Daily Saints

Saint Paula of Saint Joseph of Calasanz

Profile

Paula was the daughter of Ramon and Vicenta Fornes Montal. She was raised in a large and pious family in a small seaside village. Her father died when she was 10 years old. She worked as a seamstress and lace-maker, and helped raise her siblings, then helped in her parish to care for other children.

At age thirty, still single and devoting herself privately to God, she and her friend Inez Busquets opened a school in Gerona to provide a good education mixed with spiritual guidance. The school was such a success that she was able to found a college in May 1842, and another school in 1846. To staff and manage the schools, she founded the Daughters of Mary (Pious School Sisters; Escolapias) on 2 February 1847, and took the name Paula of Saint Joseph of Calasanz. Paula served as the leader of the congregation, and they received approval from Pope Blessed Pius IX in 1860. These schools have now spread to four continents.

Born

  • 11 October 1799 at Arenys de Mar, near Barcelona, Spain

Died

  • 26 February 1889 at Olesa de Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain of natural causes

Venerated

  • 28 November 1988 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic virtues)

Beatified

  • 18 April 1993 by Pope John Paul II at Rome

Canonized

  • 25 November 2001 by Pope John Paul II

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-paula-of-saint-joseph-of-calasanz/

Saint Paula of Saint Joseph of Calasanz Read More »

Saint Walburga

Profile

Walburga was the daughter of Saint Richard the King. She was the sister of Saint Willibald and Saint Winebald. She was a student of Saint Tatta at Wimborne monastery, Dorset, England, where she later became a nun.

Beginning in 748, she evangelized and healed pagans in what is now Germany, with Saint Lioba, Saint Boniface, and her brothers. She was the abbess of communities of men and of women at Heidenheim. Cures are ascribed to the oil that exudes from a rock on which her relics were placed, which together with her healing skills in life explains her patronage of plague, rabies, coughs, etc.

The night of May 1, the date of the translation of Walburga’s relics to Eichstätt in 870, is known as Walpurgisnacht; it is also a pagan festival marking the beginning of summer and the revels of witches. Though the saint had no connection with this festival, her name became associated with witchcraft and country superstitions because of the date. It is possible that the protection of crops ascribed to her, represented by three ears of corn in her icons, may have been transferred to her from Mother Earth and the connection to this pagan holiday.

Born

  • c.710 at Devonshire, Wessex, England

Died

  • 25 February 779 at Heidenheim, Swabia, Germany of natural causes

Canonized

  • by Pope Adrian II

Patronage

  • against coughs
  • against dog bites
  • against famine
  • against hydrophobia
  • against mad dogs
  • against plague
  • against rabies
  • against storms
  • boatmen
  • farmers
  • harvests
  • mariners
  • peasants
  • sailors
  • watermen
  • in Belgium
    – Antwerp
    – Oudenarde
  • in England
    – Plymouth, diocese of
    – Wimborne
  • in Germany
    – Eichstätt, city of
    – Eichstätt, diocese of
  • in the Netherlands
    – Gronigen
    – Zutphen

    Representation

  • abbess holding three ears of corn
  • abbess with angels holding a crown over her
  • abbess within a family tree of the kings of England
  • crown
    near her own tomb as it exudes its miraculous oil
  • phial of oil
  • royal abbess with a small flask of oil on a book
  • scepter
  • three ears of corn
  • with Saint Willibald and Saint Winebald

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

Saint Walburga Read More »

Saint Ethelbert of Kent

Profile

Ethelbert was the son of Eormenric; great-grandson of Hengist, Saxon conqueror of Britain. He was raised as a pagan worshipper of Odin. He was the King of Kent (in modern England) in 560. He was defeated by Ceawlin of Wessex at the battle of Wimbledon in 568, ending his attempt to rule all of Britain. He married the Christian Bertha, daughter of Charibert, King of the Franks; they had three children, including Saint Ethelburgh of Kent. He converted to Christianity, and was baptized by Saint Augustine of Canterbury in 597; his example led to the baptism of 10,000 of his countrymen within a few months, and he supported Augustine in his missionary work with land, finances and influence. He issued the first written laws to the English people in 604.

