Daily Saints

Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

1538–1584; Patron Saint of apple orchards, bishops, catechism writers, catechists, catechumens, seminarians, starchmakers, and spiritual directors; Invoked against abdominal pain, colic, stomach diseases, and ulcers; Canonized by Pope Paul V on November 1, 1610

Charles Borromeo was born in the Castle of Arona in the Duchy of Milan, into a well-established and influential noble family from northern Italy. Charles’ father was the Count of Arona, and his mother was from the prominent and powerful Medici family. Charles was the second son among six children. Typically, the first son inherited most of the family wealth and titles. It was common for the other sons of noble families to pursue careers within the Church, often becoming bishops or abbots of renowned monasteries.

When Charles was seven, the first session of the Council of Trent began in response to the Protestant Reformation and to address various Church abuses. This pivotal council would intermittently hold twenty-five sessions over the next nineteen years. When Charles was eight years old, his maternal uncle, John Angelo Medici, was ordained a bishop and made a cardinal three years later. When Charles was nine years old, his mother passed away, prompting his father to remarry. His father married again a few years later after his second wife died. At twelve, Charles received the tonsure, propelling him toward an ecclesiastical vocation. Simultaneously, another uncle gave him the title of titular Abbot of Sts. Gratinian and Felinus at Arona, an honorary title that also endowed him with a steady income. With these funds, he was sent to Milan to begin his humanities studies. At sixteen, he furthered his education at the University of Pavia, located about twenty miles south of Milan, where he studied Church and civil law.

In August of 1558, when Charles was nineteen, his father died, and Charles was tasked with the responsibility of organizing his father’s estate so that his older brother could take over as count after his father. This was a difficult task since his father was not that organized. Once completed, Charles’ brother became Count Frederick Borromeo. The following year, Charles returned to his studies, earning his doctorate in civil and canon law on December 6, 1559.

Fresh out of school, Charles’ life was about to change. The previous August, Pope Paul IV had died and the cardinals had gathered to elect his successor. Cardinal John Angelo Medici, Charles’ uncle, was among the electors and was unanimously elected as supreme pontiff on Christmas Day, 1559, taking the name Pope Pius IV. The Borromeo and Medici families were elated. What happened next was one of the clearest examples of nepotism ever seen within the Church. Within a month, Pope Pius called his twenty-one-year-old nephew, Charles, to Rome and made him a cardinal, even though he wasn’t even a priest yet. Though most often cardinals are chosen from among the bishops, the pope can make anyone a cardinal. The designation ‘cardinal’ is an important honorary title that brings with it certain rights and responsibilities, such as electing the next pope, assisting with the governance of the Church, and advising the pope on important matters. Soon after, the pope appointed Cardinal Borromeo to be the equivalent of the Secretary of State, the administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan, the administrator of the Papal States, a Papal Protector and Legate, and various other duties.

Over the next four years, Cardinal Borromeo worked hard exercising his new responsibilities and enjoyed a good income. One thing he took great interest in was the completion of the Council of Trent, which had been going on since he was seven. He encouraged his pope uncle to conclude the Council by calling the final sessions. In early 1562, the eighteenth session of the Council of Trent was held, and seven more would be held over the following two years, concluding with the promulgation of the decrees on January 26, 1564. Because Cardinal Borromeo was a cardinal but not an ordained bishop, he was not able to participate in the council as other bishops did, but he was very involved in the formulation of the decrees behind the scenes, given his important positions at the Vatican and his training in canon law.

On November 19, 1562, during the final period of the Council of Trent, tragedy struck the Borromeo family. Count Frederick, Cardinal Borromeo’s brother, suddenly died childless. He and Charles were the only living brothers bearing the Borromeo name. Without an heir, the family name would end, and the titles and inheritance would go to other noble families. For that reason, many within the family encouraged Cardinal Borromeo to abandon his Church career, return to the lay state, become the Count of Arona, inherit the family estate, marry, and have an heir. Even his uncle, Pope Pius IV supported that idea.

Up until that point, the young Cardinal Borromeo was living a prayerful and morally upright life but was also enjoying his power and wealth. This was a turning point for him. He decided to pursue his vocation, so he secretly arranged to be ordained a priest. Not even his uncle, the pope, knew. Once Charles was ordained, the pope was disappointed but understood and supported him. After his priestly ordination, Charles celebrated his first Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Mother of God at the tomb of Saints Peter and Paul. Three months later, he was ordained a bishop in the Sistine Chapel, and five months after that, was appointed as Archbishop of Milan at the age of twenty-five.

