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Twenty Five Popular Patron Saints For Men To Consider As Their Confirmation Name

February 21, 2026 Vicki Scheenstra

Easter is just around the corner! Students of Catholicism are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. At the Easter vigil adults coming into the Catholic faith will be baptized, receive their first communion and be confirmed.

The list below is twenty five male patron saints which men might be interested in as they choose their patron saint for confirmation.

Young Catholics will receive the sacrament during the Easter season, when the Bishop of their diocese visits their parish.

The sacrament of confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation. First is baptism which is often received shortly after birth. Second is Communion or Eucharist, which received at age of reason, usually seven or eight years of age. The third is confirmation. The age for confirmation is decided upon by the Bishop of the Diocese and can range from age of reason to high school.

When confirmed, the person is “sealed with the Holy Spirit”. The sacrament makes the person a full member of the Catholic Church. It’s history goes back to Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. On Pentecost the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and their confusion was lifted. The Apostles received gifts from the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the following: 1.Wisdom, 2.Understanding, 3. Counsel, 4. Courage 5.Knowledge 6. Reverence, 7. Wonder and awe. Not everyone receives the same gifts.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit come when we make use of the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the following: 1. Charity 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Patience 5. Kindness 6. Goodness 7. Generosity 8. Gentleness 9. Faithfulness 10. Modesty 11. Self-control 12 Chastity

The person being confirmed chooses a patron saint. The name of the saint is the name the bishop will use when he anoints him/her and lays hands in prayer on them. The saint is to be a role model and guide for the person throughout their life. In good times and bad, we ask our patron saint to pray with us and for us.

Are you searching for a patron saint?

The following twenty five saints should be considered as you choose your patron saint.

St. Andrew the Apostle

Feast day: Nov. 30

Patron of fishermen

Apostle and martyr

St. Andrew was the brother to Simon Peter. They were both fishermen. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and the first apostle to be called by Jesus. When Andrew asked Jesus where he lived Jesus responded “Come and See.” Andrew then told Simon Peter about Jesus saying “We have found the Messiah!”

After the resurrection, St. Andrew preached in Greece.

St. Andrew was martyred by crucifixion.

St. Anthony of Padua

Feast day: June 13

Patron of lost items and missing persons

Doctor of the Church

St. Anthony was born in Portugal in 1195. He joined the Augustinian Order. Later he joined the Franciscan Order at age 26. He is called “The hammer of the Heretics.” His preaching was simple and easy to understand. The Infant child Jesus miraculously appeared to him.

St. Anthony was canonized less than one year after his death in 1231.

St. Augustine of Hippo

Feast day: Aug. 28

Patron of Brewers

Father of the Church

St. Augustine was the patron of brewers because of his lifestyle which included loose living and parties. His mother was St. Monica, who prayed for him for many years. He finally converted after reading a passage of scripture which said, “put away all impurity and live in imitation of Jesus.” This passage helped him to decide to return to the faith.

He was baptized by St. Ambrose. Eventually, he became the Bishop of Hippo. He is know for the poem “Too late have I loved You.”

In the year 430, he fell ill. He spent his last days in prayer, dying on Aug. 28.

St. Bernard Clairvaux Public Domain Image — St. Bernard Clairvaux

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Feast day: Aug. 20

Doctor of the Church

Patron saint of mountaineers, The Alps

St. Bernard was born in Burgundy, France. After his mother’s death he entered the Cistercian Order. He founded a monastery known as the Abbey of Clairvaux. He was the Abbot. He refused offers to become a bishop. In 1128, he participated in the Council of Troyes. He was known for fighting against heresies.

In 1139, he assisted in the Second Council of the Lateran. He encouraged Lectio Divina and contemplation on scripture.

St. Dominic

Feast day: Aug 8

Patron of Astronomers

Founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans)

St. Dominic was born in 1170 into a wealthy family at Calaruega, Spain. As a priest he preached against the Albigensianism heresy. He also helped to reform the Cistercians.

He organized the Order of Preachers, known as the Dominican Order. They were traveling preachers who practiced a life of prayer and penance.

St. Dominic spread the Marian devotion of praying the Rosary.

St. Dominic died on Aug. 6

St. Francis of Assisi

Feast day: Oct. 4

Patron of environment and animals

Founder of The Franciscan Order

St. Francis was born in Assisi, Italy in 1181 into a wealthy family. He lived a wild life when young, becoming a soldier. However, God appeared to him in a dream telling him to go home.

Later, in prayer, God said “Francis, repair my church.” Francis took this literally, and began to repair the church buildings which were falling down. Eventually, it led Francis to leave his family, founding the Franciscan Order. Franciscans took a vow of poverty and served the sick and poor.

St. Francis loved animals and nature. Birds and wild animals had no fear of him. He also composed music.

St. Francis died in 1226.

St. Gregory the Great

Feast day: Sept. 3

Patron saint of students, teachers, musicians

Doctor of the Church

St. Gregory became a prefect of Rome before the age of 30. The pope chose him to be one of his seven deacons. At age 50 he was elected pope. He is know for reforming the liturgy. The Gregorian chant is attributed to St. Gregory.

Pope Gregory became a Benedictine monk living in his own home. He founded six monasteries after five years in office. He also re-energized the missionary work of the church.

Pope Gregory died in 604. He was declared a saint by popular acclamation.

St. Jerome

Feast day: Sept. 30

Patron of librarians, students, and orphans

Doctor of the Church

St. Jerome was born in 342 in Aquileio. He is the most educated of the Church Fathers. He was baptized by Pope Liberius in 360.

Wanting a religious library, he copied St. Hilary’s books. He is most famous for his translation of the Bible from Hebrew into Latin (the vulgate). He also wrote many commentaries on scripture. He was a priest, confessor, theologian and historian.

St. Jerome died near Bethlehem on Sept. 30, 420.

In art he is shown as one of the four church fathers (Augustine of Hippo, Ambrose, Pope Gregory the Great and Jerome).

St. John the Baptist

Feast day: June 24

Patron of prosperity, baptism and conversion

Cousin to Jesus

John the Baptist was the cousin to Jesus. He was the son of Elizabeth, who miraculously conceived in her old age. Zechariah was his father.

At age 30 John began to preach in Jordan against evil behavior. He called everyone to penance and baptism, saying the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. He baptized large crowds of people. Eventually, he baptized Jesus, saying. “It is I who need baptism from You.”

It is John who identified Jesus as “The Lamb of God”.

John the Baptist is considered the last of the Old Testament prophets.