Born

  • 552

Died

  • 24 February 616 at Canterbury, England of natural causes
  • buried in the side chapel of Saint Martin in the abbey church of Saints Peter and Paul
  • relics later translated to Canterbury

Canonized

  • Pre-Congregation

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-ethelbert-of-kent/

Saint Ethelbert of Kent Read More »

Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr

c. 65–c. 155 (or 166); Invoked against earaches and dysentery; Pre-Congregation canonization

Imagine learning about Christ from someone who knew Jesus personally. What a blessing that would be! This is the blessing today’s saint enjoyed. Saint Polycarp came to know Jesus through the preaching of Saint John the Apostle, the beloved disciple of our Lord.

Saint John’s preaching touched many lives, including that of a young man named Polycarp. It is believed that Saint John ordained Polycarp a bishop and sent him to the town of Smyrna, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Polycarp might have been only a teenager when he was ordained, and he shepherded the Church in Smyrna for more than sixty or seventy years. Saint Irenaeus later wrote that Polycarp “would speak of his familiar intercourse with John, and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord; and he would call their words to remembrance.” Irenaeus was Polycarp’s disciple, being about sixty-five years younger. That the faith passed on from Jesus to John, from John to Polycarp, from Polycarp to Irenaus, and from Irenaeus to his disciples down through the ages well illustrates that the faith we have today is “apostolic,” meaning passed down to us from the Apostles. Polycarp is commonly referred to as one of the three Apostolic Fathers of the Church because he learned from one of the Twelve and because some of his writings still exist. The other two are Saint Ignatius of Antioch and Saint Clement of Rome (the third pope).

As a bishop, Polycarp was a fierce and courageous defender of the faith, especially against early heresies. He also worked closely with other bishops in the early Church, including the pope. One of those bishops was the Apostolic Father Saint Ignatius of Antioch. In 107 A.D. Ignatius was arrested and brought in chains through the city of Smyrna. Polycarp met him on the way and kissed his chains. Ignatius later wrote to Polycarp, asking him to care for his people. Polycarp did so in part by writing a letter to the Church in Philippi in which he beautifully exhorted the people in their faith. This is the only letter from Polycarp that has survived.

Once when traveling through Rome, Polycarp sought out Pope Anicetus to gain his counsel about the many concerns of the Church. On most things they agreed, but they disagreed on the appropriate day of the year to celebrate Easter. The pope preferred it always be on the Sunday after Passover, but Polycarp preferred it to be more closely tied to Passover, no matter on which day of the week it fell. Since they could not agree, the pope permitted Polycarp and his Eastern Churches to continue their practice, while the Roman Church continued its practice. They affectionately concluded their time together by celebrating the Holy Mass.

Though Polycarp collaborated with the pope and other bishops, he was quite harsh with heretics. For example, a heretic named Marcion taught that there were two gods, the Old Testament God and the New Testament God. One day Polycarp encountered Marcion in Rome. Marcion was surprised that Polycarp knew about his teaching and asked, “Do you know me, Polycarp?” Polycarp replied, “Yes, I know you to be the firstborn of the devil!”

Polycarp is perhaps best known for his martyrdom, which is the second earliest written detailed account of a martyr’s death, the first being the account of Saint Stephen’s stoning as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. According to that account, when the Roman authorities sought to arrest Polycarp, he at first hid for a week at the encouragement of some of his followers. Eventually, he was found but before he was arrested, he asked for an hour to pray and prepare himself. He was then brought before the proconsul in an arena filled with spectators. The proconsul called him an atheist because he rejected the gods of the Roman Empire. He then promised Polycarp would live if he rejected Christianity. The Romans found it more effective to convince Christians to blaspheme Christ than to martyr them. The proconsul threatened him with wild beasts, but Polycarp responded, “Eighty and six years have I served him, and in nothing has he wronged me. How, then, can I blaspheme my King, who saved me?” The proconsul then threatened to burn him to death, but Polycarp said, “You threaten me with fire that burns but for a season, and is soon quenched. For you are ignorant of the fire of the judgment to come, and of the eternal punishment reserved for the wicked.” The proconsul then condemned him to death and people gathered wood for the fire, but when they approached him to fasten him with nails to the wood, Polycarp said, “Leave me as I am, for He Who gives me strength to endure the fire will also allow me, without the security of your nails, to remain on the pyre without moving.” The fire was then lit, and Polycarp remained there by his own will. But to the surprise of all, his flesh did not burn. Instead, there came forth a sweet aroma as the fire surrounded him and protected him. Angered at this spectacular event, one of the soldiers thrust a spear into him, killing him. When he did this, a dove emerged from his chest, and so much blood gushed forth that the flames were extinguished. On seeing Polycarp’s dead body, some of the angry mob feared that his followers would take his sacred body and worship it, so they ignited the fire once again and burned his dead body.