After his appointment as archbishop, Charles continued his services in Rome for the next year and a half. Following the Council of Trent’s conclusion, he dedicated himself to enforcing its decisions. He played a significant role in the development and release of the Roman Catechism, as well as various liturgical documents and hymns. Moreover, he actively executed the Council’s decrees and reforms within Rome. During this time, many challenges plagued the Church: indulgences and church positions were often sold, monasteries strayed from their spiritual focus, clergy training was insufficient, clerical celibacy was frequently ignored, liturgical ceremonies lacked reverence, and the general faith and morals of the people were weak. In collaboration with devout Romans, such as Saint Philip Neri, Cardinal Borromeo spearheaded transformative reforms in Rome.

Upon reaching Milan, Cardinal Borromeo devoted nineteen years to enforcing the decrees of the Council of Trent, igniting a Catholic reawakening within his vast archdiocese that resonated throughout the Church. While he had once basked in his noble heritage and wealth as a young man, a transformation began after he was ordained a priest. He adopted a simpler lifestyle, engaged in fasting and prayer, donated the majority of his wealth to the needy, and immersed himself deeply in pastoral responsibilities. From the moment of his first Mass, his fervor grew steadily, eventually setting his ministry aflame. He made pastoral journeys across his archdiocese several times, making a significant impact, especially since Milan hadn’t had a residing archbishop for eight decades. Prior to Trent, it was common for archbishops of prominent dioceses to reside in Rome, living the “good life,” while others cared for their dioceses. Under his guidance, seminaries were established for improved priestly training, liturgical practices were standardized and enhanced, religious orders were redirected toward their original rules of life, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine was instituted to educate both young and old, care was extended to the poor and sick, and a resurgence in devotions, personal piety, acts of penance, and reverence for the Sacraments emerged.

In many ways, Saint Charles Borromeo began his life as one of the problems with the Church. Ecclesiastical positions were often seen more as an honor for the nobility than as a humble service of Christ. Though he could have lived as a prince within the Church, he responded to God’s grace and abided by the reforms of the Council of Trent that he helped to implement, becoming an outstanding example of what a bishop should be. The people of Milan, who had largely abandoned the practice of the faith, responded to his fatherly presence and a renewal began in haste.

As we honor this saintly reforming bishop, ponder the need you have in your own life and family for reform. When we become steeped in our old ways and bad habits, it can be hard to change. Follow the example of Saint Charles and seek to reform the church of your own soul and the domestic church of your family, using God’s divine decrees as your guide and His grace as your means.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/-st-charles-borromeo/

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Saint Martin de Porres

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1579–1639; Patron Saint of African-Americans, biracial people, barbers, innkeepers, the poor, Peru, public health workers, public schools, television, and interracial and social justice; Canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962

In 1532, Spanish explorers arrived in modern-day Peru and captured the Incan Emperor, Atahualpa, marking the beginning of Spanish control in the region. Just five years later, Pope Paul III issued a papal bull lamenting the reports that many Spanish generals were acting as tyrants and plunderers, cruelly oppressing the indigenous peoples. They were stealing their silver and gold, taking their lands, forcing them into slave labor, and treating them as subhuman. In 1542, Spain established the Viceroyalty of Peru, formalizing political control over the region. Though some arriving missionaries defended the rights of the natives, much of the cruelty continued. King Philip II of Spain was also aware of the chaos and tried to intervene but had little success. In 1581, King Philip decided to send his best bishop to Peru. He chose the future Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, who would help transform the new nation over the next twenty-five years. Saint Turibius was one of five saints who emerged from Peru in the late sixteenth to early seventeenth centuries. The others were Saints Rose of Lima, Juan Macías, Francis Solano, and the saint we honor today, Martin de Porres.

Martín de Porres y Velázquez was born in Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru, just two years before Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo arrived as the new archbishop and thirty-seven years after the Spanish-controlled Viceroyalty of Peru was established. Martin’s father was a Spaniard, and his mother was a freed slave of either African or native descent. According to the custom of the time, this made Martin an illegitimate child of mixed race, earning him the demeaning label of “mulatto.” He had one sister two years younger.

