Syncletica of Alexandria

 Today's post is another one from the list I made while reading about different Saints. 

St. Syncletica was born in Egypt in the fourth century. She was wealthy and very beautiful. Many suitors sought to marry her, but she had dedicated her life to God from her childhood. She had two brothers who died young and a sister who was blind. So, when her parents died, she was left to take responsibility for the family's estate. She distributed the wealth to the poor and, with her sister, abandoned the life of the city for a hermitic lifestyle. Her holy life soon gained the attention of locals and, gradually, many women joined her to live as her disciples in the faith. 

Syncletica's humility made her reluctant to take on the task of instruction, but her charity gave her the courage to speak. Her discourses made a deep impression on her listeners, and inspired them to charity, humility, vigilance and every other virtue. She is regarded as a "Desert Mother" and her sayings are recorded with those of the Desert Fathers. She is believed to have died at the age of 80 of a fever. Her feast day is January 5.

St. Syncletica, pray for us.

St. Virgil of Salzburg

 Since I did a post for Grandma a few days ago, today I will do one for Grandpa. Today also happens to te the Feast Day of this Saint, so it works out well.

St. Virgil of Salzburg was born around the year 700 in Ireland, where his name was Feirgil or Fearghal. He was from a Noble family and is said to have been a descendant of the semi-historical Irish king Niall of the Nine Hostages (a story for another time). He was probably educated at the Iona Monastery.  

Around 745, he left Ireland intending to visit the Holy Land. Like many of his countrymen who embarked on this journey as an act of piety, he settled down in France where he was well received by Pippin the Younger. He was an advisor of Pippin and assisted him and assisted his recognition as king Pippin III. After a couple of years, he moved on to Bavaria at the invitation of Duke Odilo. Another couple of years later found him as Abbot of St. Peter's Abbey in Salzburg. 

As Abbot, Virgil clashed with another future Saint, St. Boniface. A priest, through ignorance of Latin, had conferred the Sacrament of Baptism using incorrect wording. Virgil determined that the error was accidental, and the baptism was valid. Boniface disagreed and complained to Pope Zachary. The Pope confirmed Virgil's ruling and expressed surprise that Boniface had questioned it. Later on, Boniface accused Virgil of teaching doctrine that was contrary to Scripture. The Pope responded to this that if it were proven that Virgil did actually profess belief in this doctrine, he should be deprived of his sacerdotal rank and expelled from the church. However, there is no evidence that he did hold or teach doctrine contrary to scripture. He must at some time satisfied his critics as, upon the martyrdom of Boniface, Virgil was made Bishop of Salzburg. He labored successfully in upbuilding the diocese as well as for the spread of Christianity in neighboring heathen countries. 

Virgil died in 784. His Feast Day is November 27.

St. Virgil of Salzburg, pray for us.

Luigi Scrosoppi

 I spent the afternoon watching football with my Dad. He enjoys watching sports, but he's not really a fanatic  - which is good because his teams didn't do well this weekend. I looked it up and found that the patron saint of footballers is St. Luigi Scrosoppi. Of course, being an Italian, that's not American Football. But he is a Saint, so if those Ohio teams who suffered losses this weekend pray for his intercession, I'm sure that in charity he will pray for them.

Luigi was born in 1804, the youngest of three brothers. He felt a call to the priesthood as a teenager and was ordained in 1827. His oldest brother, who was also a priest, celebrated his first Mass with him. As a young priest,  he helped to manage a children's center that was run by his brother. Later, he devoted himself to the construction of an orphanage and was soon running an organization that accommodated 100 boarders and 230 day pupils in a building that became known as the House of the Destitute. He also established the Sisters of Providence of St Cajetan of Thiene and opened a school and a home for deaf-mute girls. He died in 1884 after a long illness. 

St. Luigi Scrosoppi was proposed for the patron of footballers by an Austrian bishop in 2010. He represents values that are developed through sport such as fairness,  diligence, perseverance and determination. A Canadian football club has been named in his honor. His feast day is April 3.

St. Luigi Scrosoppi, pray for us. 

Sts. Rose

 Today is my Grandma's birthday. She would have been 110 today. I have previously done posts on the more well known Saints who bear her name, so let's bring a few holy women out of obscurity. 

I found three Saints with the name Rose who are among the Chinese Martyrs. Chinese Martyrs is the name given to members of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches who were killed in China in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes 222 Orthodox Christians who died during the Boxer Rebellion. On June 11, 1900, leaflets were posted in the streets calling for the massacre of Christians and threatening anyone who sheltered them. 

