Christian Today

Bl. Jean-Baptiste Lego, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr in Angers, France. Martyred during the French Revolution along with his brother Blessed René Lego. Feastday Jan.1

ENGLISH SAINTS JAN 1 St. Fanchea, 585 A.D. An lrish abbess and foundress of a convent and a sister of St. Ends, or Endeus. Also called Garbh Fanchea founded Rossary Convent in Fermanagh Ireland, and was buried at Killane. She was born in Clogher. Sts. Elvan & Mydwyn, 2nd century. Two Britons sent by King St. Lucius to Pope St. Eleutherius to ask for missionaries St. Maelrhys. A Welsh saint, probably a Breton by birth. He is revered on the island of Bardsey, Wales.

St. Melania, The life of St. Melania reminds us of the fleeting character of earthly wealth. We should strive to emulate her use of wealth as well as talents to further the cause of Christ. Dec.31

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 31 Pope St. Sylvester I bore the government of the Universal Church for for twenty-two years, during the period in which the Roman Emperor, Constantine, built the first Roman basilicas, and the Council of Nicea clarified central Christological teachings. Pope St. Sylvester died on 31 December 335. STS. DONATA, PAULINA AND HILARY, MARTYRS ON THE VIA SALARIA NUOVA ST. MELANY, ROMAN MATRON

The Martyr Saints of China, or Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions, are saints of the Roman Catholic Church. The 87 Chinese Catholics and 33 Western missionaries, from the mid-17th century to 1930, were martyred because of their ministry and, in some cases, for their refusal to apostatize. Many died in the Boxer Rebellion, in which xenophobic peasants slaughtered 30,000 Chinese converts to Christianity along with missionaries and other foreigners. Dec. 30 St. Anysia, Roman Catholic Martyr of Greece. She was a wealthy woman of Salonika, in Thessaly, who used her personal funds to aid the poor. A soldier accosted her in the street and tried to drag her to a pagan sacrifice. Anysia resisted and was killed when the soldier attacked her with his sword. Dec. 30 Bl. John Alcober, Roman Catholic Dominican Priest and Martyr in China. He was held in prison until strangled to death. He died with Blessed Peter Sanz and other Dominicans. Dec. 30 #china

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 30 St. Egwin, 717 A.D. An English noble who became the bishop of Worcester, England, in 692. Chargedwith being overly strict by his clergy, Egwin went to Rome. Upon his return to England, he founded Eversham Monastery with the aid of the kingdom of Mercia. A vision of Mary prompted this founding. In 709, Egwin returned to Rome, accompanied by King Cenred of Mercia and King Offa of the East Saxons.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER ST. FELIX I, POPE A Roman priest, Felix reigned as Pope from 269 to 274. He celebrated Masses over the tombs that guarded the relics of the Christian martyrs, and strongly defended the doctrines of the Trinity of God and the Incarnation of the Word.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 29 St. Aileran, 664 A.D. Monk, biographer, and scholar. Also called Sapiens the Wise. Aileran was one of the most distinguished professors at the school of Clonard in Ireland. St. Finian welcomed Aileran to Clonard. In 650, Aileran became rector of Clonard, and was recognized as a classical scholar and a master of Latin and Greek. He wrote The Fourth Life of St. Patrick, a Latin-Irish Litany and The Lives of St. Brigid and St. Fechin of Fore. His last work was a treatise on the genealogy of Christ according to St. Matthew. A fragment of another of Aileran's works has survived: A Short Moral Explanation of the Sacred Names. Scholarly institutions across Europe read this work aloud annually. Aileran died from the Yellow Plague. His death on December 29, 664 is chronicled in the Annals of Ulster. Bl. William Howard, 1680 A.D. Martyr of England. He was born the son of Thomas, earl of Arundel, in 1616 and raised a Catholic. The grandson of Blessed Phili

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 29 ST. THOMAS BECKET, BISHOP OF CANTERBURY, MARTYR From statesman to martyr: Thomas à Becket was Chancellor to his friend, the English King Henry II, who willed that he become Archbishop of Canterbury, opposed his friend the king to defend the rights and liberties of the Church. He was killed in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. “For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.” These were the words St. Thomas is reported to have uttered before his murder. He had been a man of power, accustomed to command. He died as a servant of Christ and a martyr: keeping the faith and to preserving the freedom of the Catholic Church. Statesman Born in London in 1118, Thomas was of Norman stock. He was initiated into an ecclesiastical career at a young age. Trained in the abbey of Merton, he later studied in France and at the University of Bologna and soon distinguished himself for his intellectual qualities. In 1154 he

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 28 STS. INNOCENTS, MARTYRS The Holy Innocents are the children of Bethlehem, put to death by order of King Herod, as part of his efforts to eliminate the child Jesus, whom prophecies announced as the Messiah and new King of Israel. They have been honored as martyrs since the early centuries.

