St. Andrew

 Today I will wrap up my November Saint posts with a shout out to Wikipedia and Catholic.org - my two primary sources for information on the Saints. 

Today is the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. Andrew and his younger brother Simon (Peter) were from the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. They were fishermen. The name Andrew is Greek and means manly or brave. There is no Hebrew or Aramaic name recorded for Andrew, which shows a certain cultural openness in his family. 

Andrew is thought to have been one of the disciples more closely attached to Jesus. Although he was not in the inner circle of Peter, James and John, he was present for many of the important occasions of Jesus' ministry. It was Andrew to whom John the Baptist said "Behold the Lamb of God", bringing Andrew to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Andrew told Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes and when Philip wanted to tell Jesus about some Greeks who were seeking Him, he told Andrew first. 

Christian tradition says that Andrew went on to preach the Gospel around the shores of the Black Sea and throughout what is now Turkey and Greece. He was martyred by crucifixion, being bound rather than nailed to a cross. Tradition has developed that he was crucified on an 'X' shaped cross rather than a Latin cross as Jesus was. This is now known as a "St. Andrew's Cross." 

St. Andrew is patron of many places including Scotland, Barbados, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, and Prussia, among others. His other patronages include: fishermen, fishmongers and rope-makers, textile workers, singers, miners, pregnant women, butchers, farm workers, protection against sore throats, protection against convulsions, protection against fever, protection against whooping cough.

Julian of Norwich

 'All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'

This quote has been a bit of a mantra for me lately when the stress starts to get to be too much. This quote comes from the book Revelations of Devine Love written by Julian of Norwich in the 14th or 15th century. The book is the first written in English by a woman.

Julian, also known as Dame Julian or Mother Julian, is usually referred to as "blessed" or "Saint", although she has never been beatified or canonized. Therefore, I am stepping a little outside of my stated objective with the November Saint posts - but they are my rules, so I am free to break them.

Nothing is known for certain about Julian's actual name, her history, or her life prior to becoming an anchoress in the English city of Norwich. For much of her life she lived in permanent seclusion in a cell attached to St. Julian's church. It is thought that her name was taken from the name of the church to which she was attached. During her lifetime, the city of Norwich suffered the devastation of the Black Death of 1348-50 and a peasant revolt. 

Julian's writings indicate that she was born in 1342 or 1343 and died after 1416. It is speculated that she was educated by the Benedictine nuns of Carrow Abbey, as it is known that there was a school for girls there during her childhood. At the age of thirty, during a serious illness, she had a series of visions of Christ's Passion. She recovered from her illness and wrote about her visions. Preferring to write anonymously and seeking isolation from the world, she was still influential in her own time. 

After her death, Julian's writings were preserved by Brigittine and Benedictine nuns. It was first published in 1670. Julian is now recognized as one of England's most important mystics. The most characteristic element of her theology is likening divine love to motherly love.

Another quote: “He said not 'Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be dis-eased'; but he said, 'Thou shalt not be overcome.”

Julian's feast is celebrated on May 8 in the Anglican Church, the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Although she is not officially recognized as a Saint in the Catholic Church, her feast day in Catholic tradition (by popular celebration) is May 13.

St. John Francis Regis

 I first learned about today's Saint when I read a book about St. John Vianney. I thought that if this powerhouse of a Saint had a devotion to St. John Francis Regis, he must be someone worth knowing more about. 

Jean-Francois Regis was born in the Languedoc region of southern France in 1597. He was educated at a Jesuit college and then joined the Jesuits as a novice at the age of nineteen. After taking his vows two years later, he taught grammar while pursuing studies in philosophy and theology. He was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 31.

As a priest, he was a tireless worker and spent most of his life serving the marginalized. He worked with bubonic plague victims, visited hospitals, assisted the needy and and preached Catholic doctrine to children and the poor. He was best known for his work with at-risk women and orphans; establishing safe houses for them and finding them jobs. He established several hostels for prostitutes and helped them become trained lace makers, giving them a stable income.

Fr. Regis' preaching style was said to have been simple and direct. He appealed to the uneducated peasantry and reaped a harvest of conversions. However, his boldness - sometimes perceived as arrogance - led to conflicts with some other priests, tension with the local bishop and even threats from those whose vices he condemned. From 1833 to 1840, he gave missions and evangelized throughout the Diocese of Viviers. He walked from town to town in rough mountain areas, where travel was difficult, especially in winter. He died of pneumonia in 1840 at the age of 43.

St. John Francis Regis is patron of lace makers. His feast day is September 10.

Saint Anna Schäffer

 I was asked by my cousin, Jill, and my friend, Cheryl, to tell about a saint named Anna or Annabelle/Annabella. I could not find any saint with the name Annabelle/Annabella, but I did find that Annabelle is a combination of the Hebrew word for grace and the French word for beauty. The name means favored grace, so I found a St. Anna who I think embodies the favored grace of God.

Saint Anna Schäffer was born in 1882 in Bavaria, Germany. Her father died at the age of 40, leaving the family in poverty. Anna left school and went to work as a maid at the age of 14. She hoped eventually to enter religious life, but her family situation made that impossible. On February 4, 1901, she was working in a laundry. She slipped and fell   while trying to reattach a stovepipe and boiled her legs in the washing machine. She was taken to the hospital, but nothing could be done about the painful burns. More than thirty operations followed, but despite the care of her doctor skin grafts did not succeed. Anna became completely immobile and her mother had to care for her the rest of her life.

