Christian Today

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 31, ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE JESUITS, Pride shattered Iñigo López de Loyola thirsted for fame and glory. The boy, born in 1491 into the lesser nobility in Spain’s Basque country, learned sword-fighting and all things military. As he grew, he danced, got into fights, toyed with women, and dreamed of imitating Spain’s knight-hero, El Cid. It seemed as if his dream was being realized for a time: the man Iñigo was esteemed as a courageous soldier. But in 1521, at Pamplona, a French cannonball shattered his leg. The leg was set poorly and was healing crooked. The soldier, concerned with his looks and prowess, begged the doctor to break it again. It was a long convalescence. Iñigo begged for chivalric romances to read to while away the time. There were no such books in his family’s castle, however, so he was brought books he had no desire to read: a life of Jesus and lives of the saints. Boredom got the better of him,

JULY 30 ST. PETER CHRYSOLOGUS, BISHOP OF RAVENNA AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Peter Chrysologus was Bishop of Ravenna in the 5th century, when the Italian city was the capital of the western Roman empire. He is famous for his homilies, and his preaching earned him the epithet “golden-worded” (Chrysologus). St Peter was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1729. July 30 STS. ABDON AND SENNEN, MARTYRS

St. Julitta, Roman Catholic Martyred woman of Caesarea in Cappadocia, in modem Turkey. She lost all her estates in a court case. Her opponent suffered a decision against his claims and denounced Julitta as a Christian, thus gaining the entire land in the dispute. She was burned at the stake. Feastday July 30

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 30 St. Tatwine, 734 A.D. Archbishop of Canterbury from 731. Probably from Mercia, England, he became a monk at Bredon, and eventually was named archbishop of Canterbury in succession to Brithwald. Respected by St. Bede, he was the author of several works, including a grammar and riddles. Bl. Thomas Abel, 1540 A.D. English martyr. A graduate of Oxford University, Thomas served as chaplain to Queen Catharine of Aragon, proving intensely loyal to her cause during the ordeal of the divorce proceedings against her by King Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547). Arrested by English authorities for denying the spiritual supremacy of the king, he was incarcerated in the Tower of London for six years, finally receiving execution at Smithfield. He was beatified in 1886. Bl. Edward Powell, 1504 A.D. English martyr, a councilor to Queen Catherine of Aragon, wife of King Henry VIII. A Welshman, Edward was a canon of Salisbury, England, and a fellow of Odd, noted

SAINTS JULY July 29 St. Kilian, 7th century. An Irish abbot who wrote the life of St. Brigid. He ruled a monastery on the island of Iniscaltra, Ireland. St. Martha Wang, Roman Catholic Martyr of Tonkin, Vietnam, who was arrested carrying letters from the imprisoned martyrs, Blesseds Joseph Tshang and Paul Tcheng. She was beheaded with them at Tsingai. Feastday July 29th. Bl. Urban II, Urban supported the Christian conquest of Spain from the Moors, and at the council of Claremont in 1095, he declared the Truce of God and preached the first crusade. Feastday 7/29

Fr. Stanley_Rother Martyr of Guatemala July 28

SAINT OF THE DAY, JULY 28, B. URBAN II, POPE, STS. NAZARIO AND CELSO, MARTYRS IN MILAN, ST. VICTOR I, POPE

SAINTS July 28 St. Samson, 565 A.D. Welsh bishop and evangelizer. Born at Glamorgan, Wales, he became a disciple of St. Illtyd at the monastery of Lianwit (Llantwit) in southern Glamorgan and then lived as a monk (and later abbot) of a community on Caldey Island (Ynys Byr). He was joined there by his uncle, Umbrafel, and his father, Amon. After a trip to Ireland, Samson became a hermit with Amon whom he cured of a mortal illness. During a trip to Cornwall, he was consecrated a bishop and appointed an abbot. He then departed England and went to Brittany where he spent the rest of his life as a missionary, even though he had long searched for solitude. Samson founded monasteries, including one at Dol and another at Pental, in Normandy. He was one of the foremost (if not relatively unknown) evangelizers of his century and has long been venerated with enthusiasm in Wales and Brittany. St. Innocent I, Roman Catholic Pope, succeeding Pope St. Anastasius I, on December 22, 401. Innocent emp

Bl. Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr who died at the hands of the Nazis. When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, Titus was singled out as an enemy because he fought against the spread of Nazism in Europe. Arrested, Titus was sent to various concentration camps where he demonstrated charity and concern. In 1942, he was martyred in Dachau. July 27

Sts. Natalie & Aurelius, Roman Catholic Martyr for her Faith with her husband Aurelius. According to his biography by St. Eulogius of Toledo, Aurelius was the son of a Moor and a Spanish woman, and was orphaned as a child. He was secretly raised a Christian by his aunt during the Moorish persecution of Christians. He married a half Moorish woman, Sabigotho, who took the name Natalie when he converted her to Christianity. They were both beheaded for practicing their religion openly together with George, a monk from Jerusalem whom Aurelius had befriended. FeastdayJuly 27th Bl. Rudolf Acquaviva, Roman Catholic Jesuit Priest and Martyr. he was the nephew of Claudius Acquaviva, the fifth master general of the Jesuits, and he followed his uncle into the Society of Jesus. In 1549, he was sent to India, going to the court of Mogul Akbar near Agra. He became superior of the Salsette mission. Rudolf was martyred at Salsette, near Goa, by Hindus, with four companions, including Alfonso Pach

