. She asked God to fill her pail and by the time she got home, her pail was full of milk. Brigid became a nun and started her own convent. She was so lovely, gentle and kind to those in need, that many people referred to her as "Mary of the Irish.”

St John Bosco

John’s parents were poor farmers. When John was only 9 he already wanted to become a priest. His mother let him go to school, but he always had to do his chores first. He learned to do all kinds of jobs; carpentry, shoemaking, cooking, farming, baking and many other jobs. When John grew up he did became a priest. As a priest, Don Bosco (Don means Father in Italian) began helping his people. He was a very kind man and he felt sad when he saw so many children living on the streets of Italy. Like a loving father, he gathered together these homeless boys and taught them how to work, so that they would stay out of trouble. His advice to the boys was, "Pray when it's time to pray. Study when it's time to study. Play when it's time to play. Show kindness to everyone you meet. But do it all for the love of Jesus." Don Bosco started his own religious order of priests, brothers and sisters called the Salesians, after St. Francis de Sales

Saint Bathildis

When Bathildis was only a little girl, she was taken onto a pirate ship and taken to France. She was sold as a slave to the Mayor of the Palace of King Clovis. Bathildis quietly did everything she was told to do and did the best she could in everything. King Clovis began to notice how good Bathildis was and the more he watched her, the more he was impressed and so he married her! The little slave girl became the Queen. They had 3 sons and after King Clovis died, Bathildis became ruler of France until her sons grew up and became King. She remembered her years as a slave and what it was like to be poor and so Bathildis wanted everyone to know how precious they were to God. She used her royal position to help and protect the Church in every way she could and she always helped the poor whenever she could. She opened many hospitals in France to help the sick people and she made it against the law to sell Christians as slaves. When her son Clotaire was 15, Queen Bathildis made him King and she entered the convent of Chelles. In the convent she never demanded or even expected that other people should treat her like a Queen.

St Gildas

When Gildas he was just a child he was taken to a monastery close to home so that he could learn with Saint Illtyd. When he grew up, he moved to Ireland to study and gave his life to God. Gildas was serious about living his faith and he did whatever he could to get closer to God. He prayed really hard for all the bad people and he talked to them about God; he wanted them to stop being bad and start to believe in God. Gildas later became a hermit, living on a tiny island all alone, so that he could spend more time in prayer and learning about God. Lots of people wanted to be like Gildas and soon lots of people came to his hermitage to learn from him. People in the Church - priests, bishops, men and women went to Gildas for advice. He welcomed everyone that came to him, to show people that God wants us to share our gifts with others. Gildas reminded everyone to always try to be good, to stop doing bad things and to do what is right

St Thomas Aquinas

Thomas was one of 9 children and he was very smart. When Thomas was 18, he went to the University in Naples. While he was there he met a new group of religious men called the Order of Preachers. Their founder, St. Dominic, was still alive. Thomas knew he wanted to become a priest and felt that he was called to join these men. So he became a Dominican priest. St. Thomas wrote so well about God that people all over the world have used his books for hundreds of years. His explanations about God came from Thomas' love for God. His writings have touched the hearts of people and helped them be closer to God. This is why he was made a Doctor of the Church. He is also the patron saint of all schools.

Saint Angela Merici

Angela’s parents and sister died when Angela was young. Jesus helped her through lots of hard times and Angela grew to love Jesus very much and promised to spend the rest of her life serving Jesus. When she was about 22 years old, Angela began to notice that the children of her town did not know a lot about Jesus. Angela asked some of her friends to help her teach religion classes. This was the beginning of the first order of sisters to ever open schools for children. Angela and these sisters promised to live only for God and they started the Ursuline Order. Angela asked St. Ursula to keep all of the sisters safe and this is how they got their name. The Ursuline Sisters went to many countries, including Canada. The order continues to work for Jesus and his Church, especially teaching children and young adults.

Saints Timothy and Titus

Timothy and Titus were both Bishops in the Church. They also both learned about Jesus through the preaching of St. Paul. When Paul came to preach in his town, Timothy, his mother and his grandmother all became Christians. When Paul went back years later, Paul invited him to go with him to preach the Gospel and Timothy left his home and followed Paul. Timothy died a martyr, just like Paul; he was stoned because he would not worship the King. Titus did not know about Jesus until Paul told him. After hearing about Jesus, Titus became a disciple of Paul, just like Timothy. Titus was generous and hard-working and he told lots of people about Jesus. Titus had a special gift for being a peacemaker and Paul would send him all over to help the new Christians work out their problems and forgive each other. St. Paul made Titus Bishop of the Island of Crete.

Conversion of Saint Paul

Paul lived around the same time Jesus did, but he never met Jesus. When Paul was born he was called Saul. He did not like Christians because he did not know Jesus and didn’t know why people believed in Him. Then Paul had an amazing thing happen to him. One day, Paul was on his way to the city of Damascus to find some Christians and throw them in jail (during that time it was against the law to be Christian). As he was riding along on his horse a big light shone all around him and he was knocked to the ground. He became blind and he heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul answered, "Who are you, Sir?" And the voice said, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting." Paul asked, "What do you want me to do?" Jesus told him go to Damascus and at that moment Saul received the gift to believe in Jesus. He was baptized and changed his name to Paul to show that he was a changed person. He traveled to many countries and wrote lots of letters telling people about Jesus. His letters can be found in the Bible!