After Martin’s sister was born, their father, ashamed of his dark-skinned children, abandoned the family, leaving their mother, Ana, to raise the children on her own. Ana earned a meager living washing clothes, so the family was quite poor. Because the Spanish settlers brought with them missionaries, there had been a concerted effort over the previous decades to catechize and baptize both the natives and the African slaves. Though there is little documentation about Martin and his sister’s early faith formation, it is clear that Martin developed a profound love of God from an early age and a love for the poor and suffering. One story relates that when Ana sent Martin to the market to purchase food for the family, he often gave the food away to the poor on the way home. By the time Martin was twelve years old, his mother could no longer afford to feed him, so she sent him to a school where he was able to live and study for a couple of years. Afterwards, a barber-surgeon took him in and taught him his trade. Though “barbers” and “surgeons” might not seem to be of the same trade, these were among the most common medical practitioners at the time. Because barbers became skilled with blades for haircutting, they were also called upon for surgeries and learned other basic medical techniques. Martin soon fell in love with this trade, because it gave him an opportunity to not only support himself but also to be of service to others.

During his internship as a barber-surgeon, Martin’s prayer life deepened. He often spent hours every night in prayer, entering deeper and deeper into divine union. He always had an admiration for the Dominican friars in Lima, but it was against Spanish law for those of mixed race to become a professed religious. Since he had a deep desire to share in the Dominican life, he went to the Holy Rosary friary in Lima and petitioned the superior to admit him as a non-professed lay brother. Permission was granted.

For the next eight years, Martin lived and dressed as a Dominican but worked as a servant of the community. He cut the friars’ hair, cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and used his medical knowledge to care for the sick. Eventually, he did his duties so well that he was put in charge of the alms that the community distributed to the poor. Those eight years were a time of profound humility. Martin never complained but eagerly served the friars and local community in the most menial ways, with the most tender compassion and concern. Though some still looked down on him as “mixed-breed” and as an “illegitimate child,” those with a Christian soul couldn’t help but notice the extraordinary virtue Martin manifested. As a result, after eight years of humble service, the superior of the community of 300 friars decided to ignore the Spanish law and asked Martin to take formal vows as a Dominican at the age of twenty-four, which he did out of obedience. Over the next ten years, Brother Martin continued his humble service and grew deeper in prayer every year, spending countless hours before the Blessed Sacrament and developing a deep devotion to our Blessed Mother. He also submitted himself to severe penances, and his humility exponentially increased. One day, when the friary was struggling with finances and the superior was looking for things he could sell to raise money, Brother Martin exclaimed with sincerity, “I am only a poor mulatto, sell me!”

At the age of thirty-four, Brother Martin was placed in charge of the infirmary, a duty he would fulfill for the next twenty-five years until his death. As the infirmarian, Brother Martin used the skills he had learned as a barber-surgeon to help heal many people. People started to notice, however, that his medical remedies appeared to be backed by supernatural power. Miracles began to be reported. Though this was impressive to many, Brother Martin’s profound humility, compassion, and spiritual wisdom made an even greater impact. He cared not only for the Dominicans, but regularly sought out the poor and sick within the community, sometimes bringing the most diseased and emaciated into the friary and even providing his own bed. Though some brothers complained, Brother Martin’s depth of love was so convincing that the complaints quickly vanished.

Little by little, Brother Martin began to have a profound effect upon not only the friars but on all of Lima. His miracles increased. Sometimes he miraculously appeared in the room of a sick friar to care for him without even opening the door. Bi-locations were reported, and those arriving from Europe and Africa even claimed that he had appeared to them there, before they arrived in Peru. He founded a home for orphans. He continuously begged for alms throughout the city, distributing all he received to the other friars and the poor of the city. While in prayer, some saw him enveloped in light or levitating. He could read souls and was given miraculous wisdom and knowledge that led the most learned of men to seek his counsel. Miraculous cures were abundant, and his charity never ceased. He was even loving to stray animals, treating them with dignity as God’s creatures, some claiming he was even able to miraculously communicate with them. After his death, the miracles increased as people sought his intercession. Twenty-five years after his death, Martin’s body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt.

