Daily Saints

Saint John Vianney (the Curé of Ars), Priest

1786–1859; Patron Saint of parish priests, all priests, and confessors; Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925

John Mary Baptiste Vianney was the fourth of six children born to devout Catholic parents in Dardilly, a rural village located near Lyon in the eastern part of France. John was born just three years before the start of the French Revolution, during which the Catholic Church came under ferocious attack. Public worship was suppressed, churches were closed or repurposed, and many priests either swore allegiance to the new state under duress, went into hiding, or were killed. During the Reign of Terror, from 1793-1794, thousands of clergy in France were executed by the guillotine. It was a chaotic time in France and an even more chaotic time to be a priest.

During this time, the Vianney family often hid priests and attended their clandestine Masses at nearby farms. The witness of the priests who risked their lives to offer the Sacraments was a powerful source of inspiration for young John, and later motivated him to become a priest. Given the chaos of the time, John spent most of his childhood helping on the family farm and tending to the flocks, rather than attending school. He received a simple education from his mother but was functionally illiterate through his teenage years. He secretly received catechetical instruction from two nuns to prepare him for his First Holy Communion, which he received at the age of thirteen in a neighbor’s house.

In 1799, Napoleon seized power in France and, in 1801, he and Pope Pius VII signed an agreement called the Concordat. This agreement did not fully restore the Catholic Church to its former rights but did recognize Catholicism as the faith of the majority of French citizens and permitted public worship, albeit worship that was regulated by the state. In 1806, the parish priest of John’s neighboring village of Écully, Father Balley, opened a school for prospective seminarians. At the age of twenty, John began his formal education there. Although he struggled, especially with Latin, his faith was manifest and his humility profound.

In 1809, John’s education was interrupted when he was drafted into Napoleon’s army to help fight the Spanish during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Prior to this, seminary students were exempt from the draft, but Napoleon, facing heavy losses, abolished the exemption. After joining his regiment, John fell ill, was hospitalized, and was left behind. He was then appointed to another regiment and this time, was so immersed in prayer at a nearby church that he missed their departure. He was sent after the troops but couldn’t find them and was instead misdirected to the village of Noes where a number of deserters were hiding. He was convinced to stay with them, change his name, hide, and teach in the school. He did this for more than a year. Eventually, he was granted amnesty and was able to return to Écully to continue his education under Father Balley.

Though John continued to struggle with his studies, Father Balley supported him, seeing in John a true vocation, a deep love for the Blessed Mother, and a profound prayer life. After John completed his studies in Écully, Father Balley convinced the Vicar General of the diocese to permit John into the diocesan seminary. John struggled but persevered. When he was up for ordination, the diocesan authorities questioned his suitability. When the bishop asked about John’s piety, he was told that John prayed the rosary like an angel. That was all the bishop needed to know. John was ordained a priest on August 12, 1815, and was sent to serve as an assistant priest in Écully, under the supervision of Father Balley, where he served for two years until Father Balley’s death.

In 1817, Father Vianney was sent to be a chaplain at the church of Saint Sixtus, in Ars, a farming community of just over 200 people. He would remain there for the next forty-one years. As Father Vianney walked to Ars, one story relates that he came upon a young boy tending sheep. He asked the boy how far away Ars was and the boy pointed him in the right direction, accompanying him on the way. When he saw the steeple in the distance, Father Vianney knelt in prayer for a long time, rose, and continued on. When he and the boy arrived, Father Vianney said to the boy, “You have shown me the way to Ars, I will show you the way to Heaven!”

Ars was known as a community that enjoyed its dancing, drunkenness, and swearing. Although the church was in disrepair, morals were lacking, and church attendance was scarce, Father Vianney went straight to work. The townspeople did not know they were receiving a chaplain, so no one attended Father’s first Masses. But as word spread, people became curious. When some stopped by the church, they saw Father Vianney kneeling in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Then others saw the same. And others. Eventually, people started to attend Mass. They were touched by Father Vianney’s simple homilies that presented the basic Gospel message. Sin must be avoided; those who remain in sin will go to hell. Those who turn to God will be saved and welcomed into Heaven. He often conveyed these messages by preaching on the love of God, prayer, the sacraments (especially Confession and the Eucharist), and the duty to live a life of charity and virtue.

Within the first three years of Father Vianney’s priestly ministry, Ars was being transformed. Father Vianney not only spent hours in prayer every day, endured severe penances and fasting (mainly eating boiled potatoes), and restored the church building, but he also made many home visits to his parishioners and even to the surrounding villages. This impressed many and drew them to the church. In 1823, things were going so well that the bishop raised Saint Sixtus Church to the level of a parish, appointing Father Vianney as pastor. In 1827, Father Vianney said from the pulpit, “Ars, my brothers and sisters, is no longer Ars!” Ars had been converted, people were flocking to confession and Mass, praying, overcoming sin, and turning to the love of God. But Ars was not the only place being affected; Father Vianney’s reputation had traveled far and wide. As a result, thousands of people were traveling to Ars every year to attend his Masses and confess their sins. On many days, Father Vianney spent up to sixteen hours in the confessional. By the 1850s, tens of thousands, or according to some estimates, hundreds of thousands of people were coming to Ars. A new and larger church had to be built, and a new railroad was even constructed to help people get to this small village.

Father Vianney’s method of being a priest was simple. He allowed God to consume him, live in him, and minister to the people through him. It was God who did the absolving, preaching, and loving. Father Vianney was just the human instrument. It is said that the devil appeared to Father Vianney many times, harassing him and trying to intimidate him. One time the devil spoke the truth when he said, “If there were only three like you in France, I would not be able to set foot there.”