Martyrdom like this takes incredible courage to endure. It requires that one prefer a wholehearted profession of faith in Christ over one’s earthly life. Though you might not be called to such a physical martyrdom, you are called to have Polycarp’s faith and courage. That courage will make you a martyr in spirit, and that faith will lift you to the heights of Heaven. Ponder your own depth of faith and courage today, and allow Polycarp’s witness to strengthen your resolve to become more like him.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/february-23-saint-polycarp-bishop-and-martyr/

Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr Read More »

Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

In Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, visitors are immediately struck by the large alabaster window on the back wall of the apse that depicts the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Below the window is an ancient wooden chair, believed to have been used by Saint Peter. In the seventeenth century, that ancient chair was encased in bronze by the famous artist Bernini and then placed above the altar in the apse. Surrounding the chair are statues of four early Doctors of the Church. Two of them represent the Eastern Church: Saint John Chrysostom and St. Athanasius. Two of them represent the Western Church: Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine. These great saints represent the universality of the Church, both East and West, as well as the unity of their theological teaching with the authority of the Bishop of Rome. Above the chair are two angels jointly holding the triple crown tiara used by the Bishop of Rome, symbolizing that he is the father of kings, governor of the world, and Vicar of Christ. In their other hands, each angel holds a key, symbolizing the authority of the Bishop of Rome in matters of faith and morals.

Today’s feast celebrates not only that chair as a precious relic from the time of Saint Peter, it also celebrates all that this chair represents. This feast was formally celebrated in Rome as early as the fourth century, but honor for the supremacy of Saint Peter and his successors was celebrated from the moment Jesus entrusted Peter with his unique mission.

In the Gospel of Matthew 16:13–20, we have the discourse between Jesus and His disciples, which is the basis of today’s feast and our belief in the unique and universal authority of Saint Peter and his successors. Jesus asked the disciples, “[W]ho do you say that I am?” Simon responded, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” With that profession of faith, Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, saying to him, “And I tell you, you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church.” “Peter” in Greek is Petros. The Greek word petra means a solid rock formation that is fixed, immovable, and enduring. Therefore, Jesus chose to make Peter a solid, fixed, and immovable foundation of rock on which the Church would be built and endure until the end of time. Jesus went on to tell Peter that He would give him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and that whatever he bound and loosed on earth would be bound and loosed in Heaven.

It’s interesting to note that immediately after this discourse between Jesus and Peter, Jesus rebukes Peter for giving into fear after Jesus spoke about His impending death. While in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the eve of Jesus’ saving Passion, Peter chooses to sleep rather than stay awake and pray with Jesus. Then, after Jesus is arrested, Peter denies three times that he even knows Jesus. God chose a man of weakness and fear to become the rock foundation for the Church. This shows that God’s power is not limited by the instruments to whom He entrusts His power.

After Jesus’ ascension into Heaven, Peter and the others are filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. After this gift, Peter is more prepared for his mission. He is the first one to go forth courageously to preach the Word of God to the people in Jerusalem. He resolved conflicts within the Church when they arose. He became the first bishop of the newly evangelized city of Antioch and then chose to go to Rome, becoming the first bishop of Rome, where he would die a martyr. However, the death of Saint Peter was not the death of his authority and singular mission. Saint Linus followed him as the second bishop of Rome, and then Saint Cletus, Saint Clement, and so forth until today.

Of the pope’s authority, Vatican Councils I and II affirmed that when the pope speaks Ex Cathedra, meaning, “From the Chair,” he speaks with the authority of Saint Peter who was entrusted with full, supreme, and universal authority to teach and govern. His teaching extends to all matters of faith and morals, and his governance encompasses the entire world. (Lumen Gentium, #22).