Saint Martin de Porres began his life in poverty and rejection. These sufferings, however, did not negatively affect his soul but only led to the increase of his virtue. His soul was so deeply united to God that God worked miracles through him. As we honor this saintly humble Dominican brother, ponder anything in your life that leaves you angry and discouraged. Saint Martin had many such temptations, but he turned them all into opportunities of grace. Allow Saint Martin to inspire you to do the same, so that God can use every cross in your life to bring forth an abundance of His love.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-3—st-martin-de-porres-religious/

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All Souls’ Day

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Yesterday, the Church celebrated those men and women who have gone before us who now see God face to face in the Beatific Vision. Whether they are officially canonized or not, everyone in Heaven is a saint and will remain so for eternity, living lives of perfect communion with God and with everyone else in Heaven. There will be perfect order, knowledge, joy, love, and happiness forever. Too often in this life we lose focus on eternity. We easily become overly concerned about the here and now and fail to turn our eyes to Heaven, seeking to prepare ourselves fully for the day we die and come before God for our particular judgment.

Today, as we commemorate All Souls, we turn our eyes to those men and women who have gone before us in death but died before being fully purified of every venial sin and all of sin’s effects. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it this way: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.” (#1030–31).

All Souls’ Day should have a twofold focus for each of us. First and foremost, today’s commemoration is a call to prayer for those who have died and are being purified in final preparation for their entrance into the Beatific Vision. Though God has no need of our prayers, it is His divine will that we participate in the distribution of His grace. For that reason, He chooses to solicit our prayers and then answer them, making us active instruments of His purifying grace so needed by those in this world and in Purgatory. By praying for those in Purgatory, especially today, we are assured that God lavishes upon them all that they need for the complete purification of their souls. The Mass, and our participation in the Mass, is particularly powerful and is the ideal way to open the floodgates of mercy for our loved ones who have died and remain unperfected. Take this duty to pray for these “poor souls” seriously. A common secular heresy that permeates Western culture says that a good person goes to Heaven immediately after death or becomes an angel. This well-intentioned, but erroneous, belief leaves many souls unprayed for. Know that those souls are depending on your prayers, because God wants you to pray for them and lovingly share in their purification. Offer prayers fervently for those souls.

A second focus to have on All Souls’ Day is upon your own soul. Today’s commemoration reminds us of the importance of our ongoing deepening conversion. We are all called to be saints. Ideally, our central focus in life is to become a living saint and not wait to be fully purified in Purgatory. Becoming a saint today requires not only a lot from us, it requires everything. Absolutely everything! Becoming a saint here and now means that we diligently seek out every sinful attachment within our souls and annihilate them. It means we continuously seek God’s mercy, confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and then change our lives completely. This is no small task!

One of the best ways to understand Purgatory is by studying the teachings of the greatest masters of the spiritual life, especially Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Ávila. These two Doctors of the Church wrote extensively about the process a soul goes through on its way to divine union, also called mystical marriage. Saint Teresa does this by describing a series of seven interior dwelling places through which a person must travel, each one requiring a deeper level of purification, culminating with the soul entering the innermost dwelling place, the presence chamber, where divine union takes place and the soul is fully purified of everything that is not God. Only souls who have entered this innermost dwelling place in this life, and die while in that state of divine union, will avoid the purification of Purgatory.

Saint John of the Cross wrote extensively of the same process of purification, using different terminology. He described two main purifications a soul goes through on the journey toward perfection. The first is the dark night of the senses, by which every bodily sense and appetite is purified. The second is the dark night of the spirit, by which the intellect, memory, and will are fully purified by the perfection of infused faith, hope, and charity. Prior to the first purification, the soul is in the purgative way. While in between the two purifications, the soul is in the illuminative way. After completing the second purification, the soul enters the unitive way, or mystical marriage, which is the same as Saint Teresa’s seventh dwelling place.

The reason for painting this very broad overview of their detailed writings on the journey of a soul toward perfection is to emphasize the fact that perfection is, indeed, a long and difficult process, but a necessary one that must take place either in this life or in the next. Every person must come to the realization that personal sanctity must become not only each one’s first mission in life but the exclusive mission. When personal sanctity is a person’s exclusive mission, every other part of that person’s life falls into place. Virtues grow, love for family and friends increases, duties are perfectly fulfilled, and God is fully glorified.