Anna never lost her optimism and her faith. She continued to express her adoration of Christ and veneration of the Blessed Mother and received the Eucharist daily, brought to her by a local abbot. She considered her suffering, her writing and her ability to knit clothes for her friends the three "keys" by which she could enter heaven. This beautiful attitude drew people to Anna. Townspeople would often visit her to hear her comforting words of faith. From 1910 mystical phenomena developed around her, including what could be described as stigmata, and occasional waking visions which made her ecstatic. However, she remained selfless offering prayers and letters to anyone who asked.

In 1925, she developed colon cancer and her paralysis spread to her spine, making it difficult to speak or write. On the morning of October 5, she received her final holy communion and died minutes later. Her feast day is October 5.

St. Zdislava of Lemberk

Happy Thanksgiving!! As we have come to the end of the alphabet with the letter 'Z' today, I want to assure you that I will still post for the remaining days of November - just not in alphabetical order. 

For the letter 'Z' we have St. Zdislava of Lemberk who was born in 1220 in Bohemia (what is now the northern part of the Czech Republic). She was said to be a "precociously pious child", giving money to charity from a young age. At the age of seven she ran away from home to become a hermit in the woods. Her family found her and returned her home. Zdislava's mother was born in Sicily and came to Bohemia as a member of the retinue of Queen Kunigunde and Zdislava was taken to visit the Queen as a child. 

At the age of 15, Zdislava was married to the wealthy nobleman, Havel of Markvartice, who owned Lemberk castle. She objected to the marriage, but young women often did not have much say in these things in those days. The couple had four children. Havel had a temper and treated Zdislava badly, but she remained patient and gentle. She devoted herself to the poor, opening the castle doors to those dispossessed by Mongol invasions. Havel tolerated her "extravagant charity" because she bowed to his wishes in wearing clothing befitting her station and would indulge in "extravagant feasts" with him. Zdislava joined the Third Order of St. Dominic as one of the earliest lay Dominicans. 

Shortly after her death, Zdislava appeared to her grieving husband to comfort him; her appearance strengthened him in his conversion from a life of wildness. She is patron of Bohemia, difficult marriages and people who are ridiculed for their piety. Her feast day is January 1. 

Bl. Yvette of Huy

 Blessed Yvette of Huy is our feature saint for the letter 'Y.' Yvette was born in 1158 to a wealthy family in Huy, Belgium. From an early age she tried to live the life of a religious from her home. However, when she was 13, she was forced into an arranged marriage. She had three children, one who died in infancy, and was then widowed at the age of 18. 

Yvette was an uncommon beauty and had plenty of suitors, but she chose to retire to a leper derelict hospital to tend to the inmates and more closely follow her religious calling. She left her two sons in the care of their grandfather. Ten years later she became an anchoress and was enclosed in a chapel cell near the colony. An Anchoress (or anchorite) is someone who, for religious reasons, opts to withdraw from secular society to lead a life focused on prayer. Unlike hermits, they take a vow of stability and are subject to a religious rite of consecration that often resembles a funeral rite.

From her cell, Yvette offered guidance to pilgrims who considered her a prophetess. She summoned priests and the dean of the local church to her presence to confront them about their behavior. Her power threatened the male clergy and cannons and she was denounced. However, she brought her father and one of her sons to conversion before her death in 1228.

Bl. Yvette's feast day is January 13. Her patronages include brides, widows and large families (?? - 3 kids is not a large family).

St. Xystus

 As I said before, doing an alphabetic list of Saints poses some challenges. Today we are on the letter 'X' and I have cheated - just a little.

Pope St. Xystus I is better known by the Latin spelling of his name, Sixtus. Xystus was the first of six popes of this name. He was the sixth Pope after St. Peter, leading to speculation that the name (meaning "sixth") is fictitious. 

Pope Xystus was a Roman of Greek descent. He reigned as Pope from about 115 to about 124. During his papacy he instituted several liturgical and administrative traditions. In the "Felician Catalogue" of popes and several martyrologies he is given the title of martyr, but nothing more is known about how he died. Like most of his predecessors, he is believed to have been buried near St. Peter's grave on Vatican Hill. His feast day is April 6.

St. William of Perth

 We are in the home stretch of the alphabet of Saints for November 2020. For the letter 'W', I have chosen St. William of Perth (also known as William of Rochester) in honor of Adoption Awareness month.

William was born in Perth, one of the principle cities of Scotland, in the twelfth century. After a wild youth, he grew up to devote his life to God. He was a baker and was accustomed to setting aside every tenth loaf he baked to feed the poor. One early morning on his way to daily Mass, he found an abandoned child on the threshold of the Church. He adopted the boy and taught him his trade. In the stories about William, the child's name is given as "Cockermay Doucri" which is said to be Scots for "David the Foundling."

In 1201, William and David set out on Pilgrimage to the Holy Places. They stopped in in Rochester, England on the way to Canterbury (and from there to Jerusalem). On their way out of town, David mislead his benefactor on a "short-cut", felled him with a blow to the head, robbed him and slit his throat. His body was discovered by a mad woman who made a garland out of honeysuckle, placed it on his head and then on her own and was instantly cured of her madness. On learning of this, the monks of Rochester carried the body to their monastery and buried him there. William was honored as a martyr as he was killed while on his way to holy places.

Although this is a really tragic story of adoption, William is a patron saint of adoption. His feast day is May 23.

Blessed Victoria Rasomanarivo

 For the letter 'V', I will share the story of a saintly woman from a distant part of the world. Blessed Victoria Rasomanarivo was born in the capital city of Antananarivo, Madagascar in 1848. At that time, this area of Madagascar was ruled by a powerful Queen, Ranavalona I. Victoria's Grandfather was her Prime Minister.

