Tag Archives: Italy

Faith, Incorruptible, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Rita of Cascia, Feast Day May 22

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St. Rita De Cascia Public Domain Image

The feast day of St. Rita of Cascia is celebrated on May 22. She is the patron saint of impossible causes, abuse victims and widows.

St. Rita was born in 1386 in Cascia, Italy. She was known to be very spiritual even as a young child. She enjoyed visiting shrines and wished to become a nun. Her parents were opposed to the idea and arranged for her to be married. Her husband turned out to have a bad temper and was very difficult for her to live with. She dealt with his abuse with prayer, patience and kindness. They had twin sons. Their difficult marriage lasted 22 years.

St. Rita De Cascia public domain image

One day while returning home from work her husband was ambushed and killed. St. Rita’s sons were now teenagers and began to talk of revenging their father’s death. St. Rita turned to prayer. She prayed that her sons would not be able to go through with the revenge. Her prayer was soon answered. Both her sons died from a deadly illness soon after without taking revenge on their father’s killer.

After the death of her husband and sons, Rita applied to enter the Augustinian Convent. Her first attempt was denied because of the ongoing feud. Rita persisted however. She convinced her husband’s family to put aside their hostility. The two rival families embraced peace. Rita turned to St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas of Tolentino and St. Augustine, requesting their intercession. The convent changed their decision and allowed her entry. She was 36 when she entered the monastery.

St. Rita had a great devotion for the passion of Christ. She meditated often on the crucifix. On Good Friday, 1442, St. Rita meditated on the suffering of Jesus on the crucifix. She offered to relieve Christ’s suffering by sharing even the smallest part of his pain. As she was meditating, a small wound on her forehead appeared. It appeared to be a thorn from the crown that Jesus wore. St. Rita had this stigmata  for 15 years.

'Saint_Rita_of_Cascia'_by_Antonio_de_Torres,_c._1720

St. Rita was confined to bed for the last four years of her life. She ate very little. The Eucharist sustained her and she remained joyful during her suffering. Before her death St. Rita requested a rose be brought to her from her parents’ garden even though it was January. Surprisingly, a rose was discovered to be blooming on the rosebush and it was presented to her. St. Rita gave thanks to God for this sign of God’s love.

Because this impossible request of St. Rita for a rose in January was answered she became the patron of impossible causes. It was also known that her prayers were known to obtain remarkable cures.

St. Rita died on May 29, 1456. Many miracles were recorded after her death . She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900.

St. Rita’s incorrupt body is venerated today in the National Shrine of Cascia.

St. Rita public domain image

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

Quote of St. Jerome; Feast Day September 30

 

May is the Month of Our Lady 

Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Bosco, Feast Day January 31

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The feast day of St. John Bosco is celebrated on Jan. 31.   St. John Bosco is the patron saint of boys and young people.

St. John Bosco was born in Piedmont, Italy in 1815. His father died when he was two years old. God spoke to John in his dreams. The first of his many dreams occurred when he was only nine years old. John found himself fighting a large crowd of rowdy boys. They were cursing and acting badly. They refused to listen to him. Suddenly a man appeared saying;

“Not with blows will you help these boys, but with goodness and kindness.”

Who are you?” John asked.

Then a woman appeared to him saying,;

“Watch what I do, John.”

As John watched, the boys changed to a pack of growling wild animals. Then the woman put out her hand. The wild animals changed again…into a flock of lambs.

“But what does it mean? I’m just a farm boy. What am I to do?”

John cried out, and he burst into tears. The Lady answered him,

“This is the field of your work. Be humble, steadfast and strong!”

John knew he must become a priest. He attended a boarding school and then began studying for the priesthood. John was ordained on June 5, 1841. He said his first Mass at the church of St. Francis of Assisi. He said that he had prayed for the gift of effective speech and believed his prayer was answered.

The ministry of Don Bosco began with a group of teenage boys. (Don is the title given to priests in Italy.) He began by teaching them catechism after Sunday Mass. It began a youth group which would spend each Sunday together beginning with Mass, catechism and a day in the country. They would end the day with another talk before returning to their homes. The group grew quickly. Most of the boys were quite poor. In 1846 Don Bosco bought an old shed in Turin. It became a chapel they named The Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, a saint admired by Don Bosco.