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 27 ST. CELESTIN I, POPE ST. SIMEON STYLITES ST. PANTALEON, PHYSICIAN, MARTYR

Bl. Andrew of Phu Yen, "Protomartyr of Vietnam" After refusing to abjure the faith, he was put to death in Ke Kham. July 26

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 26 Bl. William Ward, 1641 A.D. Martyr of England. Born in Westmorland, England, he went to Douai, France, in 1604, where he studied and received ordination in 1608. Upon returning home to England, William was forced to land in Scotland and was arrested and imprisoned for three years. He was released and went on to England, where he spent twenty of his thirty-three years as a missionary in prison. When Catholic priests were banished on April 7, 1641, William was arrested. On July 26, he was executed at Tyburn. Bl. John Ingram, 1594 A.D. Martyr of Scotland. He was born in Stoke Edith, Herefordshire, in 1565, and became a convert at Oxford. After conversion, he went to Reims and Rome and was ordained in 1589. Sent to Scotland in 1592, John was arrested on the Tyneside and taken to the Tower of London, where he was tortured Martyred at Gateshead, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered.

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 26 STS. JOACHIM AND ANNE, PARENTS OF B. V. MARY

SAINTS JULY 25 St. Nissen . Abbot and an Irishman, he was converted by St. Patrick and later became abbot of Mountgarret monastery in Wexford. St. Theodemir, Roman Catholic Monk and Martyr of Spain. He was martyred at Cordoba under Muslim Emir Abd al-Rahman II (r. 822-852), because he would not recant his Christian faith. Feastday July 25 St. Lewina, Roman Catholic Virgin Martyr of England, a Briton slain by invading Saxons. Feastday: July 25

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 25 ST. CHRISTOPHER, MARTYR St Christopher was martyred during the persecution of the Roman Emperor, Trajan Decius. His name means Christ-bearer and his feast-day is celebrated on July 25th. Protector of travelers The most popular image of St. Christopher depicts him as a huge, bearded man, carrying the Christ-Child on his shoulders as he wades across a river. The Child Jesus is holding the world in His hands like a ball. This image dates back to one of the most famous biographies of those who were martyred on July 25th in Samos, in Lycia. According to this tradition, Christopher’s real name was Reprobus and he was a giant of a man who wanted to be at the service of the world's strongest king. When he visited the court of a king who was apparently invincible, he entered his service. One day, while the king was listening to a song that mentioned the Devil, Reprobus saw him make the sign of the cross and asked him why he performed this gesture. The king repl

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 24 ST. CHRISTINE, VIRGIN AND MARTYR Like many ancient martyrs, Christina was a young woman who, on account of her love of Christ, found enemies within her own family. She was tortured by her own father to induce her to renounce her faith. After his death, the torture continued, until, shot by arrows, she won the crown of martyrdom. ST. CHARBEL MAKHLOUF, PRIEST

Bl. Maria Pilar Martinez Garcia & Companions, Roman Catholic Carmelite nun, with Maria Angeles Valtierra and Teresa Garcia y Garcia. They were killed in Guadalajara, Spain, by communists in the civil war. Maria Pilar Martinez was an older nun from Tarazona, Zaragoza. Feastday July 24 Bl. Joseph Fernandez, Roman Catholic Dominican Martyr of Vietnam. He was sent there in 1805 as an ordained priest and appointed provincial vicar of the mission. He was beheaded. Feastday July 24 Bl. Maria Angeles of Saint Joseph was a Carmelite nun at the monastery of Guadalajara, Spain. She was one of hundreds of martyrs during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. Feastday July 24

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 24 St. Declan. St. Declan First bishop of Ardmore in Ireland July 24 was baptized by St. Colman, and preached the faith in that country a little before the arrival of St. Patrick, who confirmed the Episcopal see of Ardmore, in a synod at Cashel in 448. Many miracles are ascribed to St. Declan, and he has ever been much honored in the viscounty of Dessee, anciently Nandesi. Sts. Wulfhade and Ruffinus, 7th century. Wulfhade and Ruffinus (d.c. seventh century). Martyrs of England. Little is known about them with any certainty, although according to tradition they were two princes of Mercia who were baptized by St. Chad and were swiftly executed by their pagan father. They were martyred at Stone, Staffordshire St. John Boste, 1594 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born at Dufton, at Westmoreland, England, and studied at Oxford. Becoming a Catholic in 1576, he went to Reims and received ordination in 1581. John went back to En

JULY 23 saints Martyrs of Bulgaria, Roman Catholic Martyrs caught in the war between the Byzantine Empire and the pagan Bulgars. Many were slain in battle, while others were put to death for the faith. Feastday July 23 Saint John Cassian (c. 360 – 435 AD), John the Ascetic, or John Cassian the Roman was a Christian monk and theologian celebrated in both the Western and Eastern Churches for his mystical writings. Cassian is noted for his role in bringing the ideas and practices of Christian monasticism to the early medieval West. Feastday July 23

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 23 Sts. Rasyphus and Ravennus, 5th century. Martyrs. They came from Britain, fleeing the islands upon the invasions by the Anglo Saxons. Settling in Gaul, they became hermits and were martyred, perhaps by Arian Goths who were advancing through the West. Their relics are enshrined in the cathedral of Bayeux.

