Jane Frances de Chantal

 I have been reading a book of St. Francis de Sales letters, primarily letters of spiritual direction. St. Francis is noted as one of the best Spiritual Directors, if not the absolute best, in the history of the Church. I had the opportunity to be in Spiritual Direction for a short while. I must say that my Spiritual Director was top notch also and I miss it and him.  I compensate by taking Spiritual Direction vicariously from St. Francis through his letters. One of the downsides is that I get jealous of the relationship that St. Francis had with his spiritual children, especially his love for his most well-known spiritual daughter, St. Jane Frances de Chantal.

Jeanne-Francoise (to give her the French form of her name) was born in Dijon, France (where the mustard comes from) in January 1572. Her father was president of the parliament. He was the primary influence on her education since her mother died when she was only 18 months old. She developed into a beautiful and refined young woman and married the Baron de Chantal when she was 20 or 21 years old. 

It seems that they were happy in their marriage. They hosted hunting parties and other entertainments for neighboring nobles and had six children together, three of whom died in infancy. The Baron was often away from home in service to the king, but Jane was an excellent manager of the estates and of the family. After seven years of marriage, the Baron was killed in a hunting accident. The broken-hearted widow took a vow of chastity. She took her children and went to live with her demanding father-in-law, at his insistence. 

In 1604, Jane's father invited her to come to Dijon to hear the Bishop of Geneva preach Lenten sermons at the Sainte Chapelle. This was her first encounter with St. Francis de Sales. They soon became friends, and he became her Spiritual Director. When she told him of her desire to become a nun, he advised her to defer that decision. He also advised her to mitigate some of the austerities she wanted to practice. 

After three years, Francis told Jane of his plans to found an order of women religious that would be a haven for women whose age, health or other considerations barred them from joining other established orders. He wanted the sisters to be free of the cloister and able to undertake spiritual and corporal works of mercy. They were to exemplify the virtues of Mary at the Visitation - hence the name the Visitation Nuns. The congregation consisting of three women began when Jane Francis was 45. The order had 13 houses by the time de Sales died and 86 before Jane Frances herself died at the age of 69. She was buried next to St. Francis de Sales in the order's convent in Annecy, France.

St. Jane Frances is the patron Saint of forgotten people (I think that is all of us at one time or another), in-law problems, and widows. Her feast day is August 12.

St. Jane Frances, pray for us.

Blessed Gonsalo of Amarante

 My apologies to my faithful readers (all 4 of you), but I seem to be struggling with lack of inspiration this month. I'm going to dive back into Butler's Lives of the Saints, although sometimes I wonder why they have included some of the Saints that they have. Many of the stories seem to be of questionable origin and authority. For instance, the listing for Bd Gonsalo of Amarante begins like this, "It must be confessed that many of the incidents recorded in the life of Bd Gonsalo (Gundisalvus), a Portuguese of high family, are not of a nature to inspire confidence in the sobriety of his biographer's judgement."

Gonsalo was born in 1187. It was said that when he was carried to the baptismal font as an infant, he fixed his eyes on the crucifix with a look of extraordinary love. He was devoted to Jesus as a child and decided to become a priest. He then gave his inheritance to his nephew and embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was gone for many years and upon his return, his nephew set the dogs on him as a vagrant.

He was supernaturally (I can't seem to find out how) directed to enter that order in which the office began and ended with the Ave Maria. He accordingly became a Dominican but was allowed to live as a hermit. During this time, he built a bridge over the Tamega River. He did a lot of the work himself, but he did have some help. When the laborers who were assisting him ran out of wine, he prayed and then struck a rock with his stick and an abundance of the finest wine flowed forth. Another instance when food ran low, he went to the riverside, summoned the fishes who came at his call and jumped out of the river. 

Gonsalo was also known for his powerful homilies. We are told that in an attempt to make the people understand the effect of the Church's censures upon their souls, he excommunicated a basket of bread. The loaves at once became black, rotted and inedible. Then to show the effects of grace on the repentant soul, he removed the excommunication, and the loaves once again became white and fresh. 

Bd. Gonsalo died of natural causes on January 10, 1259. His feast day is January 16.

Blessed Gonsalo, pray for us.

Josaphat

 Jumping Jehoshaphat!!

This exclamation reminds me of Loony Tunes or Beverly Hillbillies. A mild oath that was popular in the twentieth century - meaning nothing but expressing surprise or consternation. Somewhat stronger than Gee Willikers. Why do I bring this up? Whenever I hear the name of today's Saint, the phrase "Jumping Jehosaphat!" always come to mind - even though it has nothing to do with him.

St. Josaphat was born in 1580 in Ukraine and was baptized in the Ruthenian Uniate Church as Ivan (John) Kunchych. In 1604, he entered the monastery of the Trinity of the Order of St. Basil the Great in Vilnius. He was given the religious name Josaphat. In the monastery, he entered into a life of fasting, prayer and study. Fellow monks often found him kneeling in the chapel late at night praying, "Lord, make us one." It was also reported that he prayed the Jesus Prayer so constantly that he was heard praying it in his sleep. 

When Josaphat was ordained to the Deaconate, he had already begun to labor for the Church. His efforts resulted in an increase of novices for the order which fed a revival of Eastern Catholic monastic life. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1609. On November 12, 1617, he was consecrated as the coadjutor archeparch (equal to an Archbishop in the western church) of the Archeparchy of Polotsk. As Eparch, he inherited a divided church. The wounds of the Great Schism still bled between East and West. Some of his flock desired unity with Rome while other resisted fiercely. Josaphat refused to see enemies - only family torn apart by misunderstanding. He preached peace, upheld ancient Eastern traditions and worked for reunion under the Pope's authority. His efforts led to many conversions and a more devoted clergy, but enemies accused him of betraying his people. He was known for her fervent sermons and defending unity with Rome. He was nicknamed "thief of Souls." 

In 1623, a violent mob, inflamed by anti-Catholic sentiment, attacked the Eparch's residence. On November 12, he was beaten and dragged through the streets. His body was tied to stones and thrown in the river. His feast day is November 12. In 1867, Pope Pius IX canonized him as a martyr for Christian Unity. 

St. Josaphat, pray for us.

Anna Wang

 I have subscribed to a flocknote called Breakfast with the Saints and I have to credit them with the inspiration for the post today. This is a Saint that is entirely new to me, and I find that these are often my favorite posts. 

Anna Wang was born to a poor but devout Catholic family in Majiazhuang, Hebei, China in 1886. Her mother died when she was only five years old, but she was blessed to have the guidance of Sister Lucy Wang to continue the faith formation that her mother had started. When Anna was 11, her family tried to force her into an arranged marriage, which was common at that time. Anna resisted strongly motivated by her desire to serve God and remain faithful to her Catholic beliefs. 

Just a few years later, on July 21, 1900, the village was invaded by anti-Christian members of the Boxer Rebellion intent on destroying the church and killing Christians and foreigners. The Boxers rounded up Christians and demanded that the renounce their faith or face death. Many complied in order to safeguard their children and families. Anna spent her final hours in prayer for solace and strength. She resolutely refused to denounce her faith and encouraged others to remain strong. 

Anna was beheaded at the age of 14, on July 22, 1900. Her body was thrown into a mass grave. Over a year later, her body was exhumed for a proper burial. 

Although specific patronages have not been assigned to Anna, she is unofficially a patron of China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, youth, the innocent and the Chinese Diaspora. Her feast day is July 22.

St. Anna Wang, pray for us.

Pope St. Leo III

 I received a request to talk about St. Leo the Great today on his feast day. I did a post about Leo the Great a few years ago, and I don't like to repeat, so here is a link to the prior post - Joyful Spirit: Pope St. Leo the Great

I don't like to repeat because there are so many Saints that I have not learned about yet. So today, we will learn about one of St. Leo the Great's namesakes.