As we ponder the authority and infallibility of the one who sits in the Chair of Saint Peter, try to see this sacred power, given to one weak and sinful man after another, as an act of the love of Christ for His Church. It is the power of Christ and His divine love that makes it possible for these men to shepherd the Church, providing stability, longevity, certitude, and hope. When popes are also saints, we are doubly blessed. When they are not, our Lord still works through them, providing the Church with the ongoing rock foundation it needs to endure all things until the end of time. Pray for the pope today. Pledge your obedience to him when he speaks Ex Cathedra, and know that your unity with him ensures your unity with Christ, Who governs through him.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/february-22-chair-of-saint-peter-apostle/

Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle Read More »

Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

1007–1072; Patron Saint of Faenza and Font-Avellano, Italy; Pre-Congregation canonization; Canonization confirmed and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XII in 1823

Orphan, laborer, student, monk, hermit, priest, theologian, teacher, writer, poet, ascetic, penitent, prior, reformer, bishop, cardinal, saint…these are but a few words to describe today’s courageous saint.

Peter was the youngest child born into a poor but noble family in Ravenna, Italy. His parents died when he was young, so he went to live with one of his older brothers who mistreated him and forced him to labor as a swineherd. Eventually, another brother, a priest from Ravenna named Father Damian, took him in and provided him with an excellent education in which he greatly excelled. Peter was so grateful to his priest brother that he added his brother’s name to his own, making him Peter Damian.

Upon the completion of his education, Peter Damian began to teach with much success. However, he soon found that the university setting was not for him, so he withdrew to a monastery in Fonte-Avellana for a forty-day retreat. Upon completing his retreat, he discerned a call to monastic life and received the habit.

As a monk, Peter Damian lived a secluded life of prayer and extreme penance. His penances were so severe that they affected his health more than once. Eventually, his intellectual gifts were used once again when he was asked to teach his fellow monks. For the next few years, he taught in his own and neighboring monasteries and also began to write. One of his first works was the Vita, or “Life” of Saint Romuald, a recently deceased monk from his monastery known for his exceptional holiness.

In 1043, at the age of thirty-five, Brother Peter Damian was named the prior of his monastery. He led the brothers with zeal and fidelity to their rule. He also began founding new hermitages in the surrounding villages.

At that time, Pope Benedict IX was a truly scandalous pope who had obtained the papacy through bribery and lived an immoral life. In 1045, the pope decided to leave the papacy to marry his cousin. Before doing so, he wrote to his godfather, Father John Gratian, for advice. Being a holy man, Father Gratian encouraged him to resign, which Benedict did, leaving the papacy to Father Gratian, who became Pope Gregory VI. Brother Peter Damian was overjoyed at the change and wrote to the new pope, encouraging him to tackle corruption and scandal within the Church. In the years that followed, more than one pope called on Brother Peter Damian to help accomplish that very goal. He wrote many letters in an attempt to bring about reforms of the clergy, fought against simony (the selling of Church offices and spiritual favors), addressed sexual abuses, challenged the bishops, reformed monasteries, and gave a spectacular personal witness of holiness.

In 1057, Brother Damian was made the Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia by the pope, despite his attempts to turn down the position. As a new cardinal, he quickly challenged his brother cardinals and tried to weed out corruption. He would eventually return to his hermitage and resume his life of prayer, but his fervor in fighting against the evils of the time continued. Pope after pope called on him for help, even while other Church leaders opposed him.

In 1072, at the age of sixty-five after battling one corruption after another, Cardinal Peter Damian fell ill. After a week of illness in a monastery near his hometown, the cardinal died while the monks chanted around his bed.

Every age of the Church has different needs. In the eleventh century, the Church needed an unwavering and courageous voice for reform. Saint Peter Damian was that voice. Though his heart was most at home in his monastery doing penance and chanting the psalms, his body was actively eradicating the mold that had covered the Church. Through his valiant efforts, many parts of the Church began to radiate as the Bride of Christ once again.

Each of us is called to be a reformer in one way or another. First, we must seek to reform our own souls by eliminating sin through prayer, penance, and fidelity to God’s Law. From there, God will use us to extend His reform to others. Ponder any ways that you need to reform your own life, and then offer yourself to God’s service so that He can use you to weed out the evils you encounter in your daily life.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/february-21-saint-peter-damian-bishop-and-doctor-of-the-church/

Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Read More »

Saint Eucherius of Orléans

Profile

Born to the nobility, Eucherius was very pious in youth, and highly educated; legend says that his pregnant mother had a dream of an angel who told her that her unborn son would be a holy bishop, and blessed them both. He took the cowl in Jumièges, Normandy, France in 714. When his uncle Suaveric, bishop of Orleans, France, died, the clergy and faithful asked for Eucherius as his replacement. Eucherius fought the appointment, but finally agreed in c.721.