Victoria was educated by Jesuit missionaries and the Saint Joseph Sisters. She was baptized, in opposition to her family's wishes, at the age of 15. She wanted to join the Sisters, but at the age of 17 she was married to her cousin. Her husband was an alcoholic and abused her. Despite her unhappy marriage, Victoria refused divorce in the hope of her husband's conversion. She baptized him herself on his deathbed following an accident.

Victoria persevered in her Catholic faith even when the Catholic Missionaries were expelled from the region. From her position as a relative to the royal family, she protected her fellow Catholics. She managed to keep the Catholic Schools and Churches open, encouraged young lay Catholics through the Catholic Union, supported liturgical practice in the absence of pastors and cared for the poor and lepers. When missionaries returned in 1886, they found a vibrant Church of 21,000 Catholics. Because of what she did to sustain the Church during this period, Bl. Victoria is known as the Mother of the Malagasy Church. 

Bl. Victoria died in 1894 at the age of 46. Her feast day is August 21.

St. Ursula

 For the letter 'U', I will tell you a little bit about a Saint that many of you may have heard of but may not know that much about. Actually, no one really knows that much about St. Ursula.

The name Ursula means little female bear in Latin. According to medieval legend, Ursula was a Romano-British princess. At the request of her father, she set sail for the continent, with 11,000 virginal handmaids, to join her future husband. Upon reaching Gaul, Ursula declared that she was going to make a pilgrimage before her marriage. She and her followers set out for Rome and then for Cologne. The city of Cologne was being besieged by Huns and all of Ursula's handmaidens were beheaded in a massacre. Ursula herself was fatally shot with an arrow by the leader of the Huns. The massacre happened in about 383 AD.

It is doubtful if much, if any, of this story is true. The earliest evidence of a cult of holy martyred virgins at Cologne is an inscription from about 400in the Church of St. Ursula saying that the church was built on the site where holy virgins were killed. The details of the story mainly date from the late middle ages and differ from one source to another. 

Despite the questionable authenticity of her legend, the fruit of Ursula's martyrdom is undeniable. The Ursuline Sisters were named in her honor. The Order of Ursulines was founded in 1535 by Angela Merici, and devoted to the education of young girls. Ursulines have convents and schools all over the world. The first Ursulines arrived in Canada in 1639 and in Mobile, Alabama in 1719. Ursuline Academy in New Orleans is the oldest continually operating Catholic school in the United States and the oldest girls school in the United States. 

St. Ursula's feast day is October 21. Her patronages include archers, orphans and female students.  

St. Thecla

 We are on the downward slope of our Saint alphabet for this November - we have reached the letter 'T'! Our Saint for today is from the first century, St. Thecla.

According to tradition, Thecla was a young noblewoman from Iconium who heard St. Paul discourse on virginity. She adopted his teaching for herself and became estranged from her fiancé and her mother. They witnessed her sitting at her window listening to St. Paul teach and became concerned that she would follow his teaching  "one must fear only one God and live in chastity" and turned to the authorities to punish both Paul and Thecla. 

Thecla was miraculously saved from burning at the stake by the onset of a storm. She traveled with Paul to Antioch. There a nobleman desired Thecla and tried to rape her. She fought him off, tearing his cloak and knocking his coronet off his head. She was put on trial for assault and was sentenced to be eaten by wild beasts. She was once again miraculously saved from death.

She continued to travel with Paul and preach the word of God. She encouraged other women to follow her example by living a life of chastity. She became a healer, performed many miracles and continued to endure persecutions. Thecla is venerated as a martyr, but details of her death are scarce and probably pious fiction (as are most of the details of her life, more than likely). 

Thecla's feast day is celebrated on September 23 in the Catholic Church and on September 24 in the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

Bl. Sebastian de Aparicio y Pardo

 For the letter 'S' tonight I am sharing the story of Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio. 

Sebastian was born in 1502 in the Galician region of Spain. He was the son of poor but pious peasants who raised him in faith and taught him his prayers. As a child he tended sheep and cattle. He had no schooling and was illiterate. By his own account, he was saved in a miraculous way during an outbreak of the plague in 1514. Due to his illness, his parents were forced to quarantine him from the community. They built a hidden shelter for him in the woods where they left him. While he was lying there helpless, a she-wolf found his hiding place; she sniffed him and then bit and licked an infected spot on his body before running off. He began to heal from that moment.

When Sebastian was older, he decided to seek work outside the region in order to help support his family and provide dowries for his sisters. He traveled around Spain doing agricultural work. Eventually, he decided to improve his fortunes by traveling to the newly conquered Americas. Sebastian sailed from Spain in 1533, landing in Veracruz later that year. He moved inland to Puebla de Los Angeles, the second largest city in Colonial Mexico. He cultivated indigenous maize and European wheat and was one of the first  Spaniards to raise and train cattle to use in plow farming and transportation. He got permission to round up wild cattle which he then trained to move a cart. As a result, he is considered the first Mexican "cowboy" or charro. He realized the difficulty in transporting supplies in Mexico, which before the conquest had difficult terrain for moving goods. He conceived the idea for building a road from Puebla to Veracruz and obtained permission from colonial authorities to start building the roads that would connect the Spanish communities of Mexico.