Pope St. Leo III was born in Rome to Asupius and Elizabeth. He is believed to have been of Greek origin. He was made cardinal-priest of Santa Susanna by Pope Adrian I. He was also vestiarius, or chief of the pontifical treasury. He was elected to the papacy on December 26, 795, the date of Pope Adrian's funeral, and was consecrated the next day. With the letter he sent to the Frankish King, Charlemagne, informing him of his election, St. Leo also sent the keys of the confession of St. Peter and the standard of the city. Charlemagne was recognized as protector of the Holy See and gifted Pope Leo with treasures that allowed him to be a great benefactor of churches and charitable institutions. On Christmas Day in 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as Emporer.

Pope Leo III died in 816 after a reign of over 20 years. His Feast Day is June 12.

Pope Saint Leo III, pray for us.

St. Sylvester I

 Today the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, or to give it its full name, the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist at the Lateran. I have heard several homilies about why we as a Church celebrate this building and I believe I have a good understanding of it, but I'm not sure that I could explain it well. You might want to ask a member of the ordained clergy as they are taught how to preach about such things. Instead, I am going into history to tell you a bit about St. Sylvester I, who as pope presided over the dedication of the Basilica in 324.

Pope St. Sylvester I was born in Rome about 284 or 285. All that is known of his life before he was elected Pope is that his father's name was Rufinus.

He was elected to the Papacy in January 314. During his reign, he convened the Council of Arles in 314, which condemned the Donatist sect, and the first council of Nicaea in 325, which aimed to resolve the Arian controversy. His papacy also coincided with the conversion and baptism of Emperor Constantine. Some legends (histories?) say that Pope Sylvester was the one who baptized Constantine.

The Lateran Palace was gifted to the pope by Constantine in the reign of Sylvester's predecessor, Pope Miltiades. The palace basilica was converted and extended, becoming the residence of Pope Sylvester I, and eventually the Cathedral of Rome. 

Sylvester was pope for 24 years and 11 months. He died in the year 335 at about 50 years of age. His feast day is December 31.

Pope St. Sylvester I, pray for us.

Flora and Mary

 I was looking for a female Saint for today's post and found two. Ss. Flora and Mary lived in Spain in the ninth century, when much of that country was controlled by the Moors. 

Flora was born to an Islamic father and a Christian mother. Her father died when she was young and she was brought up in the Christian faith by her mother. Betrayed by her brother, she was beaten and given to him to abuse because of her faith. She eventually escaped and met Mary.

Mary was the child of a Christian father and an Islamic mother. Her mother converted sometime after her marriage. When Mary's mother died, Mary was sent to be educated at a convent, and her brother, Walabonsus, was sent to a monastery. They were reunited when Walabonsus was appointed as one of the supervisors of Mary's convent. On July 16, 851, Walabonsus was executed by Muslim authorities. 

Flora and Mary met at the church of St. Acisclus and decided to denounce Islam together. Under Islamic law, Flora and Mary were found guilty of two different crimes; Flora was executed for apostacy and Mary for blasphemy. Before being executed, they were threatened with being thrown in a brothel. They were beheaded on November 24, 851. Their feast day is November 24.

Ss. Flora and Mary, pray for us.

Peter Wu Guosheng

 One of aims with these Saint posts is to give my handful of faithful readers a better idea of the vast diversity of the Communion of Saints. Our Saint for today fulfills that aim while also having his Feast Day today.

Wu Guosheng was born in 1768 in Longping, China. He was an innkeeper and was known in the community for his sense of justice, his care of the poor and his gregarious nature. When a Catholic layman named Xu stopped at his inn, Mr. Wu got his first introduction to Christianity. Xu convinced Wu to believe in Christ. 

Mr. Wu was not yet baptized, but he was already a very enthusiastic Christian. He began to evangelize the people who came to his inn, insisting that they accept Jesus. Fr. Luo Madi from Sichuan went to visit Wu and felt that the innkeeper's way of forcing the faith on people was wrong. He invited Wu Guosheng to Chongqing to see how other Catholics evangelize. Seeing the model set by others, he deeply regretted his earlier behavior. In 1796, Fr. Luo baptized him with the Christian name of Peter. 

Peter now returned to Longping to evangelize his local community. The Catholic Community in Longping grew to several hundred people. 

In 1814, a new wave of persecution against Christians spread across China. Peter Wu Guosheng was arrested on April 3 of that year. While in prison, he encouraged the other prisoners, reciting Scripture and singing hymns. When the magistrate tried him, he forced him to trample on the cross. Peter refused to apostatize, so he was convicted and sentenced to death. On November 7, 1814, he was tied to a cross and surrendered his life to Christ.

St. Peter Wu Guosheng, pray for us.

Marcella

 I was at church late this evening with our Women's Group. I don't have much time to post, but I would like to share the story of a female state.

Once more I am relying on Butler's Lives of the Saints.

St. Marcella is styled by St. Jerome the glory of the Roman Ladies. She was born in about 325 to a noble Roman family who lived in a palace on the Aventine Hill. After she lost her husband just seven months into her marriage, she decided to devote her life to imitation of the ascetics of the East, giving herself over to prayer, charity and mortification of the flesh. Her example was followed by other noble women who put themselves under her direction. Marcella's home became a center for Christian activity. When Pope Damasus called St. Jerome to Rome to be his confidential secretary, arrangements were made for Jerome to lodge at Marcella's hospitality house. Jerome gave readings and lectures to her community.

Most of what we know about Marcella comes from letters written by St. Jerome. She was a frequent recipient of his correspondence. She examined his arguments closely and was not afraid to rebuke him for his hasty temper. 

When the Goths plundered Rome in 410, they maltreated Marcella trying to make her disclose where she had hidden her supposed treasures, which in fact had been distributed to the poor long before. Marcella only feared for her favorite pupil, Principia. At her plea, God moved them to compassion and both Marcella and Principia were escorted to the Basilica of St. Paul where they were afforded sanctuary. The 85-year-old Marcella died of her injuries shortly after. Her Feast Day is January 31.

St. Marcella, pray for us.

Jacob of Alaska

 So far this month, I have been very busy, so I feel like I have been "phoning it in" on my Saint posts. Today I wanted to give you something more interesting. I was thinking of the time that my Dad spent as a hospital chaplain and remembered that I have recently gotten to know another hospital chaplain. Fr. Jacob lives at our parish and serves in the hospitals around the city.

When I did a search for "St. Jacob", I found a story that is a little outside my ordinary line. I hope that you will enjoy this side trip into Orthodoxy.

Jacob Netsvetov was born in 1802 on Atka Island, Alaska. His father was Russian, and his mother was an Aleut from Atka Island. When the family moved to Irkutsk, Russia, in 1823, Jacob enrolled in Irkutsk Theological Seminary. He was ordained as a subdeacon on October 1, 1825, as a deacon on October 31, 1826, and was elevated to the Holy Priesthood on March 4, 1828. The newly ordained Fr. Jacob yearned to return and minister in his native Alaska. Archbishop Michael provided the young priest with two antimensia (sacred altar cloths used in the Eastern Orthodox liturgy). One would be used in the new church that Fr. Jacob would build; the other would be for his missionary activity. Less than two months after his priestly ordination, he set out for Alaska with his father and his wife.

The Atka "parish" that comprised Fr. Jacob's new assignment stretched for nearly 2000 miles, including Amchitka, Attu, Copper, Bering, and the Kurile Islands. Being fully bi-lingual and bi-cultural, he was uniquely positioned to care for the souls of his Alaskan parishioners. When he arrived in Atka, the church had not yet been built. Fr. Jacob built a large tent in which to conduct liturgy. Later, when he traveled on his missionary journeys, he carried this tent with him. When he completed his first six months in his parish, Fr. Jacob recorded that he had baptized 16, chrismated 442, married 53 couples and buried 8.