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 23 ST. BRIDGET, RELIGIOUS, PATRON OF EUROPE

SAINT OF THE DAY JUL Y 22 ST. MARY MAGDALENE, DISCIPLE OF THE LORD Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles, is the first of the women who followed Jesus to proclaim Him as having risen from the dead. The feast day of this saint, who stood beneath the Cross on Calvary, is celebrated on July 22nd. Apostle of the Apostles "Apostle of the Apostles" is the title given Mary Magdalene by St Thomas Aquinas. Her name comes from her home town of Magdala, a fishing village on the western shore of Lake Tiberias. St Luke the Evangelist tells us, in Chapter 8 of his Gospel, how Jesus went from town to town announcing the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and how the Twelve Apostles were with Him together with some women who had been healed of evil spirits or infirmities, and were serving them. Among these was a certain "Mary, called the Magdalene, from whom seven demons came out." Misconceptions about her identity: she was not a prostitute As Biblical exegesis teaches, the e

St. Theophilus, Roman Catholic Admiral and Martyr. An officer in charge of the Byzantine fleet stationed at Cyprus, he was captured in battle against an Arab fleet, despite the pleas of his officers to retreat when the cause was hopeless. He spent one year in a Muslim prison and was then martyred after he refused to abjure the Christian faith. Feastday July 22

St. Mary Magdelene Roman Catholic, First person to see the resurrected Jesus. Feastday July 22

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 22 Sts. Philip Evans and John Lloyd. Philip Evans was born at Monmouth in 1645, was educated at SaintOmer, and joined the Society of Jesus at the age of twenty. In 1675 he was ordained at Liege and sent to South Wales. He was soon well known for his zeal, but no active notice was taken by the authorities until the scare of Oates plot, when in the November of 1678 John Arnold, of Llanvihangel Court near Abergavenny, a justice of the peace and hunter of priests, offered a reward of £200 for his arrest. Father Evans refused to leave his flock, and early in December was caught at the house of Christopher Turberville at Sker in Glamorgan. He refused the oath and was confined alone in an underground dungeon in Cardiff Castle. Two or three weeks afterwards he was joined by Mr. John Lloyd, a secular priest, who had been taken at Penlline in Glamorgan. He was a Breconshire man, who had taken the missionary oath at Valladolid in 1649 and been sent to minister in hi

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 21 ST. LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI, CAPUCHIN AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Lawrence entered the Capuchin order when he was only 16. He was entrusted with important missions by Popes as well as secular princes. He died in Lisbon in 1619, and was canonized by Leo XIII in 1881. In 1959, St John XXIII declared St Lawrence a Doctor of the Church. ST. PRAXEDES, MARTYR IN THE CHURCH SHE FOUNDED ON THE ESQUILINO S. EZECHIEL, PROPHET

St. Julia of Troyes, Roman Catholic Martyr of Troyes, France. Taken captive by the Romans, she was given to Claudius, a soldier. Julia converted him to Christ, and they were beheaded as martyrs. Feastday July 21

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 20 ST. APOLLINARIS, BISHOP OF RAVENNA AND MARTYR ST. AURELIUS, BISHOP OF CARTHAGE Aurelius was Bishop of Carthage at the end of the 4th century. At the time, the churches of North Africa were split by the Donatist schism. Supported by the St Augustine, Aurelius worked to heal the division. He made sure that all his efforts were in harmony with the Roman Church. He died in 430. ST. ELIJAH, PROPHET

SAINTS JULY 20 St. Etheidwitha. Widowed queen of King Alfred the Great of England. She was an Anglo-Saxon princess, also called Ealsitha. Etheldwitha founded a convent at Winchester in the Benedictine rule and became the abbess there. St. Paul of St. Zoilus, Roman Catholic Spanish martyr. Paul was a deacon of Cordoba, Spain, and a member of the community of St. Zoilus in that city. He devoted much of his effort to bringing aid to those Christians imprisoned by Muslim officials. Seized by members of the ruling Islamic government, he was beheaded. Feastday July 20

Sts. Justa and Rufina, Roman Catholic Virgins and Martyrs (Feast - July 19) These martyrs were two Christian women at Seville in Spain who maintained themselves by selling earthenware. Not to concur in idolatrous superstitions, they refused to sell vessels for the use of heathen ceremonies and when the worshipers broke up their stock-in-trade, Justa and Rufina retorted by overthrowing the image of a false goddess. Whereupon the people impeached them for their faith before the governor. The prefect, after they had boldly confessed Christ, commanded them to be stretched on the rack and their sides to be torn with hooks. An idol was placed near the rack with incense, that if they would offer sacrifice they should be released; but their fidelity was not to be shaken. Justa died on the rack; the judge ordered Rufina to be strangled, and their bodies to be burned. Feastday July 19 Saint Aurea, Roman Catholic Martyr of Spain. Aurea was born in Cordoba, Spain. She was widowed there and beca

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 19 ST. SYMMACHUS, POPE When he was elected Pope in 498, Symmachus faced numerous challenges, including threats from the Ostrogothic King Theodoric, and a schism led by the antipope Laurentius. He is known for his charitable work, including freeing slaves. St Symmachus is said to have built the first palace on the Vatican.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 19 St. John Plessington, 1697 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born at Dimples, Lancashire, England, and the son of a Royalist Catholic. Educated at Valladolid, Spain, and St. Omer’s in France. he was ordained in Segovia in 1662. John returned to England after ordination and served as a missionary in Cheshire. He became a tutor at Puddington Hall near Chester until his arrest and martyrdom by hanging at Barrowshill, Boughton. near Chester. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.