An orphanage and a trade school were also soon established by Don Bosco. More and more priests were beginning to help John in his ministry. Together they founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales in 1859 also known as the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Don Bosco died on Jan. 31, 1888 at the age of 73. Thousands attended his funeral and there was a demand for his canonization. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI.

 

What tenderness there is in Jesus love for man!
In His infinite goodness,
He established, with each of us,
bonds of sublime love!
His love has no limits.

Quote of St. John Bosco

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

 

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Faith, Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Hyacintha, Feast Day January 30

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St. Hyacintha of Manincotti

The feast day of St. Hyacintha is celebrated on January 30.

St. Hyacintha was born near Viterbo, Italy in 1588. Her father was a count and her mother was from a Roman family. Her birth name was Clarice.

Clarice entered the convent of the Tertiearies at Virterbo as a Third Order Franciscan Sister. However, she did not in the beginning embrace the love of poverty which St. Francis called for. She supplied herself with material goods to live life in comfort. When she became seriously ill a confessor brought her Holy Communion to her room. When he noticed her material possessions he advised her to live more humbly. Hyacintha rid herself of her fine clothes and special foods. She began to live a simple life which included penances. She developed a special devotion to the sufferings of Christ and inspired others by her acts of penance. She had a special devotion for Mary, the Mother of Mercy.

St. Hyacintha died at the age of 55 in 1640. Many miracles were reported at her grave site. She was canonize by Pope Pius VII in 1807.

 

Lord, give me the grace

to work to bring about

the things I pray for.

Quote of St. Thomas More; Feast day June 22

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

 

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Carmelite Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Archangela Girlani, Feast Day January 29

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Bl. Archangela Girlani

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 Benedictine Nun. 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;

“Jesus my Love”.

My God,

may everything

I do and suffer today

be for love of You.

Quote of St. Bernadette; Feast day April 16

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Dominican Saints, Faith, Featured, patron saints, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Thomas Aquinas, Feast Day January 28

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes:

St. Thomas Aquinas,

Feast Day January 28

St. Thomas Aquinas

The feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas is celebrated on Jan. 28.  He is the patron saint of students and universities and a Doctor of the Church.    He was ordained as a Dominican Priest.

St. Thomas was born in Roccasecca, Sicily in 1225. His parents were from Italian nobility. St. Thomas was well educated. He was raised in a Benedictine monastery at Monte Casino. He finished his studies at Naples.

Against his families wishes he joined the Dominicans, also known as the Order of Preachers and was ordained a priest.  His brothers followed careers in the military. In an attempt to end his desires to become a Dominican, his brothers hired a prostitute to seduce him. According to legend, two angels appeared to Thomas to strengthen him and increase his determination to remain celibate. He thus became known as the “Angelic Doctor”.

While he was still a student, St. Thomas was given the nickname “the dumb ox” due to his large size and silent nature. However, he was actually quite gifted and intelligent. He is considered one of the most influential theologians in the history of the Church.

After he was ordained a priest, Pope Urban IV called him to Rome where he was appointed to teach. St. Thomas turned down an offer from Pope Clement IV to be the Archbishop of Naples.

St. Thomas published many books. He also wrote many hymns which are still sung today. One of St. Thomas most famous works, Summas Theologica was never completed. He fell ill and died before he could finish it in 1274.

St. Thomas was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius V.   He is the patron saint of students and universities.

O Lord my God, make me submissive without protest,
poor without discouragement, chaste without regret,
patient without complaint, humble without posturing,
cheerful without frivolity, mature without gloom,
and quick witted without flippancy.

Quote of St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas

January is the Month of the Holy Name.

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Faith, Franciscan Saints, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Angela Merici, Feast Day January 27

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St. Angela Merici

The feast day of St. Angela Merici is celebrated on Jan. 27.  St. Angela is the patron saint of the sick and disabled.