St Francis de Sales

Feast Day: January 24 Born:1567 :: Died:1622 Francis was born at the de Sales castle called Chateau of Thorens in Savoy, France. His wealthy family provided him with an excellent education. He studied at La Roche, Annecy, Clermont College in Paris, and did law at the University of Padua. By the age of twenty-four, Francis was a Doctor of Law. He returned home, and led a hard-working life as Senate advocate. He was not really interested in important positions or a social life. In his heart, Francis was listening to a call that kept coming back like an echo. It seemed to be an invitation from the Lord telling him to "Leave all and follow Me." Francis finally tried to explain his struggle to his family. His father was very disappointed. He wanted Francis to be a great man of the world.But Francis spent lots of time in prayer, finally his gentle ways won over the family and Francis became a priest on December 18, 1593. In those times Christians were bitterly divided. Father Francis offered to go to a dangerous area of France to win back Catholics who had become Protestants. His father tried to stop him. He said it was bad enough that he had allowed Francis to become a priest; he was not going to let him die as a martyr as well. But Francis knew that the Lord would protect him. He and his cousin, Father Louis de Sales, began their long walk to the Duchy of Chablais. The two priests soon learned how to live with insults and physical discomforts and their lives were often in danger. Francis explained the teachings of the Catholic faith in very simple and clear language. And his gentle way with everyone, slowly brought many back to the Roman Catholic Church. When he was thirty-five years old, Francis became the bishop of Geneva, Switzerland. He travelled and preached throughout the Duchy of Savoy, working with children whenever he could. He was a good friend of Saint Vincent de Paul. With the help of St. Jane de Chantal, he started a religious order of sisters in 1610. These women are called the order of the Visitation. Francis wrote wonderful books about the spiritual life and the way to become holy. The books, "Treatise on the Love of God" and "Introduction to the Devout Life", are still available in book stores today. They are considered spiritual "classics." Bishop de Sales died at Lyons on December 28, 1622, at the age of fifty-six. Because of his good work that brought many people back to God and the Church, he was given the special title "Doctor of the Church." He is also the patron saint of journalists.

St John the Almsgiver

Born:(around)550 :: Died:619 St. John was born at Arnathus, in Cyprus, Greece and came from a rich family. He married and had a child. John was a good Christian who used his wealth and position to help poor people. When John's wife and child died of a disease, John became a priest and then a bishop. In 608, he was given a very important position and made the patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt. St. John went to his new ministry determined to heal the divisions among his people. He made himself a promise that he would practice "charity without limits." As he had come to serve, the first thing he did was ask for a complete list of his "masters" - the poor. When they were counted, the poor of Alexandria numbered 7,500. St. John promised to be their personal protector. As patriarch, St. John made many changes to the way things were done and set new rules. He was respectful and kind, but firm. He set aside two days each week, Wednesday and Friday, and made himself available for anyone who wanted to see him. People lined up in queues and waited patiently for their turn. Some were rich. Some were homeless and penniless. St. John treaded them all with the same respect and attention. When he found out that the church funds had eighty thousand pieces of gold, he divided it all among the hospitals and monasteries. He set up a system so that poor people received enough money to support themselves. Refugees from neighboring areas were welcomed warmly. When the Persians attacked and robbed the people of Jerusalem of their wealth, St. John sent money and supplies to the suffering people. He even sent Egyptian workmen to help them rebuild their churches. When people asked how St. John could be so charitable and unselfish, he had an amazing answer. Once when he was very young he had a dream or vision. He saw a beautiful girl and she represented "charity." She told him: "I am the oldest daughter of the King. If you are devoted to me, I will lead you to Jesus. No one is as powerful with him as I am. Remember, it was for me that he became a baby to redeem humankind." St. John never grew tired of telling about that vision. He gently led the rich to be generous. He helped the poor trust that God would always be there for them. Because of his great charity, he is called "the almsgiver." St. John died peacefully on November 11, 619. E-mail this page to a friend

St. Vincent de Saragossa

Feast Day: January 22 Died: 304 Vincent was born in Heusca and grew up at Saragossa in Spain. He was educated by the bishop, St. Valerius. Valerius recognized his talents and goodness and made Vincent a deacon when he was quite young. Bishop Valerius asked him to preach and teach about Jesus and the Church. Then one day Emperor Dacian arrested both Valerius and Vincent. Although he kept them in jail for a long time, they remained happy and peaceful and their faith in Jesus stayed strong. Then the emperor sent Bishop Valerius away from the country, but he sent Deacon Vincent to be cruelly tortured. Vincent asked the Holy Spirit for strength. He wanted to be true to Jesus no matter how terrible things were for him. The Lord gave him that strength and Deacon Vincent remained peaceful through all his sufferings. When they finished torturing Vincent, he was returned to prison where he converted the jailer. Finally, the emperor allowed people to visit Vincent. The Christians came and cared for his wounds and tried their best to make him comfortable. It was not long before he died in 304. St. Vincent is the patron saint of Portugal. Let us pray today in the words of St. Vincent: "God fill us with your Spirit and strengthen us in your love."