John was beheaded at the request of the daughter of the king on June 24th.

St. John the Evangelist

Feast day: Dec. 27

Patron of Book sellers, printers, art dealers

Apostle

St. John was a Galilean, born to Zebedee. His mother was Salome. He was the Brother to St. James the Greater. John and James were known as “the sons of thunder.” St. John is also known as “The beloved disciple” and “The Apostle of Charity”.

John was with Jesus at the marriage feast of Cana. He was given the honor of sitting next to Jesus at the Last Supper. He was also with Jesus during all of his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the crucifixion. He was the only Apostle who stood with the holy women at the foot of the cross.

Jesus spoke about him from the cross, saying “Woman, behold thy son”. John took Mary the mother of Jesus into his home after Jesus’ death and cared for her.

St. John was the first Apostle to recognize Jesus when he appeared to them on the shore.

St. John worked in Jerusalem and at Ephesus after the death of Jesus, living in Asia Minor. He wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and possibly the Book of Revelation.

St. John of the Cross

Feast day: Dec. 14

Patron saint of poets, mystics, and contemplatives

Doctor of the Church

John of the Cross was born in Spain in 1542. After the death of his father he attended a school for orphans. His mother kept the family together inspite of being homeless. At the age of 14 he took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered mental and terminal illnesses. From poverty and suffering John found beauty and happiness not in the world but in God.

St. John joined the Carmelite Order. He met and became a friend to St. Teresa of Avila. She asked him to help him reform the order. Threatened by the change John envisioned, he was captured and imprisoned by members of his own order, being locked in a small room and beaten regularly. After nine months he escaped, taking only his mystical poetry with him. This poetry includes The Dark Night of the Soul.

St. John of the Cross died in 1591.

St. Joseph

Feast day March 19, May 1

Patron of fathers, a happy death, workers, foster children

Foster father of Jesus

Husband to the Blessed Virgin

Joseph was engaged to be married to Mary, when she was found with child. He was going to divorce her quietly to avoid scandal, however an angel appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do no be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Mat: 1: 20-21

Joseph immediately took Mary as his wife.

The angel appeared to Joseph a second time. This time he was told his family was in danger. They fled to Egypt where they stayed until the angel told him it was safe to return.

Joseph worked as a carpenter. He was the foster father of Jesus, loving him and providing for him and Mary. Jesus, Mary and Joseph are referred to as “The Holy Family”.

We celebrate two feast days for St. Joseph. The first is on March 19; Feast day of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. The second feast day is May 1; Feast day of St. Joseph the worker.

St. Joseph is the patron for a happy death because tradition tells us that he died with Jesus and Mary at his side.

St. Jude Thaddius Public Domain Image — St. Jude Thaddius

St. Jude Thaddaeus

Feast day: Oct. 28

Patron of desperate causes

Apostle and martyr

St. Jude was an apostle of Jesus. He was brother to St. James the Less. He is not the same person as Judas who betrayed our Lord.

St. Jude is the author of an epistle in the Bible. Because he stressed the need to persevere during difficult times, he is considered the patron of desperate causes.

Tradition tells us that he suffered martyrdom along with the apostle Simon the Zealot in Beirut, a province of Syria. In art he is shown with an ax which was used in his execution.

St. Justin Martyr

Feast day: June 1

Patron of philosophers

Martyr

Father of the Church

St. Justin Martyr lived from 100-165. He was born a Gentile at Flavia, Neapolis. He converted to Christianity and defended the faith in Asia Minor and Rome. He wrote two “Apologies”. These were attempts to explain the faith. His first Apology is one of the earliest records teaching the meaning of the Eucharist.

St. Justin was a student of philosophy. After his conversion, he continued to debate philosophy publicly with his fellow students. A rival philosopher turned Justin in to authorities because of his faith. He was put on trial and then executed. He was beheaded in the year 165.

St. Justin Martyr is considered a Father of the Church.

St. Luke

Feast day: Oct. 18

Patron of physicians and surgeons

Author of the Gospel of Luke and The Acts of the Apostles

St. Luke was a gentile who spoke Greek. He followed Paul after the Resurrection of Jesus. He accompanied Paul to Macedonia. When Paul was imprisoned, St. Luke stayed near him.

St. Luke was born at Antioch in Spain. He is referred to as a physician by St. Paul, St. Jerome and St. Irenaeus. He is referred to as “the beloved physician” by Paul in Col. 4:14.

The Gospel of Luke focuses on God’s mercy and forgiveness of sinners. Only in the Gospel of Luke does the story of the Prodigal Son appear.

St. Mark the Evangelist

Feast day: April 25

Patron of attorneys, prisoners, notaries

Martyr

St. Mark was a disciple of Jesus who traveled with St. Paul. He accompanied Paul and Barnabus on their missionary journey.

St. Mark wrote the second gospel when Romans requested that he write down the teachings of St. Peter. Tradition says that he was present at the Miracle of Cana when Jesus turned the water into wine.

Tradition also tells us he was martyred in the year 68 by being dragged through the street with a rope around his neck.

He is portrayed as a lion because his Gospel begins with John the Baptist crying “Make ready the way of the Lord”.

The relics of St. Mark are in Venice.

St. Matthew

Feast day: Sept. 21

Apostle

Patron saint of bankers and accountants

Martyr

St. Matthew was one of the twelve called to be an Apostle. He was a tax collector before Jesus called him to follow him. He is also known as ‘Levi”.

The Gospel of Mathew was written in Aramaic which the Hebrew tongue. The Gospel of Mathew has the most parables of the Gospels. It also has the Beatitudes which are in the Sermon on the Mount. Tradition tells us that he worked in Ethiopia.

Tradition tells us that St. Matthew died a martyrs death, being killed with an ax.

St. Michael the Archangel

Feast day: Sept. 29

Archangel

Patron of police, paratroopers, mariners, sickness

The name Michael means “Who is like God.” St. Michael is the leader of the good angels. He is considered a warrior angel. In the Book of Revelations it is St. Michael who is the leader during the final battle between good and evil at the end of time.

St. Michael the Archangel is the patron of police because of his battle against evil. St. Michael defend me in battle is a popular Catholic prayer.

St. Michael has appeared in three places: the cave of St. Michael in Italy, Mont St. Michel in France and The Grotto of St. Michael in Mexico.

St. Patrick

Feast day: March 17

Patron of Ireland, slaves

St. Patrick was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, in 387. At age 14 he was captured by a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. As a slave, he tended to the sheep. He turned to God in prayer. His prayer “The Breastplate of St. Patrick” is well known.