As we participate today in this Commemoration of All Souls, commit yourself first to praying for those who have died and are in need of final purification. Purgatory is God’s act of final mercy for those whom He loves with a burning and purifying love. Your prayers open the floodgates of God’s love on those who need it the most. As you pray for those who have died, pray also for your own soul and ponder how fervently you seek to become transformed into a living saint. Though the journey to divine union is not a quick and easy one, it is a journey well worth it. Make it your exclusive mission in life, and know that if you do, you will never regret it.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-2–all-souls/

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All Saints’ Day

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Holy Day of Obligation

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, a celebration honoring all men and women who have entered Heaven. While this includes every soul in Heaven, the focus is particularly on those who led extraordinarily holy lives on earth and that the Church has canonized as saints. These individuals honored God in a variety of ways: through deep prayer and mystical union, through enduring martyrdom or other forms of religious persecution, and through acts of service, such as caring for the needy or teaching the faith. Some saints were powerful preachers or miracle workers. Others were leaders, some lived in obscurity, and still others experienced exile or made significant personal sacrifices for their faith. In various ways, these saints glorified God during their lifetimes.

By honoring this host of saintly witnesses, we honor and glorify God through their lives. By honoring them, we honor Him Who made them holy. This liturgical solemnity is but a foretaste of the eternal Solemnity of Heaven. Heaven will be the eternal glory of God through the lives of all His saints. In Heaven, the virtues, sacrifices, prayers, and selfless service of all the saints will radiate as beacons that eternally manifest the great mercy and goodness of God. The life of every saint in Heaven will become a continuous chorus of praise and worship of God, intertwined with the nine choirs of angelic hosts. With the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones, the saints will cry “Holy, Holy, Holy…” With the Dominions, Virtues, and Powers, the saints will participate in God’s providential care of the New Heavens and Earth. With the Principalities, Archangels, and Guardian Angels, the saints will celebrate God’s protection and continuous communication with all of His sons and daughters. Heaven today, as well as the New Heavens and Earth at the end of time, will be nothing other than a continuous solemn celebration of all that God is in His essence and all that God has done in the lives of those who responded to His grace.

Honoring the saints also becomes an invitation to each one of us on earth to strive after the holiness the saints attained. The saints give us an example; their lives are a “how to” book in holiness. The lives of the “super saints”—such as the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saints Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Augustine of Hippo, and Thomas Aquinas—should be studied and pondered so that we can learn from their example.

We must also remember that, from Heaven, the saints become powerful intercessors for us on earth. It is true that God could deal directly with us without using the mediation of angels and saints. He chooses to use secondary causes, while He always remains the First Cause and Source of all grace. The saints and angels are among those secondary causes God chooses to mediate His grace. For that reason, we should rely upon their intercession. Doing so is an act of faith by which we profess our belief in God, using the saints and angels as His instruments.

Today’s solemnity has its roots in the earliest days of the Church. Even in the New Testament times, martyrs were honored by the community of believers, beginning with the deacon Saint Stephen, the first martyr. As the first century of the Church unfolded, others began to suffer persecution and death at the hands of Roman emperors, and the Church honored their deaths. In 64, Emperor Nero was the first to organize a persecution of Christians in Rome, taking the lives of Saints Peter and Paul, and many others. After this first persecution in Rome, other Roman emperors systematized various persecutions throughout the entire empire. The worst persecution took place under Emperor Diocletian from 303–311. During that persecution, churches and sacred texts were destroyed; Christians lost their property, legal rights, and lives; and those who were not killed were imprisoned and tortured. Some estimate that during the Diocletian persecutions, there were as many as 3,500 martyrs. Although there is no way to confirm the exact number, there were many.

In the fourth century, after Christianity was legalized in 313 by Emperor Constantine I, who became a Christian himself and began building churches and monuments to the martyrs, public devotion to the martyrs began to flourish. Their graves became churches and places of pilgrimage and prayer. On May 13, 609, Pope Boniface IV transformed the Pantheon in Rome, a former pagan temple, into a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs. The annual celebration of its dedication also honored the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs. On November 1, 731, Pope Gregory III dedicated an oratory within Saint Peter’s Basilica to “all saints” that included the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, and all holy men and women throughout the world. This broadened the commemoration of the saints beyond the martyrs to all who lived saintly lives. In 844, Pope Gregory IV extended the November 1 celebration to the entire Church. In 1484, Pope Sixtus IV made November 1 a holy day of obligation for the entire Church and added a vigil day and octave to follow, making the celebration nine days in all. The vigil celebration for All Hallows’ Day was called All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween. Unfortunately, in many places, Halloween has lost its Christian and saintly focus and has become a secular, and even pagan, celebration.