As we honor this holy priest of God, reflect upon the importance of the priesthood. Saint John Vianney once said, “If I were to meet a priest and an angel, I would greet the priest first and then the angel…. If there were no priest, the Passion and death of Jesus would serve no purpose. What use is a treasure chest full of gold if there is no one who can unlock it? The priest has the key to the treasures of Heaven.” Though few priests live up to the dignity and responsibility they are given, every priest carries within him the sacred power of dispensing the mercy of God, absolving sins, and making the Passion of Christ present in the Eucharist. Call to mind your own priest today and pray for him, that he will become a holy and humble instrument of Christ.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-4—saint-jean-vianney-the-cur-of-ars-priest/

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Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest

Daily Saints

1811–1868; Invoked for an increase of devotion to the Holy Eucharist; Canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962

Peter Julian Eymard was born to devout parents and was the youngest of ten children, eight of whom died in infancy. His mother, especially devout, taught him the faith well. From an early age, Peter developed a profound devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist. His devotion to the Blessed Mother was intensified as a child when he made a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Laus, where the Blessed Mother had appeared to a young shepherd girl a century earlier. Peter’s love for the Eucharist also began at a young age. One story relates that, at the age of five, Peter was missing from home. He was found in the local church standing next to the tabernacle. When his sister asked what he was doing, he reportedly said, “I am near Jesus and I am listening to him!” Another story relates that before Peter received his First Holy Communion, he would eagerly await his sister’s return from Holy Communion and would place his head on her heart and say, “I can feel His presence!” Finally, when he received his First Holy Communion at the age of twelve, he promised Jesus he would become a priest. His love for our Eucharistic Lord was so intense that he could consider nothing else.

In his teenage years, Peter asked his father to allow him to become a priest, but his father initially refused. His father, an artisan who made cutlery, wanted Peter to work in the family business, especially since Peter was his only surviving son. As a result, Peter studied Latin in private to prepare himself for eventual theological studies. In 1827, when Peter was seventeen years old, his father finally consented and Peter began to study under a hospice chaplain near Grenoble, about twenty miles from his home. The following year, his mother died and Peter returned home, partly due to his mother’s death, partly to help his father, and partly because the priest-chaplain did not teach him Latin as promised.

In 1829, at the age of nineteen, Peter moved about 150 miles south to Marseille, France, where he entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Five months later, Peter became seriously ill and had to return home again. In 1831, Peter’s father died. Peter left the family business, traveled back to Grenoble, and was reluctantly admitted to the diocesan seminary. Though he was a bit behind in his education, his zeal got him through, and he was ordained a diocesan priest on July 20, 1834, at the age of twenty-three.

As a newly ordained priest, Father Peter suffered from some health problems but was eventually able to serve as a parish priest in the countryside. In 1839, after sensing a call to religious life, he joined the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) and a year later was assigned to the Marist College of Belley where he fulfilled the duties of preaching, religious instruction, administration of the sacraments, and acted as a liaison with pupils and parents. After four years, Father Peter was appointed Provincial of the Society of Mary and made Visitor-General. As Visitor-General, he traveled to various Marist houses to inspect their health and fidelity to the Marist mission. At the age of thirty-eight, during a visit to Paris in 1849, Father Peter came in contact with a group called the Association of Nocturnal Adorers, whose mission was to practice and promote perpetual adoration of Christ in the Eucharist. This was a life-changing experience for him and the beginning of the rest of his life’s work. After some missteps, perhaps due to excess zeal, Father Peter was demoted from his position within the Marists and sent to the Marist College at La Seyne-Sur-Mer, where he served from 1851–1855. This was a period of prayerful discernment for him, and the desire began to grow within him to found an order dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. In 1856, despite initial strong resistance from his Marist superior, Father Peter received permission to leave the Marists and found the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, a new congregation dedicated to Eucharistic adoration and the fostering of this devotion.

Upon leaving the Marists, Father Peter was joined by another priest named Father Raymond de Cuers. They traveled to Paris where they sought the approval of the Archbishop of Paris. After a twelve-day hearing, conducted by the archbishop and two other bishops, the three unanimously offered their support, agreeing that his mission was the will of God. They encouraged Peter and his order not only to promote Eucharistic adoration but also to catechize adults and prepare them for Holy Communion. Before the end of the year, despite being dirt poor, Father Peter and Father de Cuers had moved into a run-down house they rented from the archdiocese, began raising money to build a chapel that he called a “cenacle,” and welcomed two other priests and a novice as his congregation’s first members. The congregation’s purpose was the salvation of souls and fostering devotion to the Eucharist. Their works were preaching, offering retreats, and preparing people for their First Holy Communion through catechesis. By the beginning of 1857, they opened their chapel for adoration three days a week, and a few people came. However, within a few months, Father Peter became ill, the two priests and novice left, the archdiocese wanted the rented property back, and Father de Cuers left but returned a day later.

Though the establishment of this new congregation proved to have many difficulties, Father Peter pressed on, moved to a new location, and began again. This time he and Father de Cuers added catechesis to their ministry, exposed the Blessed Sacrament, invited the poor and the sinner to repent, adored Jesus, and encouraged frequent reception of Holy Communion. Over the next nine years until his death, Father Peter worked tirelessly on his God-given mission. As members joined, he opened up additional houses, began a contemplative branch of his order for women called the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, started the Priests’ Eucharistic League, intended for diocesan clergy to help them grow in and spread a love for the Eucharist, and formed a lay organization to share their mission called the Archconfraternity of the Blessed Sacrament.

When Father Peter began his work, he sensed the need to make reparation through adoration for sins committed against our Lord. As time went on, his focus included reparation but also expanded to adoration purely for the love of God and as a means to make a gift of oneself to God.

As we honor this great saint, ponder your own devotion to Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Saint Peter Eymard discovered the holiness of God, hidden behind the appearance of bread and wine. His devotion to adoration led him to catechesis about the Eucharist. Allow him to inspire you to renew your own commitment to learning more about the Blessed Sacrament, so that you will more fully give yourself to our Lord as a total gift of yourself, out of love for God, the reparation of sin, and the salvation of souls.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-2—saint-peter-julian-eymard-priest/

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Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop

Daily Saints

c. 283 (or early Fourth Century)–371; Patron Saint of Piedmont, Italy; Pre-Congregation Canonization

Saint Eusebius of Vercelli was born on the island of Sardinia, located in the Mediterranean Sea, west of modern-day Italy. His birthdate remains uncertain. Some accounts suggest it was around 283, but more reliable sources propose a date after the year 300. At the time of Eusebius’ birth, Sardinia was a province of the Roman Empire. Though Christianity had endured various persecutions in the Roman Empire up to the time of Eusebius’ birth, there was relative peace until 303 when Emperor Diocletian issued a series of edicts ordering the arrest and execution of Christians. Some accounts of Eusebius’ early life state that his Christian father was martyred when Eusebius was young, leading him and his mother to move to Rome. There, Eusebius practiced his faith diligently, becoming a lector and a respected figure within the Catholic community.

During Eusebius’ time in Rome, a priest named Arius from Alexandria, modern-day Egypt, began to propagate a theological position that later became known as the Arian Heresy. He taught that the Son of God was not co-eternal with the Father and was inferior to Him. To disseminate his beliefs, he frequently repeated the phrase, “there was a time when the Son was not.” This phrase became popular in songs as a means of promoting Arius’ belief among the laity. His erroneous ideas rapidly spread to various parts of the Roman Empire, causing significant division. As a result, Emperor Constantine the Great called a Church council in Nicaea in 325 to address the issue. The Nicene Creed, which emerged from that council and is still professed today, addressed the Arian Heresy, stating, “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father…” Despite resolving the theological debate, the heresy did not easily subside, and divisions continued. One of the staunchest defenders of the Church against this heresy was Saint Athanasius, then the Bishop of Alexandria. In 335, due to ongoing tensions, Arius and two Arian bishops manipulated Emperor Constantine the Great into exiling Bishop Athanasius from his diocese.

Around 340, Eusebius’ exemplary holiness and support for the true faith led the pope to ordain him as a bishop and appoint him as the first Bishop of Vercelli, in modern-day northern Italy. In Vercelli, Bishop Eusebius was passionate about his faith. He not only ministered to his congregation but also actively reached out to pagans, working toward their conversion. He was the first bishop to establish a form of monastic life for diocesan clergy. The clergy lived in common but served the needs of the diocese under Bishop Eusebius, who himself lived among them. This novel approach led to fraternity, spiritual growth, accountability, and the positive outcomes of pursuing a common mission.

Following the death of Emperor Constantine the Great, his three sons co-ruled the empire. One, Constantius II, sympathized with Arianism. Consequently, in 355, Constantius II convened a council in Milan to attempt to exile Bishop Athanasius again, as well as the pope, due to their opposition to Arianism. During the council, Bishop Eusebius and a few other bishops staunchly supported both the pope and Bishop Athanasius. As a result, the emperor forced Eusebius and the other orthodox bishops into exile. Bishop Eusebius was first sent to Scythopolis, which is located in the Jordan Valley just south of the Sea of Galilee, then to Cappadocia in modern-day Turkey, and finally to Thebaid, Egypt, south of Cairo. Thebaid was a remote and desolate territory, and Bishop Eusebius had to endure the harsh environment, as well as abuse by his jailers.

Exile aimed to separate the shepherd from his flock, thus severing his ability to minister to them. However, the plan backfired. Like Bishop Athanasius, Bishop Eusebius became a prolific letter writer during his exile, continuing to guide his flock and encourage other bishops throughout the empire. A few of his letters, theological treatises, and homilies have survived either in whole or in part to this day. Eusebius remained in exile until 361 when Emperor Constantius II died, and the succeeding Emperor Julian allowed all of the exiled bishops to return to their dioceses. Reunited with his flock, Bishop Eusebius ministered to his people for ten more years until his death. During that time, he continued to defend the Nicene Creed and to oppose Arianism. In 362, he participated in the Second Council of Alexandria, which reaffirmed the teachings of the Council of Nicaea in 325 and addressed the theological concerns of Arianism. It also declared that repentant Arians who professed the Nicene Creed could be readmitted into full communion with the Church. Thus, it served as both a theological and pastoral council.

Saint Eusebius is remembered today not only as a staunch defender of the true nature of Christ but also as a holy pastor who bravely endured exile and much suffering for his faith. For this reason, he is considered one of the great confessors of the early Church. During his lifetime, he ministered among some of the other great confessors of the Church—a “confessor” being one who suffered for the faith but did not endure martyrdom. These included Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Hilary of Poitiers, and Saint Ambrose of Milan.

As we honor this great saint and bishop, reflect on his courage that was interwoven with a profound love for his people. He endured exile and immense suffering, remaining firmly committed to his faith. Consider ways in which God may be calling you to joyfully endure suffering for your faith. As you do so, pray for the courage that Saint Eusebius demonstrated so that you, too, can make a difference in the lives of others.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-2—saint-eusebius-of-vercelli-bishop/

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Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Daily Saints

1696–1787; Patron Saint of confessors and moral theologians Invoked against scrupulosity, arthritis, and for final perseverance; Canonized by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839; Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871

Alphonsus Marie was born into the noble Liguori family in Marinella, of the Kingdom of Naples, modern-day Italy. He was the eldest of seven children and was raised in a devout Catholic home. As a boy, he mastered the harp and enjoyed fencing, horseback riding, and card games. He also exhibited a strong will and moral character. His father was a naval officer who achieved the high rank of Captain of the Royal Galleys. Due to poor eyesight and asthma, Alphonsus couldn’t follow in his father’s military footsteps. However, Alphonsus’ remarkable intelligence led his father to send him to the University of Naples. There he earned a degree in both civil and Church law at the age of sixteen, three years earlier than usual.

For the next eight years, Alphonsus won case after case as a lawyer in Naples, but his worldly success didn’t satisfy him. Indeed, he might never have lost a case until his last and life-changing one. One day, instead of rebutting Alphonsus’ excellent argument, the defense lawyer asked Alphonsus if he saw any error in his argument. Alphonsus identified a small flaw in his own case and spoke about it openly. He lost the case but was praised for his honesty. He said afterward, “False world, I know you now. Courts, you shall never see me again.” He left his profession, relinquishing wealth and prestige.

