The feast day of St. Oswald is celebrated on Feb. 29.
St. Oswald was born to a military family in England. He was raised by his uncle, St. Odo, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury.
St. Oswald studied in France where he decided to join the Benedictine Order. He was appointed Bishop of Worcester then Archbishop of York. He was known for his reforms and the founding of monasteries. He was an adamant supporter of education especially math, science and astronomy. He was known for his love of the poor and his personal holiness.
St. Oswald died in 992 during the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor during the season of Lent. He is buried in the Church of St. Mary at Worcester.
Silence is the cross on which we must crucify our ego.
Quote of St. Seraphim of Sarov; Feast day February 5
The feast day of St. Romanus is celebrated on Feb. 28. St. Romanus is the patron saint against mental illness.
St. Romanus was born in 390 in Upper Bugey, France. He decided to live as a hermit in the Jura Mountains. His brother St. Lupieinus followed in his footsteps. Together they established two monasteries at Condat Leuconne. They also founded a convent at La Beaume which was led by their sister.
St. Romanus was ordained a priest by St. Hilary of Arles in 444. St. Romanus is known for the healing of two lepers by embracing them. He died of natural causes in 460. St. Romanus is buried at the Abby of Beaume.
The feast day of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated on Feb. 27. St. Gabriel’s baptismal name was Francis Possenti. He was born into a large family living in Assisi, Italy on March 1, 1838. His father was a lawyer. St. Gabriel is the patron saint of students, young people and of clergy.
The early life of Francis was filled with loss and suffering. Two siblings died in 1841 followed by the death of his mother soon after. He was only four years old. Years later, one of his brothers was killed in the Italian war with Austria and his brother Lawrence committed suicide.
Although as a teenager Francis was quite worldly, he felt a call to the religious life. He was educated by the Jesuits. After the death of his sister to cholera he decided to enter the Passionist Order. The religious order is dedicated to the veneration and meditation on the passion of Jesus Christ. He took the name Gabriel of theOur Lady of Sorrows.
While studying to become a priest he was known for his obedience, cheerfulness and humility. He was considered an outstanding student. Four years after becoming a novitiate he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
St. Gabriel died in 1866 embracing an image of Our Lady of Sorrows before he could be ordained a priest. He was only 24 years old.
Many miracles are attributed to him after his death. St. Gamma Galgani credited St. Gabriel with her cure from spinal meningitis which led her to a vocation as a Passionist.
Love Mary! She is lovable, faithful, constant. She will never let herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her. She comes quickly and opens her merciful Heart to you, embraces you, consoles and serves you. She will even be on hand to accompany you on the trip to eternity.
The feast day of St. Isabel of France is celebrated on Feb. 26. St. Isabel was a princess. She was the daughter of King Louis VIII of France. St. Isabel is the patron saint of the sick.
From an early age, Isabel was drawn to the religious life. Because of her special devotion to Our Lord, she received spiritual direction from the Franciscans. St. Isabel refused to marry. She consecrated herself to God. St. Isabel had a devotion to the Franciscans and wanted to build a convent of the Order of St. Clare. When it was built at Longchamp, France it was named the Monastery of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
St. Isabel never became a Franciscan. She chose to live nearby living a life of solitude and following their rule in her home. She refused to be named Abbess of the monastery. She also spent her time ministering to the sick and the poor.
St. Isabel died on Feb. 23, 1270. Pope Leo X beatified St. Isabel in 1521.
Let us ask for remission of all our sins…laying open before our heavenly Physician all the wounds of our souls.
Quote of St. Peter of Alcantara; Feast day October 19
The Feast day of Bl. Marie Adcodata Pisani is celebrated on February 25. She was born in Naples, Italy on Dec. 29, 1806 to a noble family.
Her childhood was quite troubled. Her father was alcoholic, which led to marriage problems. She was raised by her grandmother. She was ten when her grandmother died. She then entered a boarding school known as Istituodi Madama Prota which was in Naples.
After an uprising in Naples, her father was sentenced to death. The sentence was suspended and he was expelled from Naples and deported to the island of Malta. Maria and her mother went to Malta an lived in Rabal. Maria Terese wished to become a nun rather than marry. She enjoyed helping the poor and attending church.
At the age of 21 she entered the BenedictineCommunity in St. Peter’s Monastery. She took the name Maria Adeodata (given by God). She worked as a teacher, seamstress , sacristan and writer. Her most well known work is The Mystical Garden of the Soul That Love Jesus and Mary, which was a collection of reflections.
Bl. Marie served as the abbess for several years but retired due to heart problems. She died on Feb. 25, 1855 at the age of 48.