St. Theodosia of Constantinople, Roman Catholic Nun and Martyr at the monastery of St. Anastasia. She led a group of nuns in defense of the icon of Christ which hung over the main door of the community when soldiers were sent to enforce the decrees of the Iconoclast emperors Leo Ill the Isaurian and Constantine V. Theodosia and twelve other nuns were arrested and tortured; Theodosia died of her grievous injuries while in prison. Feastday: July 18 St. Marina, Roman Catholic Martyr of Orense, in Spanish Galicia, Spain. Marina and her sisters were baptized by the bishop of Braga Saint Ovidius (Ovid, Ovidio) and brought up in the Christian faith. When they were twenty, they were accused of being Christians and brought before their father the governor. He recognized them as his own daughters, and asked them to renounce their faith, promising them luxuries. The sisters refused and were imprisoned. They managed to escape and were ultimately martyred for their faith. A spring of water gushe

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 18 St. Theneva, 7th century. Also called Thenova, the patron saint of Glasgow, Scotland, with her son St. Kentigern. St. Minnborinus, 986 A.D. Benedictine abbot. He was born in Ireland and became abbot of St. Martin Monastery in Cologne, Germany, in 974. There he promoted monastic reform and scholarly pursuits. St. Edburga of Bicester, 7th century. Nun at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, the daughter of Penda , the pagan king of Mercia. Her shrine is at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, but her relics, originally at Bicester, were taken to Flanders, Belgium.

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 18 ST. BRUNO OF SEGNI, BISHOP ST. AEMILIANUS, MARTYR OF MESIA

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 17 ST. ALEXIUS Several legends revolve around the figure of St Alexius. He is said to have lived as a beggar under a staircase of his own house, unrecognized by his family. After his death, his identity was discovered, and he was honoured as a saint. ST. MARCELLINA, VIRGIN, SISTER OF ST. AMBROSE, BISHOP ST. LEO IV, POPE

Roman Catholic Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne, Sixteen Carmelites caught up in the French Revolution and martyred.They went to the guillotine singing the Salve Regina. They were beatified in 1906 by Pope St. Pius X. The Carmelites were: Marie Claude Brard; Madeleine Brideau, the subprior; Maire Croissy, grandniece of Colbert Marie Dufour; Marie Hanisset; Marie Meunier, a novice; Rose de Neufville Annette Pebras; Anne Piedcourt: Madeleine Lidoine, the prioress; Angelique Roussel; Catherine Soiron and Therese Soiron, both extern sisters, natives of Compiegne and blood sisters: Anne Mary Thouret; Marie Trezelle; and Eliza beth Verolot. The martyrdom of the nuns was immortalized by the composer Francois Poulenc in his famous opera Dialogues des Carmelites. Feastday July 17

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 17 St. Turninus, 9th century. Irish priest and missionary. He labored to help evangelize the region of the Netherlands with St. Foillan, especially in the area around Antwerp. St. Cynllo, 5th century. Welsh saint, patron of churches named in his honor. No records of his life are extant. St. Fredegand. Benedictine abbot, an Irishman and a companion of St. Foillan. He was abbot of Kerkeloder Abbey, near Antwerp, Belgium, also listed as Fregaut. He also aided St. Willibrord. St. Kenelm, 821 A.D. Martyred king of Mercia, England. Traditions state that he was the son of King Kenulf, who succeeded to the throne at the age of seven. He was murdered by henchmen of his sister, Cynefrith. Another tradition states that his sister Quendreda bribed his tutor to slay him. He is buried at Winchcombe Abbey, in Gloucestershire. Miracles took place there. Kenelm is now belived to have died before his father. He is mentioned in the Canterbury Tales.

July 16 Our Lady of Mount Carmel St. Athenogenes, Roman Catholic Bishop and Martyr, Burnt alive with ten disciples at Sebaste. He is the author of the earliest known Christian hymn recorded outside of the Bible that is still in use today. Feastday July 16

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 16 S. MARY MAGDALEN POSTEL, VIGIN, FOUNDRESS OF POOR DAUGHTERS OF MERCY

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 15 ST. BONAVENTURE OF BAGNOREGIO, CARDINAL, BISHOP OF ALBAN AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, FRANCISCAN ST. POMPILIO M. PIROTTI, PIARIST

St. Athanasius, Bishop and victim of political turmoil. He was born about 830, the son of the duke of Naples, and he spent his younger years repairing the city, which had suffered during the Saracen occupation. He also ransomed Christians from Islamic captors. Feastday July 15

Bl. Alphonsus de Vaena, Bl. James Andrade, Bl. Joanninus de San Juan, Bl. John Fernandez, Bl. Nicholas Dinnis, Roman Catholic Jesuit Priests and Martyrs, In 1570 he joined the band of Jesuits led by Ignatius de Azevedo assigned to the West Indies. On board the ship, the Jesuits were put to death by the captain of the vessel, who was a Protestant Huguenot. Feastday July 15

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 15 St. Swithun "Swithin". Swithun, also spelled Swithin, was born in Wessex, England and was educated at the old monastery, Winchester, where he was ordained. He became chaplain to King Egbert of the West Saxons, who appointed him tutor of his son, Ethelwulf, and was one of the King's counselors. Swithun was named bishop of Winchester in 852 when Ethelwulf succeeded his father as king. Swithun built several churches and was known for his humility and his aid to the poor and needy. He died on July 2. A long-held superstition declares it will rain for forty days if it rains on his feast day of July 15, but the reason for and origin of this belief are unknown. St. Donald. All that is recorded of this saint, whose name is so common in Scotland, is that he lived at Ogilvy in Forfarshire in the eighth century, that his wife bore him nine daughters, and that on her death they formed a sort of community who led the religious life under his directi