Sts. Eutychius & Domitian, Roman Catholic Martyrs of Ancyra, in Galatia. Eutychius was a priest and Domitian a deacon, and they died for defending the faith. Feastday Dec.28

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 28 St. Romulus and Conindrus, 450 A.D. Missionaries and bishops, honored as the first evangelizers of the Isle of Man. They were contemporaries of St. Patrick and part of the great mission labors of that era. St. Maughold, 488 A.D. Irish bishop converted by St. Patrick, also listed as Macull and Maccaldus. Originally an outlaw, he was spiritually changed by St. Patrick and performed penance and entered the religious life. Maughold was told to leave Ireland as part of his penance and set sail, landing on the Isle of Man. There he evangelized the people and was elected bishop.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 27 ST. JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST The “beloved disciple” was an impetuous fisherman who became a disciple of Jesus, the only one of the apostles not to be martyred. Tradition holds him to be the author not only of the fourth Gospel, but of the Johannine letters and the Book of Revelation. Mending nets When two young Jewish fishermen sat by the Sea of Galilee, mending their nets with their father, a man walked by and said, “Follow me.” Their response reveals the startled glimmer of recognition they must have had in that moment: “Immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him” (Mt 4:22). In this rabbi who was calling them, James and John, the sons of Zebedee – tradition holds that John was the younger of the two – caught a glimpse of something for which, as faithful Israelites, they had been waiting all their lives. John must have often gone back in his mind to that moment when he left his nets to follow the Messiah. Yet during his th

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER26 ST. STEPHEN, FIRST MARTYR Saint Stephen is known as the “Proto-Martyr,” insofar as he was the first of the early disciples to shed his blood for Christ. The account of his martyrdom by stoning is related in the Acts of the Apostles. Because of the manner of his death, he is recognized as patron of stoneworkers and masons. And him I saw, who bow’d Heavy with death unto the ground, yet made His eyes, unfolded upward, gates to Heaven, Praying forgiveness of the Almighty Sire, Amidst that cruel conflict, on his foes, With looks that win compassion to their aim. In the Divine Comedy, Dante looks upon a touching scene: the death, by stoning, of a young man who, as he is dying, asks for forgiveness for his persecutors. The great Christian poet was struck by the meekness of St Stephen, whose martyrdom is related in all its glory in the Acts of the Apostles. As he was being stoned, St Stephen cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them

St. Vincentia Maria Lopez Y Vicuna, Roman Catholic Nun and foundress of Daughters of Mary Immaculate for Domestic Service, a religious congregation dedicated to the ministering to working girls. Dec.26 St. Pope Dionysius Roman Catholic Priest and Pope. Dionysius died in Rome, was the first pope not listed as a martyr, and was buried in the cemetery of Callistus.Dec.26 St. Stephen Stephen's name means "crown," and he was the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown. Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian Church.Dec.26

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 26 St. Amaethlu, 6th century. Founder and hermit. Arnaethlu also called Maethlu, lived in Wales. A church in Anglesey is named after him as the founder.

St. Eugenia, Roman Catholic Martyr, Eugenia converted many others, including her mother, Claudia, and suffered martyrdom by sword for her faith in Rome, where she had gone with her mother. Her feast day is December 25th. Bl. Michael Nakashima, Roman Catholic Jesuit martyr of Japan. A native Japanese, Michael was admitted to the Society of Jesus because of his holiness and courage. He hid priests and was placed under arrest for many months for harboring missionaries. Michael was then taken to Shimabara and was scalded to death in the hot springs at Mount Ungen. Feastday Dec.25

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 25 St. Alburga, 800 A.D. Abbess and foundress, born a princess in Wessex, England. The sister of King Egbert of Wessex, Alburga displayed piety at an early age. She was married to Wulfstan of Wiltshire as part of a political alliance. She founded Wilton Abbey while married to Wulfstan. Upon his death, Alburga retired to Wilton and became the abbess.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 25 ST. ANASTASIA, MARTYR OF SIRMIUM St. Anastasia lived during the time of the Emperor Diocletian, and helped the Christians persecuted by the emperor. Arrested in Sirmium, she refused to deny the faith. Embarked on a leaking ship, she escaped and reached safety, at least temporarily. Captured again, she was burned alive. B. MARY OF THE APOSTLES, VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE SALVATORIAN SISTERS

St. Lucian, Roman Catholic African martyr with Drusus Metrobius, Paul, Theotirnus, and Zenobius. They were martyred at Tripoli, Libya. Feastday Dec.24

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 24 ST. TARSILLA, ROMAN VIRGIN, AUNT OF ST. GREGORY THE GREAT A Roman nun and paternal aunt of Pope St. Gregory I the Great, who reigned from 590 to 604, St. Tarsilla was praised by her nephew for her faith and charity. She dedicated her life to prayer and to assisting others in difficulty. ST. IRMA, ABBESS Saint Irma lived between the seventh and eighth centuries, and was abbess of the Benedictine Monastery at Trier. Tradition says she was the daughter of St. Dagobert, King of Austrasia. She helped San Willibrord, the English monk who evangelised Frisia.