In 2001, Pope John Paul II beatified Bl. Marie Adcodata Pisani citing a miracle of the healing of a stomach tumor after a request for her intercession.
My daughters, I see more Pharisees among Christians than there were around Pilate!
The feast day of Bl. Luke Belludi is celebrated on Feb. 24. Bl. Luke was born in 1200 in Padua, Italy. In the year 1220 Bl. Luke was a student at the University in Padua. Bl. Luke is the patron saint of students.
Luke happened to hear St. Anthony of Paduapreach. Afterwards, he approached him asking if he could become a Franciscan. St. Anthony recommended him to St. Francis. St. Luke became St. Anthony’s assistant while preaching and traveled with him. During St. Anthony’s dying days, Bl. Luke was at his side. After St. Anthony’s death, Bl. Luke was elected to take his place.
When a violent regime took control of Padua, Bl. Luke was exiled. He soon returned secretly. While he and another Franciscan were praying at the tomb of St. Anthony, they heard a voice which reassured them that their prayers for Padua would soon be answered. It was not long before Padua was liberated.
St. Anthony’s body is enshrined at the Basilica which was finished under the supervision of Bl. Luke. He became known as a miracle worker. Bl. Luke died of natural causes in 1285.
It is not enough to remove the arrow from the body. We also have to heal the wound caused by the arrow. It is the same with the soul after we have received forgiveness for our sins; we have to heal the wound that remains through penance.
The Catholic Church will be celebrating the feast day of St. Agatha on Feb. 5. She is the patron saint of breast cancer.
St. Agatha was born in Catania, Sicily. She died a martyr in 251. She is one of seven women memorialized in the cannon of the Mass.
Her legendary story tells us she was tortured for her faith. After being imprisoned in a brothel by Quintian, she was then sent to prison. When she persisted in the faith, she was tortured by having her breasts amputated. She was then martyred. During a vision she had of St. Peter, she was healed.
Because of this torture, she is considered the patron saint of breast cancer victims.
St. Agatha died while in prison. In art she is shown with her amputated breasts on a platter.
The following quotes are attributed to St. Agatha:
“My courage and my thought be so firmly founded upon the firm stone of Jesus Christ, that for no pain it may not be changed, your words be not wind, your promises be but rain, and your menaces be as rivers that pass, and how will that all these things hurtle at the fundament of my courage, yet for that it shall not move.”
Quote of St. Agatha
“Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am — you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.”
Quote of St. Agatha
Lord Jesus Christ, you created me, you watched over me from infancy, kept my body from defilement, preserved me from love of the world, made me able to withstand torture, and granted me the virtue of patience in the midst of torments.
Quote of St. Agatha
Prayer to Saint Agatha
O St. Agatha,
who withstood the unwelcome advances
from unwanted suitors,
and suffered pain and torture
for your devotion to Our Lord,
we celebrate your faith, dignity, and martyrdom.
Protect us against rape and other violations,
guard us against breast cancer
and other afflictions of women,
and inspire us to overcome adversity.
O St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr,
mercifully grant that we who venerate your sacrifice,
may receive your intercession.
The feast day of St. Polycarp is celebrated on Feb. 23.
St. Polycarp was born around the year 70. He is considered an Apostolic Father of the Church because he was an actual disciple of the apostles.
St. Polycarp was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. He became Bishop of Smyrna, (now Turkey). He was friends with St. Ignatius of Antioch.
St. Polycarp was martyred for his faith. Three days before his martyrdom, he had a vision in which he saw his pillow on fire. He told his companions he would be burnt alive. St. Polycarp was arrested. When told he must swear allegiance to Caesar, he refused, professing that he was a Christian. He was threatened with death by wild beasts, but still refused. He was 86 years old when he was taken to the Smyrna stadium and an attempt was made to burn him alive in the year 156. The flames did him no harm, and so he was killed by a dagger.
The body of St. Polycarp was ordered to be burned.
“Help one another with the generosity of the Lord, and despise no one. When you have the opportunity to do good, do not let it go by.”
The Feast day of the Chair of Peter is celebrated on February 22. On this day we are reminded of the importance of unity in the church. The Lord himself entrusted the church to the authority of St. Peter.
The word Chair comes from the word “Cathedra” which also is the origin of the word Cathedral. A Cathedral is the church of the Bishop of a diocese. The Pope is also known as the “Vicar of Christ”. It is his duty to defend the faith from errors and teach the truth of the faith.
Because of the teaching authority of the Bishop of Rome, the followers of Jesus in the Catholic Church are united in their beliefs. We trust in the Holy Spirit to guide the Holy Father in directing the church. The beliefs of the Catholic Church are Apostolic. They can be traced back to Jesus and the Apostles.