St. Angela Merici was born in 1474. She lived primarily in Brescia, Italy. Her parents read to Angela when she was young, teaching her about the saints and martyrs. She lost both of her parents when she was about ten years old. She also lost her sister to death. They were quite close and her grief was great. It was made worse because her sister had not received the Last Sacraments. In spite of being reassured by the parish priest concerning her sister’s salvation, Angela prayed to Jesus for consolation. She experience a vision of a company of Angels surrounding her sister, escorting her to Heaven. She no longer had any doubt about her sisters entry into heaven.

On a trip to the Holy Land St. Angela became blind. She refused to end the pilgrimage, continuing to visit the shrines and praying with enthusiasm. On the return trip her vision was restored while praying before a crucifix.

St. Angela became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and served the marginalized, the poor, the orphans and the sick. She had a special desire to educate the poor.

At the age of 57, Angela organized twelve girls to help her teach catechism. The group grew to 28 and they formed The Company of Saint Ursula. It was named after St. Ursula who was an early martyr and patron of education and the youth. They later became known as the Ursulines. It was the first group of women religious to work outside the cloister and the first teaching order of women. The order impressed many people with its work including Pope Clement. He requested that she take charge of a religious order of nursing sisters, however she turned him down. She knew her calling was to teach the poor and uneducated.

After her death on Jan. 27, 1540, the Company of Saint Ursula spread rapidly.

Remember, the Devil doesn’t sleep,

but seeks our ruin in a thousand ways.

Quote of St. Angela Merici

St. Angela Merici

January is the Month of the Holy Name

 

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Faith, Franciscan Saints, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Berard of Morocco, Feast Day January 16

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St. Berard of Morocco

St. Berard was born at Carbro, Umbria, Italy.  He became a Franciscan monk at the time of St. Francis in 1213. He spoke Arabic.

St. Francis sent him and other Franciscans to preach to Muslims in Morocco, (Peter Otho, Accursius, and Adjutus). When they arrived they began preaching in the marketplace. They were immediately arrested and told to stop. They refused which resulted in them being beaten.

After refusing to renounce Christ, the sultan beheaded them on January 16, 1220.  They are believed to be the first Franciscan martyrs. After viewing their relics, Anthony of Padua decided to join the Franciscans.

St. Berard was canonized in 1481 by Pope Sixtus IV.

 

Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake

or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels

charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones,

O Lord Jesus Christ, rest your weary ones,

bless your dying ones, soothe your suffering ones,

shield your joyous ones,

and all for Your love’s sake.

Quote of St. Augustine: Feast day August 28

 

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Anthony Grassi, Feast Day December 18

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Bl. Anthony Grassi

The feast day of Bl. Anthony Grassi is celebrated on December 18.  He was an Oratian priest and confessor.

Bl. Anthony Grassi was born in Ferma, Italy in 1592.   His father died when he was only ten years old.  From his father he received a devotion to Our Lady of Loreto.  At the age of 17 he joined the Oratorian Fathers.  Because of his impressive memory he was known as a “walking dictionary”.

Before he was ordained, Bl. Anthony suffered for a time from scruples, (fear of committing sin).  However, while celebrating his first Mass this fear was lifted and replaced with serenity.

At the age of 29, while on a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Loreto, he was struck by lightning and it was believed he would die.  He was temporarily paralyzed.   When he recovered after several days, he realized he had been cured of  his acute indigestion.  In thanksgiving for his new life he made a yearly pilgrimage to Our Lady of Loreto, which was only twenty miles from the Oratory.

As a priest, his spiritual father was St. Philip Neri.  They both had the gift of healing, and Bl. Anthony was credited with many healings before and after his death.    Father Anthony became known as a good confessor, hearing confessions for 5-6 hours daily.   Father Antony exercised his priestly ministry in instructing the ignorant, comforting the weak, visiting the sick and imprisoned, helping the troubled and encouraging youth in the ways of holiness.

Bl. Anthony died in1671  Antony was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 30th September, 1900.

 

“Where there is no love, put love and you will find love.”

Quote of St. John of the Cross;  Feast Day November 14

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Mary di Rosa, Feast Day December 15

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St. Mary di Rosa

The feast day of St. Mary di Rosa is celebrated on December 15.  She founded the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia.

Paula Frances Mary di Rosa was born on Nov. 6, 1813 at Brescia, Italy into a wealthy family.  Her mother died when she was eleven years old.

