Best-Loved Saints

Also known as

    * Ines
    * Ines del Campo
    * Ynez

Memorial

    * 21 January
    * for many years there was a second feast on 28 January

Profile

    Foster-sister of Saint Emerentiana. At age 12 or 13 Agnes was ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods and lose her virginity by rape. She was taken to a Roman temple to Minerva (Athena), and when led to the altar, she made the Sign of the Cross. She was threatened, then tortured when she refused to turn against God. Several young men presented themselves, offering to marry her, whether from lust or pity is not known. She said that to do so would be an insult to her heavenly Spouse, that she would keep her consecrated virginity intact, accept death, and see Christ. Martyr. Mentioned in first Eucharistic prayer. On her feast day two lambs are blessed at her church in Rome, Italy and then their wool is woven into the palliums (bands of white wool) which the pope confers on archbishops as symbol of their jurisdiction.

Died

    * beheaded and burned, or tortured and stabbed to death, or stabbed in the throat (sources vary) on 21 January 254 or 304 (sources vary) at Rome, Italy
    * buried beside the Via Nomentana in Rome

Name Meaning

    * chaste; lamb; pure one

Patronage

    * affianced couples
    * betrothed couples
    * bodily purity
    * chastity
    * Children of Mary
    * Colegio Capranica of Rome
    * crops
    * engaged couples
    * gardeners
    * Girl Scouts
    * girls
    * Manresa, Spain
    * rape victims
    * Rockville Centre, New York, diocese of
    * virgins

Representation

    * butcher
    * crown of thorns
    * lamb
    * woman with long hair and a lamb, sometimes with a sword at her throat
    * woman with a dove which holds a ring in its beak
    * woman with a lamb at her side

 

Also known as

    * Aluigi Gonzaga
    * Luigi Gonzaga

Memorial

    * 21 June

Profile

    Italian noble who grew up in a castle, the son of a compulsive gambler. Cousin of Saint Rudolph Acquaviva. Trained from age four as a soldier and courtier. He suffered from kidney disease, which he considered a blessing as it left him bed-ridden with time for prayer. While still a boy himself, he taught catechism to poor boys. He received his First Communion from Saint Charles Borromeo. At age 18, Aloysius signed away his legal claim to his family’s lands and title to his brother, and became a Jesuit novice. Spiritual student of Saint Robert Bellarmine. Tended plague victims in Rome, Italy in the outbreak of 1591 during which he caught the disease that killed him at age 23.

Born

    * 9 March 1568 in the family castle of Castiglione delle Stivieri in Montua, Lombardy, Italy

Died

    * 20-21 June 1591 at Rome, Italy of plague, fever, and desire to see God
    * relics entombed under the altar of Saint Ignatius Church, Rome

Beatified

    * 19 October 1605 Pope Paul V (cultus confirmed)
    * 1621 by Pope Gregory XV

Canonized

    * 31 December 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII

Patronage

    * against sore eyes
    * AIDS care-givers
    * AIDS patients
    * Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy
    * Catholic youth
    * Jesuit students
    * relief from pestilence
    * teenage children
    * teenagers
    * Valmonte, Italy
    * young people


Representation

    * skull
    * lilies

 

Also known as

    * Alfonso Maria de’ Liguori

Memorial

    * 1 August

Profile

    Born to the nobility, Alphonsus was a child prodigy; he became extremely well-educated, and received his doctorate in law from the University of Naples at age 16. He had his own legal practice by age 21, and was soon one of the leading lawyers in Naples, though he never attended court without having attended Mass first. He loved music, could play the harpsichord, and often attended the opera, though he frequently listened without bothering to watch the over-done staging. As he matured and learned more and more of the world, he liked it less and less, and finally felt a call to religious life. He declined an arranged marriage, studied theology, and was ordained at age 29.

    Preacher and home missioner around Naples. Noted for his simple, clear, direct style of preaching, and his gentle, understanding way in the confessional. Writer on asceticism, theology, and history; master theologian. He was often opposed by Church officials for a perceived laxity toward sinners, and by government officials who opposed anything religious. Founded the Redemptoristines women‘s order in Scala in 1730. Founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Liguorians; Redemptorists) at Scala, Italy in 1732.

    Appointed bishop of the diocese of Sant’Agata de’ Goti, Italy by Pope Clement XIII in 1762. Worked to reform the clergy and revitalize the faithful in a diocese with a bad reputation. He was afflicted with severe rheumatism, and often could barely move or raise his chin from his chest. In 1775 he resigned his see due to ill health, and went into what he thought would be a < href="prayer">prayerful retirement.

    In 1777 the royal government threatened to disband his Redemptorists, claiming that they were covertly carrying on the work of the Jesuits, who had been suppressed in 1773. Calling on his knowledge of the Congregation, his background in thelogy, and his skills as a lawyer, Alphonsus defended the Redemptorists so well that they obtained the king‘s approval. However, by this point Alphonsus was nearly blind, and was tricked into giving his approval to a revised Rule for the Congregation, one that suited the king and the anti-clerical government. When Pope Pius VI saw the changes, he condemned it, and removed Alphonsus from his position as leader of the Order. This caused Alphonsus a crisis in confidence and faith that took years to overcome. However, by the time of his death he had returned to faith and peace.

    Alphonsus vowed early to never to waste a moment of his life, and he lived that way for over 90 years. Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871.

    When he was bishop, one of Alphonsus’s priests led a worldly life, and resisted all attempts to change. He was summoned to Alphonsus, and at the entrance to the bishop‘s study he found a large crucifix laid on the threshold. When the priest hesitated to step in, Alphonsus quietly said, “Come along, and be sure to trample it underfoot. It would not be the first time you have placed Our Lord beneath your feet.”

Born

    * 27 September 1696 at Marianelli near Naples, Italy

Died

    * 1 August 1787 at Nocera, Italy of natural causes

Venerated

    * 1796 by Pope Pius VI

Beatified

    * 15 September 1816 by Pope Pius VII

Canonized

    * 26 May 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI

Patronage

    * against arthritis
    * against scrupulosity
    * confessors (1950 by Pope Pius XII)
    * final perseverance
    * moralists (1950 by Pope Pius XII)
    * scrupulous people
    * theologians
    * vocations
    * Pagani, Italy
    * Sant’Agata de’ Goti, Italy

 

Also known as

    * Angela of Merici
    * Angela de Marici

Memorial

    * 27 January
    * formerly 1 June
    * formerly 31 May

Profile

    Franciscan tertiary at age 15. She received a vision telling her she would inspire devout women in their vocation.

    In Crete, during a pilgrimage to Holy Land, she was struck blind. Her friends wanted to return home, but she insisted on going on, visiting the shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm as if she had her sight. On the way home, while praying before a crucifix, her sight was restored at the same place where it had been lost.

    In 1535 she gathered a group of girl students and began what would become the Institute of Saint Ursula (Ursuline Sisters), founded to teach children, beginning with religion and later expanding into secular topics; her first schools were in the Italian cities of Desenazno and Brescia.

Born

    * 21 March 1474 at Desenzano, Lake Garda, Italy

Died

    * 24 January 1540 at Brescia, Italy
    * relics in the church of Saint Afra, Brescia, Italy
    * body incorrupt

Beatified

    * 30 April 1768 by Pope Clement XIII (cultus confirmation)

Canonized

    * 24 May 1807 by Pope Pius VII

Patronage

    * against bodily ills
    * against illness
    * against sickness
    * against the death of parents
    * disabled people
    * handicapped people
    * physically challenged people
    * sick people

Representation

    * cloak
    * ladder

 

Memorial

    * 26 July

Profile

    Mother of Our Lady. Grandmother of Jesus Christ. Wife of Saint Joachim. Probably well off. Tradition says that Anne was quite elderly when Mary was born, and that she was their only child. The belief that Anne remained a virgin in the conception and birth of Mary was condemned by the Vatican in 1677. Believed to have given Mary to the service of the Temple when the girl was three years old. Devotion to her has been popular in the East from the very early days of the Church; widespread devotion in the West began in the 16th century, but many shrines have developed since.

