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
The feast day of St. John Paul II is celebrated on October 22. He is the patron saint of youth.
Karol Jozef Wajtyla (pronounced Voy-tee-ya) was born to Karol and Emilia Wojtyla in Wodowice, Poland on May18, 1920. His mother died when he was nine years old. His sister Olga died before he was born. His brother Edmond, a doctor, died when he was twelve. He was very close to his father, who raised him. When he was 21, his father died, leaving him alone, with no family.
Young Karol studied drama in Krakow’s Jagiellonian University. The university closed due to the Nazi occupation in 1939. In 1942, he had a call to the priesthood. He studied in an underground seminary in Krakow. At the same time he also was a member of the underground “Rhapsodic Theater”.
Karol was ordained on November 1, 1946. He was sent to Rome where he finished his doctorate in theology with a thesis on the works of St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite saint
He wished to become a Carmelite priest himself. However, he was turned down twice. The first time, he was denied entry due to the war. The second time he applied, his bishop told him, he was not meant to be a contemplative (private prayer) priest, his charismatic (public prayer) talent was needed working with the public. During his early priesthood he worked as a chaplain to university students as well as vicar to several parishes.
On Jan 13, 1964 he became a Cardinal. He was a participant in the Vatican Council II (1962-1965).
On October 16, 1978, he was elected Pope. As Pope he chose the name of John Paul II. As Pope of the Catholic Church he will be remembered for many things. He established the World Youth Day Celebration. This event brought millions of young people together in a different country to celebrate their faith. In 1993, Youth Day was held in Denver, USA. In 2000 he led the celebration in Rome for the Great Jubilee year. Although unofficial, this is why he is considered the patron of youth.
As Pope he canonized many saints, including his fellow citizen Sister Faustina from Poland. John Paul II gave her Divine Mercy Devotion an official feast day, the Sunday following Easter. This devotion focuses on the mercy and forgiveness Jesus offers us.
Another Devotion John Paul II encouraged was the Rosary. The Rosary focuses on the life of Jesus. In 2002 he added a fourth set of mysteries to be meditated on which is called the Luminous Mysteries. This includes the Baptism of Jesus, The Wedding at Cana, The Institution of the Word, The Transfiguration, and The Eucharist.
In 1981 he survived an attempted assassination. He credited his devotion to Our Lady of Fatima for his survival. He publicly forgave his attacker.
John Paul II is remembered for his successful efforts to end communism, and for bringing together people of all faiths.
John Paul II died Parkinson’s disease on April 2, 2005.
John Paul II was Pope for 27 years. Many Catholics give him the title John Paul the Great, and Patron of Youth. His message of hope often included the message of Jesus when he stilled the water: “Be Not Afraid”(Mat: 14).
He received the title of Blessed in 2000. His first miracle was the cure of Sister Marie Perre Simon who was a French nun suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is the illness John Paul II died from on April 2, 2005. The second miracle of Pope John Paul II was the curing of a brain aneurysm of Floribeth Mora Diaz of Costa Rica.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI con-celebrated the Mass.
Place your talents and enthusiasm at the service of life.
Quote of St. John Paul II
St. John Paul II in Art
St. John Paul II
World Youth Day
Public Domain Image
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.”
The feast day of St. John XXIII is celebrated on October 11. He was known also known as “Good Pope John”.
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born in 1881 near Borgano, Italy. He was the oldest of 13 children. Angelo joined the Secular Franciscan Order. After he was ordained a priest in 1904, he returned to Rome to study canon law. He became the bishop’s secretary, Church history teacher in the seminary and publisher of the diocesan paper.
During World War I, he served as a stretcher bearer for the Italian army. During World War II he was a papal diplomat, serving in Bulgaria, Turkey and France. With the help of Germany’s ambassador in Turkey, Archbishop Roncalli, he helped save approximately 24,000 Jewish people from death.
