The feast day of St. Marguerite d’Youville is celebrated on April 11.
St. Marguerite d’Youville was born in Quebec on October 15, 1701. She studied under the Ursulines and married Francois d’Youville in 1722. Her husband died in 1730 leaving her poor with six children. Four of her six children died in infancy. She educated her two sons to become priests. To pay off the debt her husband had left she opened a dry goods store.
In 1727, she and three other women founded the Sisters of Charity becoming known as the Grey Nuns. They fought for the rights of the poor, caring for the homeless, sick and destitute. She also became the Directress of General Hospital in Montreal.
St. Marguerite d’Youville died on Dec. 23. 1771. Pope John Paul II canonized her on Dec. 9, 1990 calling her the Mother of Universal Charity. Over 3000 women belong to the Grey Nuns today.
The feast day of St. Michael de Sanctis is celebrated on April 10. He is the patron saint of cancer patients.
St. Michael was born in Catalina, Spain in 1591. At the age of six he declared to his parents that he would become a monk. In fact, he imitated St. Francis of Assisi with such zeal that his parents had to restrain him. His parents died, leaving him an orphan. He worked as an apprentice to a merchant.
In 1603 at the age of twelve, Michael joined the Trinitarian Friars of Barcelona. Soon after he was given permission to join the reformed group of Trinitarians which observed a stricter rule. He was ordained a priest and served as Superior of the house in Valladolid. He had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and was known for experiencing ecstasies during the consecration of the host during Mass.
St. Michael died at the age of 35 in 1625. Many miracles were attributed to him at the time of his death. He was known for his holiness and enthusiasm for a life of prayer. He is often shown in art as kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament.
St. Pope Pius IX canonized St. Michael de Sanctis on June 8, 1862.
Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter.
The feast day of St. Mary of Cleophas is celebrated on April 9.
Three women stayed near Jesus on the day of the Crucifixion. St. Mary of Cleophas was one of these fearless women. She is believed to be the mother of St. James the Less and the wife of Cleophas. It is possible that she was the sister in law to the Bl. Virgin Mary, as Cleophas is believed to be the brother to St. Joseph.
Many legends surround St. Mary of Cleophas. One such legend says that Mary of Cleophas was put on a boat with others by the Jews in the year 47 and pushed out to sea without oars. She died in France. After her miraculously safe journey from Jerusalem she landed on an Island which is now named les Saintes-Maries- de-la-Mer (The Holy Marys of the Sea). It was named after St. Mary of Cleophas, St. Mary Magdalen, and St. Mary Salome.
The Gospel of John 19:25 states: “meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
While it is uncertain how Mary of Cleophas is related to Jesus, there is no doubt that she was one of his disciples. She was present with the Virgin Mary at the time of his death. In a time of grave danger she showed great love and compassion for Our Lord. Each of us needs to have the courage of St. Mary of Cleophas as we try to be Christian disciples.
Let us meet at the foot of the cross, where we will find strength and courage.
The feast day of St. Julia Billiart is celebrated on April 8.
St. Julia Billiart was born in 1751 near Cuvilly, France. She was the daughter of wealthy farmers. As a teenager she helped support her family when they face financial difficulties. She attended a one room school house in Culvilly. Playing school was her favorite activity as a child. Her favorite subject was religion. A priest noticed her devotion and allowed her to receive her first communion at the age of nine rather that thirteen. She developed a great love of the Eucharist.
When Julia was 30 years old she came down with a strange illness. Shortly after, she witnessed an attempt on her father’s life. The trauma from the incident resulted in complete paralysis which lasted for 22 years. For part of that time she also experience a great difficulty in speaking. St. Julia offered all her pain and suffering to God. Although she was paralyzed she taught catechism from her bed for twenty years. She gave spiritual advise to those who came to visit her. She was known for often exclaiming,
“How good God is!”
St. Julia offered her home as a hiding place for priests during the French Revolution. As a result, Julie became a target herself. Five times she went into hiding to protect her friends. During this time she receive a vision. She saw her crucified Lord surrounded by religious women dressed in a habit she had never seen before. An inner voice told her that these would be her daughters and that she would begin an institute for the Christian education of young girls. With the financial help of Francoise Blin de Bourdon she became the co-founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Julia began living a religious life in 1803 with several companions.
In 1804 she was miraculously cured of her illness and walked again for the first time in 22 years. In 1805 she and three others made their profession and final vows. She became the Mother General of the Congregation.
After founding the Sister of Notre Dame, Julia opened a variety of schools in France and Belgium serving both the poor and the wealthy.
St. Julia died peacefully on April 8, 1816 when she was 64. She was beatified in 1906 and canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1969.
Look to God as a sunflower looks to the sun…for life.
The feast day of St. John Baptist de la Salle is celebrated on April 7. He is the patron saint of teachers.
St. John Baptist de la Salle was born on April 30, 1651 at Rheims, France. He was the oldest of ten children in a noble family. He studied in Paris and was ordained a priest in 1678 at the age of 27. Father John’s first assignment was as a spiritual director for the Sisters of the Holy Infant and their orphanage. They urged him to begin an orphanage for boys. Soon, a second orphanage was begun in the same diocese.
St. John knew he was called to educate the poor. During this time, education was only possible for the rich. Because he was in need of more teachers, Father John established two teachers colleges; Rheims and St. Denis. He emphasized classroom teaching over individual instruction and taught in the native language rather than Latin. He also began a reform school for boys at Dijon.
St. John Baptist de la Salle sold everything he owned and gave his large inheritance to the poor in the province of Champagne which was suffering from famine. He depended on Divine Providence for all his needs. St. John founded theInstitute of the Brother of the Christian Schools. It was a group of lay men wishing to educate the poor. The Brothers founded a school in the U.S. in 1846.
On Good Friday in 1719, St. John died at the age of 68. He had been suffering from asthma and rheumatism.
You can work miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to your care.
The feast day of Bl. Michele Rua is celebrated on April 6.
Bl. Michele Rua was born in Turn, Italy. He was the youngest of nine children. He attended Don Bosco Oratory as a boy where he met St. John Bosco. St. John was so impressed by Michele that he sent him to college. Later he became John Bosco’s assistant in youth ministry.
Bl. Michele was ordained a priest and was one of the first members of the Salesians of Don Bosco which focused on youth ministry for boys. John was the first successor to St. John Bosco as Superior General. Under his direction the community grew from 700 to 4,000 members, 64-341 houses in 33 countries.
Bl. Michele Rua was known for his gifts of reading hearts, healing and prophecy.
The soul hungers for God, and nothing but God can satiate it. Therefore He came to dwell on earth and assumed a Body in order that this Body might become the food for our souls.