As he prospered and became a wealthy man, Sebastian began to share his knowledge. He taught the indigenous people and his fellow Spaniards how to build wagons, domesticate horses and oxen and use a plow in farming. He never lost his commitment to his faith and lived a very ascetic lifestyle. He gave much of his wealth away to the poor. In his 70s, he felt the call to the consecrated life and often visited the Franciscan Friars. There were concerns about him being able to follow the life of the Franciscans, but he applied to be admitted as a lay brother. He received the religious habit in 1574 at the age of 72. At the friary, he held a number of offices: cook, sacristan, gardener and porter. He was then appointed as quaestor - the one assigned to travel through the community seeking alms and food for the upkeep of the friars. 

Sebastian died at the friary at the age of 98 in 1600. When his body was exhumed two years later, it was found to be incorrupt. His incorrupt body can still be seen at the Church of San Francisco in Puebla. He is the patron saint of transportation in Mexico. His feast day is February 25.

St. Robert Bellarmine

 Today we have reached the letter 'R' in our Saintly alphabet. For all of my friends who are gifted with the name Robert, Rob or Bob, tonight's Saint is St. Robert Bellarmine.

Robert was the son of Noble, albeit impoverished parents. He was the third of ten children and was a studious child. He joined the Jesuits in 1560 at the age of 18. After his ordination in 1569, he became famous as both a professor and a preacher. He was the first Jesuit to teach at the University of Leuven in Brabant, where his subject was the Suma Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was appointed to the chair of controversial theology. 

Robert was appointed a Cardinal in 1598. As a scholar, he defended the Holy See against anti-clericals in Venice and against the political tenets of James I of England. In the field of Church-state relations, he took a position based on principles now seen as fundamentally democratic - authority rests with God, but is vested in the people, who entrust it to  fit rulers.

Robert Bellarmine was the spiritual father of St. Aloysius Gonzaga and helped St. Francis de Sales obtain formal approval for the Visitation Order. He has left us a host of important writings, for which he was named a Doctor of the Church. He died in 1621 at the age of 78. His feast day is September 17. 

St. Quadratus of Athens

 Going alphabetically means that I'm going to have to stretch for some of our Saints this month, but I have found one for the letter 'Q.' 

St. Quadratus of Athens is said to have been the first Christian Apologist. Apologetics in Christianity does not mean saying your sorry for being a Christian; apologetics means giving an explanation for what you believe. According to the early Church historian, Eusebius, Quadratus is said to have been a disciple of the Apostles. He was appointed Bishop of Athens after the martyrdom of Publius. Eusebius is quoted that, "through his zeal they [the Athenian Christians] were brought together again and their faith revived." 

Quadratus addressed a defense (apology) of Christianity to Emperor Hadrian when the latter was visiting Athens. Only a portion of the apology still exists. Quadratus died in 129 AD. His Feast Day is May 26.

St. Pedro de San Jose Betancur

 As many of you know, I like to travel the world and highlight the universality of the communion of Saints, so for the letter 'P' today we will be traveling from the Canary Islands to Central America. St. Pedro de San Jose Betancur is the first Saint native to the Canary Islands. He was born on the island of Tenerife in 1626 and worked as a shepherd as a small child. When his father's estates were seized by a moneylender in 1638, Pedro went into indentured servitude. During this period, his brother migrated to Spain's colonies in the New World.

When he was freed from his period of service at the age of 23, he decided to follow his brother's example and sailed for Guatemala. By the time he had reached Havana, Cuba, he was out of money. He spent a year serving a priest there and had to work for his passage from that point on. In Guatemala, he eventually found his uncle who found him a job in a textile factory. 

In 1653, he entered a Jesuit college to study for the priesthood, but he could not master the material. He withdrew after three years. Unable to receive Holy Orders, he instead became a Franciscan tertiary, taking the religious name Peter of Saint Joseph (Pedro de San Jose). He visited hospitals, jails, the unemployed and worked with the young. He was given a hut which he converted into a hospital for the poor. His enthusiasm inspired others and he found benefactors who helped him build a hospital where he could do his work better. He placed the hospital under the patronage of Our Lady of Bethlehem. This then led to the founding of the Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem or the Bethlemitas. 

Pedro is credited with introducing to the Americas the Christmas Eve posadas tradition. In the posadas, people representing Mary and Joseph process through town seeking lodging from their neighbors. This custom has spread to Mexico and other Central American countries -- as well as to my family. My sister read about the posadas when we were young and so, as children, we would hold a posadas procession through our house on Christmas Eve with family members in various rooms telling Mary and Joseph that there was no room at the inn. 

Exhausted by his labor and penance, Pedro died on April 25, 1667 at the age of 41. His feast day is April 25 and he is patron of the homeless, those who serve the sick and many of the places where he lived and served. 

Blessed Omelyan Kovch

 Hello again. Today for our Saint post, we feature the letter 'O' and Blessed Omelyan Kovch. Omelyan was born in Western Ukraine in 1884. His family was full of priests - his father was a priest and his mother was the daughter of a priest. Eventually two of his sons would become priests as well as a grandson. (The family was Ukranian Greek-Catholic - an Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church in which married priests are common)

In 1910, Omelyan married Maria-Anna Dobrianska and the following year he was ordained to the priesthood in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. At the time of his childhood, seminary studies and ordination, western Ukrainian Galician lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Over a period of thirty years, Omelyan was a spiritual Father to his flock under Austrian, Ukrainian, Polish, Soviet and Nazi rule. 