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes 120 Catholic Martyrs who died in China between 1648 and 1930. Of these, 87 were lay people, 33 were missionaries and 86 died during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 as cited above. There were also many Protestant Christians who died in the Boxer Rebellion, but there is no formal veneration or universally recognized list of those Martyrs. The Chinese Martyrs stayed true to their faith in the face of torture and death. 

The Chinese born lay people who died for their faith were from many different walks of life and ranged in age from 9 to 70. Among these were three women named Rose:

Rose Tchao 

Rose Tch'Enn-Kai-Tsie

Rose Wang-Hoei

Unfortunately, I am unable to find any other details of their lives. The Feast Day of the Chinese Martyrs is celebrated on July 9 in the Catholic Church. 

Dorothea of Montau

 Watching The Wizard of Oz tonight so it seemed appropriate to do a post on St. Dorothy or Dorothea. 

Dorothea was born to the peasant class in Montua, Prussia in 1347. She married a wealthy swordsmith and bore him 9 children. Dorothea's husband was of a gruff nature, but his life with her gentled him and he occasionally accompanied her on pilgrimage. In 1390, she  traveled to Rome, but her husband did not go with her that time and he died during her absence. 

As a widow, Dorothea became a hermitess. She became known for her visions and spiritual gifts. She died in 1394. She is a patron saint of brides, widows and parents of large families. Her feast day is October 30.

St. Dorothea of Montua, pray for us. 

St. Matthew Phuong

 Today's post is for my dear friend, Matthew, who I saw at Church tonight. Happy Feast of St. Cecilia, to you, too, Matthew. I don't get to talk to you nearly enough, but you are very popular, and I cannot compete with your fan club. So here is a little patron for you . . .

St. Matthew Nguyen Van Phoung was one of the martyrs of Vietnam that we discussed earlier this month. He was born in Vietnam in 1801. When his parents died, he was raised by the local priest. Matthew married and became a devoted lay catechist. One of his tasks was finding homes where priests could say Mass. In a country with a long history of religious persecution, this took a lot of courage. 

Before Mass one day in Advent 1860, rumors were heard that the authorities were looking for Matthew. He and the priest went into hiding for five months before they were tracked down. Their captors marked a cross on the ground and demanded that the priest and layman stomp on it as a sign that they renounced their faith. They both refused and were beheaded on the spot. 

St. Matthew Phoung's Feast Day is May 26. He has descendants now living in the U.S. - check out this article: 'Faith calls for sacrifice': Oregon family descended from martyr-saint | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org) 

St. Matthew Phoung, pray for us.

St. Athansia

 I have had some difficulty deciding on a Saint for today, so I went to a list that I keep while reading books of Saints. I write down names as I read stories that I find interesting - and then often wonder why when I go back to review them.

St. Athanasia was born in Greece about 790. She was the daughter of Christian nobles. She had a mystical experience of a star merging with her heart when she was a young girl. She desired a spiritual life, but an imperial edict required girls of marriageable age to marry soldiers. When she was 16, she married a young officer in obedience to her parents. Just sixteen days later her husband was killed in battle. Her second marriage was to a deeply religious man who wished to become a monk. With her blessing, he left to do so and left her free to convert her home into a convent. She served as abbess and was known for miraculously healing the sick and possessed. She was also an adviser to the Empress Theodora II.

St. Athanasia died of natural causes in 860 at approximately 70 years of age. Her feast day is April 18.

St. Athanasia, pray for us.

Bl. Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve

 I made a little comment on my post yesterday about "another Italian Saint." It is true that there is a higher percentage of canonized saints from Europe, especially from Italy. I think that is because of the proximity to the Vatican make promoting a cause a little easier. It's one of my goals to present a very Catholic (i.e. universal) picture of the communion of Saints. Today we will travel to South America.

Today's Blessed is Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve. This is unique. I have never featured a saint named Jesús. I would like to bring in a bit of cultural sensitivity in regard to this name. In English, Jesus is a sacred name, and it is uncommon and considered inappropriate for it to be used as a given name. However, we must recognize that the name Jesus comes from the Hebrew Yeshua, which is rendered as Joshua in English. Jesús is how Yeshua is translated into Spanish. So, if my nephew Josh were to relocate to a Spanish speaking country, he would be called Jesús with no disrespect or dishonoring of the Holy Name implied.

Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve was born in 1916 in Columbia. He joined the Xaverian Missionaries of Yaramul at the age of 20 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1940. During his priesthood, he served as a parish pastor, chaplain at a women's prison, spiritual director for seminarians and novice master for his order. In 1970 Pope Paul VI appointed him Vicar Apostolic of Arauca and Titular Bishop of Strumnitza. The apostolic vicariate was dissolved in 1984 and Pope Saint John Paul II appointed Jesús as the Bishop of Arauca. The bishop championed the rights of the poor and unrepresented. He was known for being a shepherd who cared about the spiritual needs of his flock who fought against social injustice. 