St. Lucian, Roman Catholic African martyr with Drusus Metrobius, Paul, Theotirnus, and Zenobius. They were martyred at Tripoli, Libya. Feastday Dec.24 ST. IRMA, ABBESS Saint Irma lived between the seventh and eighth centuries, and was abbess of the Benedictine Monastery at Trier. Tradition says she was the daughter of St. Dagobert, King of Austrasia. She helped San Willibrord, the English monk who evangelised Frisia. Dec. 24

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 24 St. Caranus, 7th century. A Scottish bishop venerated in Aberdeen. He served in Eastern Scotland.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 23 ST. JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST Born in Kęty, Poland, in 1390, John was a priest and professor of philosophy at the University of Krakow. He was chosen as tutor to Polish princes. With his pay he fed the poor, whom he sought in the city streets. Esteemed by all for his charity, he died during the Christmas Eve Mass of 1473.

Martyrs of Crete, Ten Roman Catholic martyrs of the island of Crete who suffered during the persecution of Emperor Trajanus Decius. They are named Agathopus, Basilides, Eunician, Euporus, Evaristus, Cleomenes, Gelasius, Saturninus, Theodulus, and Zoticus. Feastday: December 23 St. Victoria, Roman Catholic Martyr, with her sister Anatolia, she refused importunate suitors. Both were imprisoned and starved by their suitors but persisted in refusing marriage. Anatolia was converted to Christianity and converted many in Picenum before being denounced for her faith, for which she was tortured and executed at Thora on Lake Velino in Italy. When Victoria refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, she too was executed, perhaps at Tribulano. The guard was converted by their example and was also martyred. Feastday Dec.23rd. St. John of Kanty, Roman Catholic priest, scholastic philosopher, physicist and theologian, Feastday Dec.23rd.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 22 ST. FRANCESCA SAVERIO CABRINI, VIRGIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE MISSIONARIES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS Pope Francis has described St Frances Xavier Cabrini as a woman who understood that the modern world would be marked by people fleeing their homes in search of peace, and that these were the people she wished to take care of. The Church remembers her on December 22nd as the patron saint of migrants. Born Maria Francesca Cabrini in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Lombardy, Italy, on 15 July 1850, she was soon left an orphan. She wanted to enter a convent, but was refused because of her poor health. So she dedicated herself to running an orphanage instead. Soon she graduated as a teacher and, together with some companions, formed the first nucleus of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, under the protection of Saint Francis Xavier. When she eventually pronounced her religious vows, she also took his name. Her Missionary Vocation She understood that t

St. Chaeromon, Roman Catholic Bishop of Nilopolis, in Egypt. When the persecution was instituted by Emperor Trajanus Decius, Chaeromon Was quite elderly. He and several companions fled into the Arabian desert and were never seen again. The bishop and his companions are listed as martyrs. Feastday Dec. 22

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 21 ST. PETER CANISIUS, JESUIT AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH St. Peter Canisius was the first Dutch Jesuit and lived in the 16th century. He is considered the second Apostle of Germany after St. Boniface. A prolific writer, he was one of the architects of the spiritual renewal of the Catholic Church promoted by the Council of Trent. ST. MICAH, PROPHET Born in the 8th century near Jerusalem, Micah was a peasant, whom God called to denounce the exploitation of the poor, the injustices committed by the powerful and corrupt, and the practice of idolatry. A prophet, he announced a great joy for Israel: the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem

Saints Dec. 21 St. Andrew Dung Lac. Roman Catholic Martyr companion of St. Peter Thi. Andrew, born in 1785, was a priest in Vietnam, his homeland. He was arrested and beheaded on December 21 with Peter Thi. Feastday Dec. 21 Bl. Adrian, Roman Catholic Dominican martyr in Dalmatia. Adrian and twenty-seven others were executed by Muslims for confessing Christ. Feastday Dec.21

Bl. Peter de la Cadireta, Roman Catholic Dominican Martyr. A Spaniard, he entered the Dominicans and devoted his time to preaching to the heretics, including the Albigensians, in the area around Urgell, Spain. A group of heretics stoned him to death.Feastday Dec 20

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 20 ST PHILOGONIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH A Syrian lawyer, Philogonius was a great orator, highly esteemed for his wisdom and fairness. Married, he had a daughter. He was elected bishop of Antioch in 314. He combatted Arianism, a heresy that denied the divinity of Jesus. He died in prison in 324, a courageous witness to the faith.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 19 St. Manirus. Bishop and an apostle to Scotland. He evangelized the Highlanders in the northern regions and was revered for his kindness and goodwill.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 19 B. URBAN V, POPE Guillaume de Grimoard, later Urban V, was a French Benedictine monk, elected Pope in Avignon (1362-1370). He tried in vain to bring the Apostolic See back to Rome and to heal the rift that had developed between West and East. An austere man, he helped the poor and fought corruption in the clergy. ST. ANASTASIUS, POPE Anastasius of the noble Roman Maximi family was elected Pope in 399. He had a profound spirituality and lived a lifestyle of poverty. He courageously defended the Catholic faith, opposing the heresy of Donatism. He died in 401.