St Fabian and St Sebastian

Feast Day: January 20 Born/Died: (Third Century) Fabian was a simple farmer but was an extraordinary person. He was also very holy. St. Cyprian explained how Fabian had been elected pope. The group who had gathered to elect the next pope prayed for a sign. The day the new pope was to be elected Fabian came into Rome. A dove flew in and settled on his head. They took this as a sign that Fabian had been anointed. He was immediately chosen Pope and was the first layman to be pope. He died a martyr in 250 during the persecution by Emperor Decius. Fabian's remains are now in the basilica of St. Sebastian. And the two martyrs share the same feast day. St. Sebastian was born at Narbonne, in Gaul. He came from a rich Roman family and studied in Milan. As an officer in the Imperial Roman army and captain of the guard, he became known for his goodness and bravery. He was a favorite of Emperor Diocletian. Then during the persecution by Diocletian, Sebastian visited Christians in prison bringing them supplies and comfort. He even healed the wife of one of the soldiers by making the sign of the cross over her. Seeing his witness, many soldiers and a governor became Christians. Diocletian ordered Sebastian to give up his Christian faith but he refused. Then Sebastian was tied to a tree and archers shot arrows into his body and left him for dead. When a holy widow came to bury him, she was shocked to find him still alive. She took him to her home and nursed his wounds. When Sebastian was well enough, the widow pleaded with him to escape the dangers of Rome. But Sebastian was a brave soldier. He would not run away. He returned to preach to Diocletian and urged him to stop torturing the Christians. The emperor was shocked to see Sebastian alive. He refused to listen to what Sebastian had to say. Diocletian ordered that Sebastian be immediately clubbed and beaten to death. He died in 288.

St Christina

Feast Day: January 18 Born: 1481 :: Died: 1543 Matthia Ciccarelli was born at Luco in Abruzzi, Italy. She was the youngest of six children and her father was Domenico de Pericolo. As she grew up, Matthia felt the call to a life of prayer and penance. She decided to become a cloistered nun. (Cloistered Nuns are nuns who live hidden from the world and spend all their time alone in silent prayer). Matthia entered the convent of St. Augustine in Aquila and took the name Sister Christina. Sister Christina's life as a nun was hidden and silent but the people of Aquila began to find out about the beauty of her work and the life she had chosen. She and the other nuns were bringing many blessings to them through their fervent prayers. Sister Christina was cloistered but she knew the needs of the poor people of her area. She and the nuns sent to them whatever they could. Sister Christina was also aware of the crosses and sufferings people experienced. She prayed and offered penances to the Lord for these people. Jesus blessed Sister Christina with ecstasies. On the feast of Corpus Christi, Christina was seen to float above the ground, and the image of a Host in a golden chalice radiated from her breast. A vision on Good Friday caused her to have invisible stigmata (the five wounds of Jesus) and the pains of Crucifixion until the next day. She was also blessed with the gift of prophesy and had the ability on occasion to know the future. The Lord used her to work miracles for the good of others. When she died on January 18, 1543, the little children of Aquila went through the streets shouting that the holy nun was dead. A large crowd of people came to honor and thank her for the gift she had been for their city. Although we may not be able to see the results of our prayers, the life of this cloistered nun shows us how powerful prayer can be.

St Anthony of Egypt

Feast day Jan 17 St. Anthony was born at Heracleus in Egypt. When he was twenty years old, his parents died. They left him a large estate and placed him in charge of the care of his young sister. Anthony felt overwhelmed and turned to God in prayer. He soon became more and more aware of the power of God in his life. About six months later, he heard this quotation of Jesus from the Gospel: "Go, sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven" (Mark 10:21). He took the words as a personal message in answer to his prayer for guidance. He made sure that his sister completed her education, then sold his house, furniture, and the land he owned and gave the money to the poor and to the people who needed it. Anthony's sister joined a group of women living a life of prayer and contemplation. Anthony decided to become a hermit. He begged an elderly hermit to teach him the spiritual life. Anthony also visited other hermits so he could learn each one's most outstanding virtue. Then at the age of thirty-five he moved alone to the desert, living in an abandoned fort and began his own life of prayer and penance alone with God. By the time he was fifty-five, people found out where he was and began coming to him for healing and for spiritual counseling. Finally, Anthony built two monasteries on the Nile, one at Pispir and one at Arsinoe. The monks and people who lived around him supported themselves by making and selling baskets and brushes. Many people heard of him and came to him looking for advice. He would give them practical advice such as: "The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross." St. Anthony visited Paul the hermit shortly before he died and helped dig a grave to bury him. He felt enriched by the example of Paul's holy life. Anthony died after a long, prayerful life in 356. He was 105. St. Athanasius wrote a well known biography of St. Anthony of Egypt.

