Tag Archives: Saint of the Day

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

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Ivo of Kermartin, Feast Day May 19




St. Ivo Painting by Rogier van der Weyden Public Domain Image
St. Ivo
Painting by Rogier van der Weyden

The Feast Day of St. Ivo of Kermartin is celebrated on May 19.  St. Ivo is the patron saint of lawyers, judges, orphans and widows.

St. Ivo was born in Kermarton, Brittany, France on Oct. 17, 1253. He studied at the University of Paris, becoming a lawyer. He quickly became well known for his knowledge of philosophy, theology and canon law. He was appointed a judge of the Ecclesiastical Court and received minor orders. It is believed he entered the Third Order of Franciscans. He was ordained a priest in 1284.

St. Ivo’s defense of the downtrodden earned him the title “Advocate of the Poor.” He often visited the poor in prison and payed their expenses. He refused to take bribes which was a common corruption of that time.

Eventually, St. Ivo was elected as an official for the Bishop of Treguier. In this position he resisted the taxation imposed upon the church. St. Ivo also built a hospital. St. Ivo served as a parish priest for 18 years. He died on May 19, 1303 at the age of 50. He was canonized by Pope Clement VI in 1347.

The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avert suffering the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt.
Quote of Thomas Merton

May is the Month of Our Lady.

Faith, Martyr, Pope, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John I, Feast Day May 18




St. John I Public Domain Image
St. John I

The Feast Day of St. John I is celebrated on May 18.

Pope John I was born in Tuscany, Italy. Little is known about his early life. He was elected pope one week after the death of his predecessor Hormisdas on August 13, 523.

There was great turmoil during the time of his election. The heresy of Arianism (the belief that Jesus was not divine) was causing persecution in many areas. Pope John was frail but he was the first pope to travel to Constantinople. He counseled the Byzantine emperor Justin, who persecuted heretics, to treat heretics with mercy. He celebrated Easter Mass in Constantinople before returning to Rome.

The king of Ostrogoths, Theodoric, was an Arian Christian. Because the edict against Arianism had not been lifted he became furious. While Pope John was returning to Rome, he had him kidnapped and imprisoned. St. John died in prison of thirst and starvation on May 18, 526. He is honored as a martyr.

When Doubting Thomas was refuted face to face, all mankind was given instruction.
Quote of St. Paulinas of Nola; Feast day June 22

May is the the Month of Our Lady

Faith, Franciscan Saints, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Paschal Baylon, Feast Day May 17




st. paschal baylon
St. Paschal Baylon

The Feast Day of St. Paschal Baylon is celebrated on May 17.

St. Paschal Baylon was born into a peasant family in Aragon, Spain. He worked as a shepherd while he was young. He taught himself to read while tending the sheep. He was known from an early age to have the gift of miracles. After having a mystical vision to enter a Franciscan Community nearby he joined the Reformed Franciscan Order as a lay Franciscan brother in 1564. He worked as a doorkeeper.

St. Paschal Baylon had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. He spent many hours before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer. He is known to have defended the belief in the Real Presence to the Calvinists he knew. He lived a life of poverty and prayer.

St. Paschal died on May 17. Miracles were reported immediately after his burial. St. Paschal was canonized in 1690.

O Father Eternal God, Grant me faith and courage;
Son, wisdom of the Father, grant me light and make me wise;
Holy Spirit, beloved of Father and Son, inflame my heart and purify my soul,
that I may approach this majestic Sacrament with faith and love.
Quote of St. Paschal Baylon; Feast day May 17
May is the Month of Our Lady.
Faith, Franciscan Saints, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Leopold, Feast Day May 12

St. Leopold

 

The Feast Day of St. Leopold is celebrated on May 12.

St. Leopold was born in Croatia, Italy. He joined the Capuchin Franciscans and was ordained even though he had disabilities and health problems. He had a speech impediment which made it difficult to preach. He also suffered from severe arthritis, poor eyesight and a stomach ailment. His vocation became that of a confessor. He was known to spend as many as 15 hours a day hearing confessions. Several bishops were known to seek his spiritual direction. He was often criticized for his compassion and leniency. He was very understanding and caring towards expectant mothers and children. This led to his work starting orphanages.

St. Leopold wanted to become a missionary and work for the reunion between Roman Catholics and Orthodoxy. Because of his health he was unable to travel but unity was constantly in his prayers. He became known as the Apostle of Confession and Unity.

Most of his life St. Leopold lived in Padua, Italy. However, because he did not want to renounce his Croatian nationality he spent one year in prison during World War I.

St. Leopold had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He often prayed the Rosary. He also received the Eucharist daily and visited the sick in nursing homes.

St. Leopold died from esophagus cancer on July 30, 1942. While he was dying the friars gathered around him and sang the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen). St. Leopold was canonized in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

 

You have become an ornament to heaven,

O Mother of God, and a light for all the earth!

 

Quote of St. Germanus of Constantinople; Feast Day May 12

 

May is the Month of Our Lady

Carmelite Saints, Faith, Our Lady, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Simon Stock, Feast Day May 16




St. Simon Stock Public Domain Image
St. Simon Stock

The Feast Day of St. Simon Stock is celebrated on May 16.