After being educated by Visitation Nuns, she returned home to manage her father’s estate.  Having a great desire to enter the convent, she was inspired to  volunteer at the Brescia hospital during the cholera outbreak in 1836.  She also helped care for the spiritual needs of the girls working at her father’s mills and arranged retreats.

St. Mary di Rosa founded a home for girls and a school for deaf mutes.  She founded a religious order called the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia.  It was also known as the Servants of Charity.  It began with four members and grew to twenty two.  At this time, Paula took the religious name of Mary Crucifixa because of her devotion to the passion and crucifixion  and suffering of Christ.

The Sisters ministered to the wounded on the battlefields of Northern Italy and in hospitals.

St. Mary di Rosa died peacefully at the age of 42 on December 15, 1855.  She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1954.

 

“I can’t go to bed with a quiet conscience if during the day I’ve missed any chance, however slight, of preventing wrongdoing or of helping to bring about some good.”

Quote of St. Mary di Rosa

 

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

 

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patron saints, Sacred Heart, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Feast Day November 13

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes:

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini,

Feast Day November 13

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

 

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Feast Day November 13

The feast  day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is celebrated on November 13.  She is the patron saint of immigrants, orphans and against malaria.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Lombardi, Italy in 1850. 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 w was dedicated in 1955. It is located in Chicago at Lincoln Park. Chicago is the city where she primarily lived, worked and died.

The following prayer was written by St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.

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.Amen

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Stretch every fiber of my being, dear Lord, that I may more easily fly towards you.  May your Spirit, which once breathed over the chaos of the earth, give life to all the powers of my soul.

Quote of St. Frances Cabrini

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

 

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Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Bonaventure of Potenza, Feast Day October 26

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Bonaventure of Potenza,

Feast Day October 26

San Damiono Cross
San Damiono Cross

 

Bl. Bonaventure was born Jan. 4, 1651 in Naples, Italy into a poor family.  He studied Latin from a priest and became a Franciscan at the age of 15.  He was sent to Amalfi to study and was ordained a priest.

As a priest Bl. Bonaventure was known for his simple but powerful sermons.  When an epidemic broke out he served all who were sick without concern for his own health.  He was known for miraculous cures.  Bl. Bonaventure was a very effective priest.  His humility was admired and his spirituality was focused on humility, service and obedience.

After 45 years of service as a priest he died from gangrene after asking for forgiveness for his faults.  He was given a crucifix and died peacefully on October 26,  after receiving the last sacrament.

Pope Pius VI beatified Bl. Bonaventure in 1775.

 

“No none has the right to sit down and feel helpless, there’s too much to do.”

Quote of Dorothy Day, Servant of God

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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Martyr, Pope, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St.Callistus I, Feast Day October 14

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St. Callistus I Pope and Martyr
St. Callistus I
Pope and Martyr

 

The feast day of St. Callistus I is celebrated on October I.  He is honored as a Pope and martyr of the faith.

St. Callistus was a slave for a Roman who worked for Caesar.  He was put in charge of the bank by his master.  He manged to lose the money deposited and in fear he fled.  He was caught and sent to prison.  He was released and told to try to recover the money.  This time, he was arrested after getting into a brawl in a Jewish synagogue.  He was then sent to Sardenia to work in the mines.  The mistress of the emperor was able to influence his release.

Callistus became superintendent of the cemetery of St. Callistus.  He was ordained a deacon by the Pope and became the friend and adviser of the Pope.  When the pope died, Callistus was elected to be Bishop of Rome with a majority vote.  This led to a schism with his rival St. Hippolytus who became the first anti-pope.  Hippolytus accused Pope Callistus of sympathizing with heretics.  He also disagreed with Pope Callistus’ teaching about the power of Divine Mercy in the sacrament of confession.

In the year 236, both Pope Callistus and Hyppolytus were martyred during an uprising in Rome.  They were both canonized as saints.  It is believed that Hyppolytus made peace with the church before his death.

St. Callistus is the first pope after St. Peter to be honored as a martyr.

“God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us.”

Quote of St. Augustine;  Feast Day August 28

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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