Saints Dec. 18 St. Rufus, Roman Catholic Martyr, with Zosimus, citizens of Antioch (or perhaps Philippi) who were brought to Rome with St. Ignatius of Antioch during the reign of Emperor Trajan. They were condemned to death for their Christianity and thrown to wild beasts in the arena two days before the martyrdom of Ignatius. FeastDay Dec. 18. St. Paul My, Roman Catholic Vietnamese Martyr, Paul entered into Paris Foreign Missions and thus helped to spread the Catholic faith in Vietnam. He was seized by enemies of the Church and was martyred by strangulation. Feastday Dec.18

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 18 St. Flannan, 7th century, Bishop. Son of an Irish chieftain, Turlough he made a pilgrimage to Rome where Pope John IV consecrated him. On his return he became first bishop of Killaloe and also preached in the Hebrides. St. Winebald, 761 A.D. Benedictine abbot and missionary. The brother of Sts. Willibald and Walburga, he was born in Wessex, England, and went on a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land with his brother and father. When their father died at Lucca, the brothers proceeded to Rome. Winebald remained in the Eternal City while his brother went on to the Holy Land. Winebald studied in Rome for seven years, went back to England, but then returned to Rome determined to enter the religious life. At the invitation of St. Boniface, he gathered together a group of English missionaries and went to Germany in 739. Winebald was ordained, labored in Thuringia and Bavaria, and then joined Wilibald in his missionary enterprise in Eichstatt, Frisia, H

St. Olympias, Roman Catholic formed a religious community doing charitable works. She spent the last years of her life beset by illness and persecution but comforted by Chrysostom from his place of exile. She died in exile. Feastday Dec.17

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 17 St. Briarch, 627 A.D. Abbot and founder, a companion of St. Tudwal. Briarch was an Irishman who entered a monastery in Wales. He went with St. Tudwal to Brittany, France. There he built a monastery and served as abbot. St. Tydecho, 6th century. Welsh saint. He is honored by several churches in Wales. St. Cadfan was his brother. Other details of his life are no longer available.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 17 ST. DANIEL, PROPHET A Jew of a noble family, he was deported to Babylon (VII century BC). He became an official of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel prophesied the fall of the Babylonian Empire. Because of his fidelity to the tradition of his fathers, Daniel was given to lions, but God saved him. STS. HANANIAH, MISHAEL AND AZARIAH Young Jews in exile in Babylon (VII century BC), the youths became officials at court. Refusing to worship the statue of the king, they were thrown into a furnace: accompanied by an angel of the Lord, they sang a hymn proclaiming the lordship of the true God over all creation, and emerged unscathed. ST. JOHN OF MATHA, PRIEST, FOUNDER OF THE TRINITARIANS Born in 1154 in France, St. John was a professor of theology in Paris, before leaving everything to become a priest at the age of 40. He founded the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. He left for Africa, with a mission to free Christian slaves, whom he succours

St. Albina, Roman Catholic Martyr and a young witness for Christ. Albina was born in Caesarea and was martyred there. Feastday Dec.16

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER16 St. Beoc, 5th or 6th century. Irish monastic founder also called Beanus, Dabeoc, Mobeoc, and Moboac. He is credited with founding a monastery in Lough Derg, in Donegal.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 16 ST. DAVID, KING AND PROPHET God chose him as king of Israel, despite his being the youngest of the sons of Jesse: God does not look at the appearance but at the heart of man. A warrior and poet, David was also a great sinner, but recognized his faults and asked forgiveness. Our Lord Jesus Christ is born of David’s line. ST. ADELAIDE, EMPRESS Born in 931, Adelaide was the daughter of King Rudolph of Burgundy. She married the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto the Great. Attentive to the poor, she also built churches and monasteries. She retired to a Benedictine monastery, and died in 999.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 15 ST. VALERIAN, BISHOP IN AFRICA AND MARTYR Bishop of Abbenza (Tunisia), he bore witness to Jesus Christ, true God and true man, during the persecution of the Vandals. The Arian heretic King Genseric forced Valerian to live on the street, though he was eighty, for refusing to hand over the Church’s sacred vessels. He died of his hardship.

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 15 St. Florentius, 7th century. Abbot of Bangor Monastery in Ireland also called Flann. He was part of the great monastic program of evangelization and protection of the arts.

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 14 ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS, PRIEST AD DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, DISCALCED CARMELITE Saint John of the Cross was a 16th century Spanish theologian and mystic. Together with Saint Teresa of Jesus, he reformed the Carmelite Order. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926 and, traditionally, is nicknamed the "Mystic Doctor". His feast-day falls on December 14th. "Today I'm going to sing the Office in Heaven" A religious vocation and the call to the Carmelite charism were clearly manifest in the life of St John. He was born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, the son of poor parents from Castile, near Avila. He was eighteen when, in 1563, he left the Jesuit College of Medina del Campo where he studied the humanities, rhetoric and classical languages. Soon afterwards he met Teresa of Jesus. It was an encounter that would change their lives forever. St John was already a priest and was fascinated by her plan to reform the Carmelite

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 14 St. Fingar, 5th century. Martyr of Cornwall, England, with Phiala, his sister, and companions. Irish by birth, the martyrs were slain at Hoyle, near Penzance, by pagans.