In 1919, he was a field chaplain for the Ukrainian Galician army. He then served as a parish priest from 1921 to 1943. The pastor's rectory was known to be a special place. Fr. Omelyan and Maria-Anna had six children of their own, but they still found room in their hearts and their home for orphans and children abandoned due to extreme poverty. Fr. Omelyan was an ardent supporter of his Jewish neighbors and exhorted his parishioners not to give in to the anti-sematic propaganda when the German advance sent occupying Soviets into retreat from the region. When the Nazis firebombed a local synagogue,  Fr. Omelyan rushed to the synagogue and pulled the terrified Jewish congregants from the flames. 

When the Nazis began deporting the Jewish population to death camps, many from that community pleaded with the Priest to baptize them in the hope that this would increase their chance for survival. Although he initially had misgivings about administering the sacrament under these circumstances, in the end he could not refuse the insistent request of his neighbors. Fr. Omelyan began catechesis classes and conducted mass baptisms of hundreds of Jews. Unfortunately, most of the newly baptized still suffered the same fate as other Jews in the death camps.

On December 30, 1942, Fr. Omelyan was arrested due to his systematic protection of the Jews. The Germans sent him to Majdanek concentration camp near Lublin, Poland. In a letter written from the camp, he wrote:

“I understand that you are making efforts for my liberation. But I ask you to do nothing. Yesterday they killed 50 people. If I am not here who will help them endure these sufferings? They would go into eternity with all of their sins and in deep despair, which leads to hell. Now they go to their deaths with upraised heads leaving their sins behind. And thus they cross the bridge to eternity.

Fr. Omelyan died in the camp infirmary on March 25, 1944, three months before the camp was liberated. For more information on this remarkable man, check out this website:

https://risu.ua/en/besides-heaven-this-is-the-only-place-where-i-would-want-to-be-the-witness-of-the-greek-catholic-priest-martyr-of-majdanek-blessed-omelian-kovch_n56552

St. Norbert

 For the letter 'N' today we will feature St. Norbert of Xanten. Xanten is a town in the northwestern part of Germany. Norbert was born here around 1075 as a member of the high nobility. 

Through the influence of his family, he obtained a financial subsidy from the parish church when he accepted ordination to the subdiaconate. His only duty was to chant the Divine Office at the Church, but he apparently paid someone to take his place in the choir when he was appointed as chaplain to the Emperor Henry V. The salaries from the church and the royal treasury equipped him to live in the style of the nobility. He avoided ordination to the priesthood and the implied responsibilities that accompanied that profession. 

In the spring of 1115, a thunderstorm came up while he was riding his horse. A bolt of lightening struck suddenly and his horse bolted, throwing him to the ground. He lay unconscious for nearly an hour. This brush with mortality gave Norbert a change of heart. He renounced his position at court and turned to a life of prayer and penance. He submitted to instruction for the priesthood and founded the Abbey of Furstenberg. He sold all his property, gave the proceeds to the poor and became an itinerant preacher preaching throughout what is now western Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and northern France. 

In 1120, Norbert founded the Canons Regular of Premontre in the Diocese of Laon France at the request of Pope Calixtus II. He gained adherents in Germany, France, Belgium and Transylvania. In 1126, Pope Honorius II appointed him Archbishop of Magdeburg. Several assassination attempts were made upon the Archbishop as he began to reform the lax discipline of his see. He was especially vigilant at protecting the Church's rights against the secular power. 

Norbert died on June 6, 1134 at the age of 53. His feast day is June 6.

St. Mark Ji Tianxiang

 I am so excited to tell you about today's Saint for the letter 'M.' This Saint has a lot to teach us about perseverance and hope in the midst of despair and unanswered prayers. His name is St. Mark Ji Tianxiang. 

Mark Ji was born in 1834 in the apostolic vicariate of Southeastern  Zhili, China. He was raised in a Christian family and grew up to become a physician. He was a respected member of his community. As a doctor, he served the poor for free. However, in his 30's, he was afflicted with a severe stomach ailment. He treated himself with opium, which was a common remedy for pain, but was also highly addictive. 

Mark Ji soon became addicted. In the 19th century, addiction was not understood to be a disease as it is today. Opium addicts were scorned and addiction was considered to be a weakness of character. Mark Ji continued to fight his addiction and frequently went to confession. However, since he continued to confess the same sin, the priest thought that that was evidence that there was no firm purpose of amendment - no desire to do better. Without the resolve to repent and sin no more, confession is invalid. After a few years, the priest told Mark Ji not to return until he could meet the requirements for confession. 

For most people, this would have been a real challenge to their faith and probably a death knell for their relationship with the Church. But Mark Ji knew himself to be loved by the Father. He could not overcome his addiction, but he could keep showing up. And show up he did - for 30 years. For 30 years, he was unable to receive the sacraments and for 30 years he prayed to become a martyr because he felt that was his only path to heaven. It seemed to him that he could only be saved through a martyr's crown. 

The Boxer Rebellion was an anti-imperialist, anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising that took place in China from 1899-1901. As the rebels turned against Christians, both native Chinese and foreign missionaries, Mark Ji got his prayer for martyrdom answered. He was rounded up with other dozens of other Christians, including his son, six grandchildren and two daughters-in-law. During his trial, Mark Ji was given the opportunity to apostatize, but he stood firm in his faith. He was lead to his execution, along with other members of his family, on July 7, 1900. He asked his captors to kill him last so that none of his family would have to die alone. This was granted and as he waited for his own death he sang the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Mark Ji's feast day is July 7 and he is the patron saint for all who struggle with addiction. 

St. Livinus

 Today's letter is 'L', and I have chosen St. Livinus as our Saint of the day - partly because today is his Feast Day.