At his parish, he built a school where the children would learn to read and write in both Russian and Unangen Aleut. He was very active both physically and intellectually. He hunted and gathered for his own sustenance, prepared specimens of fish and animals for natural history museums and corresponded with St. Innocent Veniaminov on matters of linguistics and translations. He created an alphabet in the Unangen-Aleut language and translated the scriptures. 

After the deaths of his wife and his father, Fr. Jacob petitioned his bishop for permission to return to Irkutsk and enter a monastery. Permission was granted contingent upon the arrival of a replacement. None ever came. Father was eventually convinced that God's plan for his life was with his flock in Alaska. He was appointed to lead the new Kvikhpak Mission. Here he learned new languages, embraced new peoples and cultures, devised another alphabet and built another church. He traveled hundreds of miles up and down the Yukon river and baptized hundreds of Indians, many from formerly hostile tribes. 

In 1863, one of Fr. Jacob's assistants leveled spurious and slanderous charges against him. He was summoned to Sitka by the bishop. He was quickly cleared of all charges, but his age and worsening health compelled him to remain in Sitka until his death on July 26, 1864.

Jacob Netsvetov was canonized by the Orthodox Church in America in 1994. His feast day is July 26.

St. Jacob of Alaska, pray for us.

Placida Viel

 Since it is late and I haven't had time to do any preparation for tonight's post, I will give you another offering from Butler's Lives of the Saints. I want to share a woman's story this time, because we have had only male Saints so far this month.

Blessed Placida Viel was born in the Norman village of Val-Vacher in 1815. Her baptismal name was Victoria Eulalia Jacqueline Viel. She was one of eight children born to a farm family. She was a serious and shy child. At seventeen, she went to visit her aunt, who was the founder and mother general of the Sisters of the Christian Schools. The young woman was so impressed by what she saw in this community, that she offered herself as a novice. At her clothing, she was given the name Placida.

The young sister was seen as the likely successor of her aunt, who was nearly eighty, so she was sent for additional education and was quietly initiated into the duties and responsibilities of administration. When her aunt, Sr. Mary Magdalen Postel, died in 1846, the ensuing general chapter chose Sr. Placida as the new mother general. Another aunt, St. Mary, had expected to be the choice and was a constant source of worry and unpleasantness to Mother Placida. She spent as little time as possible at the mother house while her aunt lived to avoid the tension, instead directing her society "from the rough winding highways and byways of central and western France."

Mother Placida directed the institute for thirty years. During this time, the community expanded greatly opening orphanages, nursery-schools, workrooms and free elementary schools. During the time that she was head of her order, their convents in France rose from 37 to 105, and their religious from 150 to over a thousand. 

Blessed Placida's life was of the simplest from every point of view. We read of no great spiritual trials or mystical graces. Any seemingly miraculous occurrences she attributed to the intercession of Mother Postel. She died on March 4, 1877, at the age of 62 and was beatified in 1951.

Blessed Placida, pray for us.

Leo and Paregorius

 I am feeling uninspired today, so I am picking a Saint at random from Butler's Lives of the Saints. I opened up volume one and found Ss. Leo and Paregorius. It seems that we are once again venerating one of Pope Leo's name Saints.

The story of these two friends is largely legendary. It is believed that they lived sometime around the third century. Paregorius suffered martyrdom for the faith at Patara in Lycia (modern day Turkey). His close friend, Leo, while overjoyed at his friend's victory, was disconsolate at being deprived of the happiness of sharing that victory. But Leo was not to be deprived of the chance for long.

The governor of Lycia published an edict obliging all men to offer sacrifice on the festival of the pagan deity, Serapis. Leo, on the way to pray at his friend's tomb, had to pass the temple of the god. He was distressed to see among the crowds some whom he knew to be Christians who had been led by fear to join in the festival. That night he had a dream that he was being called to a conflict similar to what Paregorius had endured.

