The feast day of Bl. Archangela Girlani is celebrated on Jan. 29.
Bl. Archangela Girlani was born to a noble family at Trino, Italy in 1460. She was educated by the Benedictines. From early childhood she wished to become a BenedictineNun. However, on the way to the convent her horse refused to cooperate and take her there. She took this as a sign and decided to follow in the footsteps of her two sisters Maria and Frances (Scholastica) who had joined the Carmelite Order. At the age of 17, she enter the Carmelite Order, taking the name Archangela. In time she became the prioress, a position she held until her death.
Bl. Archangela was known for her mystical visions. While meditating on the mysteries of the faith, she experienced ecstasies and miracles. She had a special devotion to the Holy Trinity.
After three years as prioress, she became seriously ill. Bl. Archangela died peacefuly after saying the following words;
The feast day of St. Peter Canisius is celebrated on December 21. He is the patron saint of the Catholic Press, a Jesuit priest and a Doctor of the Church.
St. Peter Canistius was born in Holland in 1521. He received his masters degree at the age of 19 from the University of Cologne. He studied art, law, and theology. He met Peter Faber, the first disciple of Ignatius, at a retreat. Soon after, he decided to become a member of the Society of Jesus, (the Jesuits). He was ordained in 1546. During the Council of Trent he was a delegate. St. Peter taught at several universities and established colleges and seminaries. He also wrote a catechism for lay people which was easy to understand. It was translated into twelve languages. He was an eloquent preacher, leading the counter reformation and renewing the faith in southern Germany. He also led reform in Austria, Bavaria and Bohemia.
After Mass one day, he received a vision of the Sacred Heart. Afterward, he offered his work to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Prior to his death he suffered from a paralytic seizure. He continued preaching and writing until his death on Dec. 21, 1597.
“Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.”
The feast day of St. Juan Diego is celebrated on December 9. Juan was born in a ward of Tlayacac in Cuauhtitlan. His birth name was Cuauhtlatzin, which means “The talking eagle”. He was a farmer and a weaver. He is the first indigenous American Saint.
After the arrival of the Franciscans, Juan and his wife, Maria Lucia, converted to the Catholic faith in 1524-1525. Juan was baptized by Father Peter da Gand at the age of 50. He and his wife moved closer to Mexico City to be closer to the Franciscan Catholic Mission.
Juan had a special devotion to the Eucharist. In 1529, several years after his conversion, Maria Lucia died. As a widower, he walked 15 miles three times a week to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist.
One Saturday, on Dec. 9, as he was walking to Mass, a woman’s voice called out to him as he passed Tepeyac Hill. He heard music and saw a cloud encircled by a rainbow. Our Lady appeared to him dressed as an Aztec princess. She told him she was The Virgin Mary and asked him to tell the bishop to build a church on that site. She said to him;
“I vividly desire that a church be built on this site, so that in it I can be present and give my love, compassion, help and defense, for I am your most devoted mother….to hear your laments and to remedy all your miseries, pains, and sufferings.”
When he told the bishop what had happened, the bishop was kind, but skeptical. He requested proof. Before Juan could return to the site, he learned his uncle was dying. On his way to see his uncle, Our Lady appeared to him again, telling him his uncle had been cured. She told Juan to climb to the top of the hill where she had first appeared. When he did this he was shocked to find flowers growing in the frozen earth. He gathered them in his cloak and took them to the bishop. When he opened his cloak, the flowers that fell to the ground were Castilian roses (not native to Mexico). The bishop saw a glowing image of Our Lady imprinted inside Juan’s cloak. This is referred to as The Miracle of the Roses.
Soon after, a church was built at the site. In the seven years following the building of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, six million people converted to the church because of the apparition. Twenty million pilgrims visit the Basilica yearly, second only to St. Peters Basilica in Rome.
An investigation by the Vatican (which included thirty researchers) confirmed that Juan Diego was not a mythical character.
Pope John Paul II praised St. Juan Diego for his simple faith who said to the Virgin Mary,
“I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf”
Pope John Paul II called him a model of humility.
Our Lady of Guadalupe has been declared the patroness of the Americas.
St. Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a hut near the church, caring for both the church and the first pilgrims. St. Juan Diego died on May 30, 1548.
The Cloak of Juan Diego was framed and is on display at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is still intact, showing no signs of decay after nearly five hundred years.