Livinus was born in Ireland in the late sixth century (exact date is unknown). Legend says that his father was a Scottish Noble and his mother an Irish Princess. He studied in England, where he visited St. Augustine of Canterbury. He then returned to Ireland. Later he went on pilgrimage in Ghent (Belgium) and Zeeland (Netherlands) where he preached. During one of his sermons, Livinus was attacked by a group of pagans who cut off his tongue and head. 

The villages of Sint-Lievens-Esse, where he was martyred, and Sint-Lievens-Houtem, where he was buried, are named in his honor. 

St. Katharine Drexel

 For the letter 'K', I have chosen a Saint that I know is a favorite of many, St. Katharine Drexel. 

Katharine, who was born as Catherine Mary Drexel in Philadelphia in 1858, was the first person who was born in the United States to be canonized as a Saint. (Note: St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton was canonized earlier, but she was born before the U.S. was a country). Katharine was canonized in 2000 by Pope St. John Paul II. 

Katharine's father was an investment banker. She and her sisters were brought up in the lap of luxury. They were taken on tours of the United States an Europe, and Katharine made her social debut in 1878. Katharine's parents also taught them about the obligation of wealth. Three times a week the family gave out food, clothing and rent assistance from their family home. When widows or single women were too proud to come to the house, the family quietly sought them out.

Katharine was appalled by what she read about the plight of Native Americans. When her family visited the western states, she observed their destitution first hand. She wanted to do something specific to hel - thus began her life-long support of numerous missions in the United States.

When their father died, the Drexel sisters were left with a large inheritance. In 1887, the sisters were received in a private audience with Pope Leo XIII. They asked him for some missionaries to staff some Indian missions that they had been financing. The Pope suggested instead that Katharine become a missionary herself. After consulting with her Spiritual Director, she entered the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Pittsburg in 1889. In 1891, she professed her first vows, dedicating herself to work among the Native Americans and African-Americans. She took the name Mother Katharine and, with thirteen other women, established a new congregation called the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. 

Mother Katharine received requests for help and advise from various parts of the U.S. All told, Mother Katharine and her sisters established 145 missions, 50 schools for African-Americans, 12 schools for Native Americans and Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically black Catholic college in the U.S. Much of this was financed by the income from Katharine's fortune. Unfortunately, because of the terms of her father's will, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament no longer had the Drexel fortune available to support their mission after Katherine's death. However, the order is still active and pursuing their original apostolate with Native-Americans and African Americans in 21 states and Haiti.

Mother Katharine Drexel died in 1955 at the age of 96. Her feast day is celebrated on March 3. She is patron of philanthropy and racial justice.

St. John Grande

 At the request of my cousin Jill, for the letter 'J' we will feature St. John. The hard part about this is choosing which St. John. According to https://www.catholic.org/saints/stindex (one of my primary sources), there are more than 70 Saints named John -- that does not count Blesseds or Saints whose names are other forms of the name John (Juan, Jean, Johan, etc.). I could have spent several days reading about these men - but I don't have that kind of time. So I picked St. John Grande kind of at random.

John Grande was born near Seville, Spain in 1546. He learned the merchant's trade and then opened a linen shop, but that work did not satisfy him. At the age of 19, he gave up the business, gave his property away and became a hermit. From that moment on, he called himself John Grande Pecador (Great Sinner). However, life in seclusion was not his ultimate calling. 

He went to the city of   Jerez de la Fronter, where he took care of prisoners, providing them with food, clothes, medical care and humane treatment. Due to his good relationships with those leaving prison, he was also assigned supervision of a care facility for people expelled from hospitals and shelters. He also helped women of the streets, helping them to obtain dowries so that they could leave their lives of sin and start families of their own. A wealthy couple provided him with funds to open his own hospital, which became famous for good care of the sick and a deeply religious atmosphere. 

John died on June 3, 1600, a victim of the plague. His feast day is June 3. 

St. Irenaeus

 Day 9 of our November Saints and for the letter 'I' we have St. Irenaeus. Irenaeus was born about 125-130 AD probably in Smyrna in Asia Minor (now Turkey). He was brought up in a Christian family in an area where Christians were numerous and the memory of the Apostles was still cherished. He was a disciple of St. Polycarp, who is thought to have known and learned from John the Apostle. 

Irenaeus went to Gaul (present day France) to serve as a priest in the city of Lyon. During his time there, there was a terrible persecution and many of the clergy were imprisoned for the faith. They sent Irenaeus to Rome with a letter to the Pope concerning the heresy of Montanism. While he was in Rome, the Bishop of Lyon was martyred. He returned to Lyon to become the second Bishop of that city. As Bishop, he divided his energies between the duties of a Pastor and those of a Missionary. 

What Irenaeus is known for his writings against Gnosticism, the most famous is his book Against Heresies. In this treatise, he puts forth the doctrines of various sects and contrasts them with the teaching of the Apostles. Irenaeus wrote in Greek, but his work was quickly translated into Latin and widely circulated. 

The date of his death is unknown, but it was likely close to the end of the second century or the beginning of the third. He was buried in a crypt under the altar of the church of St. John in Lyon, which was later renamed St. Irenaeus in his honor. Unfortunately, his tomb was destroyed in 1562 by the Huguenots and his relics were either destroyed or lost. 

In the Roman Church and the Anglican Communion, his feast is celebrated on June 28. In the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church, it is celebrated on August 23.

Venerable Henriette DeLille

 With my saint posts, I prefer to stick with those who have been canonized (Saints) or beatified (Blesseds) because there are so many of these that I will never run out of material. However, there are some who are on their way to that point that are worthy of mention and whose story I feel the desire to share. Our 'H' saint is one of these.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI declared Henriette DeLille to be Venerable, meaning that the person has demonstrated heroic virtue in their life and can be considered for the next step in the process toward canonization. 