St Berard

St. Berard was born at Carbio in Italy and came from a noble family. When he was older he joined the order of Saint Francis of Assisi as a Franciscan Friar. St. Berard later became a priest and was a good preacher who also spoke Arabic. St. Francis of Assisi asked some of his Franciscan friars, including St. Berard to go to Morocco and preach. They were to announce Christianity to the Muslims. The Friars agreed and Berard, Peter, Adjutus, Accursio and Odo traveled by ship in 1219. Morocco is in the northwest corner of Africa and the journey was long and dangerous. The group arrived at Seville, Spain. They started preaching immediately, on streets and in public squares. The people there thought they were crazy and had them arrested. To save themselves from being sent back home, the friars declared they wanted to see the sultan. So the governor of Seville sent them to Morocco. The sultan welcomed the friars and gave them freedom to preach in the city. But some of the people did not like this and complained to the authorities. The sultan tried to save the friars by sending them to live in Marrakech, on the west coast of Morocco. A Christian prince and friend of the sultan, Dom Pedro Fernandez, took them into his home. But the friars knew that their mission was to preach the faith and they returned to the city as often as they could. This angered the people who did not want to hear the friars' message. Their complaints finally angered the sultan so much that one day when he saw the friars preaching, he ordered them to stop or leave the country. Since they had been sent to fulfill a mission, they refused to do both and were beheaded right then and there. It was January 16, 1220. Dom Pedro Fernandez went to claim the bodies of the martyrs and later brought their remains to Holy Cross Church in Coimbra, Portugal. The friars' mission to Morocco had been brief and looked like a failure. But the results were surprising. The story of these heroes fired the first Franciscans with the desire to be missionaries and martyrs too. It was their particular witness that inspired a young man to dedicate his life to God as a Franciscan priest. We know him as St. Anthony of Padua. His feast day is June 13. E-mail this page to a friend

St Paul the Hermit

Feast Day Jan 15 Born:229 :: Died:342 Paul was born at Lower Thebes, in Egypt. He belonged to an upperclass, Christian family, was well educated and was fluent in Greek and Egyptian. Paul's parents showed him by their own lives how to love God and worship him with one's whole heart. Paul was very sad as both his parents died when he was just fifteen years old. A few years later, in 250, Emperor Decius started a cruel persecution of the Church. Paul hid in his friend's house, but he still was not safe. His brother-in-law was after his money and property and could easily betray him. So Paul ran away to the desert. He found a cave near a palm tree and a spring of fresh water. There he settled. He sewed palm branches together for clothes, and he lived on fruit and water. Paul had only planned to stay there while the persecution lasted. But by the time it was over, he had fallen in love with the life of prayer. He felt so close to God. How could he give that up? He decided to stay in the desert and never return to his wealthy city life. Instead, he would spend his life praying daily for the needs of all people and performing penance for sin. There was another holy hermit at the same time named Anthony. Anthony thought he was the only hermit but God showed Paul to him in a dream and told Anthony to go visit him. Paul was so happy to see Anthony because he knew he was going to die in a few days. Anthony was sad because he did not want to lose his new friend so soon. But, as Paul had expected, he died on January 15, 342. Anthony buried him in a cloak that had belonged to St. Athanasius. Then Anthony took home and treasured the garment of palm leaves that Paul had been wearing. He never forgot his wonderful friend. Paul's biography was written by Saint Jerome.

St Macrina

Feast day Jan 14 Died 340 St. Macrina, was the grandmother of St. Basil the Great. She helped raise St. Basil and was one of his favourite people. As an adult, he praised his grandmother for all the good she had done for him. He especially thanked her openly for having taught him to love the Christian faith from the time he was very small. Macrina and her husband paid a high price for being true to their Christian beliefs. During the Roman persecutions of Galerius and Maximinus, Basil's grandparents were forced to go into hiding. They found shelter in the forest at Pontus near their home and somehow managed to escape the Roman soldiers who were looking for them. They were always hungry, almost starving and afraid, but they would not give up their faith. Instead, they patiently waited and prayed for the persecution to end. They hunted for food and ate the wild vegetation and somehow managed to live like this for seven years. During another persecution, Macrina and her husband had all their property and belongings taken from them. They were left with nothing but their faith and trust in God's care for them. St. Macrina died around 340. St. Macrina survived her husband but the exact year of each of their deaths is not recorded. It is believed that Macrina died around 340. Her grandchild, Basil, died in 379.