Canonized

    * devotion is Pre-Congregation
    * cultus extended to the whole Church in 1584

Name Meaning

    * gracious one; grace (= Anne)

Patronage

    * against poverty
    * against sterility
    * broommakers
    * cabinetmakers
    * carpenters
    * childless people
    * equestrians
    * expectant mothers
    * grandmothers
    * grandparents
    * homemakers
    * horse men
    * horse women
    * housewives
    * lace makers
    * lace workers
    * lost articles
    * miners
    * mothers
    * old-clothes dealers
    * poor people
    * pregnancy
    * pregnant women
    * riders
    * seamstresses
    * stablemen
    * turners
    * women in labour
    * Canada
    * France
    * Micmaqs
    * Caxito, Angola, diocese of
    * Detroit, Michigan, archdiocese of
    * Norwich, Connecticut, diocese of
    * Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Québec, diocese of
    * Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
    * Boschi Sant’Anna, Italy
    * Brittany, France
    * Caserta, Italy
    * Castelletto d’Erro, Italy
    * Corinaldo, Italy
    * Marsaskala, Malta
    * Molo, Philippines
    * Nueva Valencia, Philippines
    * Quebec, Canada
    * Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Quebec
    * Santa Ana Indian Pueblo
    * San Joaquin, Philippines
    * Taos, New Mexico

Representation

    * door
    * holding Mary or Jesus in her arms or lap
    * at her betrothal to Joachim
    * teaching Mary to read the Bible
    * greeting Saint Joachim at Golden Gate
    * woman with a book in her hand

 

Also known as

    * Antonio da Padova
    * Evangelical Doctor

Memorial

    * 13 June

Profile

    Anthony’s wealthy family wanted him to be a great nobleman, but for the sake of Christ he became a poor Franciscan. Priest.

    When the remains of Saint Berard and his companions, the first Franciscan martyrs, were brought to be buried in his church, Anthony was moved to leave his order, enter the Friars Minor, and go to Morocco to evangelize. Shipwrecked at Sicily, he joined some other brothers who were going to the church in Portiuncula. Lived in a cave at San Paolo leaving only to attend Mass and sweep the nearby monastery. One day when a scheduled speaker failed to appear, the brothers pressed him into speaking. He impressed them so that he was thereafter constantly travelling, evangelizing, preaching, and teaching theology through Italy and France.

    A gifted speaker, he attracted crowds everywhere he went, speaking in multiple tongues; legend says that even the fish loved to listen. Miracle worker. One of the most beloved of saints, his images and statues are found everywhere – though none of them portray him as a heavy-set man, which some reports claim he was. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946.

    One source of the well-known patronage for the recovery of lost objects comes from a legend that, long after Anthony’s death, his old prayer book was kept as a treasured relic, and one day it disappeared. People prayed for help in finding the lost item, a novice found it and returned it; he later admitted that he had “borrowed” the book and returned it after receiving a vision of an angry Anthony.

Born

    * 1195 at Lisbon, Portugal

Died

    * 13 June 1231 of natural causes

Canonized

    * 30 May 1232 by Pope Gregory IX at Spoleto, Italy

Patronage

    * against barrenness
    * against shipwreck
    * against starvation
    * against starving
    * against sterility
    * American Indians
    * amputees
    * animals
    * asses
    * boatmen
    * domestic animals
    * elderly people
    * expectant mothers
    * faith in the Blessed Sacrament
    * fishermen
    * harvests
    * horses
    * lost articles
    * lower animals
    * mail
    * mariners
    * oppressed people
    * paupers
    * poor people
    * pregnant women
    * sailors
    * seekers of lost articles
    * starving people
    * swineherds
    * travel hostesses
    * travellers
    * watermen
    * —
    * Brazil
    * Portugal
    * Tigua Indians
    * Beaumont, Texas, diocese of
    * Masbate, Philippines, diocese of
    * Timmins, Ontario, diocese of
    * Amantea, Italy
    * Anzio, Italy
    * Cianciana, Agrigento, Italy
    * Dorado, Puerto Rico
    * Favara, Italy
    * Ferrazzano, Italy
    * Giano Vetusto, Italy
    * Lisbon, Portugal
    * Nicolosi, Italy
    * Padua, Italy
    * San Antonio Tlayacapan, Mexico
    * San Fulgencio, Spain
    * Sandia Indian Pueblo