Patrick was a slave until the age of 20. He received guidance in a dream. He was led to sailors who took him to Britain. In another dream, the people of Ireland asked him to return.

He became a priest, then a Bishop. As Bishop he was sent back to Ireland. Many people converted under his guidance. He is known for using the shamrock to explain the Trinity.

He died in Saul, where he built his first church, on March 17, 461.

St. Paul

Feast day: June 29

Apostle

Martyr

Author of 14 Epistles

Patron of converts, authors, writers, publishers

St. Paul is known as the Apostle of the Gentiles. He is also known as Saul of Tarsus. Before his conversion, he was persecuting Christians. In the Book of Acts his conversion story is told. Paul hears a voice saying “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Paul replies, “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up enter the city and you will be told what to do.” Acts 9: 4-6

After this experience Paul was baptized, and he began preaching that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He fled Damascus returning to see Peter. Paul traveled on several missionary journeys, accompanied by Barnabus.

He was imprisoned in Caesarea and then in Rome, being kept in chains. After his release he went to Spain. He was imprisoned again and beheaded in the year 67.

St. Paul wrote 14 Epistles which have greatly influenced the Christian faith.

St. Peregrine Laziosi

Feast day: May 1

Patron of cancer victims

St. Peregrine was born to wealthy parents in Forli, Italy in 1260. He was active in politics when he was young, being a member of the anti-papal party. After striking St. Philip Benizi in the face at an uprising he repented and converted to Catholicism.

St. Peregrine received a vision of the Virgin Mary, after which he followed her instructions to join the Servites, observing silence and solitude.

He was afflicted with a tumor on his leg which the doctors wanted to amputate. He spent the night before the operation in prayer. The following morning he was completely cured and the tumor was gone. The miracle became well known.

St. Peregrine died at the age of 85.

St. Peter

Feast day: June 29

Patron of fishermen

Apostle and martyr

Peter’s name at birth was Simon. He was from Bethsaida and the brother to St. Andrew. Both Simon and Peter were fishermen. It was Andrew who told Simon that he had found the Messiah. Jesus then called Simon to follow him.

Jesus gave Simon the name of Peter which means “rock”. When Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah, the son of the living God, Jesus said to him, “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

St. Peter is always listed as the first of the Apostles in all of the New Testament accounts. Peter, along with James and John were present at the transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the Agony in the Garden.

At the crucifixion Peter denied Jesus three times.

When Jesus appeared to Peter after the Resurrection, he told Peter three times “feed my sheep”.

After the Resurrection, Peter appointed the replacement of Judas. He preached to the Gentiles.

Peter died in Rome during the reign of Nero. He was crucified upside down because he declared himself unworthy to die in the same manner as the Lord.

St. Sebastian

Feast day: Jan. 20

Martyr

Patron of archers, athletes and soldiers

St. Sebastian was born in Gaul. He became a soldier in the Roman army. Sebastian converted many people to the christian faith. He is also known for curing a deaf mute.

St. Sebastian was named captain of the guards. When they learned he was Christian, he was ordered executed. He was shot with arrows and left to die. The widow of St. Castulas found him still alive and nursed him back to health. Soon after, he was beaten to death on the Emperors orders.

St. Sebastian is considered the patron saint of athletes because of his physical endurance and energetic way of defending the faith.

St. Thomas the Apostle

Feast day: July 3

Patron of architects

Apostle and Martyr

St. Thomas was born into a Jewish family. Jesus called him to be one of the twelve disciples.

He is most remembered for not believing that Jesus had risen from the dead, saying “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in his side I will not believe. John 20: 25

Jesus appeared to Thomas a week later saying “Peace be with you. Put your finger here and see my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered “My Lord and my God!”

St. Thomas is remembered as Doubting Thomas.

After Pentecost, Thomas was sent to evangelize the Parthians, Medes, Persians, and India.

St. Thomas was speared to death at Calamine.

St. Vincent de Paul

Feast day: Sept. 27

Patron of Charitable Societies

St. Vincent was born in 1581 to poor parents in Gascony, France. His first school was led by Franciscans. He was ordained a priest in 1600 after studying at the University of Toulousse.

St. Vincent was captured by pirates while he was at sea. They held him prisoner for two years. He escaped, going to Rome and then returning to France.

St. Vincent founded the Sister of Charity who served the poor through corporal and spiritual works of mercy. He then founded the Vincentians. Their mission was to serve the poor in smaller towns and villages. He also conducted retreats for clergy and established seminaries.

St. Vincent died at the age of 80.

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Eucharist, Heaven, Pope Leo XIV, Quotes of Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Carlo Acutis

The Feast Day of Carlo is celebrated on October 12. Carlo Acutis was born on May 3, 1991 in London to Italian parents who working there. He was raised in Milan, Italy. Carlo died at the age of 15 in Manza, Italy of leukemia on October 12, 2006.

St. Carlo Acutis was beatified by Pope Francis in 2020 and Canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 7, 2025. He is considered the first millennial saint and the patron saint of the internet.

At a young age of 11, Carlo became very interested in Eucharistic Miracles. He visited the birthplace of many of the saints and sites of the Eucharistic miracles. His passion for the Eucharist led him to use his skills as a coder to build a website cataloging over 150 Miracles. He listed them by country and date. His site is still active at Carlo Acutis La dlinea del tempo di Carlo Acutis

St. Carlos was known for being very generous. He helped the poor and defended students in his school from bullies. He enjoyed helping the elderly and disabled. His passion for his faith inspired his parents to become active in their faith. They enrolled in a theology class so they could answer questions which came up.

At the age of 14, Carlo fell ill. At first, they believed he had the flu; however he was diagnosed with acute Myeloid Leukemia. Afte r suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage, he went into a coma and died on October 12.

Initially buried in Ternengo his body was reburied in January 2007 in Assisi because of his devotion to St. Francis of Assisi.

St. Carlo is credited with two miracles. The healing of a Brazilian boy born with a malformed pancreas was healed after prayers of intercession to Blessed Carlo in 2020. The second miracle occurred in Costa Rico then a woman was healed in 2024 after suffering a serious head injury. Prayers of intercession were prayed at St. Acutis’s tomb after which she was healed. These miracles led to the canonization of St. Carlo in 2025 by Pope Leo XIV.

Faith, Pope Leo XIV, Prayer, Quote

Quote for Today Pope Leo XIV

Unity in the Church and among the Churches is fostered by forgiveness and mutual trust, beginning with our families and communities. If Jesus can trust us, we can certainly trust one another in his name.