Bishop Jaramillo Monsalve was a staunch opponent of the E.L.N. (a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla insurgency group in Columbia). His outspokenness against their atrocities led him to being marked for death. On October 2, 1989, while making parish visits with a priest companion, the pair were kidnapped at around 3:30pm after three armed men intercepted their vehicle. A few hours later, the priest was released. He did not want to leave the bishop, but the bishop asked him to do so out of obedience. 

Bishop Jaramillo Monsalve was shot twice in the head with an assault rifle with his hands tied behind his back. His remains were discovered the next morning. Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve was beatified in 2017. His Feast Day is October 3.

Blessed Jesús Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve, pray for us.

Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

 

I finally got the prayer card for our Diocese's 2023-2024 Seminarians. One of the patron saints of Seminarians is St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. (Yes, he's another Italian Saint, but that's just the percentages, you know?)

St. Gabriel was born Francesco Possenti in Assisi in 1838. He was the eleventh of thirteen children. Interesting note: he was baptized in the same font where St. Francis of Assisi had been baptized. Several of his siblings died young and his mother also died when he was just 4 years old. Butler's Lives of the Saints says, "After a surfeit of the dubious marvels which meet us in the legendary story of so many aspirants for canonization, it is a distinct relief to find that the childhood of Francis Possenti . . . was perfectly normal."

Twice in his youth, young Francis became seriously ill and promised God that he would join religious life if he recovered. Each time, the promise was soon forgotten once he regained his health. Tragedy struck again when his favorite sister died in a cholera epidemic. After the epidemic ended, Francis attended a procession of an icon of the Virgin Mary. As the image passed him, he heard an interior voice ask him why he remained in the world. Afterwards, he sought the advice of a priest and resolved to enter the Passionist order. Against his father's wishes he entered the novitiate at the age of 18. He entered the congregation on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and was given the name in religion of Brother Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. 

Brother Gabriel excelled in his studies and in his Spiritual Life. When he showed the first signs of tuberculosis, he prayed for a slow death so that he could prepare himself spiritually. Throughout his illness he remained cheerful and was a great inspiration to his fellow students. They sought to spend time with him on his deathbed. He proved himself to be an exemplary religious and was especially devoted to the Virgin Mary. 

Before he could be ordained, after only 4 years in religious life, Brother Gabriel died at the age of 24. He is patron of students, youths, clerics and seminarians. His feast day is February 27.

St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Julia of Corsica

 The last few posts have been male saints, so it is time to tell the story of another woman. Today I watched a documentary about William Shakespear, so I have chosen the patroness of one of his best-known female characters (just so that I am making a real-life connection).

The name of St. Julia is found in many ancient martyrologies. The details told in these stories of her life vary and are much embellished with imaginative details. She is believed to have lived in the sixth or seventh century. 

The legend is that Julia was a young maiden of noble family from Carthage. When the city was taken by the Vandals in 439, she was captured and sold into slavery. Her master was named Eusebius, a pagan merchant from Syria. Julia served her master well and lived an exemplary life. As a Christian, she followed St. Paul's teachings on how slaves were to behave (see Ephesians 6:6 and Colossians 3:22). She became such a valuable servant to her master that he took her with him on a trading journey. Arriving in Corsica, their ship dropped anchor and Eusebius went ashore to participate in pagan sacrifices that were taking place. Julia remained behind refusing to take part in the ceremonies. When the governor questioned Eusebius about the woman of his party who dared to insult the gods, Eusebius admitted that she was a Christian. Because of her faithful service, he would not part with her in spite of her "superstition." The governor was angered by this and took it upon himself to induce Julia to sacrifice to the gods. He offered to obtain her freedom if she would comply. She responded that all the liberty that she desired was the freedom to serve her Lord, Jesus Christ. Her boldness further enraged the governor. He gave orders for her to be tortured and executed by crucifixion. 

Julia is patroness of Corsica, torture victims, and pathologies of the hands and the feet. Her feast day is May 23.

St. Julia, pray for us.

St. Michael the Archangel

 I made a trip to the grocery store today to get the fixings for my contribution for the Thanksgiving feast as well as foodstuffs for a few other "events" in the next week. This weekend has to be one of the busiest for grocery stores, so let's pray for grocers and grocery employees. 