Representation

    * book
    * bread
    * Infant Jesus
    * lily

 

Also known as

    * Bernada
    * Bernardetta
    * Bernardette Soubirous
    * Bernardette
    * Maria Bernadette
    * Marie Bernarde
    * Sleeping Saint of Nevers
 

Memorial
 16 April
 18 February in France

Profile
Oldest of six children in a very poor family headed by Francois and Louise Casterot. Hired out as a servant from age 12 to 14. Shepherdess. On 11 February 1858, around the time of her first Communion, she received a vision of the Virgin; her own account of it is in the Readings section below. She received seventeen more in the next five months, and was led to a spring of healing waters. She moved into a house with the sisters of Nevers at Lourdes where she lived, worked, and learned to read and write. The sisters cared for the sick and indigent, and at age 22 they admitted Bernadette into their order since she was both. Always sick herself, and often mistreated by her superiors, she died with a prayer for Mary's aid. Since the appearances of Mary to young Bernadette in 1858, more than 200 million people have visited the shrine of Lourdes.

Born
7 January 1844 at Lourdes, France

Died
16 April 1879, Nevers, France of natural causes; body incorrupt

Beatified
1925

Canonized
1933 by Pope Pius XI

Name Meaning
brave as a bear

Patronage
 against bodily ills
 illness
 Lourdes, France
 people ridiculed for their piety
 poverty
 shepherdesses
 shepherds
 sick people
 sickness

Also known as

    * Mellifluous Doctor of the Church
    * Last of the Fathers of the Holy Church

Memorial

    * 20 August

Profile

    Born to the French nobility; brother of Saint Humbeline. At age 22, fearing the ways of the world, he, four of his brothers, and 25 friends joined the abbey of Citeaux; his father and another brother joined soon after. Benedictine. Founded and led the monastery of Clairvaux which soon had over 700 monks and eventually 160 daughter houses. Revised and reformed the Cistercians. Advisor to, and admonisher of, King Louis the Fat and King Louis the Young. Attended the Second Lateran Council. Fought Albigensianism. Helped end the schism of anti-Pope Anacletus II. Preached in France, Italy, and Germany. Helped organize the Second Crusade. Friend and biographer of Saint Malachy O’More. Spritual advisor to Pope Eugene III, who had originally been one of his monks. First Cistercian monk placed on the calendar of saints. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius VIII.

    Every morning Bernard would ask himself, “Why have I come here?”, and then remind himself of his main duty – to lead a holy life.

Born

    * 1090 at Fontaines-les-Dijon, Burgundy, France

Died

    * 20 August 1153 at Clairvaux Abbey, Ville-sous-la-Ferté, Aube, France

Canonized

    * 1170 by Pope Alexander III

Patronage

    * beekeepers
    * bees
    * Burgundy, France
    * candlemakers
    * chandlers
    * Cistercian Order
    * Cistercians
    * Gibraltar
    * Queens College, Cambridge, England
    * Speyer Cathedral
    * wax-melters
    * wax refiners

Representation

    * beehive
    * bees
    * book
    * Cistercian having a vision of Mary
    * Cistercian with a beehive
    * Cistercian with a chained demon
    * Cistercian with a mitre on the ground beside him
    * Cistercian with a swarm of bees nearby
    * Cistercian with a white dog
    * Cistercian writing and watching Mary
    * instruments of the Passion
    * pen
    * white dog
    * with Saint Humbeline

 

Also known as

    * Seraphic Doctor of the Church
    * the Devout Doctor

Memorial

    * 15 July

Profile

    Healed from a childhood disease through the prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi. Bonaventure joined the Order of Friars Minor at age 22. Studied theology and philosophy in Paris. Friend of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Doctor of Theology. Friend of King Saint Louis IX. General of the Franciscan Order at 35. Bishop of Albano, Italy. Cardinal. Spoke at the Council of Lyons, but died before its close. Writer. Biographer of Saint Francis. Doctor of the Church.