In 1953 he was named a cardinal and Bishop. He was elected Pope at the age of 77, taking the name of John. He soon called an ecumenical council and presided over the first session of the Second Vatican Council. The purpose of the Council was to bring the church into the modern world. It also was an effort to end hostilities between religions. Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant religious leaders were invited to attend.
One quote he is remembered for is:
“The Church has always opposed errors. Nowadays, however, the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”
Pope John XXIII earned the title Good Pope John because of his kind and cheerful demeanor.
He died on June 3, 1963. He was beatified November 15, 1881 by Pope John Paul II. He was canonized on the same day as Pope John Paul II by Pope Benedict on April 27, 2014.
In the Blessed Sacrament a heavenly school is open to me, with the best teacher one can possibly imagine…Jesus Christ himself.
The feast day of St. Gregory the Great is celebrated on September 3.
St. Gregory the Great was born in Rome, Italy around the year 550. He was born into a wealthy family. By the age of 23, he had become the prefect of Rome. The following year his father died. He decided to leave office and to become a monk. St. Gregory is the patron saint of musicians, students, singer and teachers.
St. Gregory turned his family home into a monastery which he dedicated to St. Andrew. He built six other monasteries on family land in Sicily and gave the remainder of his inheritance to the poor. As a monk he devoted time to prayer, study and meditation. He studied the writings of the Latin fathers.
After four years of prayer as a monk, Pope Pelagius II ordained Gregory a deacon and sent him to Constantinople. He returned to Rome in 586 to serve Pope Pelagius until his death four years later.
Although Gregory was only a deacon he was elected Pope by popular acclaim. His first act was to organize a three day penitential procession asking God to end the plague. The plague ended after the procession reached the church of St. Mary Major.
As pope, Gregory negotiated for peace when the Lombards threatened Rome.
Over sixty of Pope Gregory’s sermons have survived, as well as over 80 letters he wrote. He organized the liturgy and is given credit for the Gregorian Chant becoming popular.
Pope Gregory was well known for his compassion. During a famine Pope Gregory ordered the church to use its assets to feed the poor. He also ordered the clergy to go into the streets to help the poor. If they did not they were replaced.
While Pope Gregory considered the Bishop of Rome to be the first among the bishops he also considered bishops to be equal. Pope Gregory considered the Bishop of Rome to be likened to a final court of appeal. He referred to himself as “the servant of the servants of God.”
Pope Gregory suffered from arthritis in his later years. Pope Gregory was acclaimed a saint by popular decree. St. Gregory the Great died on March 12, 604.
For it was not poverty that led Lazarus to heaven, but humility; nor was it wealth that prevented the rich man from attaining eternal rest, but rather his egoism and his infidelity.
The feast day of St. Pius X is celebrated on August 21.
The birth name of St. Pius X was Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto. He was born in Riese, Italy into a family of ten children. His father was a poor parish clerk and hi mother was a seamstress.
At the age of 15, Giuseppe entered the seminary at Padua, Italy. His father died before he had graduated. His Mother would not let him return home to help the family, insisting he stay in school. He was ordained a priest in 1858 and worked as a parish priest for 17 years. Because of his many works of mercy, many were converted to the faith.
Father Sarto wished to work with the poor, however, he was named spiritual director of a major seminary and later became a bishop and then a cardinal. In 1903, he was elected the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. As Pope, he took the name of Pius X. He emphasized the importance of the Eucharist becoming known as the Pope of the Holy Eucharist. He allowed the Eucharist to be received at the age of seven. He also encouraged the use of Gregorian Chant in the liturgy.
Pope Pius X sheltered refugees with his own resources and tried to prevent World War 1. He died within two months after the war began on August 20, 1914.
The body of St. Pius X was exhumed 30 years after his death and discovered to be incorruptible. His limbs were still flexible. His body can be viewed at St. Peter’s Basilica.
I was born poor. I lived poor. I will die poor.
Quote of St. Pius X
August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