Little is known about the early life of St. Simon Stock. Legend has told us that from the age of twelve he lived as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk. As a young man he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There, he joined a group of Carmelites. They returned together to Europe.

St. Simon was elected Superior General of his Order in London in 1254. St. Simon founded many Carmelite Communities in Cambridge, Oxford, Paris and Bologna. He was instrumental in the transition from a hermit Order to an Order of mendicant friars.

In 1251 he experienced an apparition during a time when the order was being oppressed. The Virgin Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in one hand. She told him,

“Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is a special sign of my favor which I have obtained for thee and thy children of Mt. Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger and a pledge of special peace and protection.”

The scapular is made of two squares of cloth connected by strings. It is worn over the shoulders, one on the chest, one on the back.

The promise from the Virgin Mary is believed to mean that Carmelites who live their vocation well, with love and sincerity will be saved. It is a reminder that Mary is their role model in love. The Carmelite Order is a contemplative Order which focuses on contemplative prayer. Mary leads those in the Carmelite Order to a deeper love of Jesus Christ, the Eucharist and the Beatitudes. The role models for the Carmelite Order are the Virgin Mary and the prophet Elijah. It was Elijah who heard the voice of God in the whisper of the gentle breeze.

St. Simon Stock was known to have a special gift of miracles and prophecy. St. Simon Stock. died on July 16, 1265 in Bordeaux, France.

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience,
but shouts in our pain.
It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.
Quote of C.S. Lewis

May is the Month of Mary

Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Isidore the Farmer, Feast Day May 15




St. Isidore the Farmer Public Domain Image
St. Isidore the Farmer

 

The Feast Day of St. Isidore is celebrated on May 15.

He is the patron saint of farmers. St. Isidore was born to poor parents at Madrid, Spain in the 12th century. As a young boy he worked for a wealthy farmer in Madrid. He married Maria de la Cabeza who also became a saint. They had one son who died as a child.

Isidore was very religious. He attended daily Mass before going to work in the fields. This sometimes caused complaints that he spent too much time in church. He prayed as he worked in the fields. It is said that angels sometimes helped him with his work. On holidays he would visit the many churches in Madrid. He loved the poor, often giving those more poor than himself food to eat. He also cared for animals. His concern that they be treated well was well known. He was kind and generous.

St. Isidore is a role model for everyone. He practiced his faith always and showed kindness and generosity to those he met.

St. Isidore died on May 15, 1130, after living a simple but holy life. He was canonized in 1622.

 

“Like a tree in spring the cross has burst into flower…

the cross on which the Lord of glory hung.”

 

Quote by St. Bernard; Feast day August 20

 

May is the Month of Our Lady

 

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Faith, Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Matthias, Feast Day May 14




St. Matthias Public Domain Image
St. Matthias

 

The Feast Day of St. Mathias is celebrated on May 14. St. Mathias was not one of the original twelve Apostles. He was not present at the Last Supper.

After the suicide by hanging of Judas Iscariot, the Apostles decided to choose either Mathias or Joseph called Barsabbas to replace Judas Iscariot. They prayed, saying. “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Acts (1:24) They drew lots and chose Mathias to replace him.

Mathias preached in Judea, Egypt and Ethiopia. Stories of his martyrdom vary. It is believed he was stoned and beheaded.

St. Mathias is the patron saint against alcoholism and smallpox. He is also the patron of carpenters.

 

“Who except God can give you peace? 

Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?”

 

Quote of St. Gerard Majilla;   Feast Day October 16

 

May is the Month of Mary

Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Carthusian Martyrs, Feast Day May 11




Carthusian Martyrs Public Domain Image
Carthusian Martyrs

 

 

The Feast Day of the Carthusian Martyrs is celebrated on May 11. The Carthusian Order was founded in 1084 by St. Bruno of Cologne. It was a strict order. Its members lived as hermits, focusing on contemplative prayer. It consisted of 25 houses with 350 male and 75 female members. They came under attack during the Hessite Revolution in Bohemia in the 15th century.

In 1537 during the English Reformation the London Charter house was dissolved. Its members were put in prison and later executed when they refuse to declare King Henry the head of the Church of England. King Henry issued the “Act of Supremacy” declaring any who refused to take an oath recognizing him as head of the Church of England to be guilty of high treason. Eighteen Carthusians refused and were sentenced to death.

The first Carthusians to be martyred were hanged, drawn and quartered. All were tortured before they were martyred. Eighteen were beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. Three were canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.

 

“Our Lord likes courage.  Get it from Him.

  You won’t find it in yourself.”

 

Quote of St. Katherine Drexel; Feast Day March 3 

 

May is the Month of Our Lady

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Faith, patron saints, Quote, Sacred Heart, Saint of the Day, United States

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; St. Damien of Molokai, Feast Day May 10




St. Damien Public Domain Image
St. Damien

The Feast Day of St. Damien of Molokai is celebrated on May 10. He is the patron saint of leprosy and outcasts.