June 29,2025 Pope Leo XIV on X.

The history of Peter and Paul shows us that the communion to which the Lord calls us is a unison of voices and personalities that does not eliminate anyone’s freedom. Our patron saints followed different paths, had different ideas and at times argued with one another with evangelical frankness. Yet this did not prevent them from living a living communion in the Spirit, a fruitful harmony in diversity.

June 29,2025. Pope Leo XIV on X

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN – MAY 8: The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. White smoke was seen over the Vatican early this evening as the Conclave of Cardinals took just two days to elect Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo (Leone) XIV, as the 267th Supreme Pontiff after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Faith, Prayer, Quote, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes from the Saints about Truth

Many in the world today are discovering that not everything we believe is actually true. The following quotes are attributed to the Saints. Hopefully they will help us to understand the meaning of Truth.

4. Proclaim the Truth and do not be silent through fear.

St. Catherine of Siena

5. Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.

St. Vincent de Paul

6. He is an all-powerful God, who is Truth

St. Faustina

7. Faith and Reason are like two wings of the human spirit, which it sours to the Truth.

St. John Paul II

8. There is no true peace without fairness, truth, justice and solidarity.

St. John Paul II

9. I can nourish myself on nothing but Truth.

St. Therese of Lisieux

10. Jesus said, ” I am the Truth” and it is your duty and mine to speak the truth, then it is up to the person who hears it whether to accept or reject it.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Bl. Teresa of Calcutta
U.S. Stamp
Public Domain Image

11. When lies have been accepted for some time, Truth always stands with an air of novelty.

St. Clement of Alexandria…Church Father

12. True happiness is to rejoice in the Truth, for to rejoice in theTruth is to rejoice in you, O God, who are the Truth, you my God, my true Light, to whom I look for salvation.

St. Augustine

13. To lovers of the Truth, nothing can be put before God and Home in Him.

St. Basil

14. Do not accept anything as Love which lacks Truth.

St Edith Stein

15. If I do not speak the truth, I become a slave of the father of lies and beome a member of the Father of lies.

St. Jerome Emiliani

16. Speak the Truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills.

St. Catherine of Siena

17. Sin makes a man a coward, a life in the Truth of Christ makes him bold.

St. John Chrysostom

18. For He who is true God is also True man; and there is no deception in this union, where the loftiness of God and the lowliness of man are brought together.

St. Leo the Great

19. No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek Truth and to serve it when we have found it.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

20. Serve the Lord in fear and Truth.

St. Polycarp…Church Father

21. God is supreme Truth; and to be humble is to walk in Truth.

St. Teresa of Avila.

22. Charity and kindness unwedded to Truth are not charity and kindness but deceit and vanity.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

23. My longing for truth was a single prayer.

St Edith Stein

24. Seek the Truth, Do the Good, Love the Beautiful!

St. John Henry Newman

25. What prayer could be more true before God the Father than that which the Son, who is Truth, uttered with His own lips?

St. John Chrysostom

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Baptism, Faith, Featured, Poetry, Prayer, Sacrament

Washed Clean

Baptism

Washed Clean

by living water

The stain

of sin

has been

removed

Redeemed

by the Spririt

My Soul is renewed

No longer

constantly confused

My soul is

as white as snow

All fear and despair

are removed

Faith, Hope and Love

has filled my soul

Born again

by the Spirit

I am called

to love

and serve

the Lord

Featured, History, Jesuit Saints, Martyr

Saints from the United States of America

October 23, 2022 Vicki Scheenstra

During colonial times, Catholic immigrants coming to the U.S.from Europe settled primarily in the colonies of Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York. Laws protecting religious freedom had not yet been written. Intolerance between religious groups was a common occurrence.

After over fifty years without a bishop, Father John Carroll, a Jesuit, was consecrated bishop and served the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Catholics were a distinct minority at the time. Bishop Carroll estimated the Catholic population in the colonies to be 25,000, or less than one percent of the total population. The church grew rapidly under his guidance.

Today, according to Pew Research there are 75 million Catholics in the United States, approximately 24 percent of the total population.

The colonial Catholics were served by missionaries, both Jesuits and Franciscans.

The following men and women in the U.S. have been proclaimed saints by the Pope. They are considered role models in holiness for Catholics today to turn to for guidance.

There are four steps to becoming a saint in the Catholic Church.

Servant of God…….Formal investigation has begun…………………….82 investigations ongoing
Venerable……………Heroic virtue has been decreed by Pope……….16 from U.S.A.
Blessed……………….First miracle has been confirmed……………………7 from U.S.A.
Saint..………………….Second miracle has been confirmed……………..12 from U.S.A.

The following saints have lived in the United States. Most are immigrants, however two were born in the United States; Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American saint and Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first saint from the United States to be canonized.

The Catholic Church teaches that everyone in heaven is a saint. The Church declares certain people to be saints when their holiness is obvious, if they were martyred for the faith and after miracles attributed to them have been investigated.

While there are thousands of declared saints, only the following Americans have received the official title of Saint.

North America Jesuit Martyrs Public Domain Image — North America Jesuit Martyrs

North American Martyrs

In the 1600’s, eight French Jesuit missionaries lost their lives while trying to spread the news of the gospel to the Huron, Iroquois, and Mohawk Indians. Three of them died in what is now New York State, five of them died in what is now Canada.

Isaac Jogues, René Goupil and Jean La Laude died in New York.

John DeBrebeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, Anthony Daniel, and Noel Chabanel died in Canada.

St. René Goupit was a Jesuit Lay brother. He was the first to be martyred. He was killed by tomahawk at Osermenon, (Auriesville, NY)) in 1942.

Father Isaac Jogues, a Jesuit priest, was held captive by the Mohawks for thirteen months. He had several fingers cut off his hand. He escaped and returned to France. He later returned to the mission. He was killed by tomahawk by a Mohawk brave in 1946.

St. Jean de La Lande, a Jesuit donné (not a member of the Society, but at their service) tried to retrieve Father Isaac Jogues’ body, but was killed also.

These martyrs were the first saints of North America. The martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius XI on June 29, 1930.

The memorial in the U.S.A is celebrated on Oct. 19. The memorial in Canada is celebrated on September 26.

The martyrs are patron saints of America

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Public Domain Image — St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Francesco Cabrini was born in Lombardi, Italy in 1850. She was one of 13 children, raised on a farm. She attended school in a convent. 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 was dedicated in 1955. It is located in Chicago at Lincoln Park. Chicago is the city where she primarily lived, worked and died.