St Hilary

Feast day Jan 13 Born:315 :: Died:368 In the early centuries of Christianity, there were still many people who did not believe in God as we do. They believed that there were many gods, some more powerful than others. These people were not bad. They just did not know any better. They were called pagans. St. Hilary was born into just such a family in Poitiers, a town in France. His family was rich and well-known. Hilary received a good education. He married and raised a family. Through his studies, Hilary learned that a person should practice patience, kindness, justice and these good acts would be rewarded in the life after death. Hilary's studies also made him realize that there could only be one God who is eternal, all-powerful and good. He read the Bible for the first time. When he came to the story of Moses and the burning bush, Hilary was very impressed by the name God gave himself: I AM WHO AM. Hilary read the writings of the prophets, too. Then he read the whole New Testament. By the time he finished, he was completely converted to Christianity and was baptized. Hilary was such a good Catholic that he was made bishop. This did not make his life easy because the emperor was interfering in Church matters. When Hilary refused to do wrong as the emperor commanded him, he was sent away from the country. Hilary did not let this worry him, instead with great courage and patience he accepted the emperor's punishment calmly and used the time to write books explaining the faith to the pagans. Since he was becoming famous and many pagans were converting to Christianity, Hilary's enemies asked the emperor to send him back to his hometown. There he would not be able to create too much trouble. So Hilary returned to Poitiers in 360. He continued writing and teaching the people about the faith. Hilary died eight years later, at the age of fifty-two. His books are used by the Church even today. That is why he is called a Doctor of the Church.

St Marguerite Bourgeoys

Feast Day: January 12 Born:1620 :: Died:1700 Marguerite was born in Troyes, France, and was the sixth of twelve children. Her parents were devout people and lived holy lives. When Marguerite was nineteen, her mother died. Marguerite took care of her younger brothers and sisters. Then her father died when she was twenty-seven. The family was now raised and Marguerite prayed to know what to do with her life. The governor of Montreal, Canada, was visiting France. He tried to find teachers for the New World and he invited Marguerite to come to Montreal to teach school and religion classes. She said yes. Marguerite gave away her all her money and belongings to other members of the family. They couldn't believe that she would really leave their civilized country to go to a wild new country across the ocean. But she did. She sailed on June 20, 1653, and arrived in Canada in mid-November. Marguerite began the construction of a chapel in honor Our Lady of Good Help in 1657. Then in 1658, she opened her first school. Marguerite needed the help of more teachers. She returned to France in 1659 and returned with four companions. In 1670, she went to France again and brought back six companions. These brave women became the first sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. St. Marguerite and her sisters helped people in the colony survive when food was scarce. They opened a vocational school and taught young people how to run a home and farm. St. Marguerite's congregation was growing. By 1681 there were eighteen sisters. Seven were Canadian. They opened more missions and two sisters taught at the Indian mission. St. Marguerite herself received the first two Indian women into the congregation. When Mother Marguerite was seventy three years old, she handed over her congregation to the new superior Marie Barbier, who the first Canadian to join the order. St. Marguerite's religious rule was approved by the Church in 1698. Marguerite spent her last few years praying and writing an autobiography. On December 31, 1699, a young sister lay dying. Mother Marguerite asked the Lord to take her life in exchange. By the morning of January 1, 1700, the sister was completely well and Mother Marguerite had a very high fever. She suffered for twelve days and died on January 12, 1700.

St Theodosius

Feast day Jan 10 Born:423 :: Died:529 Theodosius was born at Garissus, Cappadocia in Asia Minor which today is called Turkey. He came from a very pious family and became a lector early in his youth. As a young man, he set out on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was inspired by Abraham's journey of faith recorded in the Bible's book of Genesis. After visiting the holy places, he decided to leave home and lead a life of prayer so he could properly follow God. He met Saint Simeon Stylites in Antioch who recognized him as a holy man and leader and invited Theodosius to join him in prayer, blessing and advice. He later traveled to Jerusalem where he worked with a holy man named Longinus. Soon people realized how holy Theodosius himself was. Many men asked to join him. They, too, wanted to be monks. Theodosius built a large monastery at Cathismus, near Bethlehem. Soon it was filled with monks from Greece, Armenia, Arabia, Persia and the Slavic countries. In time, it grew into a "little city." One building was for sick people, one for the elderly and one for the poor and homeless. Theodosius was always generous. He fed an endless stream of poor people. Sometimes it seemed like there would not be enough food for the monks. But Theodosius had great trust in God. He never turned travelers away, even when food was scarce. The monastery was a very peaceful place. The monks lived in silence and prayer. It was going so well that the patriarch of Jerusalem appointed Theodosius head of all the monks in the east. Theodosius died in 529 at the age of 106. The patriarch of Jerusalem and many people attended his funeral. Theodosius was buried where he had first lived as a monk. It was called the Cave of the Magi. The cave received its name from people who believed that the Wise Men had stayed there when they came in search of Jesus.