Supremacy and Survival: The English Reformation: Happy Gaudete Sunday and St. Lucy's Day! : Sorry for the lack of blogging this week. I was in the hospital receiving COVID-related pneumonia treatments.  Thanks to good care, I was re...

St. Elizabeth Rose, Roman Catholic Nun. Benedictine abbess, the foundress of the convent of Sainte-Marie-du-Rozoy, near Courtenay, Loiret, France. Dec. 13

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 13 ST. LUCY, VIRGIN AND MARTYR OF SYRACUSE St. Lucy was martyred on December 13, 304. At her trial, the judge reportedly became enamored of her beautiful eyes, and she, to halt his passion, tore them out and sent them to him on a platter. Hence, St. Lucy - a name derived from the Latin for light, lux - is invoked as protector of the eyes. Lucy’s story is told in the Acts of Martyrdom: a collection of traditions, popular tales and legends. Lucy was born at the end of the third century in Syracuse, into a wealthy, high-ranking family. Reared as a Christian, she was still a child when she was orphaned of her father. Her mother, Eutychia, brought her up with love and dedication. While still a girl, Lucy meditated on her dedication to God, but kept her wish in her heart. Not knowing her daughter’s intentions, Eutychia promised her in marriage to a young man, who was not a Christian. Lucy did not reveal her desire to offer her virginity to Christ and, with vari

Saints Dec. 12 St. Alexander, Martyr and companion of St. Epimachus. Alexander and Epimachus lived in Alexandria, Egypt. They were taken prisoner during the reign of Emperor Decius, then tortured and burned to death. Four women shared their martyrdom: Ammonaria, Mercuria, Dionisia, a mother, and another woman. Dec. 12 St. Abra, Consecrated virgin, the daughter of St. Hilary of Poitiers, born before he became a bishop. Little is known about Abra, who became a consecrated virgin, dedicated to good works among the Christians of Poitiers, in France. Abra died at the age of eighteen. Dec. 12

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 12 St. Corentin. Corentin or Corentinus or Cury died round about the year 490. He was the first Bishop of Cornouaille, now known as Quimper, in Brittany. He had been a recluse at Plomodiern. His cult spread throughout S. W. England, where he was known as St. Cury. It appears that his cult received a boost from the preaching of Blessed Julian Maunoir who lived in the 17th century. Bl. Thomas Holland, 1642 A.D. English martyr. Also known as Thomas Sanderson and Thomas Hammond, he was born at Sutton, near Prescot, Lancashire, England, in 1600. Thomas left England to study at St. Omer, France, and Valladolid, in Spain, and entered the Jesuits after ordination in 1624. Going home, circa 1635, he worked to aid the Church in the isles for seven years until his arrest in London. Thomas was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn. St. Colman of Glendalough, 659 A.D. An abbot mentioned in the Irish calendars St. Agatha, 790 A.D. Nun and missionary aide

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 12 B. MARY VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE Invoked as Star of the Evangelization of Peoples, comforter of indigenous people and the poor, the faithful humbly implore her help on the Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. She is Our Lady of Guadalupe, often called the "great missionary" who brought the Gospel to the Americas. The meeting with Juan Diego In 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, an Aztec who converted to Christianity. At that time Mexico was shaken by violence and continuous violations of human rights and dignity. Indigenous people, in particular, suffered serious discrimination. The Marian apparitions consolidated the encounter between the indigenous peoples and Christ. Mary presented herself as the "Mother of the true God" and she chose Juan Diego to be her messenger. In fact, he reported that Our Lady told him to build a sanctuary at the place he had seen her. The bishop refused to believe him. Then, on December 12th, 1531, in

Saint Dec. 11 ST. DAMASUS I, POPE

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 11 St. Cian, 6th century. A Welsh hermit, believed to have been a servant of St. Peris. St. Pens. Patron saint of Llanberis, Wales. No documents on his life are extant. #englishlanguage #langage #langauagematters #maidstone #youthday

St. Julia of Merida, Roman Catholic Laywoman and Martyr. She professed herself a Christian, insulted the pagan gods and emperor Maximian, and challenged the authorities to martyr her.Dec. 10