The next time he went to visit his friend's tomb, he saw that the Temple of Fortune was illuminated with lanterns and candles. Moved by the Spirit, he began to pull down as many of the lanterns as he could reach and trampled on the candles. A report of this reached the governor who ordered Leo brought before him. He was charged with impiety to the gods and to the emperors. Leo calmly professed his allegiance to the One God and refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. The governor had him scourged, but he still refused to say that the gods were great. Leo was sentenced to be tied by the feet, dragged to the place of execution and his body cast over the precipice. Christians recovered his body, unbruised and entire.

The feast of Ss. Leo and Paregorius is February 18. 

Leo and Paregorius, pray for us.

Edward the Confessor

 Today we celebrate the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day). I attended Mass at my Dad's church where they remembered him in prayer exactly two weeks after his passing.

I would like to do a Saint post today in memory of Dad, but I have already done posts on St. Basil the Great (11/21/22), St. Basil the Elder (4/17/16) and St. Basil the Blessed, also known as Fool for Christ (11/26/18). So, I will go with Dad's second patron based on his middle name, Edward.

Edward was born about 1003-1005 in Islip, England. He was the son of King Ethelred III (known as the unready) and Emma of Normandy. The Danes invaded England in 1013, and Edward went into exile in Normandy with his mother. He remained in exile until 1042, when with the help of the powerful Earl Godwin he was acclaimed king of England. His reign was largely a peaceful one yet also marked by tension due to his natural inclination to favor the Normans over the Saxons. He was popular with the people for his just reign and the remission of odious taxes. 

Edward built and endowed St. Peter's Abbey at Westminster, the site of the present Abbey. He died on January 5, 1066, and was buried in Westminster Abbey the next day. The Abbey was rebuilt in the thirteenth century by Henry III. King Edward's remains were translated to their new resting place on October 13, 1269 (now his feast day). His relics are the only ones in England that remain in situ after the violence perpetrated on Catholic sites by Henry VIII and his successors.

St. Edward the Confessor is the only English King to be canonized as a Saint by a pope. Other English royals bear the title of Saint by tradition that preceded the formal canonization process. Some historians regard Edward as an unlikely saint and propose that his canonization was more for political reasons than otherwise. But others contend that his cult started so soon after his death that there must be something to it. Supporters cite his piety, gentleness and care for the poor. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161.

St. Edward the Confessor, pray for us.

Pope St. Leo II

 *** Happy All Saints Day ***

It is November again, and time to visit with some of our friends who have won the crown of Sainthood. Why do I love the Saints? I love them because they are my friends. They inspire me, they comfort me, they pray for me and they love me. They are my family. In the song "For All The Saints" that we sing every year on this feast, there is a line that says that while "we feebly struggle, they in glory shine." Yet, we are all one in Christ so they take a great interest in our struggle. 

This year, God gave us a new Pope who took the name Leo. There is a great history in that name. He is the fourteenth pope of that name, and five of them have been named Saints. I wrote a post about the first Pope Leo (St. Leo the Great) in 2014, so tonight I will tell you about Pope St. Leo II.

I could find very little on this Pope's early life. He was born in Sicily in 611 and his father's name was Paul. He was known as an eloquent preacher, was interested in music and was known for his charity to the poor.

St. Agatho, the previous pope, died on January 10, 681. Leo was elected to the papacy on April 16 of that year; however, he was not consecrated until August 17, 682. It is believed that the delay was due to a dispute with the Byzantine Emperor over a tax that the popes were expected to pay to the imperial treasury at the time of their consecration. St. Agatho had received a promise from the emperor that the tax would be eliminated or at least reduced. Negotiations were ongoing at the time of his death and delayed Leo's consecration as Pope.

Leo II was the 80th Pope and reigned for less than a year. In his brief papacy, he received, approved and published the acts that came out of the Sixth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople. He ordered the acts to be translated into Latin from the original Greek so that they could be understood throughout the Western Churches. Many of Pope Leo II's letters survive, explaining the impacts of the council and instructing bishops to follow the decrees. 

Pope Leo II died on June 28, 683, at the age of 72. His Feast Day was moved from June 28 to July 3 to open up June 28 for the vigil of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and to streamline th eliturgical calendar.

Pope St. Leo II, pray for us.