St. Damien of Molokai was born Josef de Veuster on Jan. 3, 1840 in Treinelo, Belgium.  His parents were farmers. He attended college at Braine-le-Comte. Josef became a novitiate at the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He took the name of Damien when he made his vows. As a missionary he arrived in Honolulu in 1864. He was ordained a priest on May 1864.

Hawaii was in the midst of a health crisis; primarily, influenza, syphilis and leprosy. The king of Hawaii, Kink Kamehameha IV created a leper colony on the island of Molokai. Fr. Damien requested to be sent to Molokai to tend to their spiritual needs. He arrived at Kalaupapa on May 10, 1873, where he cared for 600 lepers.

 

St. Damien Public Domain Image
St. Damien
Public Domain Image

 

Fr. Damien built the Parish Church of St. Philomena where he preached and taught the Catholic faith. He restored pride and dignity to the people in the settlement. He organized a band, horse riding and choir. He provided comfort to the people on the island for 16 years serving as priest, doctor and home builder. He built their coffins and dug their 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 many of them are already enjoying.”

 

Fr. Damien had a profound faith in the Holy Eucharist, believing his strength came from receiving the Eucharist on a daily basis. In 1885 he contracted the illness of leprosy, yet he continued to serve the people of the settlement. He died April 15, 1889, at the age of 49.  St. Damien is known as the Apostle of the Lepers.

 

“Without the constant presence of Our Divine Master

upon the altar in my poor chapels,

I never could have persevered casting my lot with the lepers of Molokai”

Quote of St. Damien of Molokai

 

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

 

May is the Month of Our Lady

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Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Pachomius, Feast Day May 9




St. Pachomius Public Domain Image
St. Pachomius

The Feast Day of St. Pachominus is celebrated on May 9.

St. Pachomius was born in Egypt in 298 and entered the army when he was twenty years old. The kindness of the Christians he met led to his conversion after he left the army. After his baptism he became a disciple of Palamon. They led a life of poverty and dedicated themselves to God and a life of prayer as hermits.

St. Pachominus built a monastery on the banks of the Nile River at Tabansi. They soon had 100 monks join them; living a life in community and prayer. St. Pachomius established ten other monasteries and two nunneries for women. Over seven thousand monks were living in his monasteries at the time of his death in 346. He was the first to organize hermits into groups and write a Rule for them to follow.

 

“If the highest aim of a Captain were to preserve his ship,

he would keep it in port forever.”

Quote of St. Thomas Aquinas; Feast Day Jan. 28

 

May is the Month of Our Lady

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Benedictine Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Julian of Norwich, Feast Day May 8




Bl. Julian of Norwich Public Domain Image
Bl. Julian of Norwich

 

The Feast Day of Bl. Julian of Norwich is celebrated on May 8.

Very little is actually known about Julian of Norwich. It is believed her birth name is Julian and that she was born to a privileged family in Norwich in 1341. She lived as a recluse, probably as a Benedictine Nun.

At the age of 30, she became deathly ill. Near death she experienced visions of Christ. She wrote about her visions immediately in her book Revelation of Divine Love. The book has been translated into many languages.

Bl. Julian believed in God’s love and mercy. She believed sin brings someone to self-knowledge which leads to acceptance of the role of God in their life. She believed the pain caused by sin is a reminder of the passion of Christ. Bl. Julian saw God as both Father and Mother which was controversial.  Bl. Julian always accepted the authority of the Church.

Bl. Julian of Norwich died in the year 1416.

 

“He did not say:  You will not be assailed, 

You will not be belabored,  You will not be disquieted, 

but He said….”You will not be overcome.”

Quote of Bl. Julian of Norwich

 

May is the Month of Our Lady

Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Rose Venerini, Feast Day May 7




St. Rose Venerini Public Domain Image                                                                                                  

St. Rose Venerini

 The Feast Day of St. Rose Venerini is celebrated on May 7.  St. Rose was born at Viterbo, Italy in 1656. She was one of four children. Her father was a doctor. At an early age Rose was drawn to the religious life.

In 1676, at the encouragement of her father she entered the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine, planning to make her vows there. Several months later, her father died suddenly and she returned home to care for her mother. The following years were filled with grief. Her brother Domenico died at the age of 27. Her mother died a few months later suffering greatly from grief.

Rose formed a rosary group in her home. A Jesuit priest became her advisor and she decided to become a teacher rather than a contemplative nun. On August 39, 1685, she left home to open her first school. Soon the cardinal asked her to supervise the training of teachers in the Diocese of Montefiascone. She organized and opened many schools in many cities of Italy, including Rome.

St. Rose celebrated the Eucharist daily. She meditated on the crucifix and united her suffering to the suffering of Christ. When she died in 1728 a number of miracles were attributed to her. She was canonized in 2006. The Venerini Sisters which she founded can now be found in the United States.

 

“I feel so nailed to the will of God

that nothing else matters,

neither death nor life. I want what He wants. 

I want to serve Him

as much as pleases Him and no more.”

Quote by St. Rose Venerini

 

May is the Month of Our Lady




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