St Thorfinn

Feast Day: January 08 Born: (around) 1230 :: Died: 1285 The Church found out about St. Thorfinn's life long after he had died. Fifty years later, his tomb was opened by accident during some construction work to renovate the church. Everyone was surprised by the strong, pleasant smell that came out of his coffin. The abbot started making enquiries about Thorfinn. He found one elderly monk, Walter de Muda, who knew Thorfinn. In fact, Father Walter had been so impressed with Thorfinn's gentle goodness, patience, generosity and firmness against the evil and ungodly, that he had written a poem about him. Walter had placed the poem with Thorfinn in the tomb. The monks went to look for the poem and found the parchment just as new and fresh as the day it had been put there. The monks felt this was a sign that God wanted Thorfinn to be remembered and honored. People started praying to him and miracles began to happen around his tomb. Father Walter was asked to write whatever he could remember about Thorfinn. Thorfinn had come from Norway and was a Cistercian monk at the abbey of Tautra. Later he had probably served at the cathedral as a priest. It seems that Thorfinn had signed an important document while at the cathedral. He had been a witness to the Agreement of Tonsberg in 1277. This agreement between King Magnus VI and the archbishop set the Church free from state control. But a few years later, King Eric rejected the agreement and turned against the archbishop and those who had supported him. The archbishop was sent away and so was Thorfinn, who was now bishop of Hamar, Norway. Thorfinn started a hard journey to Flanders. He was even shipwrecked on the trip. Finally, he arrived and went to live at the abbey of TerDoest in Flanders, Belgium. He made a pilgrimage to Rome, but he returned to the abbey very ill. Before he died on January 8, 1285, Thorfinn divided the few possessions he had among his family members and some charitable groups. Then in a monastery in Belgium. Reports of St. Thorfinn's holiness and the miracles at his tomb soon spread devotion to him among the Cistercians and Catholics in Hamar, Norway. Today Norwegians still honor St. Thorfinn and celebrate his feast day. Reflection: Some people live famous and well-known lives; others slip in and out of our lives without much notice. Take the time today to notice someone who usually doesn't attract much attention. E-mail this page to a friend

St Raymond Penafort

Feast Day: January 07 Born: 1175 :: Died: 1275 Raymond was born in a little town called Penafort near Barcelona, Spain and his family belonged to Aragonian nobility. He studied at the cathedral school in Barcelona and became a famous teacher of Philosophy when he was twenty. After Raymond became a priest he studied law in Bologna, Italy and became a lawyer. Then he joined the Dominican order in 1218. In 1230, Pope Gregory IX asked this dedicated priest to come to Rome. When Raymond arrived, the pope gave him several duties. One duty was to collect all the official letters of the popes since 1150. Raymond gathered and published five volumes and also helped to write the Church law. In 1238, Raymond was elected master general of the Dominicans. With his knowledge of law, he went over the Order's Rule and made sure everything was legally correct. After he had finished, he resigned his position in 1240 so that he could truly dedicate the rest of his life to parish work. That is what he really wanted. The pope wanted to make Raymond an archbishop, but Raymond refused. He asked if he could return to Spain and was given permission. He was overjoyed to be in parish work. His compassion helped many people return to God through the sacrament of Reconciliation. During his years in Rome, Raymond often heard stories of the difficulties that missionaries faced trying to reach non-Christians of Northern Africa and Spain. To help the missionaries, Raymond started a school that taught the language and culture of the people to be evangelized. Also, Father Raymond asked the famous Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas, to write a booklet explaining the truths of faith in a way that nonbelievers could understand. St. Raymond lived nearly one hundred years and died in Barcelona on January 6, 1275. He was declared the patron of Church lawyers because of his great influence on Church law.

St Ambrose

Feast day Jan 7 Born: 340 :: Died: 397 Ambrose was born at Augusta Treverorum in the Roman Empire which today is the town of Trier in Germany. He was the son of Aurelius Ambrosius the Roman governor of Gaul. When his father died, his mother took her family back to Rome. She and her daughter, St. Marcellina, brought Ambrose up well. He became an excellent lawyer and was then made governor of Milan and the territory around it. But by a strange event, Ambrose the governor became Ambrose the bishop. When the Bishop of Milan died, there was a big quarrel between the Arians and the Catholics in the Cathedral about who would become the next bishop. Ambrose quickly went to the Church and gave a speech begging both sides to stop fighting and make peace. In those days the people used to suggest to the pope the name of the one they would like as bishop. To Ambrose's great surprise, the people of Milan were so impressed with his efforts to make peace that they immediately chose him as bishop. He tried to escape, but it seemed to be God's will and Ambrose became a priest and then bishop of Milan. Ambrose was a great model and father to his people. He also resisted all evil with amazing courage. He faced an attacking army and convinced the leader to turn back. Another time, Emperor Theodosius came from the east. He wanted to save Italy from invaders and asked all his officers to respect the bishop of Milan. But when this emperor committed a very serious sin, Ambrose immediately told him that he did wrong. He asked Theodosius do public penance. The emperor did not get angry but realized that the saint was right. Very humbly he publicly made penance for his sin. Ambrose had shown the world that no human being, even if he or she is the Emperor, is higher than the Church and that everyone was the same in the eyes of God. People were afraid of what would happen to Italy when Ambrose died. When he became sick, they begged him to pray for a longer life. The saint replied, "I have not behaved myself among you in such a way that I should be ashamed to live longer; nor am I afraid to die, for we have a good Master." Bishop Ambrose died on Good Friday in the year 397.