After this experience, Alphonsus went on a three-day retreat, guided by an Oratorian priest. Having found worldly success unsatisfying, he resolved to serve God alone, choosing to embark on theological studies, grow in virtue, and become a priest. His father opposed his joining the Oratorians, so Alphonsus agreed to live at home while he completed his studies. With the blessing of the Cardinal Archbishop of Naples, he was ordained a priest in 1726 at the age of thirty.

For the next three years, Father Alphonsus lived in his family home and ministered to the poor and sinners in Naples. He gathered them in the streets, speaking to them lovingly and convincingly, winning over many to Christ. The archbishop asked him to conduct his services in the local churches, which came to be known as “Evening Chapels.” These gatherings included catechesis and prayer, especially for the young and the poor, and were often led by the young people themselves, after receiving proper training from Father Alphonsus. Father Alphonsus also became a beloved confessor. People found him to be a man of great compassion, attentiveness, and concern. He treated every penitent with mercy and always offered absolution, never doubting the sincerity of the sinner’s repentance. From the pulpit, Father Alphonsus preached in such a way that everyone understood him, even the poorest and most uneducated, the saint and the sinner. In a short time, his ministry had such an effect upon the morally decadent parts of Naples that the most serious sins in the town all but disappeared.

In 1729, to deepen his life of prayer and commitment to ministry, he moved into a newly formed school for the Chinese missions but continued his ministry to the poor and sinners. He expanded his ministry beyond Naples to the even poorer and decadent peoples in the surrounding countryside. Seeing a great need to increase the work he was doing, he gained the support of the neighboring bishop of Scala to form a new congregation. In 1732, Father Alphonsus was joined by thirteen companions (ten priests, two seminarians, and a lay brother) who formed the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

The new congregation began well. Its members lived lives of deep prayer, severe penance, and radical poverty. They went out on missions as itinerant missionaries, devoting themselves to preaching repentance and mercy throughout the countryside. However, dissension soon arose over their mission and way of life. Father Alphonsus’ proposals were rejected by everyone but one lay brother and a seminarian. The rest left and formed another congregation. Father Alphonsus was ridiculed in Naples, and even the bishop was criticized for supporting him. The bishop and Father Alphonsus persevered, however, and soon new companions joined the congregation, and their ministry flourished.

For the next thirty years, Father Alphonsus worked tirelessly to form his congregation and minister to the people of God with compassion. One of the emerging heresies at that time came to be known as Jansenism, which was a movement that denied the universality of free will and that the grace and mercy of God were given to all. Jansenists viewed human nature as so flawed that only God could save souls—and was selective about whom He chose for salvation. Father Alphonsus saw grace and mercy as available to everyone and fervently preached that message. In addition to his preaching, he became an exceptionally prolific writer. In his lifetime, he wrote about 100 books and 400 pamphlets and booklets used to evangelize the people in easy-to-understand language that was also orthodox. He mastered moral theology, making it accessible and acceptable to those who needed to turn from sin. He wrote beautifully about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the way of the Cross, and the Person of Jesus Christ.

In 1762, Father Alphonsus was appointed Bishop of Sant’Agata dei Goti, the diocese just northeast of Naples. As bishop, he sought to reform the diocese, especially the clergy, and worked to implement an organized plan of evangelization. Though his rigorous approach was met with resistance, he pressed on. By 1775, Bishop Alphonsus’ health had deteriorated to the point that he suffered greatly. He became partially paralyzed and bent over, and is often depicted this way in art. He offered his resignation, and the pope reluctantly accepted it. He spent the last twelve years of his life in one of his congregation’s religious houses, writing, praying, and suffering. He eventually became blind and deaf but never stopped loving God and serving His will. In his final years, he saw divisions attack his congregation, and he himself spent his final three years being tempted with extreme scruples, demonic attacks, and spiritual darkness. All of this only led to his greater sanctity.

At times, it’s tempting to think that holiness ensures an easy life. On the contrary, the Father often permits great suffering to those who love Him the most in imitation of His divine Son. Though Saint Alphonsus suffered greatly in many different ways, he remained faithful to his heartfelt mission of saving souls. He believed in the mercy of God, brought that mercy and truth to the greatest sinners, and ensured that his mission endured time by founding a religious congregation and leaving behind voluminous writings that are understandable to all. As we honor this holy saint, ponder his central message that God is merciful and welcomes even the greatest sinner. See yourself as that sinner in need of God’s mercy, and do not hesitate to run to the Heart of the Most Holy Redeemer to find rest and peace.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-1—st-alphonsus-liguori/

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Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

Daily Saints

1491–1556; Patron Saint of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Spiritual Exercises, soldiers, and retreats; Canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622

Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola (Ignatius in Latin) was born at the Castle of Loyola in the municipality of Azpeitia, in modern-day Gipuzkoa, Spain. He was the youngest of thirteen children. Shortly after his birth, his mother died, and he was cared for by a local woman named Maria. When he was seven, his father died, and he was sent to live with a local noble family where he fulfilled the duties of a page, introducing him to the idea of knighthood and military service. As a result, Ignatius became an enthusiastic man who dreamed of being a great military officer. Captivated by thoughts of worldly honor and glory, he became a soldier around the age of seventeen. For the next twelve years he fought in many battles and advanced in rank. In 1521, at the age of thirty, Ignatius was wounded in battle and bedridden for months as his wounded leg healed. In his boredom, he asked for books to read. He had hoped to receive some books on chivalry and romance for entertainment, but no such books were in the house where he was recovering. Instead, he was given The Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony, a Carthusian monk, and Flowers of the Saints. As he read and re-read these two books, he began to be inspired and started to imagine himself living a saintly life.

Ignatius also spent much time daydreaming about romance, chivalry, and other worldly endeavors. But since he was only in possession of these two books, his imagination would wander between the two: Christ and the saints, then romance and chivalry. But there was a difference. Ignatius noticed that even though both of these trains of thought excited him, the worldly thoughts eventually left him feeling dry and sad, whereas the thoughts about Christ and the saints left him inspired and enthused long after he had ended his daydream. It was this realization that first compelled him to intensify his conversion, and it was this insight that led to much of the wisdom that he would later leave to his followers and to the Church.