As we honor all the saints in Heaven today, ponder the fact that you are called to be among their company. The extent to which you become holy while on earth is the extent to which your life will be an eternal glorification of God. Seek a profound depth of holiness. Don’t just try to remain in a state of grace. Seek an abundance of grace. Strive to grow in virtue. Purge all sin, even small sins, from your life. Pray as often as you can. Read about the saints. Ponder the Scripture. Act with generosity and charity. Forgive everyone. And do everything you can to become the super saint God wants you to become.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/november-1–all-saints/

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Saint Alonso Rodriguez

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Profile

Alonso was the third of eleven children in the family of the wealthy wool merchant Diego Rodriguez. He met Blessed Peter Faber when he was 10; the Father Faber prepared the boy for his First Communion. At age 14, Alonso was sent to study with Jesuits. Alonso’s father died within a year, and he returned home to learn and manage the business.

Alonso married Mary Suarez at age 26. His business suffered, and two of the couple’s children died in infancy; one son survived. He became a widower in his early 30’s, and his mother died soon after. He sold the business and moved in with his sisters; they helped Alonso raise his son, and taught their brother prayerful meditation.

When his son died, Alonso decided to follow his call to the religious life. He gave away what little he had left, and tried to join the Jesuits; he did not have the education they required, and was refused. He attended the College of Barcelona, but could not complete the work. Self-imposed austerities nearly destroyed his health. At age 60, he was ordered to begin sleeping in a bed instead of the chair, bench, or ground he had previously used. However, at the recommendation of Jesuit Father Luis Santander, Alonso became a Jesuit lay-brother, admitted on 31 January 1571 at Valencia, Spain, and began to study alongside children.

Alonso was a porter and doorkeeper at the Jesuit college of Montesión at Palma, Mallorca, Spain for 46 years, a duty which involved delivering packages, seeing to the lodging of travelers, and dispensing alms to the poor. From this humble post, he influenced many through the years. He was obsessed with the spiritual and given to extreme self-imposed austerities. He had a special devotion to Saint Ursula, and was so obedient to his superiors that when one told him to eat his plate, he tried to cut it with a knife and fork. He was the friend and roommate of Saint Peter Claver. He advised Peter to request missionary work in South America. He professed his final Jesuit vows at the age of 54.

Alonso was reputed to be healed by fervent prayer. The night before his death was spent in a visionary ecstasy. Some authors claim he wrote the Little Office of the Immaculate Conception, but his part was to make it more popular. He left behind a collection of manuscripts of journal entries, random thoughts, simple illustrations, and musings on things spiritual that are remarkable for their simplicity, sound, and correct doctine, and spiritual understanding; they were published as Spiritual Works of Blessed Alonso Rodriguez in Barcelona in 1885.

Born

25 July 1532 at Segovia, Spain

Died

31 October 1617 at Palma, Mallorca, Spain of natural causes
relics enshrined at Majorca

Venerated

1626 by Pope Urban VIII

Beatified

15 January 1825 by Pope Leo XII

Canonized

15 January 1888 by Pope Leo XIII

Patronage

in Spain
– Majorca, city of
– Majorca, island of
– Segovia

Representation

an old Jesuit with two hearts on his breast connected by rays of light to Christ and the Virgin

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-alonso-rodriguez/

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Saint Marcellus the Centurion

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Profile

Marcellus was a Roman centurion at Tangiers (in modern Morocco). During a celebration of the emperor’s birthday, Marcellus refused to participate in the pagan offering ceremony. He threw away his arms and armour, openly declared himself a Christian, and was condemned to death. His condemnation led to the death of Saint Cassian.

Died

martyred c.298 at Tangiers, Morocco

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

conscientious objectors
–
León, Spain (an early version of his story gave this as the site of his martyrdom)

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-marcellus-the-centurion/

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Saint Gaetano Errico

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Profile

Gaetano was the second of nine children born to Pasquale, a pasta factory manager, and Marie Marseglia Errico, who worked a weaving plush. He was a good child, pious, always ready to help his father at work, or his mother with his younger siblings. He felt a call to priesthood at age fourteen. He was turned away by the Capuchins and Redemptorists due to his youth. He studied at a diocesan seminary in Naples, Italy from age sixteen, walking five miles to class each day, and was ordained on 23 September 1815 in Naples.