The feast day of St. Frances Cabrini is celebrated on November 13th.

St. Frances Cabrini was beatified on Nov. 13, by Pope Pius XI. St. Frances Cabrini was canonized on July 7, 1946 by Pope Pius XII.

St. Frances Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants. orphans and against malaria.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native born American to be canonized a saint.

Elizabeth was born on Aug. 28, 1774 in New York City. She was raised in the Episcopal Church. At the early age of 3 her mother died. At the age of 19 she married William Seton, a wealthy businessman.

Within four years, she suffered the death of her father in-law which left William in charge, not only of his father’s business but the seven half-brothers and sisters as well. The business failed, forcing bankruptcy.

William became ill with tuberculosis. In an attempt to find a cure they moved to Italy. He died while living in Italy. Elizabeth grew very close to God. She accepted and embraced the will of God. Elizabeth eventually was led into the Catholic church. She had a strong devotion to the Virgin Mary.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton established the first free Catholic school in America. On March 25, 1809 she took a vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She became the founder of the Sisters of Charity, which followed the rules written by St. Vincent de Paul for the Daughters of Charity in France. She became Mother Seton.

Her final years were spent leading and developing the new congregation. The sisters opened free schools and orphanages along the East Coast.

Elizabeth. died in 1821 of tuberculosis at age 46.

Pope John XXIII canonized her as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton on Sept. 14, 1975. He stated, “In a house that was very small, but with ample space for charity, she sowed a seed in America.”

The feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is celebrated on Jan. 4.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the patron saint of in-law troubles and loss of children.

St. John Newman Public Domain Image — St. John Newman

St. John Neumann

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.

His desire to hear confessions led him to learn at least six languages. He knew Spanish, English, French, Italian, Dutch and Gaelic.

Bishop Neumann died at the age of 48 on Jan. 5, 1860.

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 he had founded renamed the College Neumann College. It was later given University status.

St. John Neumann was beatified on Oct. 13, 1963 by Pope Paul VI.

St. John Neumann was canonized on June 19, 1977 by Pope Paul VI.

The feast day of St. John Neumann is celebrated on Jan. 5, the day of his death.

St. John Neumann is the patron saint of Catholic education.

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose was born in Grenoble, France in 1769. She was drawn to the contemplative life. During the French revolution she spent her time nursing prisoners. She soon joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

During Eucharistic Adoration she experienced a vision where she was serving God in the New World. Twelve years later , at the age of 49, she moved to the United States. She was sent to the Louisiana Territory.

In Louisiana, she opened the first free school west of the Missouri River. By 1828 she had founded six houses. She worked among the Potawatomie Indians who named her Quah-kak-ka-num-ad, “Woman-Who-Prays-Always”.

St. Rose died at the age of 83 at St. Charles, Missouri on November 18, 1852.

St. Rose was Beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1940.

St. Rose was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

The Feast Day of St. Rose is celebrated on November 18.

St. Rose is the patron saint of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri

St. Theodore Guerin

St. Theodore Guérin’s birth name was Anne Thérése. She was born on Oct. 2, 1798 in Etables, France. Her father served in Napoleon’s navy. At the young age of 15 her father was murdered by bandits while traveling home for a visit.

Anne Thérése turned to God in the difficult years following his death. At the age of 25 she entered the Sisters of Providence to serve the poor, sick and dying. Anne Thérése became Sister Theodore. She was asked to lead a small missionary band of Sisters to the United States in Indiana.

Mother Théodore accepted the mission in spite of her fragile health. She could only consume soft, bland food and liquid. She traveled to the Unites States with five other sisters. After surviving a violent storm at sea in the trip Mother Théodore wrote the following:

“What strength the soul draws from prayer! In the midst of a storm, how sweet is the calm it finds in the heart of Jesus. But what comfort is there for those who do not pray?”

Mother Théodore established schools in Indiana and Illinois. She is described as saintly by people who knew her.

Sixteen years after coming to the United States she died. She is buried in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana.

St. Théodore Guérin was beatified on Oct. 25, 1998 by Pope John Paul II.

St. Théodore Guérin was canonized on Oct. 15, 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.

The feast day of Théodore Guérin is celebrated on October 3.

St. Théodore Guérin is the patron saint of the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana.

St. Katharine Drexel Public Domain Image — St. Katharine Drexel

St. Katherine Drexel

St. Katerine Drexel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Nov. 26, 1858. She was the child of wealthy parents who taught her to be generous.

Katherine became a Sister in 1889 at the age of 31. She founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Black and Native American people. She dedicated her life and great wealth to this work.

She helped to open the first mission school for Indians in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Other schools soon followed. She then founded Xavier University in New Orleans.

St. Katherine Drexel is the second recognized American born saint.

Katherine Drexel was beatified on Nov. 2, 1988 by Pope John Paul II.

St. Katherine Drexel was canonized on Oct. 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

We celebrate the feast day of St. Katherine Drexel on March 3.

St. Katherine Drexel is the patron saint of philanthropists and racial justice.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha

St. Kateri is the first Native American saint. She was born in 1656 to the daughter of a Mohawk warrior and a Catholic Alqonquin.

When Kateri was four years old smallpox attacked her family. Her mother and little brother died from the disease. Kateri’s face was scarred by the disease and she became partially blind. Her two Aunts and an Uncle adopted her.

On Easter, 1676, Kateri was baptized by Jesuit missionary Father Jacques de Lambertville at the age of 20. She was devoted to prayer, penitential practices and the care of the sick and aged in Caughnawaga near Montreal. Her relics are now enshrined in Caughnawaga..

Because of her conversion, she incurred hostility from her tribe. She went to a new Christian colony in Indianan, Canada. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to “Christ crucified.” She spent much time praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Her motto was…

“Who can tell me what is most pleasing to God that I may do it?”

At the age of 23 Kateri died on Wednesday of Holy Week, at approximately 3 p.m. Within fifteen minutes after her death, her face, which was marked by smallpox, was healed and became beautiful. Father Cholone called others to see what had happened.

Miraculous cures at the Sault Mission were frequent that year (1682) and attributed to Kateri. She appeared to many people after her death, always carrying a cross.

She was beatified (declared Blessed) by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter’s Basilica on October 21, 2012.

We celebrate St. Kateri‘s feast day on July 14. She was known as “the Lily of the Mohawks”.

St. Kateri Takakwitha is the patron saint of the environment.