After his recovery, Ignatius desired to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Before embarking on that trip, he first made a journey to the town of Montserrat. Two powerful influences on him during that time were his penitential practices and his thorough confession. For penance, he wore clothing that was rough and uncomfortable, tied a cord below his knee, and only wore one shoe. He spent much time in prayer and spoke to our Lord and our Blessed Mother while kneeling and standing for long periods. While in Montserrat, he spent three days preparing for a general confession of the sins of his whole life. During his confession, Ignatius also revealed to his confessor, for the first time, his intention to devote his entire life to the service of God. After his confession, he consecrated himself to our Lord and our Blessed Mother, and spent the entire night in prayer. Thus, Ignatius had begun a very radical journey toward a life of sainthood.

After his short stay in Montserrat, Ignatius journeyed to the town of Manresa and stayed there from March 25, 1522, until mid-February 1523. His months in Manresa were months of deep conversion. He spent many long hours in prayer, attended daily Mass, engaged in severe penances, sought out spiritual counsel, and studied the Gospels. He spent much time in silence and solitude, especially in a cave that he frequented. Ignatius neglected his physical appearance and sought only to beautify his soul.

This period of interior formation had a profound impact on Ignatius, and he began to experience deep spiritual insights and consolations from God. However, soon after these consolations arrived, he also began to experience severe interior trials that left him agitated and struggling. These struggles began when he sensed the evil one saying to him that he could never keep up this life of vigor, zeal, and penance. The evil one tried to lead him to doubt and despair, but Ignatius ultimately discerned the voice of the evil one and rebuked his lies, reminding the evil spirit that he could offer him nothing of value. In the end, these trials were a gift in that they allowed Ignatius to grow deeper and deeper in his resolve to seek out and follow the will of God for his life while rejecting the lies of the evil one.

At this time, Ignatius also suffered severe scruples. He regularly recollected various sins he had committed that he feared he had never confessed. This struggle with scrupulosity caused much interior suffering. In fact, at one point, the scruples were so severe that he briefly considered suicide. In the end, God broke Ignatius free to be able to discern that his irrational thinking was not from God but from the evil one. Once he understood this, Ignatius rebuked and rejected these scrupulous and erroneous thoughts, and God freed him from this burden.

While in Manresa, Ignatius continued to engage in severe fasts (at one point neither eating nor drinking for seven days), scourged himself three times daily, and spent seven hours a day in prayer. Our Blessed Mother and Jesus regularly communicated with him, revealing deep spiritual truths to his soul. It was in Manresa that Ignatius began to write what has become one of the great spiritual classics in the Church: The Spiritual Exercises.

The Spiritual Exercises are not so much a book as they are a guide for a structured thirty-day retreat. The ideal way to accomplish this is for the individual to enter into silence and solitude for thirty days under the direction of a well-trained spiritual director who is able to lead the individual through the structure set forth by Saint Ignatius. This structure provides directions for what the retreatant should do each day, under the guidance of the spiritual director, as well as rules by which a director leads the directee toward discernment of God’s will.

After this period of prayer and the completion of the first draft of his exercises, Ignatius spent the next several years studying at Barcelona, Alcalá, and Salamanca where he also began promoting his new ideas. His writings, however, were scrutinized by the Spanish Inquisition, and he was briefly imprisoned a few times before being cleared of the charge of heresy. Afterward, he moved to Paris to obtain a master’s degree in theology, and it was there that he met Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, both of whom would later become saints.

In 1537, Ignatius and his companions moved to Venice and were ordained priests. Then in 1540, Ignatius, Francis, and Peter co-founded what would become the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. The following year, Ignatius was elected the first superior, a role he would hold until his death. Over the next two decades, the Jesuits grew to an estimated 1,000 members, served in about thirty-five schools they founded, and became missionaries to non-Christian territories. Over the next century, the Jesuits played a significant role in the Catholic Counter-Reformation, becoming staunch defenders of orthodoxy and the pope.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola is one of the most inspirational figures in the history of the Church. He left behind a spiritual classic in The Spiritual Exercises, helped found the Jesuits who became one of the most consequential religious orders in the Church, and left behind other writings, including an estimated 7,000 letters filled with his wisdom. As we honor Saint Ignatius, ponder his initial conversion that led to so much good fruit. He noticed that God’s will produced a joy and peace that remained, versus worldly excitement that quickly passed and resulted in dryness. That insight has led countless people to discern God’s will for their lives through the use of Ignatius’ method. Ponder God’s will for your life today. As you do, learn from Saint Ignatius and seek that path which leads to great joy and ongoing spiritual peace and consolation.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-31-saint-ignatius-loyola-priest/

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Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor

Daily Saints

c. 380 or 406–c. 450; Patron Saint of Imola, Italy; Invoked against fevers and vicious dogs; Pre-Congregation canonization; Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729

Saint Peter Chrysologus was born in Imola, modern-day Italy, during a period of great turmoil within the Church and the Roman Empire. In 410, when Peter was about four years old, Rome was sacked by the Visigoths, leading to political corruption and economic difficulties. The era he lived in also witnessed a series of short-lived and ineffective Roman emperors, contributing to the prevailing instability. Arianism and its related heresies had also caused divisions within the Church, particularly between the East and West. During his lifetime, Peter witnessed the rise of new heresies and fiercely defended the Church. Reliable information about Peter’s youth is scarce, including discrepancies in his birth dates, with some accounts suggesting around 380 and others around 406.

In Imola, Peter developed a close relationship with the local bishop, Cornelius, who is believed to have baptized, educated, and ordained him as an archdeacon for the Diocese of Imola. Peter regarded Bishop Cornelius as his spiritual father and praised his manifest virtue. Around 433, when the bishop of Ravenna passed away, the clergy and people of that diocese sought a new bishop. They requested Bishop Cornelius, a neighboring bishop, to go to Rome and secure the consent of Pope Sixtus III for their chosen candidate. According to tradition, Bishop Cornelius brought Archdeacon Peter with him to Rome. The night before their meeting with the pope, the pope had a vision of Saint Peter the Apostle and Saint Apollinaris, the first bishop of Ravenna, with Archdeacon Peter standing beside Apollinaris. The following day, when the pope saw Archdeacon Peter alongside Bishop Cornelius, he selected Peter as the next Bishop of Ravenna.