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 14 ST. CAMILLUS DE LELLIS, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE MINISTERS OF THE SICK

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 14 Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, 1680 A.D. Patron of the environment and ecology. Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and transfigured her face. She was adopted by her two aunts and an uncle. Kateri became converted as a teenager. She was baptized at the age of twenty and incurred the great hostility of her tribe. Although she had to suffer greatly for her Faith, she remained firm in it. Kateri went to the new Christian colony of Indians in Canada. Here she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penitential practices, and care for the sick and aged. Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified. She died on April 7, 1680 at the age of twenty-four. She i

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 13 ST.HENRY II, EMPEROR Henry lived at the turn of the first millennium, and reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 1014. He was the last member of the Ottonian dynasty. He dedicated his life to building up both the Church and his own realm. Henry is considered a model of good governance, and is the patron saint of rulers. It’s difficult to understand the life of St Henry without considering the strong Christian formation he received from his childhood. Henry was born in Bamberg in 973, the son of the Duke of Bavaria. He grew up in a profoundly Christian atmosphere, receiving his education first from the canons at Hildesheim, and later, in Ratisbon (now Regensburg), from St Wolfgang, the Bishop of that city. He succeeded his father as duke; and later his cousin, Otto III, as King of Germany in 1002. Two years later, he added the title King of Italy. In 1014 Henry was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Benedict VIII. The Emperor and the Cluniac reform Henry’s s

St. Teresa de los Andes, Roman Catholic Carmelite Nun, also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes. 100,000 pilgrims who visit each year the shrine where her remains are venerated in the Shrine of Saint Teresa of Los Andes in the township of Los Andes, 60 miles (100 km.) from Santiago. She is Chile's first saint, and is specially popular among women and young people. Feastday: July 12

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 13 Bl. Thomas Tunstal, 1616 A.D. English martyr. Born in Whinfell, near Kendal, Westmoreland, he studied for the priesthood at Douai, France, and was ordained there in 1609. The next year he returned to England but was arrested almost immediately upon his arrival. Escaping, Thomas was recaptured and taken to Norwich where he spent six years in confinement until finally being hanged, drawn, and quartered. While in prison, he joined the Benedictine Order. St. Dogfan, 5th century. Welsh martyr, descended from chieftain Brychan of Brecknock. He was slain by pagan invaders at Dyfed, Wales. A church there honors his memory.

Bl. Monica Naisen, Roman Catholic laywoman and Japanese Martyr. she was arrested for sheltering Blessed John Baptist Zola and was beheaded at Nagasaki with her husband, Blessed John Naisen. Feastday: July 12 St. Agnes De, Roman Catholic Woman Vietnamese Martyr, Agnes was arrested and died in prison at Namdinh. Feastday: July 12 St. Veronica, Roman Catholic woman of Jerusalem who wiped the face of Christ with a veil while he was on the way to Calvary. According to tradition, the cloth was imprinted with the image of Christ's face. Feastday: July 12 St. John Wall, Roman Catholic Priest and English Martyr, and imprisoned for five months. He was martyred by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Redhill. Feastday July12

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 12 ST. JOHN GUALBERT, ABBOT, FOUNDER OF THE VALLOMBROSANI STS. NABOR AND FELIX, MARTYRS OF MILAN

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 12 St. Menulphus, 7th century. Bishop of Quimper in Brittany, France, originally an Irish pilgrim. Also called Menou, Menuiphus made a journey to Rome and died at Bourges on his return to Quimper. Bl. David Gonson, 1541 A.D. Martyred English knight of St. John. He was the son of a British viceadmiral. David was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Southwark. St. John Jones, 1598 A.D. Franciscan member of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born in Clynog Fawr, Gwynedd, Wales, and left the island for Rome where he became a Franciscan. He was ordained and returned to England in 1592, where he used the alias Buckley to assist his work. Arrested by English authorities for caring for the prisoners of London, he was kept in confinement for two years. John was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Southwark, London. Pope Paul VI canonized him in 1970.

The thought of St. Benedict is the lifeblood of Europe Born in the central Italian mountain town of Norcia (Nursia) around AD 480, St. Benedict became one of the most important catalysts for the creation of a new European culture after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West (traditionally dated to AD 476). The system of monastic life he developed and nourished spread centers of prayer and hospitality throughout the continent. Benedictine monasteries were not only spiritual and cultural centers, but also a source of sustenance and relief for pilgrims and the poor. Bright Star in a Dark Century St. Gregory the Great – who wrote the only ancient biography of St. Benedict that we have – called St. Benedict “a bright light” in an age marked by the most serious crisis. From his youth, Benedict’s life was marked by prayer. His wealthy parents send him to Rome to provide him with adequate training. There, however, Benedict found young people shaken, ruined by the ways of vice. So, he left R

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 10 STS. RUFINA AND SECUNDA, MARTYRS ON THE VIA CORNELIA Sts Rufina and Secunda lived in the 3rd century. They were engaged to be married, but their fiancés renounced Christ for fear of the persecutions. Rufina and Secunda then took vows of virginity. Enraged, their former fiancés denounced them as Christians. They were martyred around the year 260. STS. ANATOLIA AND VICTORIA, MARTYRS