Blessed Andre Bessette

Jan 6 Born: 1845 :: Died: 1937 Alfred Bessette was born not far from Montreal in Canada and he was the eighth of twelve children. When Alfred was nine, his father, a wood cutter, died in an accident at work. Three years later, Alfred's mother died of tuberculosis, leaving the children orphans. Each one of them was then placed in a different home. Alfred went to live with his aunt and uncle. Now because his family had been so poor and he was often sick, Alfred had very little education. His uncle made sure that Alfred worked for a living. So for the next thirteen years he tried learning different trades like farming, shoemaking and baking. He even worked in a factory in Connecticut. But his health always failed him. When Alfred was twenty-five, he joined the order of Holy Cross and chose the name Brother Andre. At first they refused him because his health was not good but then the Bishop favored Andre and he was accepted. He spent the next forty years as a general maintenance man, Sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. The remaining years of his life were spent as the doorkeeper for the order's college called Notre Dame in Montreal. Here, Brother Andre's healing power became known. When people came to ask him for a cure, he would tell them to first thank God for their suffering because it was so valuable. Then he would pray with them. Most of them were cured. Brother Andre always refused credit for the healing. He insisted it had been the person's faith and the power of St. Joseph and soon the trickle of sick people at his door became a flood. Brother Andre had a great love for the Eucharist and for St. Joseph. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of Saint Joseph that Andre honored. When he was young, he dreamt he saw a big church, but he couldn't tell where it was. Gradually, he came to realize that God wanted a church in honor of St. Joseph. That church was to be built on top of Mount Royale in Montreal, Canada. For many years the Church tried to buy land on Mount Royal then Brother Andre and his helpers climbed the steep hill and planted medals of Saint Joseph on it. Soon the owners agreed to sell the land to the Church. Prayer and the sacrifices of Brother Andre and many other people made the dream come true. The magnificent church honoring St. Joseph was built and is a proof of Brother Andre's great faith. Pilgrims come to Mount Royale all year and from distant places. They want to honor St. Joseph and show their trust in his loving care, as Brother Andre did. Brother Andre died peacefully on January 6, 1937. By that time he was receiving 80,000 letters each year from the sick who sought his prayers and healing. Nearly a million people climbed Mount Royale to St. Joseph's Oratory for his funeral. They came in spite of sleet and snow to say good-bye to their dear friend. He was proclaimed "blessed" on May 23, 1982, by Pope John Paul II. Blessed Andre Bessette believed not in himself but in the power of God's love for him. In him we can see that God reveals his power shining through our human weakness.

St John Neumann

Born: 1811 :: Died: 1860 feast day Jan 5 John Neumann was born in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. He was a quiet small boy, only five feet, two inches tall but his eyes were very kind and he smiled a lot. His parents were Philip who was a German and Agnes Neumann who was Chez. He had four sisters and a brother. He was an excellent student, who was drawn to the religious life when he was quite young. After college, John entered the seminary. When time came for ordination, the bishop was sick. The date was never set because Bohemia had enough priests at the time. Since he had been reading about missionary activities in the United States, John decided to go to America to ask for ordination. He walked most of the way to France and then boarded the ship Europa for America. John arrived in Manhattan on June 9, 1836 without informing anyone that he was coming. Bishop John Dubois was very happy to see him as there were only thirty-six priests for the two hundred thousand Catholics living in the state of New York and part of New Jersey. Just sixteen days after his arrival, John was ordained a priest and sent to Buffalo. There he helped Father Pax care for his parish, which was nine hundred square miles in size. Father Pax asked him to choose between working in the city of Buffalo or the country area. Now John's strong character began to show when he chose the most difficult - the country area. He decided to stay in a little town with an unfinished church. Once it was completed, he moved to another town that had a log-church. There he built himself a small log cabin. He hardly ever lit a fire and often lived on bread and water. He only slept a few hours each night. The farms in his area were far apart. John had to walk long distances to reach his people. They were German, French, Irish and Scotch. But John who knew twelve languages, worked with them all. John joined the Redemptorist order and continued his missionary work. He became bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. Bishop Neumann built fifty churches and began building a cathedral. He opened almost one hundred schools, and the number of parochial school students grew from five hundred to nine thousand. Bishop Neumann's health never improved much, but people were still very surprised when he died suddenly on January 5, 1860 when he was just forty-eight years old. He was the first American man and first American bishop to be declared a saint by Pope Paul VI on June 19, 1977. We might not be as smart, strong, or active as we would like to be. But that doesn't stop God from loving us and from using us to do wonderful things. When we have to do something difficult, we can ask St. John Neumann's help.