As Ravenna was the capital of the Roman Empire, Bishop Peter had the opportunity to become acquainted with the emperor. Following his episcopal ordination, Bishop Peter soon gained admiration for his preaching and his holy and penitential way of life. He also earned the esteem of the Christian Emperor Valentinian III and his devout mother, Galla Placidia. It might have been Galla who first bestowed the title “Chrysologus” upon Bishop Peter, which means “golden-mouthed,” in reference to his powerful preaching style. Bishop Peter Chrysologus delivered unique sermons, with around 176 of them surviving to this day. These sermons were relatively short, scripturally grounded, and often centered on the Person of Christ and the consequences of His Incarnation. They were characterized by their evangelical approach, seeking to win hearts and minds for Christ rather than being purely theological discourses. Galla, who was actively involved in charitable works and church-building, collaborated with Bishop Peter Chrysologus in constructing many churches in Ravenna.

During that period, just as in the previous century, the Church faced internal conflicts over the nature of Christ. A new heresy arose, later known as Monophysitism. Eutyches, a monk from Constantinople, emerged as one of its leading proponents. He taught that after the Incarnation, the human nature of Christ was absorbed into His divine nature, resulting in a single divine nature. Though distinct from the earlier Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ, Monophysitism similarly rejected the orthodox position established at the Council of Nicaea in 325 that affirmed the two natures of Christ, both human and divine, perfectly united in His Person. When Eutyches sought support for his heretical position, Bishop Peter wrote to him a firm but compassionate letter, exhorting him to submit to the authority of the pope on the matter. Though the letter itself has been lost, some of the content of his letter was preserved in the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon.

Despite debates regarding the Church controversies of the time, Bishop Peter Chrysologus understood the importance of theological precision. He recognized Jesus as the Son of God, fully divine, sharing the same substance with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Additionally, he grasped the truth that the divine Son assumed human nature, uniting His divinity with humanity in His Person to redeem humanity. Thus, Jesus was both fully God and fully man, with His divinity and humanity united, providing the pathway to eternal salvation for humanity.

As the Bishop of Ravenna, Peter Chrysologus vigorously defended the true and pure faith against the Monophysite heresy, introducing people to the Savior of the World through his concise, well-formed, theologically precise, and heartfelt homilies. Although he passed away before the Church officially ruled on the Monophysite heresy at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, Bishop Peter Chrysologus’s letters, homilies, and personal influence paved the way for subsequent bishops to follow the correct path. Over his approximately twenty-seven years as Bishop of Ravenna, he fervently promoted religious practices, such as daily reception of the Eucharist, fasting, almsgiving, Lenten penance, and pious devotions, with his primary concern always being the salvation of souls.

It was not until 1729 that Pope Benedict XIII declared Saint Peter Chrysologus a Doctor of the Church. This proclamation highlights the enduring value of his writings. Although he lived over 1500 years ago, his teachings transcend specific times, cultures, and conflicts. His clear, concise, and profound teachings about Christ continue to resonate in official Church documents, the Office of Readings, and are widely used for spiritual reading.

As we honor this fifth-century Bishop of Ravenna, let us contemplate the timeless truth that truth itself is eternal. Whether it originates in the Old Testament, the New Testament, the early Church Fathers, or a fifth-century bishop, when truth is articulated, it remains relevant for people of all times and circumstances. Let us reflect on the enduring understanding of the nature of Christ that Saint Peter Chrysologus vigorously defended and taught. May we pray for greater clarity in comprehending the Person of Christ and offer gratitude for the great saints who have paved the way for us, building a foundation of truth on which we now stand.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-30—saint-peter-chrysologus-bishop-and-doctor/

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Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

Daily Saints

First Century

Martha—Patron Saint of cooks, butlers, dieticians, homemakers, innkeepers, maids, single laywomen, servers, and travelers

Mary—Patron Saint of spiritual studies and lectors

Lazarus—Patron Saint of gravediggers Pre-Congregation canonization

“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5). This is how John’s Gospel describes Jesus’ relationship with these siblings whom we honor together today. Of course, Jesus loves all people equally with the perfection of divine charity. So why does John’s Gospel single these three out this way? In the Gospel passage, the word “love” does not only mean the perfect charity in the Heart of Christ for all people. It also implies that Jesus had a special relationship with them, perhaps throughout His life, but at least during the time of His public ministry. This fact is helpful to ponder since it gives us a glimpse into the authentic humanity of Jesus. He formed friendships. He enjoyed spending time with those friends. As both God and man, He ate with them, laughed with them, listened to them, and loved them. Now, from Heaven, Jesus wants to extend that human and divine love He perfectly offers to everyone.

In Luke’s Gospel, after Jesus begins His public ministry in Galilee, northern Israel, He travels with His disciples to Jerusalem and continues His ministry. It is on that journey that Martha and Mary are introduced. Luke 10:38–42 tells the familiar story of Jesus entering their home in Bethany, just several miles east of Jerusalem, where He is a guest for dinner. As Jesus reclines, Mary also reclines with Him, at His feet, listening to Him. Martha, busy preparing the meal, rebukes her sister by asking Jesus to tell Mary to help her with the meal preparation. “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” Jesus responds, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

This passage provides us with much to prayerfully ponder. First, it’s clear that Jesus is very familiar with Martha and Mary. Martha would not have spoken so bluntly, in an almost critical way toward Jesus, if she did not know Jesus well. Hence, this passage highlights the very real human friendships Jesus enjoyed. Second, Martha’s work of preparing the meal should be seen as a labor of love. Though she is frustrated, that doesn’t change the fact that her service is a service of love and is very important to the fostering of the siblings’ friendship with Jesus. Third, the image of Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet is often used as an image of the contemplative life in which we are all called to sit at His feet in adoration. This “better part” must remind us that nothing is better or more important than prayer. The activity and good works we do will always pale in comparison to the act of adoration of God. Furthermore, only when adoration and worship of God come first do good works follow.