SAINTS JULY 10 St. Etto, 670 A.D. Irish missionary bishop in Belgium, also called Hitto. He was at St. Peter Abbey in Fescau. Martyrs of Damascus. Eight Franciscan and three Maronite martyrs slain in a Druse uprising in 1860 in Damascus, Syria. When they refused to accept the Muslim faith, they were executed. Pope Pius XI beatified them in 1926. July 10 St. Peter Tu, Roman Catholic Martyr, a Vietnamese who became a catechist and was arrested by authorities. He was beheaded. Feastday: July 10 Bl. Emmanuel Ruiz. Martyr with eleven companions in Lebanon. A Spanish Franciscan, Emmanuel and the others were caught up in the rising of the Druses in Lebanon. The Franciscan community, eight in number, and three Maronite laymen were slain by the Islamic rebels. 1860 A.D. He was beatified in 1926.

New Bill threatens life of Gypsies and Travellers Ellena Costello, Jo SiedleckaNews Date Icon Jul 8th, 2021 Noreen and Mary Kate Stokes at Westminster Cathedral Travellers Mass 2018 image ICN/JS Noreen and Mary Kate Stokes at Westminster Cathedral Travellers Mass 2018 image ICN/JS Source: London Irish Centre/ICN Concerns have been raised over several aspects of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (PCSCB). One part of the Bill poses a serious threat to the lives of Gypsies and Travellers. Part Four of the PCSCB outlines measures to introduce a new criminal offence of trespass with the intent to reside, and extend existing powers in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (CJPOA). The introduction of a new criminal offence where trespassers have the intent to reside, means the police can exercise powers to seize a vehicle, imprison or impose a fine. There are already a wide range of powers in place to evict unauthorised encampments, some within an hour if anti-socia

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 09 ST. ADRIAN III, POPE STS. AUGUSTINE ZHAO RONG, PRIEST AND COMPANIONS, CHINESE MARTYRS ST. VERONICA GIULIANI, ABBESS, CAPUCHIN POOR CLARE

St. Adrian Van Hilvarenbeek, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr. One of the Martyrs of Gorkum, Adrian was arrested with Jacob Lacops and Andreas Wouters. The three were taken to Briel and charged with refusing to deny papal supremacy in religious matters and for teaching others about the Blessed Sacrament. Feastday: July 9 St. Mary Hermina Grivot, Roman Catholic Nun and Martyr in China. Feastday: July 9 Saint Amandina of Schakkebroek a Franciscan missionary sister in China. Martyred with others in the Boxer rebellion. Feastday: July 9 Martyrs of Gorkum, A group of nineteen martyrs put to death with great cruelty by Protestant Calvinists in Gorkum, Holland. There were ten Franciscans, two Premonstratensians, a Dominican, a Canon Regular, four secular priests, and one layman in the group. July 9

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 09 St. Everild, 7th century. Benedictine abbess and disciple of St. Wilfrid of York, England, sometimes called Averil. She was a noblewoman of Wessex who received the veil from St. Wilfrid. He also gave her a place called “the Bishop’s Farm”, where she became abbess of a large community. Her companions were Sts. Bega and Wulfreda. Bl. Adrian Fortescue, 1539 A.D. Martyr who opposed the divorce of King Henry VIII of England from Catherine. A cousin of Anne Boleyn, Adrian was born in Punsborne, England, and was married twice. When his first wife Anne Stonor died in 1499, Adrian raised their two daughters. Twelve years later he married Anne Rede, who gave him three sons. A Knight of the Bath and a justice of the peace for Oxford, Adrian was a Dominican tertiary. Although related to Anne Boleyn, he opposed her marriage to the king and was arrested in 1534 for a short time. In 1539, when he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy supporting Henry VIII’s separat

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 08 STS. AQUILA AND PRISCILLA, DISCIPLES OF ST. PAUL Saints Aquila and Priscilla were a married couple who were friends of Saint Paul. In his letters, he praised their Christian witness and their commitment to the formation of neophytes. Their home, “a domestic church” became a point of reference for the communities of Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. Aquila was a Jew, born in Pontus in what is now Turkey. He emigrated to Rome where he met and fell in love with Priscilla. After they were married, they worked together as tent-makers; together they converted to Christianity. When the emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 AD, they were forced to leave the City. They are known through the Letters of St Paul, their close friend, and from his testimony in the Acts of Apostles. Friendship with Paul Aquila and Priscilla moved to the Greek city of Corinth, a cosmopolitan city where the cult of Aphrodite was very strong. There they met Paul, who was working a

Bl. Peter the Hermit. A renowned hermit and founder. Originally a soldier, he is said in tradition to have become a hermit in the Holy Land before returning to the West to help preach the First Crusade throughout France, Italy, and Germany. He then embarked upon the crusade as a soldier and took part in the siege of Antioch and the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Going home, he once more devoted himself to a spiritual life, founding the monastery of Neufmoutier, in Flanders. 1115 A.D While termed Blessed, he was never officially beatified. July 8

St. Maria Chaira, and St. Marie Adolphine Dierks Roman Catholic Chinese Martyrs. The Roman Catholic Church recognizes 120 Catholics who died between 1648 and 1930 as its "Martyr Saints of China". Feastday July 8 St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin - She joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1887, with the name Marie Santa Natalia. She was beheaded on July 9, 1900, at at Taiyuanfu, China. Feastday July 8