Born

    * 1221 at Bagnoregio, Tuscany, Italy

Died

    * 15 July 1274 at Lyon, France of natural causes

Canonized

    * 14 April 1482 by Pope Sixtus IV

Patronage

    * against intestinal problems
    * Bagnoregio, Italy
    * Cochiti Indian Pueblo
    * Saint Bonaventure University, New York

Representation

    * cardinal‘s hat
    * ciborium
    * Holy Communion
    * cardinal in Franciscan robes, usually reading or writing

Also known as

    * Apostle of Germany
    * Winfrid
    * Wynfrith

Memorial

    * 5 June

Profile

    Educated at the Benedictine monastery at Exeter, England. Benedictine monk at Exeter. Missionary to Germany from 719, assisted by Saint Albinus, Saint Abel, and Saint Agatha. They destroyed idols and pagan temples, and then built churches on the sites. Bishop. Archbishop of Mainz. Reformed the churches in his see, and built religious houses in Germany. Ordained Saint Sola. Founded or restored the dioceses of Bavaria, Thuringia, and Franconia. Evangelized in Holland, but was set upon by a troop of pagans, and he and 52 of his new flock, including Saint Adaler and Saint Eoban were martyred.

    Once in Saxony, Boniface encountered a tribe worshiping a Norse deity in the form of a huge oak tree. Boniface walked up to the tree, removed his shirt, took up an axe, and without a word he hacked down the six foot wide wooden god. Boniface stood on the trunk, and asked, “How stands your mighty god? My God is stronger than he.” The crowd’s reaction was mixed, but some conversions were begun.

    One tradition about Saint Boniface says that he used the customs of the locals to help convert them. There was a game in which they threw sticks called kegels at smaller sticks called heides. Boniface brought religion to the game, having the heides represent demons, and knocking them down showing purity of spirit.

Born

    * c.673-680 at Crediton, Devonshire, England

Died

    * martyred 5 June 754 at Dokkum, Freisland (modern Nederlands)
    * interred at monastery at Fulda, Germany

Canonized

    * Pre-Congregation

Patronage

    * brewers
    * file cutters
    * Fulda, Germany, diocese of
    * Germany
    * Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, Canada, archdiocese of
    * tailors

Representation

    * ax
    * book
    * fountain
    * fox
    * oak tree
    * raven
    * scourge
    * sword

 

Also known as

    * Birgit of Sweden
    * Birgitta of Sweden
    * Birgitta of Vadstena
    * Bridgid of Sweden
    * Brigida of Sweden

Memorial

    * 23 July
    * formerly 8 October

Profile

    Daughter of Birger Persson, the governor and provincial judge of Uppland, and of Ingeborg Bengtsdotter. Her father was one of the greatest landowners in the country, her mother was known widely for her piety, and the family were descendants of the Swedish royal house. Related to Saint Ingrid of Sweden.

    Bridget began receiving visions, most of the Crucifixion, at age seven. Her mother died c.1315 when the girl was about twelve years old, and she was raised and educated by an equally pious aunt. In 1316, at age thirteen, Bridget wed prince Ulfo of Nercia in an arranged marriage. She was the mother of eight, including Saint Catherine of Sweden; some of the other children ignored the Church.