St. Damien of Molokai Public Domain Image — St. Damien of Molokai

St. Damien de Veuster

St. Damien of Molokai was born Joseph de Veuster on Jan. 3, 1840 in Tremelo, Belgium. He was raised on a farm. He chose the name Damien when he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Damien was still in minor orders when he volunteered to go to Hawaii. Two months after his arrival in Hawaii, he was ordained a priest on May 24, 1864.

The Hawaiin King Kamehameha IV created an isolated settlement on the island of Molakai to deal with the public health crisis. Many people were dying of influenza, syphilis and leprosy. Father Damien wished to minister to the sick so he asked his Bishop to send him to Molokai knowing the risk of death.

When he arrived in Molokai, there were 600 lepers for him to minister to. He built the Parish Church of St. Philomena for the people to learn the Catholic faith. He restored personal pride and dignity to people who needed hope. He provided care and comfort for sixteen years. working as a priest, doctor and builder. He built houses, a school and an orphanage. Not only did he dress their ulcers, he also built over 600 coffins and dug graves.

Father Damien said ” My greatest pleasure is to go there (the cemetery) to say my beads, and meditate on that unending happiness which so may of them are already enjoying.”.

In 1885, Father Damien contracted leprosy. In his final years, he enlarged his orphanages and sought help. St. Marianne Cope came with her sisters to help him while he was ill. She reassured him she would carry on his work.

Father Damien died at the age of 49 on April 15, 1889.

The feast day of Father Damien is celebrated on May 10.

Father Damien was beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 4, 1195.

St. Damien was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 11, 2009.

St. Damien is known as “The Apostle of the Lepers.”

St. Damien of Molokai is the patron saint of Hawaii, leprosy and the outcast.

St. Marianne Cope

St. Marianne Cope was the first Franciscan woman from North America to become a saint.

The birth name of St. Marianne Cope was Barbara Koob (now officially Cope) She was born on Jan 23, 1838 in SE Hessen, West Germany. She was one of ten children. Her father was a farmer. The family moved to the United States one year after her birth.

Her vocation to the religious life was delayed by the necessity to support her family when her father became ill. At the age of 25, Barbara entered the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse, New York. She received her religious habit and the name of Sister Marianne. She served as a teacher and principal in several elementary schools in New York. She also helped establish two of the first hospitals in central NY. In 1870, she became a nurse administrator at St. Joseph’s in Syracuse, NY.

In 1882, a priest requested help managing hospitals and schools in Hawaii; primarily working with leprosy patients. She responded to his letter with the following words.

“I am hungry for the work and I wish with all my heart to be one of the chosen ones, whose privilege it will be to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of the souls of the poor Islanders…I am not afraid of any disease, hence, It would be my greatest delight to minister to the abandoned lepers.”

Along with six other sisters of St. Francis, she arrived in Honolulu in Nov. 1833. Mother Marianne was the supervisor as they managed Kakóako Branch Hospital on Oahu which treated 200 leprosy patients. They began by thoroughly cleaning the hospital. They also opened a home for the healthy daughters of the patients who were ill.

Mother Marianne met Fr. Damien (now St. Damien…the Apostle to Lepers) in January 1884 while he was still healthy.

In 1887 the new government in charge of Hawaii closed the Hospital. In 1888, she went to Kalaupapa several months before the death of St. Damien. She reassured him she would provide care for the patients at the Boy’s Home at Kalawao on the Island of Molokai.

Three Sisters ran the Bishop Home for boys and girls.

Mother Marianne died in Hawaii of natural cause on August 9, 1918 and is buried on the grounds of Bishop Home.

The Saint Marianne Cope Shrine and Museum was built to honor her memory.

Mother Marianne was beatified on May 14, 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI.

St. Marianne Cope was canonized on Oct 21, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

The feast day of St. Marianne Cope is celebrated on January 23.

St. Marianne Cope is the patron saint of outcasts.

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Faith, Featured, Prayer, Quote, Spirituality

Twenty Five Quotes for Peace from the Saints

July 9, 2022 Vicki Scheenstra

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; I do not give to you as the world gives. Do no let not your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid.” John 14:27.

Quote of Jesus

Peace and serenity of heart are difficult to acquire. The world is a chaotic place to live. Our emotions can make us feel quite helpless. How do we find peace? How do we live in peace? Faith is a gift. With faith, we can pray for peace.

The following quotes of the saints are ‘pearls of wisdom’ to help us in our journey.

Lord, Make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

St. Francis of Assisi

2. Keep your soul at peace, in order to be able to be attentive and very faithful to the inner movement of the Holy Spirit.

St. Peter Julian Eymard

3. Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?”

St. Gerard Majella

4. Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.

St. Francis de Sales

5. From humility of heart proceed serenity of mind, gentleness of conduct, interior peace, and every good.”

St. Paul of the Cross

6. While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it more fully in your heart.

Saint Francis of Assisi

7. If you want peace, work for justice. If you want justice, defend life.
If you want life, embrace truth.

St. John Paul II

8. Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter.

St. Padre Pio

9. Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.

St Faustina

10. Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal

11. Let us not be justices of the peace, but angels of peace.

St. Therese of Lisieux

12. But above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure.

St. Mary Margaret Alacoque

13. Peace in the society depends on peace in family.

St. Augustine

14. Be at Peace. What God has started He will finish.

St. Faustina

15. Let peace be your quest and aim.

St. Benedict

16. Be peace loving.Peace is a precious treasure to be sought with great zeal. Live your life that you may receive the blessings of the Lord. Then the peace of God the Father will be with you always.

St. Francis of Paola

17. Maintain a spirit of peace and you will save a thousand souls.

St. Seraphim of Sarov

18. Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.

St. Jerome

19. The only way to peace is forgiveness.

St. John Paul II

20. What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

21. Abide in peace, banish cares, take no account of all that happens, and you will serve God according to His good pleasure and rest in Him.

St. John of the Cross

22. If you remain constant in faith in the face of trial, the Lord will give you peace and rest for a time in this world and forever in the next.

St. Jerome

23. We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God.

St. Francis de Sales

24. Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of the world disturb it.

St. John of the Cross

25. Peace demands four essential conditions: Truth, Justice, Love, and Freedom.

St. John Paul II

Faith, Featured, Spirituality

Prayers for Peace and Healing

February 23, 2022 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayer for Peace and Healing

May I be at Peace

May my heart remain open.

May I be aware of my true nature.

May I be healed.

May I be a source of healing for others.

May I dwell in the

Breath of God.