Henriette was born on March 11, 1813, in New Orleans, LA. Her mother was a free woman of color and her father was French. Their union was a common law marriage such as was common type of union (called the placage system) between ethnic European men and women of African, Native American or mixed-race descent. Henriette was raised to enter into the same type of union by being taught, French literature, music and dancing. Her mother also taught her nursing skills and herbal medicine. 

Raised a Roman Catholic in the French tradition, Henriette was drawn to the teachings of the Church. She resisted the life she was raised to, becoming a strong opponent to the placage system which she believed went against the Church's teaching on the sacrament of marriage. Henriette was influenced by Sister Marthe Fontier who had opened a school for girls of color in New Orleans. In 1827, at the age of 14, Henriette began teaching as well. 

In 1835, Henriette's mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was declared incompetent. Henriette was granted her mother's assets. After providing for her mother's care, she sold all the property and used the proceeds to found a small, unrecognized religious order which she called the Sisters of the Presentation. This small congregation of nine women cared for the sick, helped the poor and educated free and enslaved children and adults. They took into their home some elderly women who needed more than visitation and thereby opened the first Catholic home for the elderly in America. 

In 1837, Fr. Etienne Rousselon of New Orleans obtained formal recognition of the congregation from the Holy See. The congregation changed its name to Sisters of the Holy Family and continued their work for the sick and the poor. Henriette died at the age of 49 on November, 17, 1862, during the Union occupation of New Orleans in the American Civil War. Her friends attributed her death to a life of service, poverty and hard work. The Sisters of the Holy Family remain active today. 

Since Henriette DeLille has not yet been beatified, she has not been assigned a feast day, but she is recognized as patron of racial equality, gender equality, social equality, educational equality, health equality and equanimity. 

St. Gorgonia

 For my Saint posts every November, I aim to offer a variety of Saints that will reflect the universality of the Catholic Church. Today, for the letter 'G', we have a married lay-woman from the early centuries of the Church. 

St. Gorgonia was from a very saintly family. Her parents were St. Gregory  Nazianzus  the Elder and St. Nonna; her brothers were St. Gregory of  Nazianzus, also known as Gregory the Theologian, and St. Caesarius. Raised in such a prestigious family, she was given a great example for establishing her own family. She married a man of some influence named Vitalian. Gorgonia was quite influential herself, helping her husband grow in the faith. 

The couple had several children (the sources I researched differed on the number). St. Gorgonia is called the "pattern of a married saint" for her dedication to her Vocation as a wife and mother. She was also known for her hospitality. Upon her death in 375, her brother, Gregory, gave her eulogy in which he called her a model Christian spouse and mother, the "paragon of women" and "the diamond of her sex."

St. Gorgonia is patroness of people afflicted by bodily ills or sickness. Her feast day is February 23 in the Eastern Orthodox Church and December 9 in the Roman Catholic Church.

Bl. Franz Jägerstätter

 As we move through the alphabet the Saint-vember, we come to the letter 'F' and Bl. Franz Jägerstätter. I chose Franz because there was a movie made about his life that my Dad shared with me not too long ago and I wanted to know more about him.

Franz was born in Austria in 1907. Since his parents could not afford to marry, he was initially raised by his grandmother. His biological father was killed in WWI and his mother then married Heinrich Jägerstätter, who adopted the boy and gave him his name. Franz' life was much like that of any other Austrian peasant. He worked as a farmhand and a miner until he inherited his adoptive father's farmstead in 1933.  In 1936, he married  Franziska Schwaninger, who was deeply religious. Their honeymoon was spent in pilgimage to Rome, where they received a Papal blessing. Inspired by his wife, Franz began to study the Bible and the lives of the Saints. 

When German troops moved into Germany in 1938, he was the only person in his village to vote against the unification of Austria to Germany. His vote was suppressed and local authorities announced unanimous approval. He was dismayed to see many Catholics in his town supporting the Nazis. Franz underwent military training, but he refused to take the Hitler oath. His military service was deferred several times as he had exemption as a farmer. He was finally called to active duty on February 23, 1943. By this time, he had begun questioning the morality of the war and declared his status as a conscientious objector. His offer to serve as a medic was ignored and he was arrested and put in prison. A priest from his village visited him and tried to convince him to serve, but he stood firm on his convictions.

Accused of undermining military morale, Franz was sentenced to death in a military trial. He was executed by guillotine on August 9, 1943 at the age of 36. In June 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic exhortation declaring  Franz Jägerstätter to be a martyr. He was beatified later that same year. His feast day is the date of his baptism, May 21. He is the patron of contentious objectors.

St. Edmund Arrowsmith

 Good Evening!  For today's Saint of the Day we are featuring the letter 'E' and St. Edmund Arrowsmith. Fr. Arrowsmith is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. 

St. Edmund was born Brian Arrowsmith in 1585 in Lancashire, England. His father was a yeoman farmer and his mothers family boasted of priests and martyrs. Although he was baptized Brian, he always used his confirmation name, Edmund, in honor of an uncle who trained English priests  in France. During his childhood, is family was frequently harassed for adherence to the Roman Church. 

At the age of 21, he left England to attend the English Colege, Douai, in France to study for the priesthood. He shortly had to return to England due to ill health, but he recovered and returned to school in 1607. He was ordained in 1612 and sent on the English mission a year later. He ministered to the Catholics of Lancashire without incident until 1622, when he was arrested and questioned by the Anglican Bishop of Chester. 