I was surprised to learn that St. Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of grocers. St. Michael is referenced in the Old Testament in the book of Daniel as well as in the Epistle of St. Jude and the book of Revelation in the New. The name Michael means "who is likeGod?" (A rhetoricalquestion). 

St. Michael has been a part of Christian teaching since the early days of the Church. He is seen as the defender of the Church and the chief opponent of the devil. He is also one of the angels presumed to be present at the hour of death. He is charged with assisting the dying and accompanying them to their particular judgment. 

In Catholic tradition, on judgment day, St. Michael weighs souls based on their deeds during their earthly life. He is often portrayed in art with scales. Because of this association, he has become the patron saint of bankers and grocers. Additionally he is the patron of police officers and military personnel. St. Michael is very popular in the Catholic Church with many devotions dedicated to him and churches around the globe named in his honor, including the church where I was baptized and the one (different parish) where I received my first communion and confirmation. 

St. Michael's feast day is September 29. St. Michael, pray for us and defend us. 

St. Francis Caracciolo

 We had our Women's Bible Study potluck tonight (such an abundance of great food!). I started thinking about all of the shopping, cooking and eating that I will be doing over the next week and wondered if there is a patron saint of feasting. Google tells me that there are actually several saints with food related patronages, so I chose St. Francis Caracciolo (mainly because I'm short on time and I need to post something tonight).

Francis was born in 1563 in the Kingdom of Naples in modern day Italy. When he was 22, he was struck by a skin malady (one of several skin maladies collectively described as "leprosy" in those days). The condition was very serious and considered hopeless. He made a vow that if he recovered, he would spend the rest of his life in service to God. His subsequent recovery was so rapid that it was considered miraculous. Eager to fulfill his vow, he hurried off to study for the priesthood. 

Five years later, a letter meant for another Caracciolo was mistakenly delivered to the newly ordained priest. The letter regarded the founding of a new religious institute. He saw in this the hand of God and joined in drawing up rules for the new congregation. The institute thus founded was called the Order of the Clerics Regular Minor. This order is both contemplative and active. One of the pillars of their life is circular adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is kept up by rotation, and self-mortification is practiced. 

Francis was general superior of the order for seven years. Afterward he carried on his apostolic work in the confessional and in the pulpit. He preached so constantly on the divine goodness to man that he was called "The Preacher of the Love of God." 

He died in 1608 at the age of 44. He is the Patron Saint of Naples, Italy, and of Italian cooks (no idea why).

St. Francis Caracciolo, pray for us.

Roch

 As some of you know, I have been experiencing some knee pain this week (thank you for your prayers). While I am rapidly improving, I find that it is always good to have a saintly intercessor in your back pocket (so to speak) when these issues arise. Among his many patronages, St. Roch is the Saint that we invoke against knee pain. His name is rendered as Rock in English and Rollox in Scottland, Roque in Portuguese, Roc in Catalan, Roque in Spanish and Rocco in Italian.

The details of Roch's life are uncertain, and his story is full of legendary elements. About all that can be said for certain is that he was born in Montpellier, Kingdom of Majorca (about 1348) and he nursed the sick during a plague in Italy. The legend is that his very birth was miraculous as his mother had been barren until she prayed to the Virgin Mary. He was said to have been born with a birthmark of a red cross on his breast. His parents died when he was twenty. He then distributed all his possessions to the poor and entered the Franciscan Order. 

He then went on pilgrimage to Rome where he arrived in the midst of a plague. He was very diligent in tending the sick and was said to have effected miraculous cures through his prayers and the touch of his hand. When he himself fell ill of the plague, he withdrew into the forest not wishing to burden anyone else with his care. He was miraculously fed by a dog, who supplied him with bread and licked his wounds, healing them. The dog's owner then found Roch and took him to his home to fully recover. 

When he returned to his home city of Montpellier, he was not recognized and was arrested on the orders of his own uncle as a spy. He was thrown into prison where he languished for five years until his death. Upon his death, the townspeople identified him by his birthmark.

In addition to knee pain, St. Roch is invoked against cholera, epidemics, plague and skin diseases. He is also the patron Saint of bachelors, diseased cattle, dogs, falsely accused people, invalids, surgeons, tile makers, grave diggers, second-hand dealers, pilgrims and apothecaries.

His feast day is August 16. St. Roch, pray for us.

Simon Phan Đắc Hòa

 I have featured a couple of saints in the last couple of days who were laywomen, today I will share a brief story of a lay man. To begin with a little history, the story of Christianity in Vietnam is a bloody one. The Vatican estimates the number of Vietnamese martyrs at between 130,000 and 300,000. The first Catholic missionaries arrived in Vietnam in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the Church began to flourish. However, the peaceful coexistence of Catholicism and the Confucian tradition did not last. The Catholic Church in Vietnam was devastated during the Tay Son rebellion in the late 18th century.

With that groundwork laid, let me introduce you to St. Simon Phan Đắc Hòa. He was born in 1787, the son of a court official and a concubine. His father died early, so he was adopted by a Catholic family at the age of 12. He converted and took the name Simon. Because of his intelligence and learning he was a help to the priests and was sent to seminary. However, there were some obstacles to his seminary studies, so he returned home, studied oriental medicine and married. 

A new emperor had come to power in 1802 and tolerance of the faith was again established. Simon and his fellow Catholics were able to practice their faith in peace for a time. In 1831, under the reign of yet another emperor, Catholicism was officially prohibited. Entire communities were incarcerated, sent into exile or encouraged to renounce their faith. Within a few years, executions of missionaries and priests began. 

Simon's village was supposed to erect a shrine for the state-cult, which the doctor opposed. He also had been sheltering a missionary named Charles Delamotte. His fellow villagers pleaded with him to send the missionary away, but Simon stood his ground. His status and age protected him from being arrested until 1840, when he was put on trial. The judge pleaded with him to publicly recant; when he refused he was publicly executed.

He was martyred on December 12, 1840, so his feast can be remembered on that date as well as on the Feast Day for the Vietnamese Martyrs on November 24.

St. Simon Phan Đắc Hòa, pray for us.

Venerable Madeleine Delbrel

 Today's post was suggested by my Spiritual Director who hear Pope Francis speak about this Venerable in a recent Wednesday Audience. I think that many of you will appreciate this close to contemporary laywoman who faced some of the same concerns that we do today.

Madeleine Delbrel was born in France in 1904. She was artistic and trendy, wearing her hair short and designing her own clothes. She was also an atheist. At 17 she wrote her atheistic manifesto titled, "God is dead . . . . Long live death!" She had decided that death was the only thing that could be counted on. She set out to live life to its fullest. However, when her fiancé suddenly decided to break off their engagement to join the Dominicans and her parents became estranged, her world fell apart. 

She began to notice that her Christian friends, who enjoyed life as much as she did, did not find life to be absurd. She found herself returning to the question of God's existence and decided to try to pray. 1924 became the year of her conversion, for in praying she found God - or as she felt, He found her. She considered taking the veil as a vowed religious, but she felt called upon to be in touch with people and help them live happier lives.  She and her friends founded a house of hospitality in a predominately communist suburb of Paris. Members of the house promised chastity and simple living. They worked for workers' rights and the unemployed while also evangelizing. This ministry along with her prolific writing often lead people to call her the "French Dorothy Day."

Madelein died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage at age 60. Her books, including the most popular, "We, the Ordinary People of the Streets" are still in print and available from your favorite book sellers. 

Venerable Madeleine Delbrel, pray for us.

Anna Marie Taigi

 All Christians are called to a life of holiness - we are all called to be Saints. However, most canonized Saints that you will read about are priests or vowed religious. A primary reason for this is that the canonization process is lengthy and requires someone who is interested in seeing a person beatified and then canonized to follow the cause through the process. Religious orders often have the experience and persistence to follow through on a cause for one of their members, whereas there is seldom anyone to do this for a lay person. That being said, there are still many laypersons who have lived heroic lives and are worth knowing better.

Blessed Anna Marie was born in Siena, Italy. When she was five, her family moved to Rome due to financial distress. Her father, who was trained as a pharmacist, had to take a job as a household servant. When Anna Marie completed her schooling, she also went into domestic service as a maid. At the age of 20 she married Dominico Taigi, who worked as a butler or porter. The couple were married for 48 years and had seven children. 

Early in her marriage, Anna Marie was vain and concerned with her appearance. When she made up her mind to turn her life around, she met with several priests who misunderstood her, and a period of discouragement followed. Finally, she found a confessor who was able to offer her the guidance she was seeking. Under his direction, she began a life of prayer and penances, as far as her state in life as a wife and mother would allow. Not long after coming back to Christ, she began to hear an inner voice of Jesus and the Blessed Mother speaking to her. Jesus called her to a life of self-sacrifice and redemptive suffering to be lived out in the midst of her marriage and motherhood.

Anne Marie became a third order member of the Trinitarian Order. She gave all she could to the poor, visited the sick, and helped care for patients in Rome's hospitals. She was so well-respected that cardinals and nobles sought her counsel. Shortly before her death, she met with Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget, the first bishop of Bardstown, KY (now the diocese of Louisville). 

Blessed Anna Marie Taigi died on June 9, 1837, at the age of 68. When her cause for Sainthood was opened witnesses included two of her daughters, many cardinals and bishops and her 92 year old husband. She was beatified in 1920. Her Feast Day is June 9.

Blessed Anna Marie Taigi, pray for us.

Augustus Tolton

 Today we will make our way to the Americas. Our "saint" of the day is not yet beatified, but he is an important person in the history of American Catholicism.

Venerable Augustus Tolton was the first known black Catholic priest in the United States. He was born into slavery on August 1, 1854, in Ralls County, Missouri. At his Baptism his master's daughter, Savilla Elliott, was his Godmother. She gave him classes in the Catholic faith. It is a matter of debate as to how the Tolton family gained their freedom. The Elliott family maintains that they were freed at the outbreak of the American Civil War. However, Augustus told friends that the family had escaped with the assistance of sympathetic Union soldiers. Augustus' father died of dysentery in a military hospital before the end of the war.

The family moved to Quincy, Illinois, where Augustus, his mother and his brother worked making cigars. He tried to enter Catholic school but met with racism. An Irish priest, Peter McGirr, later allowed him to enter St. Lawrence Catholic School against the opposition of his parishioners. Augustus graduated in 1872. He continued studies directly with some priests. However, despite Fr. McGirr's support he was rejected by every American seminary to which he applied. McGirr continued to help him and enabled him to study in Rome. He attended the Pontifical Urban University where he became fluent in Italian and studied Ecclesiastical Latin and Koine Greek. He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome at the age of 31. His first public Mass was inside St. Peter's Basilica on Easter Sunday 1886.

Fr. Augustus studied African cultures and languages in the expectation of serving an African mission. Instead, he was directed to return to the United States to serve the Black community. After unsuccessful attempts to serve the Catholic community in Quincy, he was reassigned to Chicago. He led the development and administration of the Negro "national parish" of St. Monica's Catholic Church on the south side. The church was built with money from philanthropists, including the likes of St. Katherine Drexel. "Good Father Gus", as he was called by many, was known for his "eloquent sermons, his beautiful singing voice, and his talent for playing the accordion." His success in ministering to black Catholics in Chicago soon earned him national attention. An indication of his prominence was his participation on the altar at an international celebration of the centenary of the establishment of the first U.S. Catholic diocese in Baltimore in 1889.

Fr. Augustus Tolton began to be plagued by "spells of illness" in 1893 and died in 1897 at only 43 years of age. His funeral included 100 priests. His cause for canonization is being advanced by the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Diocese of Springfield Illinois where he first served as a priest and the  Diocese of Jefferson City Missouri where his family was enslaved. He was declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2019.

Venerable Augustus Tolton, pray for us.

St. Amy

 I just got home and settled from our Women's Bible Study. One of the women talked to me about how much she has been enjoying the Saint posts this month. I am happy to hear that someone is touched by this little "ministry", so this post is for Amy.

St. Amy (Amata) of Assisi was a Poor Clare nun and a niece of St. Clare of Assisi. When she was young, Amy was rebellious and rejected God. After a misspent youth, she became very ill. She was healed through the prayers of her Aunt Clare. This miraculous healing turned her life around. She joined her Aunt as a Poor Clare. According to legend, she became an acquaintance of St. Dominic who gave her the name "Amata", meaning "beloved."

This is all that is known of Amy - she is named in the Franciscan martyrologies. Her feast day is February 20.

St. Amy, pray for us.

Kuriakose Elias Chavara

So far this month, I have focused primarily on European Saints. Lest we forget that we are Catholic - and therefore universal - let us move on to another continent. In honor of our Diocesan Bishop, who is of Indian heritage, we will visit the sub-continent of India.

Kuriakose attended the village school as a child and then entered seminary. He was ordained in 1829 and celebrated his first Holy Qurbana (the Eastern Syriac Eucharistic Liturgy) at St. Andrew's Catholic Forane Church. He joined with two other priests in leading a monastic life, calling their community Servants of Mary Immaculate. On December 8, 1855, he and ten other priests took vows in the Carmelite tradition. 

Although Kuriakose was from a Syriac Christian family, which occupied a higher social status, he played a major role in educating and uplifting people of the lower ranks of society. He started several schools and was the first Indian who not only dared to admit the untouchables to schools but also provided them with Sanskrit education which was forbidden to the lower castes. He was also instrumental in encouraging Bishop Bernadine Baccinelly to issue a circular in 1856 which stated, "each parish should establish educational institutions, or else they will be debarred from the communion." This circular would act as the impetus for tremendous growth of education and 100% literacy in Kerala, India.

Kuriakose's last words were, "Why are you sad? All God's people must die some day. My hour has come. By the grace of God, I prepared myself for it since long." His feast day is celebrated on February 18 in the Latin Rite and on January 3 in the Syro-Malabar Rite.

St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Pray for us.

Alix le Clercq

 As I was rereading yesterday's post, I realized that Godfrey was named Godfrey because he was born on St. Godfrey's Feast Day (if you know Godfrey and you see him tomorrow, wish him a happy birthday). I sometimes wonder what my name might have been had I been named from the calendar of Saints. I know it would not have been the Saint that I am featuring today because, although her Feast Day is on my birthday, my Mom never liked girls' names that sounded too much like boys' names.

Blessed Alix le Clercq was born in 1576 in the Duchy of Lorraine to a wealthy family. She loved music and dancing and parties. At about the age of 19, she felt a growing conviction about the need for a new direction in her life. She sought the spiritual direction of her pastor, Father Peter Fourier, who suggested that she enter a convent. None of the religious orders appealed to her. In a vision of Our Lady, she felt called to care for the daughters of the poor of the region, who had little or no access to education. Supported in this by Fr. Fourier, Alix decided to dedicate her life to this mission. 

Soon a few friends had joined Alix and together they formed a community where they could follow lives of simplicity, prayer and respecting the presence of God in each girl whom they would receive for instruction. On Christmas Day 1597, the women made private vows in the parish church to Fr. Fourier. This was the humble beginning of the religious order of the Canonesses of Saint-Augustin of the Notre Dame Congregation, although the congregation was not formally approved by the Holy See until 1616.

Alix died on January 9, 1622. The monastery where she was buried was destroyed during the upheavals of the French Revolution and all traces of her grave were lost. This resulted in a delay in the cause for her canonization due to the lack of her remains, normally required during the process. Despite this obstacle, the cause moved forward, and she was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1947.  Three years later a group of students exploring a basement in the city found a lead coffin. The remains in the coffin were conclusively identified as those of Blessed Alix le Clercq.

Her Feast Day is January 9. Blessed Alix le Clercq, pray for us.

Godfrey of Amiens

 Today I received a lovely little note from a friend. I just met this young man less than a year ago when he spent some time at our parish - he is studying for the priesthood at our local seminary. In honor of my friend, today I will share the story of his patron Saint.

St. Godfrey of Amiens was born in 1066 in France. At the age of 5, he was sent to a monastery to be educated. In due course, he chose to become a monk himself and was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 25. He was chosen to be the Abbot of the Abbey of Nogent-sous-Coucy in Champagne. When he arrived, the abbey consisted of just half a dozen monks whose discipline was lax. The buildings were neglected and dilapidated. Under Godfrey's direction, the abbey began to flourish and became a hostel for pilgrims. His gifts did not go unnoticed. He was offered both the abbotcy of Saint-Remi and the bishopric of Reims - both of which he declined. 

In 1104, Godfrey was appointed as bishop of Amiens, which he was compelled to accept. However, he never allowed himself to forget that he was a monk. He lived in the simplest fashion and when he thought that the cook was feeding him too well, he took the best food from the kitchen and gave it to the poor. As Bishop, he was known to be unbending, severe and inflexibly just. He had a bitter struggle in his own diocese against simony and for the celibacy of the clergy. His rigid discipline made him unpopular with some. He himself would have preferred to remain in the monastery.

His feast day is November 8. St. Godfrey of Amiens, pray for us.

Catherine of Sweden

 This Tuesday there is a very important vote taking place in Ohio. The proponents of Issue 1 have put out many misleading ads and false information implying that a "No" vote will deprive women of care for miscarriages. This is absolutely and un-categorically untrue. Miscarriage care has never been in jeopardy in Ohio. 

From a Catholic perspective, the Church has a long history of caring for women in need, including those who have suffered miscarriage. St. Catherine of Sweden is the patron Saint of women who have miscarried. 

Catherine was a noblewoman born in the 14th century. Her mother was St. Bridget of Sweden. St. Bridget is the founder of the religious order now known as the Bridgettines. Catherine accompanied her mother on several journeys, including to Rome and the Holy Land. When her mother died, she brought her body back to Sweden and then took over as abbess of the convent her mother had founded. She took on the task of forming the community in the rule that her mother had written and followed Bridget's example of love by counseling women who had suffered miscarriage or illness during pregnancy. 

Catherine later returned to Rome to promote the cause for her mother's canonization. While there, she formed a close friendship with Catherine of Siena. She returned to Sweden after five years with the canonization still not accomplished. She died shortly after. Although Catherine was never formally canonized herself, Pope Innocent VIII gave permission for her veneration as a Saint in 1484. Her feast day is March 24.

St. Catherine of Sweden, pray for us!

Frances d'Amboise

 I was having difficulty deciding which Saint to feature in today's post, so I pulled out my copy of Butler's Lives of the Saints (mine is the Complete Edition published in 1956). I chose a Saint whose feast is celebrated today, Blessed Frances (Francoise) d'Amboise. 

Frances was born in 1427 in the castle of Thouars, the daughter of a rich noble. At the age of three or four she was sent to be brought up in the court of the Duke of Brittany and was (for political reasons) engaged to marry his second son, Peter. The two were married in 1442 when Frances was 15. She found herself in a difficult marriage. Her husband was jealous, sulky and sometimes violent. Frances dealt with her troubles without complaint and by her patience and prayers, gradually changed her husband's heart. In 1450, after the death of Peter's elder brother, Peter became Duke and Frances became the Duchess. She used her new position to forward the work of God, founding convents, promoting the cause for canonization of St. Vincent Ferrer and spending large sums in works of charity. 

The duke died in 1457, leaving no legitimate heir. His successors were not fond of the Dowager Duchess' popularity and influence, so she withdrew herself from public affairs and retired to one of the convents she had founded. In 1468 she took the veil herself as a Carmelite. She entered as an ordinary sister and became infirmarian for the convent, caring for the sick of the convent. In 1473, the nuns elected her prioress for life, even though she asked for release again and again.  

Blessed Frances died on November 4,1485 and her last testament was a phrase which she has said often during her life, "In everything, do that which will make God loved the more!" 

Blessed Frances d'Amboise, pray for us.

Riccardo Pampuri

 This year our family received a great gift in the person of my great-nephew, Ricardo (Ricky). Today's post will feature his patron Saint. 

St. Riccardo Pampuri was born in Trivolzio, Italy, in 1897. He was baptized Erminio Filippo. His mother died when he was three and his father died 7 years later. He was raised by his aunt and uncle. As a child he wanted nothing more than to become a priest in the missions, but his uncle who was a doctor, inspired him to learn medicine instead. In the first World War, he served as a sergeant in the field hospitals. After his discharge in 1920, he returned to his studies and passed his internship with high honors in 1922. 

He set to practicing medicine, and also gave valuable assistance to his parish priest. He helped to set up a musical band and a Catholic Action Youth Club.  He founded the Band of Pius X which he dedicated to the medical care of the poor whom he treated for free. In 1927 he joined the Hospitallers of Saint John of God so as to follow evangelical holiness in a closer manner and at the same time to be able to continue his medical profession. When he entered the novitiate and was given the religious habit, he also was given the religious name of "Riccardo."

Riccardo was only able to serve with the Hospitallers for a short time. In 1929 he was stricken with an outbreak of pleurisy, which he had first contracted during the war. This soon degenerated into bronco-pneumonia coupled with tuberculosis. He died on May 1, 1930.

St. Riccardo is patron of Trivolzio, Military Chaplains, Nurses and Doctors. His feast day is May 1. 

St. Riccardo Pampuri, pray for us.

Dorotheus of Gaza

So, November kind of snuck up on me this year and it is already the 2nd of the month. November is the month in the Catholic church when we most focus on those who have carried the Faith before us and from whom we have received it. As I have in the past, I am hoping to celebrate the month of November by sharing stories of some of the Saints of the Church. 

Our Pastor recently shared a quote from today's featured Saint in his Sunday homily. Considering what is happening in our world today, I thought that this was a very timely Saint. 

Dorotheus of Gaza lived in the sixth century in, of all places, Gaza. Not much is known about his early life. As a young man he joined the monastery of Abba Serid near Gaza and later started his own monastery nearby and became the Abbot there. It was to the monks of his monastery that he addressed his teachings, many of which survive today and are what he is best known for. This is the quote that Father used in his homily that I found to be such a great teaching:

Imagine that the world is a circle, that God is the center, and that the radii are the different ways human beings live. When those who wish to come closer to God walk towards the center of the circle, they come closer to one another at the same time as to God. The closer they come to God, the closer they come to one another. And the closer they come to one another, the closer they come to God.

St. Dorotheus of Gaza's feast day is celebrated on June 18 in the Orthodox Church and on June 5 (along with 3 other Saints of the same name) in the Roman Catholic Church. 

St. Dorotheus of Gaza, Pray for us and for our world.