St. Teresa of Avila

O Blessed Jesus,

give stillness of soul in You.

Let Your mighty calmness reign in me.

Rule me, O King of Gentleness, King of Peace.

St. Teresa of Avila

And I saw a river over which every soul must pass to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, and the name of that river was suffering.and then I saw a boat which carried souls across the river, and the name of that boat was Love.

St. John of the Cross

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you.;

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, prais and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

St. Therese de Lisieux

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis

Prayer for Peace of Mind

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.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I pray for Your healing touch upon my body, mind and spirit.
I beg You to remove any fear or anxiety.
Fill me with the Peace that You alone can give.
I place myself completely in Your hands.

O my Lord Jesus, trusting in Your care and love for me, may my recovery be swift, my strength be renewed, and my health restored.

I lift up all my afflictions in Your hands, Lord, for You are the Divine Healer with Divine Mercy.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in You.
Amen.

Calendar, Faith, Feast Days, Featured, patron saints

Feast Days and Saint of the Day; MARCH CALENDAR

February 1, 2022 Vicki Scheenstra

St. David of Wales,,,Missionary priest
Bl. Henry Suso...Swabia…Dominican
St. Kathrine Drexel...U.S.A…patron saint of philanthropists and racial justice.
St. Casimer… Poland
St. John Joseph of the Cross…Italy…Franciscan Priest
St. Collette...France…Benedictine
St. Perpetua & St. Felicity...North Africa…Martyrs
St. John of God...Portugal…patron saint of booksellers, printers, firefighters, heart patients, hospitals, nurses and the sick.
St. Gregory of Nyssu...Bishop…Asia Minor
St. John Ogilvie Scotland…Martyr
St. Teresa Margarite of the Sacred Heart...Carmelite…Italy
St Seraphina...Italy
St. Leander...Spain…Benedictine…Doctor of the Church
St. Matilda…patron saint of widows
St. Louise de Marillac...France
St. Julian of Antioch…Cilicia (Turkey)…Martyr
St. Patrick...Patron saint of slaves, Ireland and snakes….Britain and Ireland
St. Cyril of Jerusalem...Doctor of the Church
St. Joseph…patron for a happy death
St. Ambrose Sansedoni…Italy…Dominican
Bl. Marie Candida of the Eucharist...Sicily…Carmelite
St. Catherine of Sweden…Abbess
St. Turibius of Magrovejo…Bishop…Spain
St. Oscar Romero y Galdomez…Archbishop…El Salvador…Martyr
Annunciation of the Lord St. Lucy...Benedictine … Italy
St. Margaret Clitherow...England…Martyr
St John of Egypt...Hermit
St. Sixtus.….Pope
St. Mark of Arethusa...Bishop
St. John Climacus ,,,Syria..Abbot
St. Benjamin,,,Deacon…Persia

Faith, Prayer, Spirituality

Remembering St. Teresa of Calcutta through pictures, quotes and prayers

Mother Teresa will soon be officially declared a saint!

The day before the feast day of Bl. Mother Teresa Pope Francis will proclaim that she is a saint. Her feast day is celebrated on Sept. 5. The world remembers her as a “living saint”.

St. Teresa of Calcutta was born to parents Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1916 in Skopje of Macedonia and named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was baptized on August 17, 1910 in Macedonia. She was the third child in her family, following sister Aga and a brother, Lazar. Her father, Nikola died, when she was eight years old. Her father was a traveler, an extrovert, and a businessman who spoke five languages. Her mother, Drana, was extremely pious, adopting several orphans. She was known as Gonxha (pronounced gon’KHA) which means “flower bud”.

Gonxha desired early to become a missionary. At the age of eighteen, she joined the Sisters of Loreto. Here she took the name of Sister Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. She was sent to Calcutta, India to teach at St. Mary’s High School for Girls, which was run by the Sisters of Loreto. On May 24, 1937, she took her final Profession of Vows to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She then became known as Mother Teresa. In 1944, she became principal of the school.

Mother Teresa received a second calling while on a train. Christ spoke to her, asking her to work in the slums of Calcutta, caring for the sickest and poorest of the people. Pursuing this calling changed her life forever. In one year, she received approval to do the work she was being called to do. After six months of basic medical training she went to the slums to aid the needy and dying. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity with 12 members, most of them students from St. Mary’s. She established a leper colony, an orphanage, a mission house, and several health clinics.

In 1971, Mother Teresa visited New York City, where she opened a soup kitchen and a home to care for HIV/AIDS sufferers. In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1983, Mother Teresa suffered her first heart attack. After suffering from lung, kidney and heart problems for several years, she died on Sept. 5, 1997, which is now her feast day. At the time of her death her Missionaries of Charity numbered over 4,000. She had 610 foundations in 123 countries.

Mother Teresa was beatified on October 19, 2003, after confirmation of her first miracle. The miracle was reported that a woman who had a large and very visible tumor, had stayed with the Missionaries of Charity. After she and the Sisters had prayed for Mother Teresa’s intercession, the growth, six to seven inches in length, had disappeared within several hours. Finding no other medical explanation for the sudden cure it was declared her first miracle. Over 3500 other reports are being investigated as possible miracles.

After accepting a second miracle, Pope Francis cleared the way for Mother Teresa to be declared a saint. Pope Francis signed a decree declaring that the inexplicable 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man who suddenly woke from a coma caused by a viral brain infection was due to the intercession of the Albanian nun, who died in 1997.

The Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, the postulator spearheading Mother Teresa’s canonization case, stated that the man fully recovered following his wife’s prayers and he has since returned to work as a mechanical engineer. The couple also have had two children.

In 2003, Mother Teresa’s private correspondence revealed she had experienced a “dark night of the soul”… feeling abandoned by God and lacking in faith. This lasted unusually long; for fifty years. Many saints have experienced such feelings, described by John of the Cross, in his book Dark Night of the Soul. She was filled with loneliness, and torture, due to this lack of consolation from God.

Each image in the following list is accompanied by a quote or prayer of Mother Teresa. The images are all public domain images.

As we celebrate the sainthood and feast day of St.Teresa of Calcutta on Sept. 5, let’s remember the remarkable things she did and said.

Sisters of Charity Public Domain Image — Sisters of Charity

Prayer of Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance
everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us
that every soul we come in contact with
may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,
to shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching,
not by words, but by our example;
by the catching force –
the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.

Amen

Mother Teresa with Child Public Domain Image — Mother Teresa with Child/Associated Press

Mother Teresa: Smile

“Let us always meet each other with a smile for the smile is the beginning of love.”