    Friend and counselor to many priests and theologians of her day. Chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Blanche of Namur in 1335, from which position she counseled and guided the Queen and King Magnus II. After Ulfo’s death in 1344 following a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain she pursued a religious life, for which she was harassed by others at the court. She eventually renounced her title of princess. Franciscan tertiary. Cistercian. Mystic, visionary, and mystical writer. She recorded the revelations given her in her visions, and these became hugely popular in the Middle Ages.

    Founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) at Vadstena, Sweden in 1346. It received confirmation by Pope Blessed Urban V in 1370, and survives today, though few houses remain. Pilgrim to Rome, to assorted Italian holy sites, and to the Holy Lands. Chastened and counseled kings and Popes Clement VI, Gregory XI, and Urban VI, urging each to return to Rome from Avignon. Encouraged all who would listen to meditate on the Passion, and of Jesus Crucified.

Born

    * 1302 or 1303 at Finsta Castle, Uppsala, Sweden

Died

    * 23 July 1373 at Rome, Italy of natural causes
    * buried in 1374 at the Vadstena, Sweden convent she had founded

Canonized

    * 7 October 1391 by Pope Boniface IX

Patronage

    * Europe
    * Sweden
    * widows

Representation

    * abbess in Brigittine robes with a cross on her forehead, and holding a book and pilgrim‘s staff
    * book
    * head and cross
    * nun enthroned, with Christ above her and hell below, while she gives books to the emperor and kings
    * nun giving a book to Saint Augustine
    * nun in ecstasy before the crucifix with instruments of the Passion nearby
    * nun reading, holding a cross, with builders in the background
    * nun with a cross on her brow witnessing the Birth of Christ, which she saw in one of her visions
    * nun with shells, a sign of pilgrimage, sewn on her habit
    * nun writing with a pilgrim‘s equipage nearby
    * nun writing with an angel hovering over her shoulder, often whispering in her ear
    * nun writing while Christ and the Virgin appear before her
    * pilgrim‘s staff
    * small child at the Scourging of Christ, which she saw in one of her visions

 

Cultivated young patrician woman whose ancestors loomed large in Rome's history. She vowed her virginity to God, but her parents married her to Valerian of Trastevere. Cecilia told her new husband that she was accompanied by an angel, but in order to see it, he must be purified. He agreed to the purification, and was baptised; returning from the ceremony, he found her in prayer accompanied by a praying angel. The angel placed a crown on each of their heads, and offered Valerian a favor; the new convert asked that his brother be baptised.

The two brothers developed a ministry of giving proper burial to martyred Christians. In their turn they were arrested and martyred for their faith. Cecilia buried them at her villa on the Apprian Way, and was arrested for the action. She was ordered to sacrifice to false gods; when she refused, she was martyred in her turn.

The Acta of Cecilia includes the following: "While the profane music of her wedding was heard, Cecilia was singing in her heart a hymn of love for Jesus, her true spouse." It was this phrase that led to her association with music, singers, musicians, etc.

Died:
martyred c.117; suffocated for a while, and when that didn't kill her, she was beheaded; her grave was discovered in 817, and her body removed to the church of Saint Cecilia in Rome; the tomb was opened in 1599, and her body found to be incorrupt

Born to a wealthy, noble family, the third of six children, son of Count Giberto II Borromeo and Margherita de' Medici. Nephew of Pope Pius IV. Suffered with a speech impediment. Studied in Milan, and at the University of Pavia, studying at one point under the future Pope Gregory XIII. Civil and canon lawyer at age 21. Cleric at Milan, taking the habit on 13 October 1547. Abbot commendatario of San Felino e San Graziano abbey in Arona, on 20 November 1547. Abbot commendatario of San Silano di Romagnano abbey on 10 May 1558. Prior commendatario of San Maria di Calvenzano abbey on 8 December 1558. Protonotary apostolic participantium and referendary of the papal court to Pope Pius IV on 13 January 1560. Member of the counsulta for the administration of the Papal States on 22 January 1560. Appointed abbot commendatario of Nonatola, San Gallo di Moggio, Serravalle della Follina, San Stefano del Corno, an abbey in Portugal, and an abbey in Flanders on 27 January 1560. Created cardinal on 31 January 1560 at 22.