St. Peter served as the leader of the Church from 33-64 A.D. He was crucified upside down in Rome. The Basilica of St. Peter is built over his grave site. When we accept the authority of the Bishop of Rome to teach the faith, we accept the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 16: 18-19.
“And so I tell you, “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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.”
“Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.”
The feast day of St. Robert Southwell is celebrated on Feb. 21.
St. Robert Southwell was born in Norfolk, England in 1561 to a family of nobility. He attended the Roman Catholic college at Douai.
In 1580, St. Robert joined the Society of Jesus. Robert studied theology in Rome. He was ordained a priest in 1584, the same year an act was passed by the Elizabethan government forbidding Catholic priests to remain over 40 days in England. The punishment was death.
At his own request, St. Robert Southwell was sent to England as a missionary. He administered the sacraments for six years as the government kept him under surveillance. In 1572 he was arrested and tortured. St. Robert refused to reveal the names of fellow Catholics. He was imprisoned for three years before he was brought to trial. While in prison, he was allowed to write. He wrote many poems and essays which were published after his death.
St. Robert Southwell was tried for treason. The following day, he was hanged at Tyburn. He denied any evil intentions toward the Queen or her government.
Pope Paul VI canonized St. Robert Southwell as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales on Oct. 25, 1970.
Our life is but a warfare, and we are always in the field against our professed enemies; for in our baptism, we bid them battle by defying and renouncing them.
The feast day of the Children of Fatima is celebrated on Feb. 20.
In 1917, an angel and Our Lady appeared six times to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Jacinta (7 years old) and Francisco (9 years old) were brother and sister. Lucy Dos Santos (14 years old) was their cousin. Jacinta and Francisco both died several years after the apparitions.
Francisco was born on June 11, 1908. During the apparitions Francisco could see but not hear what was being said. He had a great love of praying before the Blessed Sacrament. He also had a great devotion to praying the Rosary. He received his first communion on the day of his death, April 4, 1919.
Jacinta was born on March 11, 1910. Jacinta could both hear and see what was said during the apparitions. She was profoundly affected when Our Lady told her that Jesus was very offended by sin. After seeing a vision of hell, she decided to offer herself completely to the salvation of souls. She offered her suffering to free souls from the fires of hell. A year after the apparitions she came down with bronchial pneumonia, an abscessed lung and then was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She offered all of her suffering to Jesus. She was rushed to a hospital in Lisbon. The Blessed Virgin visited her there three times. She died without the presence of her parents or Lucy on Feb.20, 1920.
Lucy was born on March 22, 1907. After the apparitions Our Lady told her that her cousins would soon be in heaven and that Lucy should spread the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady said
“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way which will lead you to God.”
It was Lucy who requested a miracle so people would believe in the apparitions. During the investigations surrounding the apparitions, Lucy was harassed. She entered the Sisters of St. Dorothy as Sister Mary of the Sorrowful Mother. Later she became a Carmelite Sister taking the name Sister Maria Lucia. She had several more visions of Our Lady. Lucy died on Feb. 3, 2005 at the age of 97.
During the apparitions in Fatima three secrets were revealed to the children.
1. After being promised they would go to heaven the children saw a vision of hell which was filled with fire and demons.
2. Mary instructed the children how to save souls from Hell and convert the world to Christianity. She asked them to spread the devotion to the Immaculate Heart and to pray the Rosary. She asked them to pray for Russia.
3. The children had a vision of the assassination of the Holy Father.
Many believe the third secret was a prophecy of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II canonized Francisco and Jacinta Marto on May 13, 2000.
If men knew the meaning of eternity, they would do anything to mend their lives.
The feast day of St. Gertrude Caterina Comensoli is celebrated on Feb. 18.
St. Gertrude was born in Biennio Brescia, Italy in 1837 into a large family. From early childhood she was always aware of the presence of God, especially in the Eucharist. She was drawn to prayer in the presence of the tabernacle. At the age of 15, Gertrude wanted to join the convent. Because of illness she was forced to wait. She worked as a domestic worker for a priest.
St. Gertrude was concerned about the transition of Italy’s rural society into an industrial one. She gained a private audience with Pope Leo XIII who encouraged her to do something which focused on the education of young women.
On Dec. 15, 1882 she founded the Congregation of the Sacramentine Sisters of Bergamo. It’s focus was on adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and education. The sisters committed their lives to prayer and helping those who were most in need.
St. Gertrude died of natural causes while praying in adoration of the Blessed Sacramentin 1903.
Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword, wear humility rather than fine clothes.