“Peace begins with a smile.”

“Every time you smile at someone it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: God and Faith

“We are nothing without God, but if we put our lives in God’s hands miracles happen.”

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

“Faith in action is love, and love in action is service. Byt transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God Himself, with Jesus our Lord.”

“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Prayer

The fruit of silence is prayer.

The fruit of prayer is faith.

The fruit of faith is love.

The fruit of love is service.

The fruit of service is peace.”

Mother Teresa

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhju (Mother Teresa)

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Abortion

“Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love but to use any violence to get what it wants.”

“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”

“There are two victims in every abortion: a dead baby and a dead conscience.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Love and Forgiveness

“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put into the doing. It is not how how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”

“I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

“If we really want to love we must learn to forgive.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Helping the Sick

“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”

“Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not come, we have only today. Let us begin.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Service

“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous, be happy anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Prayer

“Love to pray. Feel often during the day the need for prayer and take trouble to pray Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself. Ask and seek, and your heart will grow big enough to receive Him and keep Him as your own.”

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Silence

“We need to find God and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature; trees, flowers, grass, grow in silence. See the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls.”

“In the silence of the heart God speaks.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa: Love

“Love has a hem to her garment

that reaches the very dust.

It sweeps the stains from

the street and lanes,

and because it can, it must.”

Mother Teresa

Save

14 Helpers, Faith, Featured, Martyr

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Barbara, Feast Day Dec. 4

The feast day of St. Barbara is celebrated on December 4. She is one of the Holy Helpers who are known for the healing power of prayer. She is invoked to prevent sudden death.

St. Barbara was a virgin and a martyr. She lived in Sicily in the third century. Her father was a wealthy Syrian. When his wife died he devoted himself to his only daughter. Because Barbara was so beautiful, her father (Dioscorus) decided he needed to protect her from strangers and built her a tower. She was educated by pagan tutors.

From the tower, Barbara had a wonderful view of the meadows, hills and river. She developed a spirituality which focused on the beauty of creation by our creator. She also decided to devote herself to God and to remain a virgin. Because of her beauty she had many suitors, but she refused to marry.

Barbara’s father wanted her to marry, so he decided to let her come down from the tower and socialize. Barbara became friends with some Christians. While her father was away she was baptized after being instructed in the faith by a priest.

At the time, a bathhouse was being built on their property. It had two windows. Barbara requested a third window to create a trinity of light. Barbara traced the sign of the cross on one of the walls and it left an imprint on the marble. The water in the bathhouse became known for its healing power.

When her father returned from his traveling, he was furious to learn Barbara had converted to Christianity. He became enraged and almost struck her with a sword. Barbara fled into the hills and hid in a cave. She was eventually found and severely beaten. She was then turned over to the city prefect. Barbara was then tortured and had her wounds rubbed with a hair cloth. During the night, after praying for relief, Jesus appeared to her and healed them. The next day she was beaten again. A woman in the crown named Juliana denounced the torturers and she was also seized and tortured.

Barbara and Juliana were both tortured and paraded through town naked. An angel appeared after hearing Barbara’s prayers and gave them splendid robes. Both Barbara and Juliana were beheaded. St. Barbara was beheaded by her own father. Immediately, after the execution, he was struck by lightning.

The relics of St. Barbara were moved in the sixth century to Constantinople. Six hundred years later they were moved to Kiev.

St. Barbara is known for protecting against sudden death.

“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in his sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.”

Quote of St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day Oct. 4

December is the Month of the Divine

Faith, Featured, Our Lady, Saint of the Day, Spirituality, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Juan Diego, Feast Day December 9

St. Juan Diego

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 Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on Dec. 12th.

God calls and chooses us in the way we will be most pleasing to Him.

Quote of St. Catherine of Sienna; Feast Day April 29

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

Save

St. Andrew the Apostle

St. Anthony of Padua

St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Dominic

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Gregory the Great

St. Jerome

St. John the Baptist

St. John the Evangelist

St. John of the Cross

St. Joseph

St. Jude Thaddaeus

St. Justin Martyr

St. Luke

St. Mark the Evangelist

St. Matthew

St. Michael the Archangel

St. Patrick

St. Paul

St. Peregrine Laziosi

St. Peter

St. Sebastian

St. Thomas the Apostle

St. Vincent de Paul

1. Anyone who seeks Truth seeks God, whether or not he realizes it.

2. Truth is not private property.

3. Truth suffers but never dies.

4. Proclaim the Truth and do not be silent through fear.

4. Proclaim the Truth and do not be silent through fear.

5. Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.

6. He is an all-powerful God, who is Truth

7. Faith and Reason are like two wings of the human spirit, which it sours to the Truth.

8. There is no true peace without fairness, truth, justice and solidarity.

9. I can nourish myself on nothing but Truth.

10. Jesus said, ” I am the Truth” and it is your duty and mine to speak the truth, then it is up to the person who hears it whether to accept or reject it.

11. When lies have been accepted for some time, Truth always stands with an air of novelty.

12. True happiness is to rejoice in the Truth, for to rejoice in theTruth is to rejoice in you, O God, who are the Truth, you my God, my true Light, to whom I look for salvation.

13. To lovers of the Truth, nothing can be put before God and Home in Him.

14. Do not accept anything as Love which lacks Truth.

15. If I do not speak the truth, I become a slave of the father of lies and beome a member of the Father of lies.

16. Speak the Truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills.

17. Sin makes a man a coward, a life in the Truth of Christ makes him bold.

18. For He who is true God is also True man; and there is no deception in this union, where the loftiness of God and the lowliness of man are brought together.

19. No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek Truth and to serve it when we have found it.

20. Serve the Lord in fear and Truth.

21. God is supreme Truth; and to be humble is to walk in Truth.

22. Charity and kindness unwedded to Truth are not charity and kindness but deceit and vanity.

23. My longing for truth was a single prayer.

24. Seek the Truth, Do the Good, Love the Beautiful!

25. What prayer could be more true before God the Father than that which the Son, who is Truth, uttered with His own lips?

.

Baptism

Washed Clean

by living water

The stain

of sin

has been

removed

Redeemed

by the Spririt

My Soul is renewed

No longer

constantly confused

My soul is

as white as snow

All fear and despair

are removed

Faith, Hope and Love

has filled my soul

Born again

by the Spirit

I am called

to love

and serve

the Lord

North American Martyrs

St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. John Neumann

7. If you want peace, work for justice. If you want justice, defend life.
If you want life, embrace truth.