Apostolic administrator of Milan, Italy on 8 February 1560. Papal legate to Bologna and Romandiola for two years beginning on 26 April 1560. Deacon on 21 December 1560. Vatican Secretary of State. Governor of Civita Castellana in 1561. Governor of Ancona on 1 June 1561. Made an honorary citizen of Rome on 1 July 1561. Founded the Accademia Vaticana in 1562. Governor of Spoleto, Italy on 1 December 1562. Ordained on 4 September 1563. Helped re-open the Council of Trent, and participated in its sessions during 1562 and 1563. Named prince of Orta in 1563. Member of the Congregation of the Holy Office. Bishop of Milan on 7 December 1563. President of the commission of theologians charged by the pope to elaborate the Catechismus Romanus. Worked on the revision of the Missal and Breviary. Member of a commission to reform church music. Archbishop of Milan on 12 May 1564. Governor of Terracina on 3 June 1564. Archpriest of the patriarchal Liberian basilica in Rome in October 1564. Count of the Palatine in 1564. Prefect of the Tridentine Council from 1564 until September 1565. Papal legate in Bologna, Romandiola, legate a latere, and vicar general in spiritualibus of all Italy on 17 August 1565. Grand penitentiary on 7 November 1565. Participated in the conclave of cardinals in 1565 to 1566 that chose Pope Pius V; he asked the new pope to take the name. Protector of the Swiss Catholic cantons; he visited them all several times worked for the spiritual reform of both clergy and laymen. Due to his enforcement of strict ecclesiastical discipline, some disgruntled monks in the Order of the Humiliati hired a lay brother to murder him on the evening of 26 October 1569; he was shot at, but was not hit. Participated in the conclave in 1572 that chose Pope Gregory XIII. Member of the Apostolic Penitentiary in May 1572. Worked with the sick, and helped bury the dead during the plague outbreak in Milan in 1576. Established the Oblates of Saint Ambrose on 26 April 1578. Teacher, confessor and parish priest to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, giving him his first communion on 22 July 1580. To help the Swiss Catholics he founded the Collegium Helveticum.

Saint Charles spent his life and fortune in the service of the people of his diocese. He directed and fervently enforced the decrees of the Council of Trent, fought tirelessly for peace in the wake of the storm caused by Martin Luther, founded schools for the poor, seminaries for clerics, hospitals for the sick, conducted synods, instituted children's Sunday school, did great public and private penance, and worked among the sick and dying, leading his people by example.
Born:
morning of Wednesday 2 October 1538 in the castle at Aron, diocese of Novara, Italy
Died:
3 November 1584 at 8:30pm of a fever at Milan, Italy; his will named the Hospital Maggiore of Milan as his heir; buried in the metropolitan cathedral of Milan; relics transferred to a chapel built by Count Renato Borromeo in piazza San Maria Podone, Milan on 21 September 1751

Also known as
    Apostle of the Slavs
    Apostle of the Southern Slavs
    Constantin
    Constantine the Philospher
    Constantine
    Cyril the Philosopher

Memorial
    14 February
    formerly 7 July
    formerly 9 March

Profile
    Brother of Saint Methodius. Greek nobility; his family was connected with the senate of Thessalonica, and his mother Maria may have been Slavic. Studied at the University of Constantinople, and taught philosophy there. Deacon. Priest. Librarian at the church of Santa Sophia. Monk, taking the name Cyril. Sent with Methodius by the emperor in 861 to convert the Jewish Khazars of Russia, a mission that was successful, and which allowed him to learn the Khazar's language. In 863, sent with Methodius to convert Moravians in their native tongue. Though some western clergy opposed their efforts and refused to ordain their candidates for the priesthood, they did good work. Developed an alphabet for the Slavonic language that eventually became what is known as the Cyrillic today. After initial criticism for their use of it, they achieved approval of the Liturgy in the Slavonic language. May have been bishop, but may have died before the consecration ceremony.