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 10 St. Eustace White, 1591 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born in Louth, Lincolnshire, England. Converted to the faith, he studied for the priesthood at Reims, France, and in Rome. After ordination in 1588, he returned to England. Eustace was taken prisoner because of his missionary work and executed at Tyburn, England. Bl. Thomas Somers, 1610 A.D English martyr. Born in Westmoreland, England, he worked for a time as a schoolmaster. Leaving England, he went to Douai, France, where he studied for the priesthood and received ordination before returning home under the alias of Wilson to assist the Catholic cause in London. Arrested for being a priest, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn with Blessed John Roberts. St. Edmund Genings, 1591 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Born in Lichfield, England, he converted to the faith. He was ordained a priest at Reims, France, in 1590. The following years, af

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 10 B. MARY VIRGIN OF LORETO ST. MAURUS, MARTYR ON THE VIA SALARIA

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 9 ST. JUAN DIEGO CUAUHTLATOATZIN ST. LEOCADIA,VIRGIN AND MARTYR ST. SYRUS, BISHOP OF PAVIA ST. PETER FOURIER, CANON REGULAR

Saints Dec. 9 ST. LEOCADIA,VIRGIN AND MARTYR, ST. LEOCADIA was a native of Toledo, and was apprehended by an order of Dacian, the cruel governor under Diocletian in 304, Dec 9 ST. SYRUS, BISHOP OF PAVIA, Evangelized and served as first bishop of Pavia, Italy in the 1st century; tradition says that he was appointed by the Apostles, and an old legend says that he was the boy with five loaves who appears in the Gospels. Worked with Saint Juventius of Pavia. Fought Arianism. Died. relics in the cathedral of Pavia, Italy; Dec. 9 Martyrs of Samosata, Seven Roman Catholic martyrs who refused to join in co-Emperor Maximian’s pagan rites at Samosata. The martyrs were local magistrates Hipparchus and Philotheus and their converts: James, Paragrus, Abibus, Romanus, and Lollian. They were crucified for not celebrating Maximian’s victory over the Persians.Dec.9 St. Juan Diego, Roman Catholic layman saw apparition of the Virgin Mary at Tepeyac Mexico.Dec.9 St. Peter Fourier, Roman Catholic Pries

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 9 St. Budoc, 7th century. Bishop and hermit also called Budeux and Beuzec. He is reported to be the son of a king of Brittany and of Azenor, the daughter of the ruler of Brest, France. Azenor was supposedly exiled in a cask, and Budoc was born at sea, attended by St. Brigid. He was raised in a monastery near Waterford, Ireland, and became first the abbot of the house and then bishop of Dol, Brittany. Budoc ruled there for twenty-six years. Another tradition claims that Budoc was an Irish hermit who settled in Budock, near Falmouth, England. St. John Roberts, 1610 A.D. Benedictine member of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was born in Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd, Wales, and studied at Oxford. John became a Catholic and went to Paris in 1598, Studying and becoming a Benedictine priest in 1602. He then returned to England and aided so many victims of the plague of 1603 that he became quite famous. He left England for a time to establish a seminary but

St. Romaric, Roman Catholic Monk, a Merovingian nobleman named Romaric, who became a monk at Luxeuil; and established the monastery which was later known as Remiremont (Romarici Mons). Feastday December 8

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 8 ST. EUTYCHIUS, POPE, CEMETERY OF ST. CALLISTO

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 7 ST. AMBROSE, BISHOP OF MILAN AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Among the great holy Doctors of the Western Church, Ambrose was Bishop of Milan, a writer of hymns, initiator of Mariology. He embodies the ideal of the pastor. Remembered by the Church on 7 December, he was the author of famous liturgical texts and inflexible against heresy. These were times of lacerating social divisions. On 7 December 374 in a church in Milan the discussion had become animated. The thorny question of the naming of a new bishop of the city, capital of the Western Roman Empire, had exacerbated the rift between Catholics and Arians. The denial of the divinity of Christ, supported by the latter and opposed by the former, was perceived as an insurmountable barrier to the choice of a pastor who could represent both. A bishop for everyone The governor of Lombardy, Liguria and Emilia, known for his impartiality and fairness, was called to mediate. His name was Ambrose, born in 340 in Tri

Saints Dec. 7 St. Maria Giuseppe Rossello, Roman Catholic Nun. Foundress of the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy. Feastday Dec 7 Martyrs of Africa, The collective name given to the Roman Catholic martyrs who died for the faith in Africa Latina, the northwestern region of Africa. The martyrs vary according to year and feast day. Dec. 7

Saints Dec. 6 St. Peter Pascual, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr. he became bishop of Jaen, although the diocese was technically under the dominion of the Islamic Moors. Nevertheless, he preached extensively to promote the Christian faith in Islamic communities and sought to ransom Christian captives being held by Islamic Moorish captors. He was martyred in Granada. Feastday Dec.6 Bl. Adolph Kolping, Roman Catholic Priest. He was a leader in providing social support for young workers in the cities of industrial Germany, and worldwide. Dec. 6