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 08 St. Kilian. An Irish monk, St. Kilian was consecrated Bishop, went to Rome with eleven companions in 686, and received permission from Pope Conon to evangelize Franconia (Baden and Bavaria). He was successful, with two followers - Colman, a priest, and Totnan, a deacon - in his missionary endeavors until he converted Gosbert, Duke of Wurzburg, who had married Geilana, his brother's widow. According to legend, while Gosbert was away on a military expedition, Geilana is reputed to have had the three missionaries beheaded when she found that Gosbert was going to leave her after Kilian had told him the marriage was forbidden by the Church. St. Withburga, 743 A.D. Withburga (d.c. 743). Virgin and Benedictine nun. The youngest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia, England (d. 653). Following the death of her father in battle, she moved to Dereham where she established a nunnery and a church. She died with the church unfinished, on March 17. Her remains

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 07 St. Ercongotha, 660 A.D. Benedictine nun, the daughter of a king of Kent and St. Sexburga. Also called Ercongota, she was a nun in Faremoutiers-en-Brie, France, at least for a short time, and possibly died there at a young age. St. Humphrey Lawrence, 1572-1591 A.D. Martyr of England. Born in Hampshire, he was a convert to Catholicism through the efforts of Jesuit missionaries. Humphrey openly called Queen Elizabeth I a heretic and she had him arrested immediately. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Winchester. Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1929. Bl. Ralph Milner, 1591 A.D. English martyr. He was born at Stocksteads, Hampshire, and was a convert. He was arrested the day he received his first Communion. A husbandman by trade, Ralph was allowed a leave from prison and aided priests and Catholics. He was executed at Winchester on July by being hanged, drawn, and quartered for giving assistance to Blessed Roger Dickenson. He was beatified in 1

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 06 ST. MARIA GORETTI, VIRGIN AND MARTYR One of the Church’s youngest canonized saints, Maria Goretti died at age eleven defending her chastity against the man who murdered her. Her forgiveness of her aggressor worked in him a miracle of conversion after her death. Her feast day is celebrated on July 6. A story like many others… In every respect other than her death, Maria Goretti’s brief life seems a story repeated over and over again across the globe. The third of seven children, she was born in 1890 in Corinaldo, Italy, to a poor family. By the time she was five, her parents had lost their farm and hired themselves out to work for others as tenant farmers. The family moved often, finally ending up in Nettuno, not far from Rome. When Maria was nine, her father died, and her mother and siblings threw themselves into work to feed the family. Maria kept house, cooked and watched her baby sister. It was a hard life. There was no time for school, for the family w

St. Noyala, Roman Catholic Virgin Martyr. She was beheaded at Beignan, Brittany Noyala walked from the site of her martyrdom to Pontivy, holding her head in her hands. July 6 St. Maria Goretti, Roman Catholic Virgin Martyr. Patron of youth, young women, purity, and victims of rape. Feastday July 6 Martyrs of the Abrahamites, Roman Catholic monks who were members of the monastery founded by St. Abraham of Ephesus at Constantinople. The Abrahamites were defenders of icons and sacred images and were martyred by Emperor Theophilus, an Iconoclast. July 6

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 06 Bl. Thomas Alfield, 1585 A.D. English martyr. A native of Gloucester, he was educated at Eton and Cambridge. While raised as an Anglican, he eventually was converted to Catholicism and left England to study for the priesthood at Douai and Reims, France, receiving ordination in 1581. Returning to England, he was soon arrested while handing out copies of the polemic True and Modest Defence by Dr. Allen. Condemned, he was hanged at Tybum. Thomas was beatified in 1929. St. Modwenna. The St. Modwenna, or Monenna, formally venerated at Burton-on-Trent and elsewhere, may have lived in the middle of the seventh century and been a recluse on an islet called Andresey in the Trent. But not only are other and conflicting things alleged of her, but her legend has been confused with that of the Irish saint Darerca, or Moninne, said to have been the first abbess of Killeavy, near Nerwy and to have died in 517; and she has perhaps been confused with others as well

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 05 ST. ANTONY M. ZACCARIA, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE BARNABITIS Although he lived on 36 years, St Anthony had a profound effect on the Church of the 16th century. He founded the Barnabite community, and the associated Angelic Sisters of St Paul and the Laity of St Paul. Twice he was accused of heresy, and twice absolved.

ST. ANTONY M. ZACCARIA, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE BARNABITIS Although he lived on 36 years, St Anthony had a profound effect on the Church of the 16th century. He founded the Barnabite community, and the associated Angelic Sisters of St Paul and the Laity of St Paul. Twice he was accused of heresy, and twice absolved. July 5 Saint Zoe of Rome, Roman Catholic Martyr. She was greatly devoted to St Peter, and was praying by his tomb when she was arrested for her faith. She died, stifled by smoke, being hung by her own hair, over a fire. Her body then was thrown into the River Tiber. Feastday: July 5