Gaetano was a school teacher for twenty years. He was also the Parish priest at the church of Saint Cosmas and Damian. He was known for his devotion to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and ministry to the sick, his self-imposed austerities and penances. He made yearly retreats to the Redemptorist house in Pagani, Italy.

During his retreat in 1818, Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori appeared to him in a vision, and told him that God wanted Gaetano to build a new church, and to found a new religious congregation. While Gaetano initially received strong support from the local people, it faded in the face of fund-raising and work, and it wasn’t until 9 December 1830 that he dedicated and blessed the church Our Lady of Sorrows at Secondigliano; it has since become one of Italy‘s most popular pilgrimage sites.

Nearby, he built a small house for himself and a lay-brother who took care of the church; this was the beginning of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The Missionaries received local approval on 14 March 1836, approval by the Congregation of Bishops on 30 June 1838, royal approval on 13 May 1840, and papal approval by Blessed Pope Pius IX on 7 August 1846. Gaetano served as first Superior General.

His beatification miracle occurred in southern Italy in January 1952 and involved a man with a perforated stomach wall. Just before emergency surgery, his wife slipped a relic of Father Gaetano under his pillow, and together they prayed for his intercession. His health began to improve immediately, and he was soon healed without medical intervention.

Born

19 October 1791 in Secondigliano, Naples, Italy

Died

10AM 29 October 1860 in Secondigliano, Naples, Italy of natural causes

Venerated

4 October 1974 by Pope Paul VI (decree of heroic virtues)

Beatified

14 April 2002 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

Sunday 12 October 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-gaetano-errico/

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Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Daily Saints

First Century; Patron Saint of curriers, woodcutters, and tanners (Simon); hopeless causes and hospital workers (Jude); Pre-Congregation canonization

Today, the Church honors Saints Simon and Jude, two of the Twelve Apostles chosen by our Lord. They were two of the first bishops through whom our Lord established His Church and from whom every bishop, priest, and deacon is a spiritual descendant.

Very little is known about these two Apostles, other than what is briefly mentioned about them in the New Testament, and even that is a little confusing. They are both listed among the Twelve whom Jesus names Apostles: Matthew 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16; Acts 1:13.

Today’s Simon is not Simon Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, but rather “Simon the Cananean” (Matthew and Mark) and “Simon the Zealot” (Luke and Acts). Both names mean the same thing. “Cananean” does not refer to the Land of Canaan but is a translation of an Aramaic word meaning “zealous.”

It’s interesting to note that Jesus chose a variety of different people as His Apostles. Perhaps the most stark contrast is found between Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector. As a zealot, Simon would have been very committed to his Jewish identity and would have been firmly opposed to Roman oppression and taxation. He would have had an immediate aversion to Matthew, who previously served the Romans by collecting taxes for them from the Jews. The fact that Jesus did not choose like-minded Apostles shows His inclusion of all people. Jesus did not have a favorite type of person. He was not bound by cultural ties, ideologies, or social classes. He was not nationalistic in the sense of being a separatist or isolationist. He was interested in all people, those of every background and experience, and His Apostles reveal that fact. Jesus might have chosen Simon because He wanted to reach out to those who were firmly committed to their Jewish heritage, traditions, and beliefs, and Simon was able to reach those people.

Jude is referred to as “Judas son of James” (Luke and Acts) and “Thaddeus” (Matthew and Mark). The only other reference that is certain about Jude comes from John’s Gospel during the Last Supper in which Jude is referred to as “Judas, not the Iscariot…” (John 14:22). During the Last Supper, Jesus compassionately instructed His Apostles that He would soon be leaving them, but they should have courage and wait for His Advocate, the Holy Spirit. Jude, expressing a bit of confusion, asked Jesus, “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” In other words, Jude was asking Jesus why He doesn’t just manifest His divinity to everyone, in a clear and convincing way, so that they will all believe in Him. Jesus’ answer is mysterious, but He essentially points out that belief in Him must come by the inspired gift of faith, and that obedience to that faith, and to the will of God, will result in divine union.