He was an active, evangelizing bishop who often visited the monasteries in his diocese. When Charles Martel confiscated Church properties to finance his war against the Saracens, Eucherius protested. After his victory, Martel exiled the reluctant bishop to Cologne, Germany. There he was greeted enthusiastically, even receiving the position of distributor of the governor‘s alms. He was then exiled to Hesbaye in modern Belgium where he retired to the monastery of Sint-Truiden.

Born

  • at Orleans, France

Died

  • 20 February 743 at the monastery of Sint-Tuiden in Belgium of natural causes
  • relics enshrined on 11 August 880
  • relics re-enshrined on 11 August 1169

Canonized

  • Pre-Congregation

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-eucherius-of-orleans/

Saint Eucherius of Orléans Read More »

Saint Conrad of Piacenza

Profile

Conrad was born to the nobility. He married to Euphrosyne, the daughter of a nobleman; the two led a pious life in the world. One day while hunting, Conrad ordered attendants to set fire to some brush in order to flush out the game. A strong wind carried the flames to nearby fields, forests, towns and villages, and Conrad fled in panic. An innocent peasant was imprisoned, tortured into a confession and condemned to death for the fire. Remorseful, Conrad stepped forward to confess, saving the man. He then paid for the damaged property, selling nearly all he owned in order to raise the cash.

Conrad and his wife saw the hand of God in the dramatic events, and chose to give the poor everything they had left. They then separated, she to a Poor Clare monastery, he to a group of Franciscan tertiary hermits. Conrad lived such a life of piety that his reputation for holiness spread quickly. He had the gift of healing. Visitors destroyed his solitude, so he fled to a the valley of Noto, Italy in Sicily where he lived 36 years in prayer as a hermit.

Legend says that when the Bishop of Syracuse visited him, the bishop asked if Conrad had anything to offer guests. Conrad said he would check in his cell. He returned carrying newly made cakes, which the bishop accepted as a miracle. Conrad returned the bishop‘s visit, and made a general confession to him. As he arrived, he was surrounded by fluttering birds, who escorted him back to Noto.

Born

  • c.1290 at Piacenza, Italy

Died

  • 19 February 1351 at Noto, Sicily of natural causes while kneeling before a crucifix
  • body found incorrupt in 1485

Canonized

  • relics formally enshrined in 1485, indicating a local cultus
  • in 1515, Pope Leo X approved the celebration of his feast by the town of Noto, Italy
  • in 1625 Pope Urban VIII approved celebration by all Franciscans

Patronage

  • against hernias
  • hunters
  • locations in Italy
    – Cacciatori
    – Calendasco
    – Noto, Sicily, city of
    – Noto, Sicily, diocese of Piacenza

Representation

  • Franciscan hermit with a cross upon which birds perch
  • bearded, old man with a tau staff, bare feet, Franciscan cincture, and small birds fluttering around him
  • old man with stags and other animals around him

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-conrad-of-piacenza/

Saint Conrad of Piacenza Read More »

Saint Jean-François-Régis Clet

Profile

Jean-Francois-Regis Clet was the tenth of fifteen children; his father was a farmer and merchant, and the boy was named after Saint John Francis Regis. He was raised in a pious family; one brother became a priest, one sister a nun. He studied at the Jesuit Royal College at Grenoble, France. He joined the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) in Lyons, France on 6 March 1769, making his final vows in 1771. He was ordained in 1773. He was a professor of moral theology at the Vincentian seminary in Annecy, France. He was nicknamed “the walking library” due to his encyclopedic knowledge. He became the Rector of Annecy in 1786 and the Director of novices in Paris in 1788. He became the Director of the internal seminary at mother-house of the Congregation of the Lazarists in Paris, France. His community was disbanded, and their house destroyed by the French Revolutionists. He was a missionary to China in 1791. and was assigned to Kiang-si in October 1792, the only European in the area; in 28 years of work, he never mastered the language.

