The feast day of St. Peter of Canterbury is celebrated on January 6. He was a Roman monk and missionary.
St. Peter of Canterbury accompanied St. Augustine of Canterburyon a missionary journey to England in 597. Peter was chosen to deliver a letter detailing the success of the mission to Pope Gregory the Great.
St. Peter of Canterbury was the first Abbot of what became known as St. Augustine’s Abbey.
The death of St. Peter of Canterbury in 607 was due to drowning off the shore of France. The local people, not knowing who he was, buried him without honor. An unexplained light appeared over his grave on a nightly basis. When the people investigated and learned who he was his body was moved to a church in Boulogne.
The feast day of St. John N. Neumann is celebrated on January 5. He was a Redemptorist priest and bishop. He is the patron of sick children and of immigrants and Catholic education.
St. John Neumann was born in Bohemia in 1811. Due to the shortage of priests in the colonies, he traveled to New York to be ordained a priest and worked in an isolated parish. Father John eventually joined the Redemptorists who were dedicated to helping the poor and abandoned. In 1852, he was appointed Bishop of Philadelphia. He increased the number of Catholic schools from two to a hundred.
The desire to hear confessions led St. John Neumann to learn at least six languages. He knew Spanish, English, French, Italian, Dutch and Gaelic.
While doing errands on January 5, 1860, Neumann collapsed and died on a Philadelphia street. He was 48 years old. After his death the National Shrine of St. John Neumann was constructed at the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia. Our Lady of the Angels College, founded by the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters which he had founded was renamed. It became known as the Neumann College. It was later given University status.
St. John Neumann was beatified on Oct. 13, 1963 by Pope Paul VI. He was canonized on June 19, 1977 by Pope Paul VI.
“A man must always be ready for death, for death comes when and where God wills it.”
The feast day of St. Basil the Great is celebrated on January 2. He is the patron saint of hospital administrators and a Doctor of the Church. He was the Bishop of Caesarea
St. Basil was born in 330 at Caesarea of Cappadocia. He was born into a family of ten children. He studied at Constantinople and Athens where he met St. Gregory Nazianzen.
Before deciding to become a monk, he practiced law and opened a school. He directed the monastery in Pontus for five years. He eventually was ordained a priest. St. Basil became bishop in 370. He fought against Arianism ( the belief that Jesus was not divine in nature) at the Council of Constantinople. He also fought for reform of the clergy. He was known for his holiness and was tireless in caring for his people. He was known for preaching twice a day to huge crowds. The hospital that he built was a hospital that was called a wonder of the world.
Basil was best known for his preaching. Because of his writings he is considered a one of the great teachers of the Church.
Sickly since youth, the work of teaching, his life of abstinence, and the responsibilities and sorrows of pastoral service took their toll on him. Saint Basil died on January 1, 379 at age 49.
St. Basil is considered a Doctor of the Church. He is the patron saint of hospital administrators.
“Troubles are usually the brooms and shovels that
smooths the road to a good man’s fortune;
and many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head,
The feast day of St. Sylvester I is celebrated on December 31.
St. Sylvester I was the 33 pope, succeeding Pope Militades on Jan 31, 314. Although he became pope during peaceful times, his reign occurred during the persecutions of Diocletian. These persecutions came to an end when Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity.
A popular legend states that Constantine was cured of leprosy by Pope Sylvester, after which he converted to the faith. Constantine built several churches during his reign with the help of Pope Sylvester. These included the original St. Peter’s Basilica and the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Pope Sylvester served as the Bishop of Rome for 21 years. He was involved in the debate about Arianism at the Council of Nicea. The Arians believed that Jesus Christ was not fully divine but a created being. It was at this council that the Nicean Creed was proclaimed by the Catholic Church. Pope Sylvester died in the year 335.
Nicean Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Jesus calls Peter
Do not be afraid; from now on, you will be catching people.
The feast day of St. John Alcober is celebrated on December 30. He was a Dominican Priest, a missionary to China and a Martyr of the Church.
St. John Alcober was born in Granada.in 1694. He entered the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, in 1709. When marooned for a time on Lorca, he became popular there as a preacher. He reached China in 1728 where he was a missionary for sixteen years. His ministry was done in secret. St. John is considered one of the Martyrs of China.
He, along with Francis Serrano and Father Francis Diaz, was tortured to disclose the location of Bishop Pere Sans Jorda and Father Joachim Royo, who surrendered to stop the torture.
St. John Alcober, St. Francis Serrano, St. Joachim Royo, and St. Francis Diaz were all martyred on October 18, 1739.
The feast day of St. Thomas Becket is celebrated on December 29. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury and a martyr.
St. Thomas Becket was born in 1118 in Normandy. He was the son of a wealthy merchant. He went to Paris to study law. After working in the field of law he decided to become a priest. He continued studying towards this goal. Thomas accepted the position of Bishop of Canterbury in 1162. After becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas gave up his worldly lifestyle. He lived an austere life and was generous with his time and money.
Many disputes arose between St. Thomas and King Henry II. Refusing to cooperate with the King, Thomas proceeded to resign as Archbishop, saying his election had been irregular. The Pope reinstated him as archbishop ordering him not to abandon his office. He then recommended Thomas to the Cistercian Abbot at Pontigny. Thomas followed the rules of the monastery after putting on the habit of a monk.
Troops soon appeared. The Cistercians were warned that they were harboring an enemy. No longer welcome there, the Archbishop turned to King Louis for refuge.
After three years of quarreling, Thomas was named the legate for the Pope for England except York.
St. Thomas was murdered with swords at his cathedral in Canterbury by knights of King Henry.
Many miracles were reported at his tomb. He is considered a martyr for the faith.
“I feel as though I am with Mary and Joseph beside the Crib.
It is good to be there. Outside are the cold and the snow,
images of the world, but in the little cave,
lit by the light of Jesus, it is sweet and warm and light.”