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 6 ST. NICHOLAS OF BARI, BISHOP OF MYRA Saint Nicholas is one of the most popular and beloved saints, not least of all because of the tradition that makes him patron of children and young people. His feast falls on December 6. A life of obedience Nicholas was born at Patara, a seaside town in Licia, in southern Turkey, in the third century. He came from a good family that raised him as a Christian. His life, from his earliest days, was marked by obedience. When he was orphaned at a young age, Nicholas, remembering the rich young man in the Gospel, used his inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the poor. He was elected Bishop of Myra, and under the emperor Diocletian was exiled and imprisoned. After being freed, he attended the Council of Nicea in 325. He died in Myra on 6 December 343. Many stories have been handed down about Nicholas, all testifying to a life spent in service to the weak, the small, and the defenceless. Defender of the weak One of

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 5 ST. SABAS, ABBOTT

GREATEST TRADGETY OF THE SECOND MILLENIUM THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE GREATEST TRADGETY OF THE THIRD MILLENIUM NO EASTER MASS OR COMMUNION FOR THE FAITHFULL

SAINTS DEC. 5 St. Crispina, Roman Catholic Martyr. Arrested for being a Christian, she was taken before Proconsul Anulinus at Thebaste, in Numidia, and was ordered to deny Christ. Crispina refused and was tortured and publicly ridiculed then she was beheaded. Feastday Dec.5 Saint Sabbas the Sanctified (439–532), a Cappadocian-Greek monk, priest and saint, lived mainly in Palaestina Prima. He was the founder of several monasteries, most notably the one known as Mar Saba.Dec.5 St. Nicholas Tavigli, Roman Catholic Franciscan Martyr of Jerusalem. He then went to the Holy Land to preach among the Muslims and was martyred at Jerusalem. Dec. 5 St. Gerald, Roman Catholic Benedictine monk. He later became the reforming Bishop of Braga, Portugal in 1100 and stopped ecclesiastical investiture by laymen in his diocese.Dec 5 Bl. Philip Rinaldi, Roman Catholic Priest Working with the 'Zelatrici di Maria Ausiliatrice', he saw the possibilities for a new form of consecrated life in the wor

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 5 St. John Almond, 1612 A.D One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. A native of Allerton, England, he was educated in Ireland and then at Reims and in Rome. After his ordination in 1598, he returned to England as a missionary, and was arrested in 1602. John was imprisoned in 1608 for a time and arrested again in 1612. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn. St. Cawrdaf, 6th century. Welsh chief, the successor of Caradog in Brecknock and Hereford. He entered a monastery after retiring, serving under St. lIltyd.

SAINTS DEC. 4 Bl. Jerome de Angelis, Roman Catholic Jesuit Priest and Martyr in Japan. He was burned alive in Edo. Feastday Dec 4 St. Francis Galvez, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr in Japan. Francis was burned alive in Edo. Feastday Dec 4 St. Giovanni Calabria, Roman Catholic Priest, he founded the "Congregation of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence. Dec. 4 St. Theophanes & Companions, Martyrs, opponents of the Iconoclast policies of the ruler they were tortured, and Theophanes died during the ordeal. Dec. 4

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 4 St. Osmund, 1009 A.D. Bishop of Salisbury who helped compile the Domesday Book. A member of the Norman nobility, he was the son of Count Henry of Seez and Isabella, half-sister of King William the Conqueror of England. He took part in the Norman Conquest and served William as his chancellor. In 1078, he was appointed bishop of Salisbury, completing the cathedral there and founding a cathedral chapter of canons regular and school for clerics. Osmund also assisted the king in assembling the massive census which became the Domesday Book. In the dispute over investiture between King William II and St. Anselm of Canterbury, Osmund initially sided with the king, but later he admitted he had made a mistake, and he begged Anselm’s forgiveness. Osmund also collected manuscripts for the cathedral library, was a copier and binder of books, authored a life of St. Aldhelm, and was thought to be responsible for drawing up the books governing the liturgical matters

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 4 ST. BARBARA, MARTYR ST. JOHN DAMASCENO, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH This 8th-century Syrian monk defended holy images during the iconoclastic controversy, when Emperor Leo III ordered the destruction of all sacred art. “Doctor of sacred art,” St. John Damascene has been called. He laid the groundwork for the Second Council of Nicaea. Monk John of Damascus bore a well-known name in his native city: Mansur, his Arabic surname, was the name of his grandfather who had been a minister for the Emperor Heraclius. After the Muslim conquest of Syria, his grandfather and father served the caliph as government functionaries, notwithstanding the fact that they were Christian. Some sources say that John, too worked for the caliph before he heard a low, insistent call in his heart. Perhaps he remembered the Christian monk who tutored him in his youth. Whatever the reason, John left his job and his wealth and became a monk at the monastery of Mar Saba, outside Je

Saints Dec. 3 St. Cassian of Tangier, Roman Catholic Martyr. He was a court recorder at the trial of St. Marcellus the Centurion. When the death penalty was imposed on St. Marcellus, Cassian threw down his pen and declared that he was a Christian. He was arrested immediately and put to death. Cassian is patron of modern stenographers. Feastday Dec 3 Bl. Johann Nepomuk von Tschiderer, Roman Catholic Priest and Bishop of Trent.Dec 3