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus appear for the first time in John’s Gospel toward the end of Jesus’ public ministry, just prior to the first Holy Week (see John 11:1–44). The context of the story makes it clear that Jesus and His apostles are all very familiar with these three siblings from Bethany. Lazarus is ill, at the point of death, and Martha and Mary summon Jesus. Jesus waits for two days until Lazarus dies before He journeys to Bethany, converses with Mary and Martha, and then raises Lazarus from the dead. In this passage, Martha emerges as the witness to faith, not Mary. In her conversation with Jesus, Martha proclaims, “I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” This is true faith in the face of the painful situation of the death of her beloved brother.

In contrast to Martha who had run out to meet Jesus when He arrived, Mary stayed home, sorrowful, perhaps sulking. When Martha told Mary that Jesus wanted to see her, she went out to see Jesus in apparent despair. The Gospel says that Jesus became “perturbed” at the weeping of Mary and “the Jews who had come with her.” The Greek word literally means “He snorted in spirit,” which seems to be a response to Mary’s lack of hope. After this, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

In the next chapter of John’s Gospel, John 12:1–8, Jesus is once again at dinner in Bethany with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, just six days before Passover, six days before His death. While there, Mary enters the room with a “liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard” and pours it on Jesus’ feet, drying them with her hair. Though some have associated this act with the sinful woman in Luke 7:36–39 who came crying at Jesus’ feet, the two people might or might not be the same. What is clear, however, is that the anointing of Jesus in Bethany is not the same as the anointing in the home of Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7, which took place in Galilee to the north. Was Mary of Bethany the sinful woman? Did she first anoint Him in Galilee and then later, again, in Bethany? We will never know for certain, but most scholars agree today that she is not the same person as Mary Magdalene. Hence, there might be two or even three women who have traditionally been confused as the same person: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the unnamed sinful woman in Luke 7.

All three of today’s saints appeared in the 1749 (updated in 1916) Roman Martyrology, the Church’s official list of saints. Of them it says, “At Tarascon, in France, Saint Martha, virgin, the hostess of our Savior, and sister of blessed Mary Magdalene and Saint Lazarus.” However, only Saint Martha appeared on the General Roman Calendar as a memorial until 2021 when Pope Francis added Saint Mary and Saint Lazarus to the July 29 memorial, and clarified that Mary of Bethany was not the same person as Mary Magdalene, although either of them might be the sinful woman.

As we honor these sibling saints, ponder the real, personal, and human friendship that the Savior of the World had with them. He loved them as God and as a man, with a pure, perfect, and holy love. In so many ways, this is exactly what Jesus wants with you. He wants you to know Him, spend time with Him, converse with Him, worship Him, and trust Him in good times and bad. Today’s sibling saints are not much different than you. Seek to imitate them, learn from their holy witness, and even from their mistakes. Become a friend of our Lord by inviting Him to dine in the home of your soul.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/saints-martha-mary-and-lazarus/

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Saint Alphonsa of India

Daily Saints

Profile

Anna was born in a rural area to Joseph and Mary Muttathupadathu. She was baptized on 27 August 1910. Anna’s mother died when she was very young, and she was raised by her maternal aunt, and educated by her great-uncle Father Joseph Muttathupadathu. At age 3, she contracted an infected eczema from which she suffered for over a year. She made her first communion on 27 November 1917. She was badly burned on her feet when she accidentally fell into a pit of burning chaff, leaving her permanently partially disabled. She joined the Poor Clare convent at Bharananganam on 2 August 1928, taking the name Alphonsa, and making her vows on 12 August 1936.

Anna lost her aunt/foster-mother in 1930. She worked as a primary school teacher, and the children loved her for her gentleness and cheery way, but health problems often kept her from the classroom. In December 1936, she was miraculously cured from her ailments through the intervention of Saint Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara. However, in June 1939, she was struck by a severe attack of pneumonia, weakening her overall. On 18 October 1940, a thief stumbled into her room in the middle of the night; the shock of the event caused Alphonsa to suffer a loss of memory, and further weakened her. Her condition continued deteriorating for months, and she was given last rites on 29 September 1941; the next day, she regained her memory, but not her complete health. She enjoyed some improvement over the next few years, but in July 1945, she developed a stomach problem that eventually led to her death.

She was noted for her suffering, and suffering in silence. Incidents of her intervention began almost immediately upon her death, and often involved the children in the convent school. Hundreds of miraculous cures are claimed for her intervention, many of which involved straightening of clubbed-feet, possibly because of her having lived with deformed feet herself; two of these were submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints as proof of her miraculous intervention. The continuing cures are chronicled in the magazine Passion Flower. Thousands converge on the small town of Bharananganam when they celebrate the feast of Saint Alphonsa from 19 to 28 July each year.

Born

19 August 1910 at Kudamalloor, Kerala, India

Died

28 July 1946 at Bharananganam, India, of natural causes
buried in the chapel connected with the cemetery of Saint Mary’s church, Bharananganam, India, which has become an important place of pilgrimage

Venerated

declared Servant of God, and her Cause began on 2 December 1953
declared Venerable on 9 July 1985 by Pope John Paul II

Beatified

8 February 1986 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

Sunday 12 October 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI

Name Meaning

noble ready; battle ready

Patronage

against bodily ills
against illness
against sickness
against the death of parents
sick people
–
Bhadravathi, India, diocese of

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-alphonsa-of-india/

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Saint Pantaleon

Daily Saints

Profile

Raised by a Christian mother and pagan father, Pantaleon chose Christianity, and became a physician to emperor Maximian. He was a life-long layman and bachelor. At one point he abandoned his faith, and fell in with a worldly and idolatrous crowd. However, he was eventually overcome with grief, and with the help of the priest Hermolaus, he returned to the Church. Pantaleon brought his father to the faith. He gave his fortune to the poor, treated them medically, and never charged. Some of his cures were miraculous, being accomplished by prayer.