In 1793, Clet moved to Hou-Kouang in the Hopei Province where he served as superior of an international group of Vincentian missioners scattered over a very large territory; his pastoral area covered 270,000 square miles. In 1811, government anti–Christian persecutions intensified; the missionaries were accused of inciting rebellion, and had to pursue their work while on the run, often hiding in the mountains. On 16 June 1819, with a bounty on his head, he was betrayed by a Christian schoolmaster whose behavior the missionary had tried to correct. He was force marched hundreds of miles in chains to trial. On 1 January 1820, he was found guilty of deceiving the Chinese people by preaching Christianity. He became a martyr.

Born

  • 1748 at Grenoble, France

Died

  • slowly strangled to death with a rope while tied on a cross on 18 February 1820 at Au-tshung-fu, China
  • buried on Red Mountain by local Christians
  • re-interred at the Vincentian motherhouse, Paris, France
  • relics moved to Saint Lazare church, Paris

Venerated

  • 25 February 1900 by Pope Leo XIII (decree of martyrdom)

Beatified

  • 27 May 1900 by Pope Leo XIII

Canonized

  • 1 October 2000 by Pope John Paul II

Source: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-jean-francois-regis-clet/

Saint Jean-François-Régis Clet Read More »

Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order

Thirteenth Century; Invoked to aid in the imitation of the charity and patience of Our Lady of Sorrows; Canonized on January 15, 1888 by Pope Leo XIII

Bonfilius, Alexis, Manettus, Amideus, Hugh, Sostene, and Buonagiunta were seven successful cloth merchants from Florence, Italy. As members of a lay organization dedicated to the Blessed Mother, they were each devout in their faith. Their comradery, centered around their faith, not only united them more fully to God, but also to each other with a holy bond and a holy mission.

At that time, Florence was a bustling city wrought with conflicts, due to competition between the noble rulers and the populists who sought to govern by the will of the people. Florence’s economy was also booming, due to the new merchant class whose financial worth was counted in coins rather than in the amount of land and servants they possessed. Within this context, these seven holy men of Florence desired an escape from the lust for money and power, and from the conflict that continued to grow.

Around the year 1233, it is reported that all seven of these devout men individually experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, calling them to withdraw from the world and to devote themselves entirely to the service of God. They obeyed, and on September 8, the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, they gave up their careers and property and moved into a dilapidated house outside the city wall. They embraced the mendicant life of begging, poverty, and prayer. Many were drawn to them and found in them men of wisdom and virtue. As a result, they received many requests for spiritual counsel and moral guidance. Though they were drawn to this form of charity, they soon discovered that their first calling was to a life of prayer. Their close proximity to the city of Florence hindered the solitude to which they were called, so they moved to a dwelling eleven miles from the city on Monte Senario.

Around the year 1240, at Monte Senario, the seven received a joint vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary who appeared to them surrounded by angels. She instructed them on their mission, clothed them in their habits, presented them with their rule of life, and personally founded their order.

Central to their mission was to spread devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary and to be her servants. Within a decade, the order was tentatively approved by the pope and their numbers began to grow. In addition to new foundations in Italy, they quickly spread to Germany, France, and Spain. By the early thirteenth century, final papal approval was given and the order spread to Hungary, Bohemia, Austria, Poland, and modern-day Belgium. Eventually, missions were established in Crete, the Philippines, and India. Today, the Servite order has expanded to all parts of Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.

These holy men were called together by our Blessed Mother as they worked and lived in a growing city. Once united by their faith, they were set apart and drawn by God to a life of prayer. From that prayer, and their commitment to poverty, chastity, and obedience, God drew many others into their companionship. And through their companions, missionaries went forth to the corners of the earth.

As you ponder the lives of these holy men, especially consider the unity they shared by answering the call to pray and serve together. That unity flowed from their love of God and our Blessed Mother. It also flowed from their united obedience to their calling. United as one in Christ, each individual was strengthened and the fruitfulness of their labors grew exponentially.

You, too, are called to holiness and to a holiness that unites you with others who share your mission. Pray to God that you will be able to follow the example of these holy men by joining with those whom God has put in your life to strengthen your faith and expand the mission you have been given.

Source: https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/february-17-seven-holy-founders-of-the-servite-order/

Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order Read More »