St Elizabeth Seton

Born: 1774 :: Died: 1821 Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City, USA. They were not Catholics but Episcopalian. Her father, Richard Bayley, was a well-known doctor and her mother, Catherine, died when Elizabeth was just three years old. As a teenager, she did many things to help poor people. When Elizabeth was nineteen she married William Magee Seton, a rich merchant who owned a fleet of ships. Elizabeth, William and their five children had a happy life together. But ten years later, William lost his fortune and his good health within a short time. His wife heard that the weather in Italy might help him get better. Elizabeth, William and their oldest daughter, Anna, traveled there by ship. But William did not get better and finally died of tuberculosis. Elizabeth and Anna remained in Italy as guests of the Filicchi family. The Filicchis were very kind and tried to make Elizabeth and Anna's sorrow easier by sharing their own deep love for the Catholic faith. Elizabeth began to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. When she returned home to New York she decided to become a Catholic. Her family and friends did not understand. They were very upset, but she went ahead with courage. Elizabeth joined the Church on March 4, 1805. To support her family and make sure her children received a proper education, Elizabeth opened a school in Boston and ran it like a religious community. A few years later, the archbishop invited Elizabeth to come and open a girls' school in Baltimore. It was there that Elizabeth decided to live as a sister. Many women came to join her, including her sister, sister-in-law and her own daughters, Anna and Catherine. They became the American Sisters of Charity and Elizabeth was given the title "Mother Seton." She started many Catholic schools and a few orphanages. She made plans for a hospital, which was opened after her death. Elizabeth loved to write, and she also translated some textbooks from French to English. But Elizabeth was loved most for her care of the poor and the sick. Mother Seton died on January 4, 1821, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. If something should happen that changes our lives from happy to difficult, let us turn to God as Mother Seton did and ask for His help. God can help bring out our hidden talents and we are then able to do things we never dreamed possible. E-mail this page to a friend

St Genevieve

January 3 Born: 422 :: Died: 500 Genevieve was born in Nanterre, a small village four miles from Paris in France. When she was seven years old, Genevieve met Saint Germanus of Auxerre on his way to England. Her holy face caught his attention when he was preaching and after his sermon he spoke with her and found that she wanted very much to live her life for Jesus. He blessed her, gave her a gold medal and asked her to keep it as a reminder of that day and of God, to whom her life belonged. Germanus then talked with Genevieve's parents and told them how special their daughter was. After her parents died, Genevieve went to live with her godmother. She spent time praying every day. Soon she and two other young women took their vows to become nuns before the bishop of Paris and were given their veils. She became very close to Jesus and wanted to bring his goodness to people. Genevieve was a kind, generous person. She went out of her way to do good things for others. The people of Paris were going to run away from a terrible army coming to attack them. Genevieve stepped forward and encouraged the people to trust in God. She said that if they did penance, they would be spared. The people did what she said, and the fierce army of Attila the Hun suddenly turned back. They did not attack the city at all. St. Genevieve practiced charity and obedience to God's will every day of her life, not just in times of need. She never gave up trying to do as much good as possible. Faithfulness to Jesus and courage are the special gifts of witness she leaves for us. One of the best ways for us to help our country is to pray for our leaders. We should ask God to guide them for the good of us all.

Sts Basil & Gregory Nazianzen

Feast Day: January 02 Born:330 :: Died: 379 & 390 Basil was born at Caesarea and Gregory was born at Cappadocia in Asia Minor which is now called Turkey. Basil came from a rich and noble family. His grandmother St. Macrina the Elder, his father, mother, two brothers and St. Macrina his sister are all saints. Gregory also came from a saintly family. His parents are St. Nonna and St. Gregory the Elder and his brothers are St. Caesar Nazianzen and St. Gorgonius. Basil and Gregory met and became great friends at school in Athens, Greece. They became everything to each other, lived together, ate together and shared the same goal of growing together in truth, wisdom and knowledge. And their love for each other grew warmer and deeper each day. Even as a teenager Basil used to help organise famine relief and used to work in the kitches himself. This was very unusual for a young nobleman. After he completed his education in Athens, he ran a school of public speaking and law in Caesarea and became a well-known teacher. He was so successful that he was often tempted by pride. Fearing that his pride would overtake his holiness, his sister, St. Macrina, suggested that he become a monk. He took her advice, sold everything he had, gave away all his money and moved to the wilderness where he started his first monastery. The rules he created for monks living in the dessert were very wise and are followed by monasteries in the East even today. Both Basil and Gregory became priests and then bishops. They preached bravely against the Arian heresy (untruth) that was confusing people which denied that Jesus is God. As bishop of Constantinople, Gregory converted many people with his wonderful preaching especially about the Holy Trinity. This nearly cost him his life. A young man planned to murder him. He repented at the last moment and begged Gregory's forgiveness. Gregory did forgive him and won him with his gentle goodness. But he was always in conflict with the Arian emperor, Valens. When Valens died, Gregory worked hard to bring the Arians back to the Christian faith. For his trouble, he was abused, insulted and beaten up. Forty-four of Gregory's speeches, 243 letters and many poems were published. His writings are still important today. Many writers have modeled their works on his writings. Gregory's friend Basil had a very kind and generous heart. He always found time to help the poor. He even invited people who were poor themselves to help those worse off. "Give your last loaf to the beggar at your door," he urged, "and trust in God's goodness." He opened a soup kitchen where he could often be seen wearing an apron and feeding the hungry. Basil died in 379 at the age of forty-nine. Gregory died in 390 at the age of sixty. He is buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. We will never be sorry for using our education, time and talents to help the people around us come closer to God