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 3 Bl. Edward Coleman, 1678 A.D. English martyr, a victim of the Titus Oates Plot. Educated at Cambridge,he convened to the faith and served as secretary to the duchess of Thirsk. Condemned falsely of conspiring to restore Catholicism to England, he was executed at Tyburn. He was beatified in 1929. St. Birinus, 650 A.D. The "Apostle of Wessex." Birinus a German became a priest in Rome and a bishop in Genoa, Italy, before undertaking a missionary apostolate, sent by Pope Honorius I. He went to Britain in 634, where he preached to the West Saxons. King Cynegils was converted by Birinus and gave him the area of Dorchester as his see. He died on December 3, and was buried in Dorchester, Oxfordshire. St. Ethernan. A Scot who studied in Ireland and was consecrated a bishop there. He returned to Scotland as a missionary. St. Lucius, 200 A.D. The Ruler of Britain who wrote to Pope St. Eleutherius for missionaries. A convert, he established the dioc

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 3 ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, JESUIT, APOSTLE OF THE INDIES, PATRON OF THE MISSIONS A co-founder of the Society of Jesus together with his former roommate, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier’s travels took him to India, Indonesia and Japan, where he planted the seed of flourishing local churches. He has been considered the Church’s greatest missionary since St. Paul. One change of plans… Forged in the fire of the Spiritual Exercises given to him by a master and friend, Fr. Francisco de Jasso (1506-1552) – or Francis Xavier, as he would be remembered – was a different man from the young aristocrat who had set off to Paris to study. The son of the king’s privy counselor, born in the castle of Javier (Xavier, in the Basque language), young Francis had had other plans. He had dreamed of worldly success, and looked on his new college roommate, the fellow Basque Iñigo – or Ignatius – López de Loyola with some degree of scorn. When Ignatius spoke to Francis and their

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 3 ST. BIBIANA, ROMAN PATRON, HER CHURCH ON THE ESQUILINO ST. PIMEN, MARTYR ON THE VIA PORTUENSE ST. SILVERIUS, POPE

Saints Dec. 2 St. Bibiana, Roman Catholic Virgin and Martyr, Apronianus ordered her to be tied to a pillar and beaten with scourges, laden with lead plummets, until she expired. Feastday December 2 Bl. Ivan Sleziuk, Roman Catholic Priest. On June 2, 1945, Bishop Ivan was arrested and deported for ten years to the labor camps in Vorkuta, Russia. arrested again and imprisoned for five years in a camp of strict regimen.Feastday Dec2 Bl. Maria Angela Astorch, Roman Catholic Nun. she entered the Capuchin Poor Clare monastery begun by Angela Serafina Prat.Dec 2 St. Pontian, Roman Catholic Martyr, He was put to death with four other Christians during the persecutions of the Church under Emperor Valerian. Dec.2 St. Eusebius, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr with Adria, Aurelia, Hippolytus, Mary, Martana, Maximus, Marcellus, Neon, and Paulina. Eusebius was a priest, and Marcellus was a deacon. They were beheaded with Mary and Neon. Adria and Hippolytus, and probably Aurelia, were beaten to

ENGLISH SPEAKING SAINTS DECEMBER 1 St. Edmund Campion. Edmund was born in London, the son of a bookseller. He was raised a Catholic,given a scholarship to St. John's College, Oxford, when fifteen, and became a fellow when only seventeen. His brilliance attracted the attention of such leading personages as the Earl of Leicester, Robert Cecil, and even Queen Elizabeth. He took the Oath of Supremacy acknowledging Elizabeth head of the church in England and became an Anglican deacon in 1564. Doubts about Protestantism increasingly beset him, and in 1569 he went to Ireland where further study convinced him he had been in error, and he returned to Catholicism. Forced to flee the persecution unleashed on Catholics by the excommunication of Elizabeth by Pope Pius V, he went to Douai, France, where he studied theology, joined the Jesuits, and then went to Brno, Bohemia, the following year for his novitiate. He taught at the college of Prague and in 1578 was ordained there. He and Father R

SAINT OF THE DAY DECEMBER 1 ST. ELIGIUS, BISHOP OF NOYON Saint Eligius, celebrated December 1, is the patron saint of goldsmiths and, by extension, ironworkers and metallurgical workers, hardware storekeepers, blacksmiths, horses, and hence farmers, carriers, mechanics and garage keepeers. The generous goldsmith Born around AD 588, originally from Chaptelat in Limousin, the “Good St. Eligius” belonged to a wealthy rural family who worked their own land, unlike many landowners who left the cultivation to slaves. He left the care of the family farm to one of his brothers, and entered trade as a goldsmith apprentice in a shop in which the royal coin was hammered according to ancient Roman methods. He saved some of the income from his family and gave it in charity to the poor and to slaves. He was as clever in enamel as in gold chiselling. These professional qualities went hand in hand with a scrupulous honesty. When they asked him to make a gold throne for King Clothair II (613-