Pantaleon was denounced to the anti–Christian authorities by other doctors during the persecutions of Diocletian. At trial, he offered a contest to see whose prayers would cure the incurable – his or the pagan priests’. The pagans failed to help the man, a palsied paralytic, but Pantaleon cured the man by mentioning the name Jesus. Many of the witnesses converted.

The authorities tried to bribe him to denounce the faith, but failed. They then threatened him; that failed. They followed up the threats with torture. When that failed, he was executed. He was a martyr. He was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

Died

nailed to a tree and beheaded c.305
a phial of his blood is preserved at Constantinople, and is reported to become liquid and bubble on his feast day
some relics enshrined at the church of Saint Denis in Paris, France
some relics enshrined at Lyons, France

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

against consumption or tuberculosis
against fatigue
–
bachelors
doctors
midwives
nurses
physicians
surgeons
torture victims
—
in Italy

– Courmayeur
– Crema, city of
– Crema, diocese of
– Dolianova
– Gimillan
– Vallo della Lucania, diocese of

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-panteleon/

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Saints Joachim and Anne

Daily Saints

Late First Century BC–AD Early First Century

Saint Anne—Patron Saint of grandparents, grandmothers, mothers, roommakers, cabinetmakers, carpenters, dressmakers, equestrians, expectant mothers, homemakers, housewives, lace workers, seamstresses, miners, old-clothes dealers, Canada, and France; Invoked against sterility and poverty and to find lost articles

Saint Joachim—Patron Saint of grandparents, grandfathers, fathers, married couples, cabinetmakers, and linen traders; Pre-Congregation canonization

Today we honor the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. Their names are not recorded in the Gospels but first come to us from a mid-second-century apocryphal document called the Gospel of James. Though this “gospel” has been determined to be inauthentic, it is the earliest record we have of the Blessed Mother’s parents. At the very least, we can presume that their names are correct: Joachim and Anne. Other apocryphal literature, such as the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, also contain uncertain information about these holy parents and grandparents.

According to those traditions, Joachim was a very wealthy and generous man. He and his wife, Anne, however, were childless until they were advanced in years. One day, before Anne conceived the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joachim arrived at the Temple to make an offering. It was rejected by a man named Rubim, most likely a Levitical priest, because Joachim was childless. “It is not right for you first to bring your offerings, because you have not made seed in Israel.” Children were exceedingly important at that time; to be childless was understood as disfavor from God.

Distressed, Joachim left the Temple and studied the Scriptures to see if he could find anyone of importance who, like he and Anne, were childless. When he came upon Abraham, he recalled that Abraham was only given a child in his old age. Rather than returning home to Anne, Joachim embarked on a forty-day period of fasting and praying in the desert, beseeching God for a child.

Anne, for her part, also went to pray, asking God for a child. As she prayed, an angel appeared to her and said, “Anne, Anne, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.” An angel also appeared to Joachim and said, “Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go down hence; for, behold, your wife Anne shall conceive.” Nine months later, Anne bore a daughter, and the couple named her Mary. Because of a vow they had made, when Mary was only three, Joachim and Anne brought her to the Temple where she took up residence until it was time for her to be married. She was educated by the priests and holy women and spent her days in prayer and union with God.

Though the story of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birth and presentation in the Temple comes from apocryphal sources, the Presentation of Mary in the Temple is a liturgical feast first celebrated in the Eastern Church as early as the sixth century and the Western Church in the eleventh century, giving credence to a lived faith and liturgical acceptance of her presentation by her parents. Interestingly, in the old city of Jerusalem, there is an ancient church that still stands next to the Temple Mount in which it is believed that the Blessed Virgin Mary was born and might have lived during her early days after being presented in the Temple.

Though not much more is known about Saints Joachim and Anne, devotion to them, especially to Saint Anne, began to grow as early as the sixth century. Churches were built in her honor, prayers were offered for her intercession, devotions were formulated, and patronages were attributed to her. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that devotion to Saint Joachim began to grow when his feast day was placed on the General Roman Calendar.

Regardless of the authenticity of the legends about Saints Joachim and Anne, we know for certain that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, had parents. They loved her, raised her, and offered her to God. Today they are saints under the names of Joachim and Anne, and the faithful continue to seek their intercession. They are especially called upon for their intercession for grandparents. In fact, on a spiritual level, just as the Blessed Virgin Mary can be seen as our spiritual mother, so also Saint Joachim and Anne can be seen as our spiritual grandparents in the order of grace.

Pray to this holy couple today, especially asking their intercession for your grandparents or your grandchildren. Ponder what it would have been like to give birth to the Mother of the Son of God. Prayerfully imagine what it would have been like to watch their daughter, who was “full of grace,” grow and mature into adulthood. Though these holy parents might not have understood all of the mysteries that surrounded their daughter, they would have known, by a grace of spiritual intuition, that their daughter was chosen by God and given a singular grace that budded forth in an abundance of virtue for all to see, especially for her parents to see.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-26st-anne/

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1786–1859; Patron Saint of parish priests, all priests, and confessors; Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925

1811–1868; Invoked for an increase of devotion to the Holy Eucharist; Canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962

c. 283 (or early Fourth Century)–371; Patron Saint of Piedmont, Italy; Pre-Congregation Canonization

1696–1787; Patron Saint of confessors and moral theologians Invoked against scrupulosity, arthritis, and for final perseverance; Canonized by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839; Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871

1491–1556; Patron Saint of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Spiritual Exercises, soldiers, and retreats; Canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622

c. 380 or 406–c. 450; Patron Saint of Imola, Italy; Invoked against fevers and vicious dogs; Pre-Congregation canonization; Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729

First Century

Martha—Patron Saint of cooks, butlers, dieticians, homemakers, innkeepers, maids, single laywomen, servers, and travelers

Mary—Patron Saint of spiritual studies and lectors

Lazarus—Patron Saint of gravediggers Pre-Congregation canonization

Late First Century BC–AD Early First Century

Saint Joachim—Patron Saint of grandparents, grandfathers, fathers, married couples, cabinetmakers, and linen traders; Pre-Congregation canonization

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