The feast day of St. Catherine Laboure is celebrated on November 28. She is the visionary who began the devotion to the miraculous medal.
Catherine Laboure was born on May 2, 1806 in Paris, France. Her father was a successful farmer. She was the ninth of eleven children. Her mother died when she was only nine years old. After the funeral service, Catherine went to her room and gave a kiss to a statue of Mary, saying;
“Now, dear Lady, you are my mother.”
Catherine was called “Zoe” by those who knew her, because her birthday was on the feast day of St. Zoe.
After having a dream about St. Vincent de Paul, at a young age, she joined the Daughters of Charity founded by him. She is known as a Marian visionary because of the apparitions which she reported of Mary appearing to her.
On July 18, the first apparition occurred. Catherine saw a lady seated in the sanctuary. She approached her and was instructed how she was to act during times of trial, pointing to the altar for consolation. Mary told her,
“”Sorrows will come upon France; the throne will be overthrown.”
A week later the French revolution began in Paris.
On Nov. 27, the lady showed St. Catherine the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, now known as the “Miraculous Medal” She gave Catherine the mission of having the medal made and to spread devotion to it.
Catherine reported the visions to her spiritual director, Father Aladal. Forty five years later, she spoke fully to her supervisors about the apparitions.
The miraculous medal which Mary showed to Catherine was oval showing Mary standing on a globe crushing the head of the serpent. (the devil). Around the image of Mary were the words:
“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
Mary’s hands were showering a cascade of brilliant rays upon the world.
On the reverse side of the medal was a cross, the symbol of Christ’s redeeming Sacrifice on Mount Calvary for the salvation of the world. The cross was intertwined with the letter “M”.
The “M” stands for both Mary and for Mother and was to be surrounded by twelve stars. The two hearts are the Sacred Heart of Jesus encircled by a crown of thorns and the Immaculate of Mary, pierce by a sword. The Flames symbolize the burning love of Jesus and Mother Mary.
Mary told Catherine,
“All who wear them will receive great graces.”
After two years of investigation Father Aladal went to the archbishop with the request. The request was approved.
St. Catherine served humbly, not wishing to be known as a visionary. It was only after 46 years of service that she informed her Sister Superior that she was the Sister Mary had appeared to. At Catherine’s death, on December 31, 1876, at the age of 70, few people knew of her visions. She preferred a silent life, spending her time caring for the aged and sick.
Stories of many miracles and cures caused the devotion to spread rapidly.
In 1922 the body of St. Catherine was exhumed. It was found to be incorrupt. Her body is encased in glass in the chapel in Paris near where Our Lady appeared to her.
St. Catherine’s feast day is celebrated on Nov. 27, the day of the apparition.
St. Catherine Laboure
Lord, I am here. Tell me what you would have me do.
If He gives me some task I am content and I thank Him.
If he gives me nothing, I still thank Him
Since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that,
and then I tell God everything that is in my heart.
I tell him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen.
If you listen, God will also speak to you.
For with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen.
God always speaks to you when you approach him plainly and simply.
The feast day of St. Gertrude is celebrated on November 16. She is the patron saint of West Indies, Nuns and travelers.
St. Gertrude was born at Eisleben in Saxony, Germany on Jan. 6, 1256. At the age of five, Gertrude was placed in the care of Benedictine nuns. She later joined the monastery, living a cloistered life.
At the age of 24, St. Gertrude was experiencing an interior crisis and depression. She experienced a vision of Jesus on Jan. 27, 1281. He told her:
“I have come to comfort you and bring you salvation.”
St. Gertrude was filled with a new zeal for her vocation to love Jesus. She considered herself a “bride of Christ”. She dedicated herself to studying scripture and spiritual writing. St. Gertrude was inspired to write five books. Three of them still exist.
Eventually she was elected Abbess. She also took charge of the monastery at Hefta. She and her nuns moved there. Gertrude was well educated. She was a mystic and had a great devotion to the saints, the souls in purgatory, the Passion of Our Lord and to His Sacred Heart. She also was devoted to the Bl. Virgin Mary.
“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen. “
Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great
In 1298, St. Gertrude became very ill. The suffering she experienced was transfigured into love. St. Gertrude died in the year 1302.
The devotion St. Gertrude had for the Poor Souls in Purgatory is well known. The following prayer was written by her out of compassion for those still on their journey to heaven.
Eternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of your Son, Jesus Christ, in union with all the masses said around the world today, for all the Poor Souls in Purgatory,for sinners everywhere, in the Universal Church, in my home and in my family. Amen.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque,
Feast Day October 16
St. Margaret Mary
The feast day of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is celebrated on October 16. She is known as the Apostle of the Sacred Heart.
St. Margaret Mary was born to Claude and Philiberte Lamyn on July 22, 1647 in Lhautecour, France. She was the fifth of seven children. She was baptized with name of Margaret and added the name of Mary when she was confirmed in the faith in 1669. From an early age Margaret had a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Margaret’s father died when she was eight years old. She was sent to a school run by Urbanist Nuns at Chavolles.
Margaret became very ill and was unable to walk. After consecrating herself to the Blessed Virgin, she promised that if cured, she would be one of her daughters. She was immediately cured.
Thrust into poverty after her father’s death, she considered marriage, which caused her internal conflict. Her desire to become a nun prevailed. She joined the Visitation Order in 1671.
St. Margaret Mary began having visions on Dec. 17, 1073. They continued until June 1675. Jesus appeared to her giving her the task of encouraging and teaching a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This included a Holy Hour on Thursdays to reflect on how the Apostles abandoned Him during the Agony in the Garden. It also encouraged receiving communion on 1st Fridays.
After suffering many years of from doubt and despair, St. Margaret Mary died at the age of 43. She had served two terms as assistant supervisor. With the help of St. Claude de la Columbiere, the feast day became popular. The Sacred Heart symbolizes the boundless love given by Jesus in the Eucharist and His Passion and death
I need nothing but God and to lose myself to the Heart of Jesus.
The feast day of St. Francis of Assisi will be celebrated on October 4th. He is the patron saint of the environment, peacemakers, and animals.
St. Francis was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy. His father was Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy cloth salesman. Francis was indifferent to school. He enjoyed good times with his friends. He was attracted to the military and was a prisoner of war for two years. He returned home, probably ransomed by his family, returning to his old life, however he became very ill. When he recovered, he returned to the military, however, in a dream he was told to return home. He was told to “serve the Master rather that the man.” His dream changed him. He turned from his wild ways and began to serve God. While praying in a neglected chapel in San Damiano, Christ spoke to him from the crucifix, saying;
“Francis, go out and build up My house, for it is nearly falling down.”
Francis took this quite literally, and began to repair the old chapel. In need of money, he took some of his father’s cloth and sold it. His father accused Francis of theft. At the hearing before the bishop, he was told to return the money. Francis obeyed; however, he also removed his clothes returning them to Pietro and declaring:
“I have called you father on earth, but now I say, “Our Father, who art in heaven.”
St. Francis embraced poverty. “Love of Lady Poverty” was how he described his belief that possessions were a detriment to his spirituality. After two years of living as a hermit and begging for money to repair the church, he began to attract followers to his way of living. He owned nothing, wanting to live a life of complete poverty. He lived his life caring for the poor and preaching the gospel, primarily through example. He once said;
“Preach always, and when necessary, use words.”
The heart of St. Francis message was joy, based on the love of Christ. He served primarily the poor, including the lepers of the time. He had a strong devotion to the Eucharist and the Cross.
By 1210 his group had grown to a dozen men. He received permission to form an order from Pope Innocent III. Originally it was called the Humbler Brethren, or Friars Minor. They became known for the brown robes they wore. By 1219 they numbered 5,000.
Clare Sciffo was sixteen years old when she heard Francis preach. Against her parents will she became a nun under St. Francis care. Her order became known as the Poor Clares.
St. Francis became friends with St. Dominic, whom he met while begging. St. Dominic recognized him from a dream in which he had seen Francis. When Dominic met him he embraced him saying;
“You are my companion and must walk with me.
If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us.”
The Franciscans and Dominicans had different spiritualities, but Francis and Dominic were lifelong friends.
Some of the Franciscans wanted to change the rule of poverty. They wanted to own books so they could study scripture like the other monasteries of the time. This was contrary to Francis’ love of Lady Poverty. He went to see St. Dominic, who came up with a solution. The Franciscans were allowed to have a library, loaned to them by the Dominicans!
The Franciscans today have several different orders. There rule of poverty is not as strict as the original order.
Later, in his life, St. Francis received the stigmata (the wounds of Christ). These wounds were real and painful, a sign of how close he had come to the cross. He also suffered from a painful eye disease.
