Saint of the day March 26

 Saint of the day March 26

St. Margaret of Clitherow. Margaret Clitherow was born in Middleton, England, in 1555, of protestant parents. Possessed of good looks and full of wit and merriment, she was a charming personality. In 1571, she married John Clitherow, a well-to-do grazier and butcher (to whom she bore two children), and a few years later entered the Catholic Church. Her zeal led her to harbor fugitive priests, for which she was arrested and imprisoned by hostile authorities. Recourse was had to every means in an attempt to make her deny her Faith, but the holy woman stood firm. Finally, she was condemned to be pressed to death on March 25, 1586. She was stretched out on the ground with a sharp rock on her back and crushed under a door over laden with unbearable weights. Her bones were broken and she died within fifteen minutes. The humanity and holiness of this servant of God can be readily glimpsed in her words to a friend when she learned of her condemnation: "The sheriffs have said that I am going to die this coming Friday; and I feel the weakness of my flesh which is troubled at this news, but my spirit rejoices greatly. For the love of God, pray for me and ask all good people to do likewise."  

 St. Alfwold, 1058 A.D. Bishop and ascetic, a companion of St. Swithin and a devotee of St. Cuthbert. Little is known of Alfwold except for the biographical material gathered by William of Malmesbury. Alfwold was a monk in Winchester, England, before being consecrated bishop of Sherborne in 1045. His austere way of life set a Christian example for the local royalty. St. Swithin was Alfwold's patron in Winchester. Alfwold made a pilgrimage to St. Cuthbert in Durharn.  

St. William of Norwich, 1144 A.D. Martyr. He was a young boy and an apprentice to a tanner in Norwich, England. William was murdered by two Jews in a terrible ceremony prompted by a hatred for Christ. 

 

St. Garbhan, 7th century. Irish abbot honored by the town of Dungarvan, Ireland. He was part of the monastic efforts to preserve knowledge and culture in Ireland.  

St. Mochelloc, 639 A.D. Patron saint of Kilmallock, Limerick, Ireland. He is also called Celloch, Cellog, Motalogus, and Mottelog.  

Mar.26

ST. CASTULUS, MARTYR ON THE VIA LABICANA, ST. CASTULUS, MARTYR ON THE VIA LABICANA

St. Castulus was a chamberlain, of the Emperor Diocletian, who hid Christians during the persecutions. Betrayed by an apostate, he was arrested and tortured, but remained faithful to Christ to the very end. According to tradition, he was buried alive in a quarry on the Via Labicana near Rome.  Mar.26