There is also a reference in two of the Gospels identifying Simon and Jude as Jesus’ brothers: “Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?” (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). However, most scholars today believe these two are not the same as the Apostles but are cousins of Jesus. It was custom at that time to refer to one’s cousin as brother or sister. It is possible that the Judas identified as Jesus’ brother is the author of the Epistle of Jude in the New Testament, rather than the Apostle. However, that point is debated, and even Pope Benedict XVI at a General Audience in 2006 pointed to the tradition that the Epistle of Jude was, indeed, written by the Apostle. If that’s the case, then it might be that these two Judes are one and the same.

Regarding their deaths, nothing is known other than unreliable apocryphal sources, such as the Passion of Simon and Jude, and other fourth-century and later sources. One of the most common traditions is that Simon and Jude traveled to Persia to preach the Gospel and were both killed there in the year 65. Simon is traditionally believed to have been sawed in half, and Jude is traditionally believed to have been beaten with a club. They often appear in sacred art holding the instruments of their deaths. Other traditions state they ministered in Armenia, Beirut, Lebanon, Roman Britain, Egypt, and/or Samaria and died by arrows, crucifixion, and even a peaceful death.

The Epistle that has been traditionally attributed to Saint Jude the Apostle is a short but passionate letter in which he warns all Christians against immorality and heresy trying to enter the early Church. Some suggest it is for this reason that he is named Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes, because of his passionate plea. Another tradition states that because Jude shared a name with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, Saint Jude’s intercession was rarely sought. However, after the intercession of every other Apostle and saint was sought, people in the early Church would turn to Saint Jude as their last hope. There are many ancient traditions holding that Saint Jude has provided many miracles throughout the centuries.

As we honor these Apostles, what we know for certain is that they were instrumental in the early Church. Being among the first bishops, they bore the sacred responsibility of transmitting the Sacraments and the teachings of Jesus to a nascent Church. One day in Heaven, we will see clearly the effects of their pastoral ministry. Today, we rejoice in what we do not fully know, trusting that their lives gave great glory to God and won the salvation of many souls.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/october-28–sts-simon-and-jude/

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Saint Emilina of Boulancourt

Daily Saints

Profile

Emilina joined the Cistercian Abbey of Boulancourt at Longeville, France when she was still very young. She was noted for her deep prayer life, fasts, and austere, sometimes severe self-imposed penances such as wearing a pointed chain under her habit, walking barefooted throughout the year and fasting from food and liquids three days a week. Word of her devotion soon spread, and pilgrims came to consult her about holiness and prayer. She had the gift of prophesy, and sometimes prophesied about visitors before they arrived. She never sought honor or glory for herself from her gifts, but dealt with visitors humbly and patiently, always concerned with their conversion and relationship with God.

Born

1115 at France

Died

1178 at Longeville, France of natural causes
a perpetual flame is maintained at her tomb

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-emilina-of-boulancourt/

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Saint Alfred the Great

Daily Saints

Profile

Alfred was the youngest of five sons of King Ethelwulf of Wessex. Ideal Christian king of Wessex, he came to the throne during a Danish invasion. Alfred defeated the Danes and preserved the growth of the Church in England. Patron of learning, he established a court school, and invited British and foreign scholars to work there. He personally translated several religious works into Anglo-Saxon. His laws made no distinction between British and Welsh subjects, a first.

Born

849 at Wantage, Berkshire, England

Died

26 October 899 of natural causes

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Name Meaning

elf counsel
all peace
supernaturally wise counselor

Patronage

academics, scholars

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-alfred-the-great/

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Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

1538–1584; Patron Saint of apple orchards, bishops, catechism writers, catechists, catechumens, seminarians, starchmakers, and spiritual directors; Invoked against abdominal pain, colic, stomach diseases, and ulcers; Canonized by Pope Paul V on November 1, 1610

Saint Martin de Porres

1579–1639; Patron Saint of African-Americans, biracial people, barbers, innkeepers, the poor, Peru, public health workers, public schools, television, and interracial and social justice; Canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962

All Souls’ Day

All Saints’ Day

Holy Day of Obligation

Saint Alonso Rodriguez

Saint Marcellus the Centurion

Saint Gaetano Errico

Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

First Century; Patron Saint of curriers, woodcutters, and tanners (Simon); hopeless causes and hospital workers (Jude); Pre-Congregation canonization

Saint Emilina of Boulancourt

Saint Alfred the Great

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