St. Francis composed several hymns, includingCanticle of the Sun. He is also known for his love of nature. Animals and birds had no fear of him and he was known for his friendships with traditionally wild creatures. It is St. Francis who started the tradition of a Christmas Crèche which honored the animals present in the stable when Christ was born.
St. Francis died in the year 1226 at the age of 45, praying the 141st Psalm and his Canticle of the Sun. His final prayer was:
“O Lord, I thank You for the pains which I suffer.”
Two years after his death, St. Francis was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX.
“My Lord, I am all yours. You know I have nothing besides my tunic, cord and underpants. And even these three things are yours.
So what can I give You?”
Quote of St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi in Art
St. Francis with Birds
St. Francis Embracing Crucifix
St. Francis in Ectasy by Caravaggio
St. Francis Christ on the Cross by Murillo
St Francis of Assisi Stigmata
St. Francis in Meditation
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis Preaching to the Birds
St. Francis Supported by an Angel by Orazio
Public Domain Image
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Faustina, Feast Day October 5
The feast day of St. Faustina is celebrated on October 5. She is considered the Apostle of Mercy.
St. Faustina was baptized Helena Kowalska. She was born into a very poor family of ten children on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland. She lived on a farm receiving only three years of education.
St. Faustina worked as a housekeeper before joining the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925 at the age of 20. For 13 years she prayed in the convent and worked as a cook, gardener and porter.
St. Faustina grew in holiness. She had a very mystical interior life. She had the gifts of visions, prophecy, the stigmata , bi-location, the gift of reading hearts and mystical marriage.
The vision which impacted the world was a vision of Jesus. She tells the story in her Diary.
“In the evening, when I was in my cell, I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red and the other pale. In silence I gazed intently at the Lord; my soul was overwhelmed with fear, but also with great joy. After a while Jesus said to me, ‘paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You.'”
Some time later, Our Lord again spoke to her:
“The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous; the red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My most tender Mercy at that time when My agonizing Heart was opened by a lance on the cross….Fortunate is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.”
Divine Mercy
At the request of Jesus she willingly offered her sufferings in union with him to atone for the sins of others. He also asked her to remind the world of His Divine Mercy and He taught her a very special devotion to the Divine Mercy based on trust in Him. She had a special devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Eucharist and the Sacramentof confession which strengthened her.
One of the vision she experienced was a visit to hell, which she shares in her diary. She suffered greatly interiorly, however she only shared her suffering with her spiritual director. At the request of Jesus and her confessors, St. Faustina kept a diary in which she shared her visions.
St. Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland at age 33 in 1938. She was canonized by the first Polish Pope, Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000
Divine Mercy Sunday is now celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Easter.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Terese Couderc, Feast Day September 26
St. Terese Couderc
The feast day of St. Terese Couderc is celebrated on September 26. She is the founder of the Cenacle Sisters.
St. Terese was born in Masle, France on Feb. 1, 1805. She joined the Sisters of St. Regis. St. Terese and Father Stephen founded the Congregation of Our Lady of the Retreat in the Cenacle. She became its superior in 1828, and when the mother house was established, its superior general until 1838. St. Terese helped to conduct spiritual retreats.
The spirituality of St. Terese focused on surrendering her life to the will of God. She experienced a vision which clarified for her the goodness of God in all creation.
On September. 26, 1885 St. Terese died of natural causes in Lyon, France at the age of 80. She was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
Take a step at a time in the darkness, and the path will unwind beneath your feet. It is not necessary to understand God’s purposes. Just follow His will.
The feast day of the Stigmata of St. Francis is celebrated on September 17.
What is a stigmata? A stigmata is the spontaneous appearance of the wound marks of Jesus Christ on a person’s body. St. Francis is the first known saint to receive the stigmata.
St. Francis was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy. His father was Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy cloth salesman. Francis was indifferent to school. He enjoyed good times with his friends. He was attracted to the military and was a prisoner of war for two years. After returning home he experienced a profound conversion after having a dream. Christ appeared and spoke to St. Francis in a vision in the chapel at San Damiano. He said
“Francis go out and build up My house, for it is nearly falling down.”
St. Francis took these words literally and began to repair the old chapel. St. Francis embraced poverty, founding the Order of St. Francis after living for a time as a hermit. He had a strong devotion to the cross and to the Eucharist. He served the poor and the sick, caring for the lepers who were suffering at that time.
