St. Berard was born at Carbro, Umbria, Italy. He became a Franciscan monk at the time of St. Francis in 1213. He spoke Arabic.
St. Francissent him and other Franciscans to preach to Muslims in Morocco, (Peter Otho, Accursius, and Adjutus). When they arrived they began preaching in the marketplace. They were immediately arrested and told to stop. They refused which resulted in them being beaten.
After refusing to renounce Christ, the sultan beheaded them on January 16, 1220. They are believed to be the first Franciscan martyrs. After viewing their relics, Anthony of Paduadecided to join the Franciscans.
St. Berard was canonized in 1481 by Pope Sixtus IV.
Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake
or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels
charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones,
O Lord Jesus Christ, rest your weary ones,
bless your dying ones, soothe your suffering ones,
The feast day of Bl. Anthony Grassi is celebrated on December 18. He was an Oratian priest and confessor.
Bl. Anthony Grassi was born in Ferma, Italy in 1592. His father died when he was only ten years old. From his father he received a devotion to Our Lady of Loreto. At the age of 17 he joined the Oratorian Fathers. Because of his impressive memory he was known as a “walking dictionary”.
Before he was ordained, Bl. Anthony suffered for a time from scruples, (fear of committing sin). However, while celebrating his first Mass this fear was lifted and replaced with serenity.
At the age of 29, while on a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Loreto, he was struck by lightning and it was believed he would die. He was temporarily paralyzed. When he recovered after several days, he realized he had been cured of his acute indigestion. In thanksgiving for his new life he made a yearly pilgrimage to Our Lady of Loreto, which was only twenty miles from the Oratory.
As a priest, his spiritual father was St. Philip Neri. They both had the gift of healing, and Bl. Anthony was credited with many healings before and after his death. Father Anthony became known as a good confessor, hearing confessions for 5-6 hours daily. Father Antony exercised his priestly ministry in instructing the ignorant, comforting the weak, visiting the sick and imprisoned, helping the troubled and encouraging youth in the ways of holiness.
Bl. Anthony died in1671 Antony was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 30th September, 1900.
“Where there is no love, put love and you will find love.”
The feast day of St. Mary di Rosa is celebrated on December 15. She founded the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia.
Paula Frances Mary di Rosa was born on Nov. 6, 1813 at Brescia, Italy into a wealthy family. Her mother died when she was eleven years old.
After being educated by Visitation Nuns, she returned home to manage her father’s estate. Having a great desire to enter the convent, she was inspired to volunteer at the Brescia hospital during the cholera outbreak in 1836. She also helped care for the spiritual needs of the girls working at her father’s mills and arranged retreats.
St. Mary di Rosa founded a home for girls and a school for deaf mutes. She founded a religious order called the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia. It was also known as the Servants of Charity. It began with four members and grew to twenty two. At this time, Paula took the religious name of Mary Crucifixa because of her devotion to the passion and crucifixion and suffering of Christ.
The Sisters ministered to the wounded on the battlefields of Northern Italy and in hospitals.
St. Mary di Rosa died peacefully at the age of 42 on December 15, 1855. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1954.
“I can’t go to bed with a quiet conscience if during the day I’ve missed any chance, however slight, of preventing wrongdoing or of helping to bring about some good.”
The feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is celebrated on November 13. She is the patron saint of immigrants, orphans and against malaria.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Lombardi, Italy in 1850. She wanted to become a nun but was hindered by poor health. She became a teacher, teaching at a girl’s school for six years.
Frances took religious vows in 1877, adding Xavier to her name to honor St. Francis Xavier.
At the urging of Pope Leo XIII, she immigrated to the Unites States with six nuns to work with Italian immigrants. She crossed the Atlantic ocean in spite of her great fear of water.
She founded many schools, hospitals, and orphanages in the United States, England, France, Spain and South America. In New York City, St. Frances Cabrini founded Columbus Hospital and Italian Hospital. In the 1980’s they merged into Cabrini Hospital.
In 1909 St. Frances Xavier Cabrini became a naturalized United States citizen. She died from malaria at the age of 67, on December 22, 1917, at Columbus Hospital in Chicago, IL.
In 1931, her body was exhumed, found partially incorrupt, and is now enshrined under glass in the altar at St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in Manhattan.
The following prayer was written by St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.
Fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit and give Your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless anxiety, solicitude and worry. Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to You so that Your will may be my will.Amen
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Stretch every fiber of my being, dear Lord, that I may more easily fly towards you. May your Spirit, which once breathed over the chaos of the earth, give life to all the powers of my soul.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Bonaventure of Potenza,
Feast Day October 26
Bl. Bonaventure was born Jan. 4, 1651 in Naples, Italy into a poor family. He studied Latin from a priest and became a Franciscanat the age of 15. He was sent to Amalfi to study and was ordained a priest.
As a priest Bl. Bonaventure was known for his simple but powerful sermons. When an epidemic broke out he served all who were sick without concern for his own health. He was known for miraculous cures. Bl. Bonaventure was a very effective priest. His humility was admired and his spirituality was focused on humility, service and obedience.
After 45 years of service as a priest he died from gangrene after asking for forgiveness for his faults. He was given a crucifix and died peacefully on October 26, after receiving the last sacrament.
Pope Pius VI beatified Bl. Bonaventure in 1775.
“No none has the right to sit down and feel helpless, there’s too much to do.”
The feast day of St. Callistus I is celebrated on October I. He is honored as a Pope and martyr of the faith.
St. Callistus was a slave for a Roman who worked for Caesar. He was put in charge of the bank by his master. He manged to lose the money deposited and in fear he fled. He was caught and sent to prison. He was released and told to try to recover the money. This time, he was arrested after getting into a brawl in a Jewish synagogue. He was then sent to Sardenia to work in the mines. The mistress of the emperor was able to influence his release.
Callistus became superintendent of the cemetery of St. Callistus. He was ordained a deacon by the Pope and became the friend and adviser of the Pope. When the pope died, Callistus was elected to be Bishop of Rome with a majority vote. This led to a schism with his rival St. Hippolytus who became the first anti-pope. Hippolytus accused Pope Callistus of sympathizing with heretics. He also disagreed with Pope Callistus’ teaching about the power of Divine Mercy in the sacrament of confession.
In the year 236, both Pope Callistus and Hyppolytus were martyred during an uprising in Rome. They were both canonized as saints. It is believed that Hyppolytus made peace with the church before his death.
St. Callistus is the first pope after St. Peter to be honored as a martyr.
“God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us.”