Born
    827 at Thessalonica, Greece as Constantin

Died
    14 February 869 at Rome, Italy of natural causes

Patronage
    Bohemia
    Bulgaria
    Czech Republic
    Czechoslovakia
    ecumenism
    Europe
    Moravia
    unity of the Eastern and Western Churches
    Yugoslavia

Born of wealthy Spanish nobility. Son of Blessed Joan of Aza. When she was pregnant, his mother had a vision that her unborn child was a dog who would set the world on fire with a torch it carried in its mouth; a dog with a torch in its mouth became a symbol for the order which he founded, the Dominicans. At Dominic's baptism, Blessed Joan saw a star shining from his chest, which became another of his symbols in art, and led to his patronage of astronomy.

Studied philosophy and theology at the University of Palencia. Priest. Canon of the cathedral of Osma. Augustinian. Worked for clerical reform. Lifelong apostolate among heretics, especially Albigensians, and especially in France. Worked with Blessed Peter of Castelnau. Founded the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans) in 1215, a group who live a simple, austere life, and an order of nuns dedicated to the care of young girls. Friend of Saint Amata of Assisi.

At one point Dominic became discouraged at the progress of his mission; no matter how much he worked, the heresies remained. But he received a vision from Our Lady who showed him a wreath of roses, representing the rosary. She told him to say the rosary daily, teach it to all who would listen, and eventually the true faith would win out. Dominic is often credited with the invention of the rosary; it actually pre-dates him, but he certainly spread devotion to it, and used it to strengthen his own spiritual life.

Reported miracle worker who brought four people back from the dead. Legend says that Dominic received a vision of a beggar who, like Dominic, would do great things for the Faith. Dominic met the beggar the next day. He embraced him and said, "You are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us." The beggar was Saint Francis of Assisi.

Born
    1170 at Calaruega, Burgos, Old Castile

Died
    4 August 1221 at Bologna

Canonized
    13 July 1234 by Pope Gregory IX at Rieti, Italy Born: 1170 at Calaruega, Burgos, Old Castile

Died: 4 August 1221 at Bologna

Also known as

    * Dympna
    * Dimpna

Memorial

    * 15 May

Profile

    Daughter of a pagan Irish chieftain named Damon, and a beautiful devoted Christian woman whose name has not come down to us. Her mother died when Dymphna was a teenager. Her father searched the Western world for a woman to replace his wife, but none could. Returning home, he saw that his daughter was as beautiful as her mother, and maddened by grief, he made advances on her. She fought him off, then fled to Belgium with Saint Gerebernus, an elderly priest and family friend.

    Dymphna’s father searched for them, and his search led to Belgium. There an innkeeper refused to accept his money, knowing it was difficult to exchange. This told Damon that his daughter was close – it would be unusual for a village innkeeper to know a lot about foreign currency, and his knowledge indicated that had recently seen it. The king concentrated his search in the area. When he found them in Gheel, he beheaded Gerebernus, and demanded that Dymphna surrender to him. She refused, and he killed her in a rage.

    The site where she died is known for its miraculous healings of the insane and possessed. There is now a well-known institution on the site, and her relics are reported to cure insanity and epilepsy.

Canonized

    * Pre-Congregation

Patronage

    * against sleepwalking
    * against epilepsy
    * against insanity
    * against mental disorders
    * against mental illness
    * epileptics
    * family happiness
    * incest victims
    * loss of parents
    * martyrs
    * mental asylums
    * mental health caregivers
    * mental health professionals
    * mental hospitals
    * mentally ill people
    * nervous disorders
    * neurological disorders
    * possessed people
    * princesses
    * psychiatrists
    * rape victims
    * runaways
    * sleepwalkers
    * therapists

Representation

    * being beheaded by the king
    * kneeling at Mass while her father murders the priest Gerebernus
    * lamp
    * praying in a cloud surrounded by a group of lunatics bound with golden chains
    * princess holding a lamp and sword
    * princess with a sword holding the devil on a leash
    * young woman with Saint Gerebernus