In 1628, after being betrayed, he was arrested again. This time he was convicted of being a Roman Catholic priest and sentenced to death. His final confession was heard by St. John Southworth, who was imprisoned with him. He was hanged, drawn and quartered on August 28, 1628. 

Edmund Arrowsmith was canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI in 1970. His feast days are August 28 alone and October 25 with the other martyrs. 

Bl. Dina Belanger

 Today's Saint of the Day for the letter 'D' is a tribute to our friends in Canada, as we will feature one of their own. 

Blessed Dina Belanger, also known by her religious name Marie of Saint Cecilia of Rome, was born in Quebec in 1897. The full name given to her at baptism was Marie-Marguerite-Dina-Adelaide. Her parents raised her in the faith, teaching her her prayers and taking her to Mass. At the age of 14, she entered a convent boarding school. At first, she was very homesick and her parents offered to take her home again. However she persevered and was soon moved to make a private act of consecration to God.

In 1913 she asked her parents and two priests for permission to enter the Notre-Dame order's novitiate. The priests counseled her to wait. Dina was a talented musician and had been learning piano and music from the nuns from the time she was eight until 1914. She went to New York in 1916 to study music. She returned to Canada upon her graduation in 1918. 

During this time, Dina's spiritual life was not dormant. She became a Third Order Dominican, taking the name of St. Catherine of Sienna. She then entered the  Religieuses de Jésus-Marie  at Niagara Falls in 1921where she assumed the religious name of Marie de St. Cecilia de Rome. She made monastic vows two years later. During her first mission in 1923, where she taught piano, she contracted Scarlet Fever. She recovered enough to be able to resume her teaching duties. However, the fever degenerated into tuberculosis. She said that her illness allowed her to further deepen her relationship with Jesus. 

She was asked by her Superior to write her biography in 1924 soon after falling ill. In a vision, she heard Jesus tell her, "You will do good by your writings." She continued her writing until just a few months before her death. She recovered and fell ill again a couple times before she dies of her illness on September 4, 1929.

Her feast day is Sept. 4.

Bl. Carlo Acutis

 For the letter 'C', I have chosen a Blessed that has fielded a lot of my prayers recently. He is the patron of computer programmers; I have been seeking his intercession for help with the ministries I am doing online - I just got off a Zoom Bible Study meeting and I have an Alpha on Zoom tomorrow, on both of which I am the designated "tech" person (LOL!!). 

So let me introduce you to my new friend, Blessed Carol Acutis. Bl. Carlo is the newest Catholic Blessed in a couple ways. Firstly, he was just beatified on October 10, 2020. Also, he was born in 1991 - yes, that is NINETEEN Ninety-one! Most of my readers will remember 1991; I do.

Carlo was born in London to a wealthy Italian family. The family moved to Milan shortly after Carlo's birth. His parents were not especially religious and when the young boy showed an interest in religious practices, his questions were answered by the family's Polish baby-sitter. He requested to receive his First Communion early at the age of seven. Thereafter he made the effort, either before or after Mass, to spend time in reflection before the Tabernacle. 

At school, Carlo would worry about his friends whose parents were divorcing and he would invite them to his home to support them. He would also defend peers who were bullied and mocked by bullies. Those around him considered him a "computer geek" on account of his skill with computers and the internet. At the age of 11 he started compiling a catalog of each Eucharistic Miracle around the world. He turned this catalog into a website which he completed in 2005. He wanted to use his gifts with the computer to evangelize the world. 

He had asked for his parents to take him on pilgrimage to the locations of all the known Eucharistic Miracles, but he contracted leukemia and his declining health prevented this. He died on October 12, 2006 at the age of 15. He was buried in Assisi according to his wishes. His feast day is October 12.

St.Babylas

 Blessed Dia de los Muertos!

For Day 2 of Saint-vember, we take the letter 'B' and learn about St. Babylas. Babylas was the twelfth Bishop of Antioch. The story is told that he once refused a visiting emperor admission to the church on account of his sinful ways. The Bishop told the emperor to take his place among the penitents. (No political comments, please.)  During the Decian persecution in the year 250, Babylas made an unwavering confession of faith and was thrown into prison. He is venerated as a martyr because he died in prison 3 years later. 

St. Babylas died in 253. He has the distinction of being the first Saint recorded to have had his remains moved (or "translated") for religious purposes. This practice was extremely common in later centuries. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byantine Rite, his feast day is celebrated on September 4. In the Roman Rite, his feast day is January 24.

Bl. Alan de la Roche

 Today, I will start my November Saints with the letter 'A' and Blessed Alan (or Alain) de le Roche (also known as Alanus de Rupe). I chose Bl. Alan for my brother-in-law and my nephew who share the middle name of Alan.

Alan was born around 1428. Various sources put his birthplace in Germany or Belgium, but the most reliable source says he was born in Brittany. He entered the Dominican Order in 1459. He was well known for his teaching in philosophy and theology and he was a renowned preacher. His special passion, and what he is most remembered for, was the preaching and re-establishment of the rosary. 

Pious tradition says that the Rosary was given to St. Dominic in the thirteenth century, but the devotion was nearly lost by Bl. Alan's time two centuries later. Alan supposedly heard the Lord and His Blessed Mother speaking to him telling him to preach this devotion. He is also said to have heard St. Dominic speak to him. Whether or not these "visions" were real (there is some doubt), Alan's preaching bore much fruit and devotion to the Holy Rosary spread. 

Alan died in 1475. His feast day is October 26.