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 05 St. Edana, Irish saint venerated in western Ireland, sometimes called Etaoin. She lived near the Boyle and Shannon Rivers and a well bears her name. She may be confused with St. Modwenna. Sts. Fragan and Gwen, 5th century. The parents of Sts. Jacut, Guithem, and Winwaloe. Fragan and Gwen went to Brittany, France, to escape the pagan barbarians of England. Churches in Brittany were dedicated to each of them.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 04 Bl. William Andleby, 1597 A.D. Martyr of England. Born at Eton, near Beverley, England, he studied at St. Johns College, Cambridge, and was converted to Catholicism on the way to fight the Spanish. He went to Douai, France, and was ordained in 1577. Returning home, he worked in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for two decades. Arrested and condemned, he was executed at York with Thomas Warcop and two companions. He was beatified in 1929. Bl. Thomas Warcop, 1597 A.D. English martyr. A gentleman in Yorkshire, England, who sheltered Blessed William Andleby. He was arrested and condemned for giving this aid and hanged at York with three companions on July 4. Bl. Edward Fulthrop, 1597 A.D. An English martyr at Yorkshire. He reconciled to the faith and was martyred at York. Edward was beatified in 1929. St. Henry Abbot, Blessed, 1597 A.D. Martyr of England. A native of Howden, England, Henry became a convert to the Church and was duly arrested and hanged a

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 04 ST. ELISABETH (ISABEL) OF PORTUGAL ST. ULRICH, BISHOP OF AUGSBURG

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 03 ST. LEO II, POPE St Leo was elected Pope in 682, but was not enthroned until 18 months later, after he had received confirmation from the Roman Emperor. He battled against the Monothelite, which held there was only a single will in Christ. He is buried beneath St Peter’s Basilica. ST. THOMAS, APOSTLE “Doubting Thomas,” he is called, this apostle overcome by the light of the Lord’s Resurrection. That light proved so strong in Thomas that it led him as far as India, where the first communities of Indian Christians trace their origins to him. With the Lord Jesus “appointed twelve,” the gospel of Mark says, “that they might be with him” (Mk 3:14). We know nothing of Thomas’ life before the Lord called him, but we do know that the call resounded in this Jewish man’s life as nothing before or after it. We know, too, that this call worked in him for the rest of his life, ultimately leading him to the ends of the earth. The first time that we hear from Thoma

St. Eulogius and Companions Roman Catholic Martyrs of Constantinople, executed by Emperor Valens for opposing Arianism. Feastday: July 3 St. Philip Minh, Roman Catholic Priest and Vietnamese Martyr. Born in Vietnam, he joined the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris and was ordained a priest with the purpose of working for the Church in Vietnam. Seized by anti-Catholic forces, he was beheaded. Feastday July 3 St. Joseph Peter Uyen, Roman Catholic Dominican tertiary & Martyr of Vietnam. A native catechist, he died of abuse in prison for refusing to give up the faith. Feastday July 3

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 03 St. Bladus. One of the early bishops of the Isle of Man off the Scottish coast. St. Byblig, 5th century. Welsh holy man, also called Biblig, Pebliq, Pibliq, and Publicus. He is associated with Caenarvon, Wales. St. Cillene, 752 A.D. An abbot of lona, Scotland. He was Irish and became abbot around 726. St. Gunthiern, 500 A.D. Welsh prince who became a hermit in Brittany, France. St. Guthagon, 8th century. An Irish hermit who took residence in Belgium. St. Maelmuire O' Gorman. Abbot of Knock, Ireland. He is revered as an Irish poet.

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 02 STS. PROCESSUS AND MARTYNIANS,ROMAN MARTYRS

Bl. Eugenia Joubert, Roman Catholic Nun. She taught catechism to children and died of tuberculosis at age 28. Feastday: July 2

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 02 St. Oudaceus, 615 A.D. Welsh bishop, also called Oudaceus and Eddogwy. Supposedly the son of a local leader in Brittany and the nephew of St. Teilo, he was raised in Wales. Oudaceus entered the monastic life, and succeeded Teilo as abbot of Llandeilo Fawr, Carmarthenshire. He later became a bishop, and is considered one of the four saints to whom the cathedral of Llandaff, Wales, is dedicated.

Saint Oliver Plunkett (1 November 1629 – 1 July 1681) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, July 1 Bl. Junipero Serra, Spanish Franciscan friar who founded the first nine of 21 Spanish missions in California from San Diego to San Francisco, At the age of thirty-seven, he landed in Mexico City on January 1, 1750, and spent the rest of his life working for the conversion of the peoples of the New World. Feastday July 1

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS JULY 01 St. Veep, 6th century. Patron saint of St. Veep, in Cornwall, England, also called Veepu and Wennapa. Veep was possibly a member of the celebrated clan of Brychan. St. Servan, 6th century. Patron of the Orkney Islands. Bishop, also known as Servanus, Serf, or Sair. According to an unreliable legend, he was from Ireland, receiving consecration as bishop from St. Palladius and preaching among the Scots. He is honored as the patron of the Orkney Islands, although it is highly unlikely that he was ever there. He is called the Apostle of West Fife. St. Juthware, 7th century. Virgin and possible martyr of England, the sister of St. Sidwell. Many legends are connected to her life, including one in which she was beheaded. St. Cewydd, 6th century. A Welsh saint of Anglesey, Wales. Nothing else is known of him. St. Gall, 450-645 A.D. Famous Irish missionary and companion of St. Columban. Born in Ireland, he was trained by Sts. Columban and Comgall, a

SAINT OF THE DAY JULY 01 ST. AARON, MOSE'S BROTHER, HIGH PRIEST OF THE OLD TESTAMENT Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first High Priest of Israel. When Moses was on Mt Sinai, Aaron gave in to the people’s desire to have an idol. He repented and was pardoned by God, but on account of later doubts, he was, like his brother forbidden from entering the Promised Land. STS. JULES AND AARON, MARTYRS OF BRITANNIA