On Sept. 14, 1224, St. Francis was just beginning the second month of a retreat in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. He was fasting for 40 days. Near the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, St. Francis experienced a vision in which a seraph with six wings appeared. The figure not had wings but also showed signs of being crucified. While contemplating the crucifixion of Christ, St. Francis experienced joy mingled with pain. The vision of Christ nailed to a cross touch his soul with compassion. The vision vanished but St. Francis was left with marks on his own body as if had been crucified. His hands and feet now had nail wounds. His right side had a wound as if it had been pierced and frequently it bled.
At first St. Francis tried to conceal the wounds which were real and painful. Eventually he revealed them publicly, saying;
“Nothing gives me so much consolation as to think of the life and passion of our Lord.”
While St. Francis of Assisi was the first saint to receive the stigmata, currently 62 Saints and Blesseds have been known to receive the stigmata. St. Catherine of Siena(1380) and Padre Pio (1918) are only two of the many who have received this grace.
The stigmata is a considered a supernatural sign that a person has united their suffering with that of Christ. The suffering of Christ during His Passion is called redemptive suffering. When we join our suffering to His (no matter how small our suffering is in comparison) we are participating in the Passion of Our Lord. Our suffering can be beneficial to the salvation of others. The sign of the stigmata shows us that our suffering has a purpose. It unites us to Our Lord Jesus Christ.
May I feel in my soul and in my body, as much as possible, that pain which You, dear Jesus, sustained in the hour of Your most bitter Passion. May I feel in my heart, as much as possible, that excessive love with which You, O Son of God, were inflamed in, willingly enduring such suffering for us sinners.
The feast day of St. Nicholas of Tolentino is celebrated on September 10. He is the patron saint of the souls in purgatory and the dying.
The parents of St. Nicholas were childless when they visited the Shrine of St. Nicholas of Myrna at Bari, Italy. The year after praying for a child they became parents. They named their child Nicholas in gratitude for their prayer being answered.
At the age of 18, Nicholas became an Augustinian monk. He was ordained a priest at 25. St. Nicholas was known for his visions and gift of miracles. He received a vision of angels reciting the phrase “to Tolentino”. He decided to move to Tolentino in 1274 where he lived the rest of his life.
St. Nicholas was a peacemaker during a time of war. He was also a miracle worker and healer. He often visited prisoners and was known for his kindness.
Once after becoming ill, he had a vision in which the Virgin Mary, St. Augustineand St. Monica appeared to him. They told him to eat a certain type of roll dipped in water. He was healed after doing so. He then began healing others by giving bread to them and reciting Marian prayers. The rolls become known as St. Nicholas Bread.
Many legends and miracles are credited to St. Nicholas. Over 300 miracles have been recognized.
After a long illness in which he became bedridden and suffered greatly, St. Nicholas died in 1245, surrounded by his community.
St. Nicholas of Tolentino was canonized by Pope Eugene IV in 1446.
There is no sin or wrong that gives a man a foretast of hell in this life as anger and impatience.
Quote of St. Catherine of Sienna; Feast day April 29
The feast day of St. Rose of Viterbo is celebrated on September 4. Rose was born in Viterbo, Italy in 1234. The city was in revolt against the pope. Her family was exiled for supporting the Pope. After the Pope won the dispute, Rose returned to the city.
St. Rose was pious from a very young age. She practiced contemplative prayer by age 7. She had the gift of miracles and visions. While still a child she is credited with the healing of her Aunt who was believed to be dead. At the age of ten, Mary instructed her to join the 3rd Order of St. Francis. Shortly after, Our Lord appeared to her on a cross wearing a crown of thorns. When Rose asked him why this had happened he told her his deep love for men was the reason. Rose persisted asking him who had pierced him. He told her:
The sins of men have done it.
This vision inspired young Rose to take to the streets preaching penance. St. Rose tried and failed to join the Order of Poor Clare’s due to lack of a dowry. She tried to found a religious community of her own but it was not approved. She lived a life of prayer and penance in her father’s home. She died in 1251 at the age of 18.
The body of St. Rose was discovered to be incorrupt and lies in the monastery of St. Mary of the Roses which refused her entry. St. Rose was canonized in 1457.
Rose’s dying words to her parents were:
“I die with joy, for I desire to be united to my God. Live so as not to fear death. For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening, but sweet and precious.“
