All posts by Vicki Scheenstra

Vicki Scheenstra is a former Catholic Bookstore owner and has been active in Catholic Education.
patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Laurence O’Toole, Feast Day Nov. 14

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St. Laurence O'Toole
St. Laurence O’Toole

 The feast day of St. Laurence O”Toole is celebrated on November 14.  He is the patron saint of the archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland.

St. Laurence was born in County Kildare, Ireland.  At the age of ten, Laurence became a hostage of Dermod Mac Murchad, King of Leinster. The king gave him permission, when he was twelve, to enter the monastic school of Glendalough, where he studied for thirteen years. When he was only 25 years old, he became the abbot of the Abby of St. Kevin in 1150. He governed the monastery with virtue and prudence.

In 1162, St. Laurence was unanimously chosen as the Archbishop of Dublin. As Archbishop he focused on the reformation of the clergy. He spent much time in prayer, fasted often and prayed for those who had died. He was known for feeding the hungry and aiding the homeless.

St. Laurence participated in the Lateran Council which was held in 1179 by Pope Alexander III. He died in 1180 at the age of 52. Miracles were recorded after his death at his tomb. He was canonized by Pope Honorius III in 1226.

 

 

There is One very near you who

knocks at your door every hour of the day,

who begs you to listen to Him

and to keep silence… in order to hear Him.

Quote of St. Just Bretenie’res: Korean Martyr; Feast day March 7

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

 

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patron saints, Sacred Heart, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Feast Day November 13

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St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

 

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 request of her bishop she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart to care for poor children.

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  National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini w was dedicated in 1955. It is located in Chicago at Lincoln Park. Chicago is the city where she primarily lived, worked and died.

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
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.

Quote of St. Frances Cabrini

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

 

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Incorruptables, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Josephat, Feast Day Nov. 12

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St. Josaphat
St. Josaphat

The feast day of St. Josephat is celebrated on November 12.  He is a martyr of the church.

St. Josephat was born in Vladimir, Poland, in 1584. His birth name was Ioann Kuntsevych.  He was ordained a priest and became head of a monastery at Byline.  In 1604, in his early 20s, Kuntsevych entered the Monastery of the Trinity of the Order of Saint Basil the Great in Vilnius, at which time he was given the religious name of Josaphat.  He restored sanctuaries, built a convent and converted many souls. He became Archbishop of Polotsk in 1617 at the age of 38. He restored five cathedrals and aided the poor.

St. Josephat  sought to bring an end to the divisions which were dividing the church. However, six years after becoming bishop he was assassinated. His body was profaned. He was 44 years old. When his body was recovered nine days later it emitted a fragrance of roses and lilies. This caused many people to abandon the schism.

Five years after his death, St. Josephat’s body was found intact although his clothes had disintegrated.  He was canonized in 1867 by Pope Leo XIII.

 

“Learn to live at God’s hands.”

Quote of St. Edith Stein;  Feast day August 9

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

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patron saints, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Martin of Tours, Feast Day Nov. 11

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St. Martin of Tours
St. Martin of Tours

 

The feast day of St. Martin of Tours is celebrated on November 11.  He is the patron saint of soldiers and beggars.

St. Martin was born in 315 in Pannonia, a Roman Province. Martin’s father was an army officer. Secretly he became a catechumen (a student preparing to become Catholic) at the age of ten. He longed to be a monk so that he could be alone with God in prayer. He was forced to join the army at the age of 15 before he had been baptized. His job was to protect the emperor. He became an officer and was assigned garrison duty in Gaul.

He is portrayed in art helping a beggar who was freezing cold and in need of help. Martin removed his cloak, cut it in half with his sword and gave one half to the beggar. That night, Martin had a dream in which Jesus was wearing his cloak. The dream inspired Martin to immediately seek baptism. He was eighteen years old. Two years after his baptism Martin refused to fight any longer, saying,

I have served you as a soldier, now let me serve Christ.”

Martin was eventually ordained an exorcist. He was chosen as the Bishop of Tours because of his holiness. Martin lived outside the city because of his need for solitude.

St. Martin was known for his miracles and his compassion. St. Martin died on Nov. 8 and was buried at his request in the Cemetery of the Poor.  Near the time of his death, St. Martin prayed the following prayer:

“Lord, if your people still need me, I do not refuse the work.  Thy will be done.”

 

Quote of  St. Martin of Tours

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

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Doctor of the Church, Faith, Pope, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Leo the Great; Feast Day November 10

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St. Leo the Great
St. Leo the Great

 

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Leo the Great;

Feast Day November 10

The feast day of St. Leo the Great is celebrated on November the 10.

St. Leo was born in Tuscany. He lived during a time of great political chaos for the Church. Barbarian armies were ravaging the once mighty Roman Empire. Leo was an ordained a Deacon. He became the Bishop of Rome in 440. He was Bishop of Rome for 21 years, until his death in 461.

During his papacy, he was known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 as he was preparing to invade Italy. Amazingly, he persuaded him to turn back, and avoided a war. Leo fought many heresies, including Pelagianism which teaches that grace was not necessary for salvation.

Leo is considered one of the great administrators of the Church. He also gave profound spiritual sermons. He presided over the fourth ecumenical council called the Council of Chalcedon. At this council the two natures of Christ was discussed and clarified. The faith teaches that Jesus Christ is both fully human and fully divine.

St. Leo the Great also clarified the role of the pope, persuading Emperor Valentinian to recognize the primacy of the Bishop of Rome in 445.  His teaching focused on the scripture which had Jesus telling Peter:  “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven.  What you forbid on earth shall be forbidden in Heaven.  What you allow on earth shall be allowed in heaven.’  (Matthew 16:19)

Leo was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in the eighteenth century. The title “Great” has been given to only three Popes. The three “Great popes are St. Leo the Great, St. Gregory the Greatand St. Nicholas the Great.  St. John Paul II is unofficially considered by some to be “great”.  The title “Great” means that the Pope has exercised great leadership and contributed greatly to the theology of the church.

If indeed we are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit lives in our

hearts…we must work with much vigilance to make the chamber of our heart

not unworthy of so great a guest.

 Quote of St. Leo the Great

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

 

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Feast Days, Pope, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica, Nov. 9

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Basilica of St. John Lateran
Basilica of St. John Lateran

 

The dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica is celebrated on November 9.

St. John Lateran Basilica is the oldest of the four great basilicas in Rome.   The four basilicas are:

  • The Basilica of St. Peter
  • The Basilica of St. Mary Major
  • The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wallls
  • The Basilica of St. John Lateran

Originally, the site was occupied by the palace of the family of the Laterani. The term “Lateran”  does not  refer to a saint but to the church’s ancient origins as the the Lateran palace, which once belonged the Roman noble family of the Laterni.

Constantine acquired the old palace through marriage. Not only did Constantine end the persecution of the Church he also gave the palace to the Church as a gift and it was enlarged. It became the residency for the Pope.  The Basilica has been dedicated to both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

 

Until the 14th century popes resided in the Lateran palace. It’s official title is:

“Mother Church of the whole world.”

The Basilica of St. John Lateran  is the official seat of the Pope (the Pope’s Cathedral).
Pope Sylvester officially dedicated the basilica in the year 324 declaring it a house of God.
The Basilica has been dedicated to both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

 

“Little children, love one another.”

Quote of St. John the Evangelist;  Feast Day Dec. 27

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls