Paul Sadek, Author at Relevant Radio: Recent Episodes
Paul Sadek, Author at Relevant Radio
Wednesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, 1850-1917; did charitable work at the House of Providence Orphanage in Cadogno, Italy, made her vows there, and took the religious habit; when the orphanage was closed, the bishop named Frances the prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart; […]
Tuesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Josaphat, 1580-1623; born in what is now Ukraine, became a Basilian monk, then a priest, and was soon known as a preacher and ascetic; as bishop of Vitebsk and archbishop of Polotsk, he found that most monks did not desire reunion with Rome; however, […]
Monday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, 316-397; born in what is now Hungary, raised in Italy; after being discharged from the army, he became a monk; he established what may have been the first French monastery; the people of Tours demanded that he become their bishop, so […]
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/10/24 Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
Friday of the 31st week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: The Four Crowned Martyrs; there were two separate groups who bore this name; one was Castorius, Claudius, Nicostratus, and Symphorian; they were carvers who refused to carve a statue of a pagan god; they were tortured and slain in Pannonia; the other group […]
Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Engelbert; son of the Count of Berg; excommunicated, but he was restored to union with the Church and became archbishop of Cologne in 1217 at the age of 30; tutor to the son of Emperor Frederick II; crowned Henry king of the […]
Wednesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Iltyd; one of the most revered saints of Wales; traditionally believed to be a cousin of the legendary King Arthur; Iltyd and his wife lived as members of a Glamorgan chief’s army until they became hermits near the river Nadafan; he studied with […]
Tuesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth; a daughter of the line of Aaron, and the wife of Zechariah, was “righteous before God” and was “blameless” but childless; she was a cousin to the Blessed Virgin Mary; after Zechariah’s prayers in the temple, Elizabeth became pregnant; Mary visited […]
Monday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, 1538-1584; belonged to a noble family, but desired to dedicate himself to the Church; as bishop of Milan, Charles deserves the credit for keeping the Council of Trent in session when at several points it was on the verge of breaking up; […]
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/3/24 Gospel: Mark 12:28b-34
Commemoration of All of the Faithful Departed – All Souls Day Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/2/24 Gospel: John 6:37-40
Solemnity of All Saints Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/1/24 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a
Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Wolfgang; born in Swabia, Germany, in the Tenth Century; ordained in 971, and set out with a group of monks to preach to the Magyars of Hungary; the following year, he was named bishop of Regensburg; he was distinguished by his reforming […]
Wednesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, 1532-1617; born in Segovia, Spain; accepted as a lay brother by the Jesuits in 1571; he labored as a hall porter at Montesion College on the island of Majorca for 24 years; many came to him for advice and direction; […]
Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Abraham of Rostov; lived in the 10th and 11th Centuries in Russia; followed the pagan beliefs of the region, but in a serious illness, he called upon Christ, and was miraculously healed; he became a Christian, was baptized, and became a monk; […]
Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, apostles Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/28/24 Gospel: Luke 6:12-16
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/27/24 Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
Saturday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alfred the Great, 848-899; a great scholar, translating classics for his people, and early on seemed destined for a career in the Church; instead, he became king and was forced to spend most of his reign in conflict with the Danes; his […]
Friday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Houghton, 1486-1535; a native of Essex, he graduated from Cambridge and became a parish priest; he then joined the Carthusians; he opposed Henry VIII’s Acts of Succession and Supremacy, and was arrested, but later released; he was then the first to […]
Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, 1807-1870; as a weaver in Barcelona, he learned Latin and printing; ordained at 28, and became a popular preacher; at age 42, he founded a religious institute of missionaries beginning with five young priests, known today as the Claretians; appointed […]
Wednesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John of Capistrano, 1386-1456; became governor of Perugia at age 26; he soon decided to take his life in a different direction–he joined the Franciscan novitiate, and was ordained a priest at age 34; his preaching drew large crowds in an age of […]
Tuesday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, 1920-2005; born in Poland, ordained in 1946, became auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958, archbishop of Krakow in 1964, and a cardinal three years later; elected pope in 1978, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years; promoted ecumenical and […]
Monday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Hilarion, 291-371; disciple of St. Anthony and companion of St. Hesychius; after spending time with St. Anthony, he became a hermit in 356; he returned to St. Anthony, and found that his fame had spread there; he tried to escape notice, but […]
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/20/24 Gospel: Mark 10:35-45
Saturday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Isaac Jogues and Jean de Brébeuf and companions, martyrs; Jesuits from France, they came to the New World in the 17th Century to serve the Native Americans; they eventually died martyrs’ deaths Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/19/24 Gospel: Luke 12:8-12
Feast of St. Luke; writer of the Third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles; traditionally held to be a native of Antioch; referred to by Paul as “our beloved physician”; died about 84 A.D. Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/18/24 Gospel: Luke 10:1-9
Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch; became bishop of Antioch in 307, when the emperor forced Christians to choose between apostacy and death; Ignatius chose the latter, and was sentenced to death in Rome; he is famous for the seven letters he wrote during the journey from […]
Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, 1647-1690; entered the order of the Visitation Nuns at the age of 24; characterized by a fellow novice as simple, and frank, but above all, kind and patient under sharp criticism and correction; received the first of her revelations in […]
Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582; a woman, a contemplative, and an active reformer; she was a woman of prayer, discipline, and compassion; she spent much of her time and energy seeking to reform herself and the Carmelites, to lead them back to the full observance […]
Monday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I; a slave of Rome, and later ordained deacon by Pope St. Zephyrinus, whom he succeeded as pope in the year 217; as a deacon, he was guardian of the Christian cemetery on the Appian way, which still bears his name; […]
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/13/24 Gospel: Mark 10:17-30
Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint (Blessed) of the Day: Blessed Carlo Acutis, 1991-2006; from the age of 3, showed great interest in Catholic churches; prayed before the tabernacle and went to confession weekly; taught himself how to code and build websites while still in primary school; created websites for Catholic organizations; […]
Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, 1881-1963; firstborn of a farming family in northern Italy; as a stretcher-bearer in World War I, he had a firsthand knowledge of war; in 1925, he became a papal diplomat; named a cardinal and patriarch of Venice in 1953; a […]
Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Francis Borgia, 1510-1572; Spanish nobleman; when widowed, he became a Jesuit priest; he only complained when someone attempted to treat as if he were still a nobleman; ultimately, he preached everywhere, and advised many important people; he helped to spread the Society […]
Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Denis and companions; regarded as the first bishop of Paris; Denis was sent to Gaul from Rome in the third century and beheaded in the persecution under Emperor Valerius in 258; one legend says that he was martyred on Montmartre in Paris, and […]
Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Keyne; she lived in the Fifth Century, one of the 24 children of King Brychan of Brecknock, Wales; refused several offers of marriage, and became a hermitess; after living for several years on the banks of the Severn River in Somersetshire, England–during […]
Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary; originally named, “Our Lady of Victory,” in honor of the Christian defeat of the Turks at the battle of LePanto Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/7/24 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 10/6/24 Gospel: Mark 10:2-16
Saturday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, 1819-1867; born in southern Bavaria; came to the United States in 1843 to serve German-speaking Catholics; during the Civil War, he appealed to President Lincoln not to draft his Redemptorist students; died of yellow fever, contracted while visiting the sick […]
Friday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226; a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit, and without a sense of self-importance; he […]
Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian; Arab-born Christians who were brothers, known for their skill in medicine; they refused payment for their services; their prominence made them targets in the persecution of Diocletian; they were tortured and killed in about 283; patron saints of pharmacists Office […]
Wednesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Albert of Jerusalem, 1149-1215; born in Parma, Italy; became a canon of Holy Cross Abbey in Mortoba; later appointed bishop of Bobbio, Italy, then to the see of Vercelli, where he served as a mediator between the pope and the emperor; in […]
Tuesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Rupert of Salzburg; bishop of Worms when Childeric III asked that he evangelize Bavaria; he converted Duke Theodo II, and the duke gave him land at Iuvavum where he established the Abbey of St. Peter and the Nonnberg Convent; Rupert also converted pagan temples […]
Monday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, 1887-1968; joined the Capuchins at the age of 15; in 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus; when the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his […]
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/22/24 Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
Feast of St. Matthew, apostle Saturday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/21/24 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
Friday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and companions, the Korean martyrs; Andrew was the first native Korean priest; he was arrested and beheaded while trying to arrange water passage for more missionaries; Paul was a lay apostle and married man, also died in 1839 […]
Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Januarius; martyred in Diocletian’s persecution of 305; he was thrown to the bears in the amphitheatre, along with his companions, but the bears failed to attack, so they were beheaded; Januarius’ blood was taken to Naples, where it liquifies 18 times per year, […]
Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph of Cupertino, 1603-1663; born in the kingdom of Naples; joined the Franciscan Friars Minor Conventual; after his ordination to the holy priesthood, he gave himself up entirely to a life of devotion to the Lord and his church; grew so in […]
Tuesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621; ordained in 1570, and made a cardinal by Pope Clement VIII, saying that “he had not his equal for learning”; became the pope’s theologian, and prepared two catechisms; had to deliver a message from the Holy Office to his friend, […]
Monday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian; Cornelius greatest concern during his two years as pope involved the Sacrament of Penance and the readmission of Christians who had denied their faith during persecution; he held a synod at Rome in 251 and ordered the “relapsed” to be restored […]
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/15/24 Gospel: Mark 8:27-35
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Saturday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/14/24 Gospel: John 3:13-17
Friday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the church, 349-407; after a dozen years as a priest in Syria, he became archbishop of Contantinople under the cloud of imperial politics; but his zeal led him to decisive action–bishops who bribed their way into office were […]
Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/12/24 Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Paphnutius; spent several years in the desert under the direction of St. Anthony, then became bishop in the Upper Thebaid; lost his right eye, was hamstrung in one leg, and was sent to work in the mines under Emperor Maximinus; after restoration of […]
Tuesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Peter Martinez; lived in the Tenth Century; he was a leader of the Spanish Reconquista, a centuries-long series of battles by Christian states to expel the Muslims (Moors), who from the 8th century ruled most of the Iberian Peninsula; born in Galicia, […]
Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Peter Claver, 1581-1654; a native of Spain, sailed to the New World in 1610 to be a missionary; settled at Cartegena, a center of slave trade; as soon as a slave ship entered port, he went to the hold and gave the exhausted passengers […]
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/8/24 Gospel: Mark 7:31-37
Saturday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Cloud, 522-560; grandson of Clovis, king of the Franks; his uncle attempted to assassinate him, but he escaped to Provence, where he put himself under the discipline of St. Severinus; Cloud untiringly instructed the people of the neighboring country, and died at […]
Friday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Eleutherius; lived in the Sixth Century, became abbot of St. Mark’s, near Spoleto, and was favored by God with miracles; he once prayed with St. Gregory the Great for his health, and St. Gregory found himself able to participate in the Easter-eve […]
Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997; born of Albanian parents; joined the Loreto Sisters of Dublin at age 18; in 1946, she discerned a “call within a call”–to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them; volunteers who helped her became […]
Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Rosalia; left her home, and took up abode in a cave “for love of my Lord Jesus Christ”; she practiced great mortifications and lived in constant communion with God; she died alone in 1160; her body was discovered several centuries later, in […]
Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, 540-604; left his position as prefect of Rome, and became a Benedictine monk in his home; ordained a priest, and served as one of the pope’s seven deacons; also served as papal representative in Constantinople; elected pope at the age of […]
Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time; Labor Day in the United States Saint of the Day: St. Ingrid of Sweden; born in the 13th Century in Sweden, and lived under the spiritual direction of Peter of Dacia, a Dominican priest; she was the first Dominican nun in Sweden and in 1281 she founded the […]
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/1/24 Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne; born in Ireland, may have studied under St. Senan before becoming a monk at Iona; became bishop of Lindisfarne and was known for his knowledge of the Bible, his learning, his eloquent preaching, his holiness, his distaste for pomp, his kindness […]
Friday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne Jugan, 1792-1879; foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor; born in the French region of Brittany during the French Revolution; at 25, she joined the Congregation of Jesus and Mary; in 1837, she rented a small cottage with two others, […]
Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/29/24 Gospel: Mark 6:17-29
Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430; sinner-turned-saint; spent years dabbling in heresy and sin, while his mother prayed and fasted for him; through grace, instruction from St. Ambrose, and God speaking to him through scripture, Augustine became one of the great saints of the early church; […]
Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Monica, 330-387; she became distressed when she learned that her son, Augustine, had accepted the Manichean heresy (“all flesh is evil”) and that he was living an immoral life; she prayed and fasted for him; Augustine came under the influence of St. Ambrose, the […]
Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Elisabeth Bichier des Ages, 1773-1838; foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross, a disciple of St. Andrew Fournet; Jeanne was of noble birth, but she committed herself to the service of others; her congregation was designed for teaching and hospital service; […]
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/25/24 Gospel: John 6:60-69
Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle Saturday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/24/24 Gospel: John 1:45-51
Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, 1586-1617; born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru; took St. Catherine of Siena as a model; when her parents fell into financial trouble, Rose worked in the garden all day and sewed at night; her parents tried to […]
Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Queenship of Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/22/24 Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Pope St. Pius X; 1835-1914; became pope at the age of 68; encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically involved; stood up to France’s renunciation of its agreement with the Holy See; denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations of Peru; sent […]
Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153; joined the Citeaux abbey at the age of 20; the valley was renamed “Clairvaux,” valley of light; Bernard was frequently lured away from the monastery to settle long-standing disputes; he intervened in a full-blown schism and settled it in favor […]
Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes, 1601-1680; found the greatest need to be for seminaries; founded a new order, the Eudists, or Congregation of Jesus and Mary, dedicated to the formation of diocesan clergy; probably best known for the central theme of his writings: Jesus as the […]
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/18/24 Gospel: John 6:51-58
Wednesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II; elected pope in 257, and repaired the rift between the sees of Rome and Carthage that had developed over the issue of baptism and rebaptism; forbidden to hold services, Sixtus and his deacons worshipped in the cemetery chapel; in 258, soldiers broke into the chapel […]
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Tuesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/6/24 Gospel: Mark 9:2-10
Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica; raised at the order of Pope Liberius, rebuilt by Pope Sixtus III in 431; the largest church in the world honoring God through Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/5/24 Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/4/24 Gospel: John 6:24-35
Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gamaliel; rabbinical teacher, mentor of St. Paul; mentioned in the Acts of the Apostle as advising the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem to release St. Peter and other apostles; reportedly became a Christian Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/3/24 Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12
Friday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, 300-371; born on the isle of Sardinia; first recorded bishop of Vercelli; when a council was called at Milan to settle Catholic-Arian troubles, Eusebius attended, and refused to go along with the condemnation of Saint Athanasius; he laid the Nicene […]
Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787; born near Naples, graduated in law at the age of 16; entered the ecclesiastical state, and was ordained a priest in 1726; in 1732, he discerned a call from God to found the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer–also known as […]
Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556; he sought a mililtary career, but after an injury which required a long convalescence, he read a Life of Christ and lives of the saints, and began his conversion; in 1534, he and six others began the Society of Jesus, […]
Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, 380-450; bishop and doctor of the church; called “Chrysologus,” or “golden-worded,” because of his oratorical excellence; appointed bishop of Ravenna in 433, and got rid of the last vestiges of paganism among his people; he also counseled the heretic, Eutyches, in […]
Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus; close friends of Jesus; Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and Martha made a profound statement of faith Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/29/24 Gospel: John 11:19-27
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/28/24 Gospel: John 6:1-15
Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Saints Natalie and Aurelius; Aurelius was the son of a Moor, and orphaned as a child, secretly raised a Christian by his aunt during the Moorish persecution of Christians; he married a half-Moorish woman, Sabigotho, who took the name Natalie when she converted […]
Friday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/26/24 Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23
Feast of St. James, apostle; died 44 A.D. Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/25/24 Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28
Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhlouf, 1828-1898; joined the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon, at the age of 23; lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death; with a reputation for holiness, people sought him to receive a blessing and to be remembered in […]
Tuesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, 1303-1373; married to the Swedish king, Magnus II, mother of eight children, including St. Catherine of Sweden; Magnus gave Bridget land and buildings to found a monastery for men and women, an order which was eventually known as the Bridgetines; […]
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, died about 63 A.D.; the “Apostle to the Apostles” Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/22/24 Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/21/24 Gospel: Mark 6:30-34
Saturday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Apollinarius, sent by St. Peter to Ravenna, Italy, as its first bishop; his preaching was so successful, that the pagans expelled him three times; he died of injuries on his fourth try, in about 79 A,D, Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Macrena the Younger, 330-379; granddaughter of Macrena the Elder, sister of Saints Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, and Peter of Sebastea; when her fiancé died, she dedicated her life to God; she and her mother retired to the family estate in Pontus and lived a life of prayer and contemplation in a community […]
Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis, 1550-1614; born in Bocchianico, Italy; fought for the Venetians against the Turks; became a Capuchin novice, but was unable to make profession due to a diseased leg; cared for the sick, and became director of St. Giacomo Hospital in Rome; […]
Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne, died 1794; at the beginning of the French revolution, the Carmelite monastery in Compiegne, France, was ordered closed and the nuns disbanded; sixteen nuns were imprisoned in a Visitation convent, where they openly resumed their religious life; they were […]
Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/16/24 Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24
Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bonaventure, 1221-1274; baptized John, but received the name Bonaventure when he became a Franciscan at the age of 22; St. Francis is credited with healing Bonaventure as a boy of a serious illness; Bonaventure was eventually elected to serve as General Minister of the […]
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/14/24 Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Henry II, 973-1024; born in Hildesheim, Bavaria; became Duke of Bavaria when his father died in 995, and emperor when his cousin Otto III died in 1002; crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Benedict VIII; also miraculously cured by St. Benedict; wanted to […]
Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John the Iberian; a noble of southern Georgia, also called Iberia, and a military leader; went with his son, St. Euthymius, to Mount Olympias in Bethynia, and then to Mount Athos in Macedonia; there, he founded a monastery which endured into the […]
Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Benedict, 480-547; born into a distinguished family in central Italy; drawn to monasticism, he became a hermit, and then withdrew to a high cave in the mountains; some monks chose him as their leader for a time, but many disagreed with his strictness; he […]
Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Veronica Giuliani, 1660-1727; native of Binasco, near Milan, Italy, born in 1660; she entered the Capuchins in 1677, and served as novice mistress for 34 years; received a stigmata in 1697, and had visions, the accounts of which are quite detailed; she […]
Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, the Chinese martyrs; the 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930; Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese soldier who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse of the Paris Foreign Mission Society to his martyrdom in […]
Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Priscilla; she and her husband, Aquila, the tent-maker, were forced to leave Rome, and settled in Corinth, where they provided lodging for Paul–who may have converted them to Christianity; they went with Paul to Ephesus, and then back to Rome; they suffered […]
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/7/24 Gospel: Mark 6:1-6
Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, 1890-1902; daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer; on a hot July afternoon, an 18-year-old neighbor, Alessandro, attempted to molest her, and ended up stabbing her multiple times; Maria was taken to a hospital, where she died; Alessandro was sentenced to […]
Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, 1502-1539; born in Cremona, Italy; ordained a priest at the age of 26; sent to Milan, and he laid the foundations of three religious congregations, one for men, one for women, and an association of married couples; Anthony encouraged such […]
Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time; Independence Day in the United States Optional Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, 1271-1336; daughter of Pedro III, future king of Aragon; given in marriage to Denis, king of Portugal, at age 12; she exercised both piety and charity, and remained devoted to her husband, whose infidelity […]
Feast of St. Thomas, apostle; died about 72 A.D. Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/3/24 Gospel: John 20:24-29
Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Otto of Bamberg, 1060-1139; born in Swabia, served Emperor Henry IV in various posts; Otto was appointed bishop of Bamberg in 1103; he was a figure in the reconciliation of the pope and Emperor Henry V; headed a mission to Pomerania, and made […]
Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, 1713-1784; born on Spain’s island of Mallorca, and joined the Franciscans; set out to convert native peoples in the New World; worked in central Mexico and the Baja Peninsula, and then traveled 900 miles north to set his first mission, San […]
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/30/24 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/24 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Irenaeus, 130-202; as bishop of Lyons, he foughts the Gnostics, who claimed “secret” knowledge which Jesus had only revealed to a few; Irenaeus’ work gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics; circumstances of his death remain unclear, but he is regarded as a martyr […]
Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, 378-444; began his career as archbishop of Alexandria with impulsive–often violent–actions; but he championed the cause of orthodoxy against the heresy of Nestorius, who taught that in Christ there were two persons, one human and one divine; at the Council […]
Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, 1902-1975; knew, in 1918, that God was asking something of him; ordained a priest in 1925; in 1928, he realized that his mission was to found Opus Dei, an institution within the Catholic Church dedicated to helping people in all […]
Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. William of Vercelli, 1085-1142; became a hermit on Monte Vergine, Italy, and attracted so many followers that a monastery was built; in time, the austerity of his rule led to dissension, and to keep peace, he left, and was taken under the […]
Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/24/24 Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/23/24 Gospel: Mark 4:35-41
Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints John Fisher, 1469-1535, and Thomas More, 1478-1535; the two great martyrs of England; condemned and executed for essentially the same reasons–refusal to acknowledge the divorce and remarriage of King Henry VIII, and refusal to accept the king as head of the Church in […]
Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Aloyisius Gonzaga, 1568-1591; grew up in royal courts and army camps, but the more that he saw of court life, the more disillusioned he became; his spiritual awakening began at the age of 7; eventually, his father allowed him to renounce his right to […]
Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John of Matera, 1070-1139; longed to become a hermit, and served for a time as a shepherd at a monastery–but his exceptional austerity was so irksome to the less fervent monks, that he had to leave; later, he rebuilt a dilapidated church […]
Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Romuald, 950-1027; after seeing his father kill a relative in a duel, he fled to a monastery; after three years, he was asked to leave; for thirty years, he founded monasteries and hermitages across Italy; he was falsely accused of a crime, and […]
Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St Gregory Barbarigo, 1625-1697; embraced a diplomatic career, but became a priest, and then first bishop of Bergamo; he was later elevated to cardinal and given additional authority over the diocese of Padua; he worked to carry out the reforms set forth by […]
Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Nectan of Hartland, 468-510; possibly a native of Wales or Ireland, best known through legends; lived as a hermit in Devonshire, England, founding churches there and in Cornwall, England; beheaded by robbers, and in some traditions was a relative of the chieftain […]
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/16/24 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alice, 1220-1250; born near Brussels, and entered a Cistercian convent at a young age; contracted leprosy, and was isolated; her greatest consolation was reception of the Holy Eucharist; known for visions and ecstasies Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/15/24 Gospel: […]
Friday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph the Hymnographer, 810-886; the most prolific of the Greek hymn writers; a native of Sicily, he was forced to journey to Thessalonica in 830 because of an invasion by the Arabs; he went to Constantinople, and attempted to travel to Rome, […]
Thursday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, 1195-1231; Franciscan friar, and dedicated patron of the poor; hoped to preach to the Saracens, but became seriously ill on his way to Morocco, and returned home; taught theology in Italy and Southern France, and ended up in Padua, where he […]
Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Peter of Mount Athos; first hermit to reside on Mount Athos is northern Greece; according to legend, he was a soldier captured by Muslims, and released through the intervention of St. Simeon; went to Rome, and received the monastic habit directly from […]
Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Barnabas; closely associated with Saint Paul—he introduced Paul to Peter and the other apostles—and served as a kind of mediator between the former persecutor and the still suspicious Jewish Christians; Paul and Barnabas were sent to preach to the Gentiles; when Paul wanted to […]
Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Landericus; bishop of Paris in the mid 7th Century; known for his care for the poor and the sick; founded the first true hospital in Paris, dedicated to St. Christopher, which eventually be came the Hotel-Dieu; he welcomed the Benedictines to Paris, […]
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/9/24 Gospel: Mark 3:20-35
Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/8/24 Gospel: Luke 2:41-51
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/7/24 Gospel: John 19:31-37
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Norbert, 1080-1134; founder of the Praemonstratensians or the Norbertines; they praised God for success in converting heretics, reconciling numerous enemies, and rebuilding faith in indifferent believers; Norbert became archbishop of Magdeburg in central Germany, and continued his work for the Church until his […]
Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Boniface, 675-754; asked by the pope to reform the Church of Germany; on his first visit in 719, he found that paganism was a way of life; he later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter […]
Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Petroc; possibly the son of a Sixth Century Welsh king; became a monk, studied in Ireland, and then settled in Cornwall, England; made a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem, and returned to Cornwall, where he built a chapel, established a community, and […]
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and companions, died 1885-1887; Charles Lwanga was a convert from Uganda; he refused the sexual demands of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga, and urged his fellow court pages to do likewise; imprisoned with his friends, Charles’ courage and belief in God inspired them […]
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/2/24 Gospel: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Justin, 100-165; a student of Greek philosophy, he converted to Christianity and became the first Christian philosopher; he was also an apologist, correcting attacks and misunderstandings of Christianity; two of his “apologies” have come down to us, addressed to the Roman emperor and to […]
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/31/24 Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joan of Arc, 1412.1431; a pious peasant in medieval France; she believed that God had chosen her to lead France to victory in its long-running war with England; she led a French army to Orleans, where they achieved a stunning victory; Joan […]
Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Maximinus of Trier; became bishop of Trier in 332, and gave refuge to St. Athanasius in 336; also helped to protect St. Paul, the patriarch of Constantinople; Maximinus opposed the Arian heretics at councils at Milan, Sardica, and Cologne; he was a […]
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Bernard of Montjoux, 923-1008; likely born in Italy; became a priest, then vicar general of Aosta; spent more than four decades doing missionary work in the Alps; best known for two Alpine hospices he built to aid lost travelers in the mountain […]
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Memorial Day in the U.S. Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury; traveled from Rome to England to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons; King Ethelbert set up a residence for Augustine and his monks in Canterbury, and was, himself, baptized a year later; Augustine heeded the missionary principles given […]
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/26/24 Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, 672-735; entrusted to the care of the abbot of the monastery of St. Paul, Jarrow, at an early age; well-versed in natural philosophy, the philosophical principles of Aristotle, astronomy, arithmetic, grammar, ecclesiastical history, the lives of the saints and especially, […]
Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. David I of Scotland, 1080-1153; youngest son of Queen Margaret, succeeded his brother to the throne in 1124; known for his generosity to the poor; he also endowed the founding of dioceses and monasteries; as he neared death, he devoted himself to […]
Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Crispin of Viterbo,1668-1750; studied at the Jesuit college, and became a shoemaker; joined the Franciscan Capuchins at age 25, where he served as gardener and cook, calling himself “the little beast of burden of the Capuchins”; through his intercession, there were many […]
Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, 1381-1457; born in central Italy, and pressured to marry a harsh man; she bore and raised two sons; after her husband was killed in a brawl and her sons had died, she joined the Augustinian nuns in Cascia, where her […]
Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, 1869-1927, and companions; Fr. Magallanes was killed without trial on the way to say Mass during the Cristero War in Mexico, after the trumped up charge of inciting rebellion Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/21/24 Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/20/24 Gospel: John 19:25-34
Solemnity of Pentecost Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/19/24 Gospel: John 20:19-23
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. John I, 470-526; when elected, he “inherited” the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ; Italy’s emperor subscribed to the heresy, but was tolerant of Catholics; when the eastern emperor began imposing severe sanctions on Arians, John was sent to try to […]
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Paschal Baylon, 1540-1592; worked as a shepherd for his father, performed miracles, and was distinguished for his austerity, and taught himself to read; became a Franciscan lay brother in 1564; he practiced rigorous asceticism and displayed a deep love for the Blessed Sacrament, so […]
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Simon Stock; as a young man, he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he joined a group of Carmelites with whom he later returned to Europe; he founded many Carmelite communities, especially in university towns, such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, […]
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Isidore the Farmer, 1070-1130; worked on the estate of a wealthy landowner near Madrid; he rose early in the morning to go to church and spent many a holiday devoutly visiting the churches of Madrid and surrounding areas; communed with God while walking behind […]
Feast of St. Matthias, apostle Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/14/24 Gospel: John 15:9-17
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima; in 1917, three Portuguese children received visions of Our Lady, who asked them to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners, and for the conversion of Russia; this feast day was approved by […]
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Ascension Sunday) Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/12/24 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20
Friday of the Sixth Week of East Optional Memorial of St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, 1840-1889; went to the Hawaiian Islands in 1864 as a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; in 1873, he went to the leper colony on the island of Molokai, and volunteered to remain […]
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Traditional) Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/9/24 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Peter of Tarantaise, 1102-1175; entered the Cistercian order at twenty, and became the first abbot of Tamie, in the Tarantase mountains, at 30; named archbishop of Tarantaise at 42, and devoted much energy to reforming the diocese, purging the clergy of corrupt and […]
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. John of Beverly; became a monk of Whitby, and then was named bishop of Hexham in 687, and metropolitan of York in 705; known for his holiness, his preference for the contemplative life, and his miracles; resigned in 717, and returned to Beverly […]
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petronax, 670-747; joined the Benedictines, and in 717 was asked by Pope St. Gregory to inspect the ruins of Monte Cassino, damaged by the Lombards in 580; Petronax gathered the hermits, and began rebuilding; he was elected abbot, and ruled Monte Cassino for […]
Sixth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/5/24 Gospel: John 15:9-17
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Florian; office in the Roman army in the days of Diocletian; surrendered himself as a Christian, and was scourged twice, half-flayed alive, set on fire, and finally thrown into the river Enns with a stone around his neck; his body was recovered and […]
Feast of Saints Philip and James, apostles Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/3/24 Gospel: John 14:6-14
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter Memorial of St. Athanasius, 296-373; as bishop of Alexandria, he fought the heresy of Arianism; five times he was sent into exile, but experienced about ten years of relative peace; his dogmatic and historical writings are almost all polemic, directed against every aspect of Arianism Office of Readings […]
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker; instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to encourage greater devotion to St. Joseph, and as a response to the “May Day” communist celebrations Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/24 Gospel: John 15:1-8
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, 1504-1572; elected in 1566, and given the task of implementing the reforms called for by the Council of Trent; he ordered the founding of seminaries, published a new missal, new breviary, and new catechism; he built hospitals, and gave money to […]
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church, 1347-1380; joined the Dominican Third Order at 18, and soon had a group of followers; her letters began to take more and more note of public affairs; she worked for the crusade against the Turks, and […]
Fifth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/28/24 Gospel: John 15:1-8
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Zita, 1212-1272; born at Monte Sagrati, Italy; from the age of 13, worked as a servant; she was disliked by the other household staff because of her hard work and goodness, and her habit of giving food and clothing to the poor; they […]
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Cletus; the third bishop of Rome, succeeding St. Linus; he was pope from 76 to 89 A.D.; he is styled as a martyr by the Canon of the Roman mass, St. Bede, and other martyrologists; he was buried at the Vatican, near St. […]
Feast of St. Mark Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/25/24 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, 1577-1622; a lawyer who left his career to become a Capuchin priest; as a Franciscan, he served the weak and needy; during a severe epidemic, he cared for and cured many soldiers; preached against Calvinists and Zwinglians in Switzerland, where he […]
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. George, 280-303; martyr who suffered at Lydda in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine; the Church believes that he was willing to pay the supreme price to follow Christ–and it is enough; tales of him slaying a dragon, and such, are part of […]
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Tarbula; Fourth Century Virgin and martyr, the sister of St. Simeon the Persian bishop and martyr; she was consecrated a virgin and met her own martyrdom soon after the death of her brother; she was accused of witchcraft, and of causing sickness to […]
Fourth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/21/24 Gospel: John 10:11-18
Saturday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Montepulciano, 1268-1317; entered the monastery of Montepulciano at the age of nine; four years later, Pope Nicholas IV asked her to assist in the foundation of a new convent at Procena; at 15, she became head of the nuns there; the […]
Friday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Alphege of Canterbury, 954-1012; became abbot of the Bath monastery, and was then consecrated bishop of Winchester, and eventually elevated to the see of Canterbury; during a Danish invasion of Canterbury, Alphege offered himself, and was consigned to a dungeon; an epidemic frightened […]
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Appolonius the Apologist; Roman senator who was denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves; the Praetorian Prefect, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, arrested him, also putting the slave to death as an informer; Perennis and Appolonius debated, and despite Appolonius’ eloquent defense, he was […]
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stephen Harding; joined St. Robert of Molesme at the abbey in Burgundy; when Robert left because of corruption and laxity, Stephen went with him, along with St. Alberic; when 21 other monks left Molesme, a new monastery was founded at Citeaux, with Robert […]
Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Bernadette Soubirous, 1844-1879; first child of a poor miller in Lourdes, France; in 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette 18 times; on March 25, she told her, “I am the Immaculate Conception”; the Church confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in […]
Monday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hunna; she was known as “the holy washerwoman,” a noblewoman who devoted herself to the poor of Strasbourg, France; she was the daughter of a duke and wife of Huno of Hunnaweyer, she even washed the poor; patroness of laundresses, laundry workers, and […]
Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/14/24 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48
Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Martin I; became pope in 649, when there was a popular heretical teaching that Christ had no human will; Martin held a council in the Lateran in which the patriarch of Constantinople and two of his predecessors who held to this heresy were […]
Friday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; Goth, converted to Christianity in his youth; became a lector to a priest. Sansala; seized with Sansala by a group of Gothic soldiers and ordered to eat meat which had been sacrificed to idols; tortured and drowned in the […]
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Antipas; martyr and disciple of St. John the apostle; reputed to be the bishop of Pergamum; he is believed to have been burned to death in 90 A.D.; the only mention of him is in the book of Revelation Office of Readings and […]
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stanislaus of Cracow, 1030-1079; born near Cracow and ordained in Gnesen, after which he became known as a powerful preacher and spiritual advisor; named bishop of Cracow in 1072; denounced the cruelties and injustices of King Boleslaus the Bold; Stanislaus was murdered by […]
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Acacus; bishop of Amida, Mesopotamia; sold sacred vessels of the church to aid victims of the Persian persecution; King Bahram V was so impressed that he ordered the cessation of persecutions of Christians; St. Acacus died in 425 A.D. Office of Readings and […]
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Monday of the Second Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/8/24 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/24 Gospel: John 20:19-31
Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: Pope St. Celestine I; elected pope in 422; founder of the papal diplomatic service; battled heresies of Novationism, Nestorianism, and Pelagianism; believed to have sent Palladius to evangelize Ireland in 431; died in 432 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/6/24 Gospel: Mark […]
Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Ethelburga; wife of King St. Edwin of Northumbria, England, daughter of St. Ethelbert of Kent; Ethelburga converted King St. Edwin, and when he died, she founded a convent at Lyminge; she served as abbess until her death in 647 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Benedict the Moor, 1524-1589; born a slave near Messina, Italy; when freed, he became a solitary, settling with other hermits; later became a Franciscan lay brother, serving as a cook at St. Mary’s Convent near Palermo; against his will, he was appointed superior, then […]
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Vulpian; a Syrian, he was executed at Tyre, Lebanon, in 304 A.D., during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian; tradition holds that he was sewn into a leather sack with a snake and a dog and hurled into the sea Office of Readings and […]
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Appian, 286-306; born in Lycia, and studied at Berytus, modern Beirut; went to Caesarea, with Eusebius; protested an order to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was arrested and thrown into the sea with weights on his feet; tradition holds that an earthquake occured […]
Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; named bishop of Grenoble in 1080; attempted a massive reform of his diocese, but became discouraged, and left to become a Benedictine; called back by Pope St. Gregory VII; Hugh gave St. Bruno the land on which the Grande Chartreuse was […]
Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. John Climacus, 525-606; Syrian or Palestinian, he lived for many years as a hermit on Mount Sinai; he wrote “The Ladder of Perfection” to provide a comprehensive treatise on the ideal of Christian perfection and the virtues and vices of the monastic life; he was elected abbot of […]
Good Friday – The commemoration of the Passion and Death of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/29/24 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42
Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Venturino of Bergamo, 1304-1346; Dominican who became a brilliant preacher; in 1335, he announced his intention to make a pilgrimage to Rome; Pope Benedict XII feared that Venturino would try to crown himself pope, and forbade the pilgrimage, as did the Dominicans; Venturino was unaware of the bans, […]
Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Rupert, 660-717; born to a noble Frankish family; appointed bishop of Worms, Germany; he took over the deserted town of luvavum about 697, which was renamed Salzburg, Austria, and founded a church, a monastery, and a school; brought in groups of missionaries; and established a nunnery […]
Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Margaret Clitherow, 1555-1586; born in Middleton, England; married John Clitherow, and entered the Catholic Church; she harbored fugitive priests, for which she was arrested; she was condemned to be pressed to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/24 Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38
Monday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Dismas, the “good thief”; a pious, unsubstantiated legend has Dismas and his partner, Gestas, robbing the Holy Family on their way to Egypt; but Dismas buys off Gestas so that they will not be harmed; and Jesus prophesies that the two will be crucified with him […]
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/24 Gospel: Mark 15:1-39
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Turbius de Mongrovejo, 1538-1606; born in Mayorga, Spain; became a lawyer, and, eventually chief-judge of the court of the inquisition at Granada; appointed archbishop of Lima, Peru, in 1580; following ordination and consecration, he arrived in Peru in 1581; he aided the poor and defended […]
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1606; born in Oxford, England; became a carpenter, and built hiding places for Jesuit priests; became a Jesuit lay brother, and was arrested in 1594, and tortured, but refused to reveal the names of Catholic colleagues; ransomed by a wealthy Catholic; […]
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas of Flue, 1417-1487; born in Switzerland; married and had ten children by his wife; after serving in various civic posts, with the consent of his wife and family, he embraced the life of a hermit; he is reputed to have survived solely […]
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Cuthbert, 634-687; became a monk at Melrose Abbey, and did missionary work; became prior of Lindisfarn, and then received permission to live as a hermit; elected bishop of Hexham in 685, and swapped sees with St. Eata to become bishop of Lindisfarn; spent […]
Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, Patron of the Universal Church Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/19/24 Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24
Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, 344-407; bishop and doctor of the Church; born in Antioch; lived as an anchorite for two years, but poor health forced him to return to Antioch; ordained a priest, and elevated to the see of Constantinople; his enemies included Theophilus, patriarch of […]
Tuesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary; a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; the feast began in Spain in 1513, and was extended to the entire Church by Pope Innocent XI Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/12/23 Gospel: […]
Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Paphnutius; Egyptian who became bishop of Upper Thebaid; tortured under Emperor Maximinus; returned to his flock when peace was restored; zealous in defending the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy; a major figure in the first General Council of the Church at […]
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/10/23 Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
Saturday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Peter Claver, 1581-1654; left his native Spain for the New World, and became a “slave to the slaves”; as soon as a slave ship entered the port, Peter Claver moved into its infested hold to minister to the ill-treated and exhausted passengers; in his […]
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Friday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-23
Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Cloud, 522-560; heir apparent to the kingdom of the Franks, but was usurped by his uncle; he fled to Provence for safety, and was under the direction of St. Severinus, a recluse near Paris; he instructed the people of the neighboring countryside […]
Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Eleutherius; Sixth Century abbot of St. Mark’s near Spoleto, and favored by God with miracles; died in St. Andrew’s monastery in Rome, 585 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/6/23 Gospel: Luke 4:38-44
Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997; at age 18, she entered the Loreto Sisters of Dublin; in 1946, she felt called to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them; she returned to Calcutta, and for the next four decades, she […]
Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Rosalia; daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, and a descendant of Charlemagne; took up her abode in a cave, and was in constant communion with God; she died alone in 1160; her body was discovered several centuries later, in 1625, during […]
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/3/23 Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27
Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Ingrid of Sweden; born in the 13th Century, and lived under the spiritual direction of Peter of Dacia, a Dominican priest; she was the first Dominican nun in Sweden; in 1281, she founded the first Dominican cloister there, St. Martin’s; she died […]
Friday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Giles, 650-710; Athenian of noble birth; left his home and sailed for France, first taking up his abode in a wilderness near the mouth of the Rhone river, afterward near the river Gard, and, finally, in the diocese of Nimes; he spent many […]
Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne; Seventh Century bishop of Lindisfarne, who was known throughout the kingdom for his knowledge of the Bible, his learning, his eloquent preaching, his holiness, his distaste for pomp, his kindness to the poor, and the miracles attributed to him; […]
Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne Jugan, 1792-1879; after years of serving the sick and elderly, she and her companions formed an association, the Little Sisters of the Poor; by 1853 the association numbered 500 and had houses as far away as England Office of Readings and […]
Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist; John was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah; in the end, a king with a shallow sense of honor, a seductive dance, and a hateful queen brought about his martyrdom Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430; sinner-turned-saint; having been so immersed in the creature comfort of his day, it’s not surprising that he turned against the evil of his time so fiercely; he fulfilled the role of prophet; like Jeremiah, he was hard-pressed, but could not […]
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/27/23 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
Saturday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Elisabeth Bichier des Ages, 1773-1838; foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross, a disciple of St. Andrew Fournet; of noble birth, but dedicated her life to serving others; her congregation was designed for teaching and hospital service Office of Readings and […]
Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Louis of France, 1214-1270; was devoted to his people, founding hospitals, visiting the sick, and caring even for people with leprosy; every day he had 13 special guests from among the poor to dine with him; led a crusade to North Africa in […]
Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle; Jesus told him that he was a true Israelite, without “guile” or “duplicity”; mentioned only in the lists of apostles in the New Testament Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/24/23 Gospel: John 1:45-51
Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, 1586-1617; first canonized saint of the New World; born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru; her parents refused to let her enter a convent, so she continued her life of penance and solitude at home as a member […]
Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary; established by Pope Pius XII in 1954, but with roots in scripture; at the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever; at the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my […]
Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Pope St. Pius X, 1835-1914; born of a poor Italian family; one of the Twentieth Century’s greatest popes; ended the supposed right of governments to interfere with papal elections; denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations of Peru; foresaw World War I, […]
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/20/23 Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Helena; mother of Emperor Constantine the Great; Helena’s husband divorced her, but Constantine remained faithful to his mother; when he became emperor, he returned her to the inner circle, and tasked her with locating relics of Christian tradition; she is credited with […]
Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Clare of Montefalco, 1268-1308; born in Montefalco, Italy; joined a convent of Franciscan tertiaries where her sister Joan was the abbess; when Joan died, Clare succeeded her; Clare was devoted to the Passion of Christ and His cross; when she died, an […]
Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary, 975-1038; born a pagan, baptized at 10; when he became chief of the Magyars, he adopted a policy of Christianization for both political and religious reasons; he established a system of tithes to support churches and pastors and to relieve […]
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; declared a dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950 Tuesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/15/23 Gospel: Luke 11:27-28
Monday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, 1894-1941; Franciscan priest from a portion of Poland which is now part of Ukraine; founded the Militia of the Immaculata, and the magazine, “Knight of the Immaculata”; arrested by Nazis in 1939, and then released; arrested again in 1941, and was […]
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/13/23 Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33
Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 1572-1641; after being widowed, she fell into depression at her family home; at the age of 32, she met St. Francis de Sales, who became her spiritual director; with him, she helped to found an order which would exemplify […]
Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Clare of Assisi, 1194-1253; moved by the preaching of St. Francis, who placed her in a convent; sixteen days later, her sister Agnes joined her, and others followed; they lived a simple life of great poverty, austerity, and complete seclusion from the world; Clare […]
Feast of St. Lawrence, 225-258; Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II, martyred just days before Lawrence; when the Roman prefect demanded that Lawrence present him with “the treasures of the Church,” Lawrence assembled a group of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned, and widowed persons, and said, “These are the treasures of the Church”; Lawrence […]
Wednesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 1891-1942; brilliant philosopher from a Jewish family; she stopped believing in God at age 14; but she was so captivated by the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, that she was eventually baptized, and later became a Carmelite; […]
Tuesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Dominic, 1170-1221; born in Old Castile, Spain, and was prepared for priesthood by a priest-uncle; on a journey through France with his bishop, he came face-to-face with the Albigensian heresy, which held that all matter was evil, thus denying the Incarnation and the sacraments; […]
Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Sixtus II; became pope in 257, and helped to heal the rift between Rome and Carthage over baptism; forbidden to hold services, he was martyred while preaching in the cemetery chapel in 258 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/7/23 Gospel: […]
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/6/23 Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome; first raised in the mid-4th Century, it has survived many restorations; one of the four “patriarchal churches” in memory of the first centers of the Church; the feast is also known as Our Lady of […]
Friday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Vianney, the Curé d’Ars, 1786-1859; a poor student, but he was determined to be a priest; his work as a confessor is his most remarkable accomplishment, spending up to 16 hours per day in the confessional; patron of parish priests worldwide Office of […]
Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gamaliel; First Century rabbinical teacher, mentor of St. Paul; advised the Sanhedrin to release Peter and other apostles; reportedly became a Christian himself; mentioned in Chapter 5 of the Acts of the Apostles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/3/23 Gospel: […]
Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, 300-371; first recorded bishop of Vercelli in Piedmont, in northwest Italy; reluctantly participated in a council to settle Catholic-Arian troubles, and refused to go along with the condemnation of Saint Athanasius; exiled by the emperor, until a new emperor allowed […]
Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787; born near Naples, and graduated in law at the age of 16; against much opposition, he was ordained a priest in 1726; in 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists; appointed bishop of […]
Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556; during his recovery from war wounds, he read a life of Christ and lives of the saints, and was deeply touched; during his conversion, he began to write what would become “The Spiritual Exercises”; in 1534, Ignatius and six others […]
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/30/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:44-52
Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus; siblings, close friends of Jesus, who stayed with them when he was in Bethany; when Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life,” she responded, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the […]
Friday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St, Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, 1920-1946; Franciscan religious sister; the first native of India to be canonized a saint, and the first saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church of the Saint Thomas Christian community Office of Readings and […]
Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Titus Brandsma, 1881-1942; Dutch Carmelite priest, known for his intellect and scholarship; he was singled out as an enemy of the Nazis, because he fought the spread of Nazism in Europe; he was sent to various concentration camps, where he demonstrated charity […]
Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; no “hard facts” are available about them; even their names come from a legendary source written more than a century after the Passion; but much can be inferred about their heroism and holiness simply by […]
Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhlouf, 1828-1898; raised by an uncle; at 23, he joined the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon; Sharbel lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death; his reputation for holiness prompted people to seek him to receive a blessing and […]
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/23/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:24-43
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, the “apostle to the apostles” Saturday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/22/23 Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18
Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1619; born in Brindisi, in the kingdom of Naples; joined the Capuchins at 16, and became definitor general for the order in 1596; helped raise an army among the Germans to fight against the Turks, and served as chaplain; elected […]
Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Apollinaris; sent by St. Peter to be the first bishop of Ravenna; pagans beat him and drove him from the city; he returned, and was exiled, three more times; on his fourth return, he died from wounds received in a savage beating […]
Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Arsenius the Great, 354-450; served as tutor to the children of Emperor Theodosius I; became a monk in Alexandria, Egypt, studying with St. John the Dwarf; in 434, he went to the rock of Troe, then to Memphis, Egypt, and to the […]
Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis, 1550-1614; overcame a life of gambling, and was moved the preaching of a Capuchin friar; tried twice to enter the Capuchins, but was unsuccessful, because of a sore on his leg; studied for priesthood, and was ordained at 34, and […]
Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne; Discalced Carmelite nuns who were caught up in the French Revolution, and sentenced to death in 1794; they went to the guillotine singing the “Salve Regina” Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/17/23 Gospel: Matthew 10:34-11:1
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/16/23 Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23
Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bonaventure, 1221-1274; became a Franciscan at the age of 22; elected general minister of the Order, and structured the order through effective legislation, and an organized spirituality based on the vision and insights of Saint Francis; died while participating in the Second Council of […]
Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, 1656-1680; daughter of a Christian Algonquin and a Mohawk chief; lost her parents to a smallpox epidemic which left her disfigured and half-blind; moved by the words of the “Blackrobes”–Jesuit missionaries–who stayed with her uncle, she converted at the age of 19; […]
Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Henry, 972-1024; German king and Holy Roman Emperor; helped Pope Benedict VIII to quell disturbances in Rome; sought a stable peace throughout Europe; fostered the reform of ecclesiastical and monastic life Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/13/23 Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15
Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Saints John Jones (2530-1598) and John Wall (1620-1679); two friars martyred in England in the 16th and 17th Centuries; John Jones was Welsh, and was twice imprisoned for administering the sacraments before he left England in 1590; joined the Franciscans and returned to […]
Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Benedict, 480-547; born in central Italy, and drawn to monasticism; lived in a cave as a hermit for three years; some followers chose him as their leader, but disliked his strictness; but he had the idea of gathering various families of monks to give […]
Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Anthony Pechersky, 983-1073; born in Ukraine; after spending time on Mount Athos in Greece, he founded a hermitage in Kiev, which became known as the “Caves of Kiev”; founded another monastery in Chernagov; one of the fathers of Ukrainian monasticism Office of […]
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/9/23 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin, 1864-1900; born to a poor peasant family in France; joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1887, and was sent to Paris, then to Carthage in Northern Africa; health problems forced her to go to Rome to recover; she then […]
Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Palladius; first bishop of Ireland, and immediate predecessor to St. Patrick; consecrated a bishop by Pope Celestine I, and sent to Ireland; his mission apparently had little impact on the people; he sailed to Scotland to preach to the Picts, but died […]
Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, 1890-1902; daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer; she was attacked by a neighbor, Alessandro, who stabbed her with a dagger; she died about 24 hours after the attack; while in prison, Alessandro had a dream of Maria gathering flowers, and […]
Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, 1502-1539; gave up life as a doctor to become a religious; helped to found three religious congregations–one for men, one for women, and another for married couples–the Barnabites; he encouraged the collaboration of laity in the apostolate, frequent communion, Forty […]
Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Independence Day in the U.S. Optional Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, 1271-1336; given in marriage to Denis, King of Portugal, at the age of 12; practiced piety and charity; became a peacemaker between royal family members; after being widowed, she retired to a monastery of Poor […]
Feast of St. Thomas, apostle; known, unfortunately, for his doubt, but also for his faith; believed to have evangelized and preached in India; died 72 A.D. Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/3/23 Gospel: John 20:24-29
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/2/23 Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42
Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, 1713-1784; born in Mallorca, Spain, joined the Franciscans, and became famous as a preacher; gave it up and followed his desire to convert the Native peoples of the New World; founded missions in San Diego, Monterey/Carmel, San Antonio/San Gabriel, San Luis […]
Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome; in 64 A.D., nearly half of Rome was destroyed by fire, likely caused by Nero; Nero blamed the Christians; many Christians were put to death, likely including Peter and Paul Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/23 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Irenaeus, 130-202; as bishop of Lyons, he was concerned with the Gnostics, a group of heretical sects claiming to have “secret knowledge” imparted by Jesus to only a few; the work of Irenaeus gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics; declared a Doctor of […]
Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, 378-444; began his career as bishop of Alexandria with numerous harsh actions; but, he championed the cause of orthodoxy against the Nestorian heresy; Cyril was the pope’s representative at the Council of Ephesus in 431, and proclaimed Mary the “God-bearer”; […]
Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, 1902-1975; born in Spain, became a priest to make himself available for whatever God desired; in 1928, while on a retreat, he discerned that he was to found Opus Dei, an institution within the Catholic Church dedicated to helping people […]
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/25/23 Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33
Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/24/23 Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80
Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph Cafasso, 1811-1860; born in Italy, ordained in 1833; popular teacher, sought-after confessor and spiritual advisor; close friend of St. John Bosco, and encouraged him in his work with boys; patron of prison chaplains Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/23/23 […]
Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More; More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children, and chancellor of England; Fisher was a priest who was asked to study the question of King Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which he […]
Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, 1568-1591; had a profound spiritual quickening at the age of 7; eventually joined the Society of Jesus, with St. Robert Bellarmine as his spiritual advisor; assisted in the Jesuit hospital in Rome during the plague of 1591, and fell ill; upon recovery, […]
Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Silverius; became pope in 536, but Empress Theodora tried to get him deposed; he was accused of conspiring with the Goths and exiled; he was allowed to return to Rome, but was then sent to the island of Palmaria, where he was […]
Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Romuald, 950-1027; watched his father kill a man, which horrified him, fleeing to a monastery; he was gently ejected after a period; spent thirty years founding monasteries and hermitages; in later life, his father became a monk, wavered, but remained faithful due to […]
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/18/23 Gospel: Matthew 9:36-10:8
Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/17/23 Gospel: Luke 2:41-51
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Friday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/16/23 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
Thursday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Adelaide; born in Belgium, and lived in a Cistercian convent from the age of 7; she was loved the sister, but contracted leprosy, and was isolated for health reasons; she received many graces, including visions and ecstasies, and miracles were credited to […]
Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph the Hymnographer, 810-886; a native of Sicily, he fled to Thessalonica to avoid an attack by the Arabs, then to Constantinople; he fled Constantinople because of the iconoclast persecution; on his way to Rome, he was captured and made a slave […]
Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, 1195-1231; joined the Augustinians as a young man, giving up a future of wealth and power; impressed by the Franciscan martyrs, he later joined the Franciscans; in Italy, he was stationed in a small hermitage, where he spent most of his […]
Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Peter of Mount Athos; soldier, captured by Muslims, and then released; went to Rome, and was granted the monastic habit by the pope; journeyed to Mount Athos in northern Greece, where took up the life of a hermit, remaining there for half-a-century; […]
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/11/23 Gospel: John 6:51-58
Saturday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Landericus; bishop of Paris 650-661; labored zealously to improve the lot of the poor and lowly; founded the city’s first real hospital, dedicated to St. Christopher, which eventually became the Hotel-Dieu; he welcomed the Benedictines to his diocese, and encouraged them to […]
Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Tim Optional Memorial of St. Ephrem, 306-373; poet, teacher, orator, defender of the faith; born in Mesopotamia, fled as a refugee to Edessa; his works reflect a deep insight and knowledge of the scriptures; lived in cave overlooking Edessa, and died there in 373 Office of Readings and […]
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. William of York, 1110-1154; became archbishop of York in 1154, but his selection was challenged on grounds of simony and unchastity; he was cleared by Rome, but ousted by a later pope; Pope Anastasius IV eventually restored him as bishop of York, […]
Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Willibald, 700-786; native of Wessex, England, brother of Saints Winebald and Walburga, and related, through his mother, to St. Boniface; assisted Boniface in his missionary work, and was ordained, and then became bishop of Eichstatt, in Franconia; founded a double monastery with […]
Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Norbert, 1080-1134; founder of the Praemonstratensians, better known as the Norbertines, in the French region of Premontre; Norbert and his community converted heretics, reconciled enemies, and rebuilt the faith in indifferent believers; Norbert reluctantly became archbishop of Magdeburg, Germany, and continued his work […]
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Boniface, 675-754; apostle of the Germans; sent by Pope Gregory II to reform the German Church, which was rampant with paganism, and errors; his reform efforts were successful; Boniface and 53 others were massacred on their visit to the Frisians, preparing converts for confirmation […]
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/4/23 Gospel: John 3:16-18
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions; 22 Ugandans who were martyred for refusing the homosexual advances of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga; Charles was burned to death in 1886 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/3/23 Gospel: Mark 11:27-33
Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter; priest and exorcist, respectively; beheaded in 304 A.D.,during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian; Pope Damasus wrote an epitaph based on the report of their executioner, and Constantine erected a basilica over the crypt in which they were buried in Rome […]
Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Justin, 100-165; philosopher who converted, because Christianity answered the great question of life and existence better than the ancient philosophers; became an apologist, defending Christianity against attacks and misunderstandings; for his stuanch adherence to Christinity, Justin was beheaded Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/31/23 Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joan of Arc, 1412-1431; born of a fairly well-to-do couple southeast of Paris; began having visions at the age of 12; led French troops against the English and recaptured Orleans and Troyes; Joan was captured in 1430, sold to the English, and […]
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/29/23 Gospel: John 19:25-34
Solemnity of Pentecost Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/28/23 Gospel: John 7:37-39
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury; set out in 596 to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons in England; founded the see of Canterbury, and followed the missionary principles suggested by Pope Gregory–purify rather than destroy pagan temples, let pagan festivals be transformed into Christian feasts, and retain local customs […]
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter Memorial of St. Philip Neri, 1515-1595; founder of the religious institute, The Oratory; an outstanding confessor, gifted with the knack of piercing the pretenses and illusions of others, in a charitable manner, and often with a joke; known for his sense of humor; one of the influential figures […]
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, 673-735; spent most of his adult life in the monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow, England; wrote commentaries on the Pentateuch and various other books of the Bible, theological and scientific treatises, historical works, and biographies; he the patron of English writers and historians, […]
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Joanna; wife of Chuza, steward of King Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee; she was one of the women who helped provide for Jesus and the apostles, and she was one of the three women who discovered the empty tomb Office of Readings and […]
Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Crispin of Viterbo, 1668-1750; Franciscan Capuchin who served as gardener and cook; called himself “the little beast of burden of the Capuchins”; effected many miraculous cures during an epidemic; known for his prophecies and spiritual wisdom Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, 1381-1457; spent 18 years in an arranged marriage to a harsh man; Rita was widowed when her husband died in a brawl; tried to enter the Augustinians, but was refused; she was finally allowed entry in 1413, and became known for […]
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/21/23 Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, 1380-1444; Franciscan known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus; the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking paganism, and attracting crowds of 30,000 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/20/23 Gospel: John […]
Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Theophilus of Corte, 1676-1740; born in Corsica of rich and noble parents; entered the Franciscans, was ordained, and assigned to a retreat house near Subiaco; inspired by the austere life lived there, he founded other houses in Corsica and Tuscany; became famous for […]
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/18/23 Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Paschal Baylon, 1540-1592; Franciscan lay brother, known for rigorous asceticism and love for the Blessed Sacrament; on a mission to France, he debated the doctrine of the Real Presence against a Calvinist preacher; patron of Eucharistic congresses and Eucharistic associations Office of Readings […]
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Simon Stock, 1165-1265; accompanied a Carmelite community from the Holy Land to Europe, and founded many Carmelite communities; received an apparition from the Virgin Mary in 1251, in which she said, “Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is the […]
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Isidore the Farmer, 1070-1130; born in Madrid, Spain, and spent most of his life as a laborer on a farm outside of the city; he was favored with celestial visions, and it is said that angels sometimes helped in his work; patron of farmers, […]
Sixth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/14/23 Gospel: John 14:15-21
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Saints Nereus and Achilleus; First Century martyrs, written of by Pope St. Damasus some 300 years after their deaths; they were soldiers in the Roman army, and converted by a “miracle of faith”; martyred, but by what means unknown Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Odilo of Cluny, 962-1049; born to a noble family in Auvergne, France; became a Benedictine in 990, and was elected abbot in 994; sold treasures of the Church to feed the poor during a famine in 1006; trusted advisor to popes and kings […]
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, 1840-1889; born in Belgium joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; went to the Hawaiian leper colony on Molokai in 1873, and remained permanently, caring for the people’s physical, medical, and spiritual needs; contracted Hansen’s […]
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Pachomius, 292-348; after his discharge from the emperor’s army, he was baptized, and joined an anchorite, Palemon; the two build a monastery on the banks of the Nile, and in a short time some one hundred monks joined them; ten other monasteries were […]
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Victor Maurus; native of Mauretania; a Christian from his youth, but not arrested for the faith until he was an elderly man; tortured and executed under Maximian in Milan around 303 A.D.; a church was erected over his grave, and many miracles were […]
Fifth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/7/23 Gospel: John 14:1-12
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petronax, 670-747; joined the Benedictines in Brescia, italy; in 717 he was asked by Pope St. Gregory to examine the ruins of Monte Cassino, damaged by the Lombards in 580; he gathered the hermits who were living there and began rebuilding; he was […]
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hilary of Arles, 400-449; born of a noble family in Lorraine, France; joined St. Honoratus at Lerins Abbey; Honoratus became bishop of Arles, and when he died Hilary succeded him in 429; known for his austerities, aid to the poor, and ransoming captives […]
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. John Payne, 1532-1582; born in England, and was ordaine in Douai in 1576; he went back to England, and was arrested within a year; after release, he left England, but returned in 1579, and was again arrested after having been betrayed; he was […]
Feast of Saints Philip and James, apostles; little is known of James, the Son of Alphaeus, also known as “James the Lesser”; Philip came from Bethsaida, and took a long time to realize who Jesus was, as evidenced by his request, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Wednesday of the Fourth […]
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Memorial of St. Athanasius, 296-373; became bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, and continued the fight against Arianism, fought by his predecessor; he was exiled five times for his defense of the doctrine of Christ’s divinity; almost all of his dogmatic and historical writings are polemic, directed against every aspect […]
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker; instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to foster devotion to St. Joseph, and as a response to the “May Day” celebrations of the Communists Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/23 Gospel: John 10:11-18
Fourth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/30/23 Gospel: John 10:1-10
Saturday of the Third Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380; entered the Dominican Third Order at 18; became very influential, publicly; worked for the crusade against the Turks, and for Church unity during the Great Schism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/29/23 Gospel: John 6:60-69
Friday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, 1803-1841; born in France, and joined the Marists after ordination; went as a missionary to Futuna Island, northeast of Fiji, where he learned the language and maintained a serene and gentle spirit, plus endless patience; when the chieftain’s son asked to baptized, […]
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Zita, 1212-1278; became a housekeeper for a rich weaver in Lucca, Italy, at the age of 12, and remained with the family for the rest of her life; found time every day to attend mass and recite prayers, as well as carry out […]
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Cletus; third Bishop of Rome, succeeding St. Linus; reigned from 76 to his death in 89 A.D.; styled by authoritative sources as a martyr; buried near St. Linus on the Vatican Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/26/23 Gospel: John 6:35-40
Feast of St. Mark, evangelist, died circa 68 A.D. Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/25/23 Gospel: Mark 16:15-20
Monday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, 1577-1622; lawyer-turned-Franciscan Capuchin monk; as a missionary to Switzerland, he was so successful that local Protestants claimed that he was a spy for the Austrian emperor; also served as head of the Congregation for the Spreading of the Faith; stabbed to […]
Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/23/23 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Tarbula; sister of bishop and martyr St. Simeon the Persian; she was accused of practicing witchcraft and causing the wife of the anti-Christian Persian king, Shapur, to become ill; she was condemned and executed in 345 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Friday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Anselm, 1033-1109; joined the monastery of Bec in Normandy, was elected prior, and eventually abbot; his theological works are compared to those of St. Augustine, best-known being “Why God Became Man”; appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, but went into exile over disagreements with […]
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Montepulciano, 1268-1317; entered the monastery of Montepulciano at age 9; commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV to assis in the foundation of a new convent in Procena; returned to Montepulciano, where she governed until her death; noted for visions and miracles Office […]
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Alphege of Canterbury, 954-1012; abbot, then bishop of Winchester, and finally archbishop of Canterbury; martyred by Danish invaders Office of Readings and Mornng Prayer for 4/19/23 Gospel: John 3:16-21
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Apollonius the Apologist; Roman senator, denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves; he was arrested, and ended up in a debate in the senate; despite his eloquent defense, Apollonius was condemned and beheaded in 185 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning […]
Monday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stephen Harding, 1059-1134; born in Dorset, England, and became a traveling scholar, settling at the abbey of Molesme in Burgundy; later worked with St. Robert of Molesme and St. Alberic to found a new monastery at Citeaux; Stephen guided the community over a […]
Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/16/23 Gospel: John 20:19-31
Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hunna; a Seventh Century noblewoman who devoted herself to the poor of Strasbourg, France, even washing the poor; known as the “holy washerwoman”; died 679 A.D.; patron of laundresses; Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/15/23 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15
Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Lydwine, 1380-1433; broke a rib in in ice skating accident and never recovered; she experienced visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, apparitions of Christ, and the stigmate; patron of the chronically ill, and of ice skaters Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/14/23 Gospel: […]
Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Martin I; elected pope in 649, when a heresy which held that Christ had no human will was popular in the East; the emperor sent troops to Rome to seize Martin and bring him to Constantinople; Martin was tortured, but saved from execution by […]
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; a Goth who converted to Christianity; survived several persecutions, but was seized by Gothic soldiers who ordered him to eat meat sacrificed to idols; Sabas was drowned in the Mussovo River Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/12/23 Gospel: […]
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stanislaus of Krakow, 1030-1079; born of noble parents near Krakow, Poland; ordained at Gnesen, and became known for his preaching and spiritual advice; denounced the cruelties of King Boleslaus the Bold, and excommunicated him; the king killed him while he was celebrating mass Office […]
Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: st. Michael de Sanctis, 1591-1625; joined the Trinitarian Friars at Barcelona in 1603; later joined the reformed group of Trinitarians; ordained, and served as superior of the house in Valladolid; known for his sanctity and ecstacies during mass; many miracles were attributed to him after […]
Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. Julie Billiard, 1751-1816; paralyzed over the trauma of seeing her father’s life threatened, but taught catechism from her bed; smuggled away at the start of the French Revolution; in 1803, along with Francoise Blin de Bourdon, began the Institute of Notre Dame; the first Sisters of Notre Dame […]
Good Friday: The Commemoration of the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus at Calvary Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/23 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42
Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Celestine I, 376-432; elected pope in 422; confiscated the property of the Novationite churches and restored a basilican in St. Mary Travestere; confirmed the appointment of Nestorius to the see of Constantinope, but opposed his teachings; also combatted Pelagianism in Gaul and England; believed to have sent Palladius […]
Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Vincent Ferrer, 1357-1419; Dominican who evangelized nearly every province of Spain, and preached in France, Italy, Germany, Flanders, England, Scotland, and Ireland; patron of builders because of his fame for “building up” and strengthening the Church through preaching missionary work, teachings, and as confessor and advisor […]
Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Isidore of Seville, 560-636; succeeded his brother as bishop of Seville; he required seminaries to be built, wrote a rule for religious orders, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning; wrote a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the […]
Monday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Agape; Christian of Thessalonica; martyred, along with her two sisters, for the crime of possessing texts of the Scriptures during the persecution of Diocletian; died 304 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/23 Gospel: John 12:1-11
Palm Sunday; the beginning of Holy Week Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/2/23 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-27:66
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; born in the Dauphine region; named bishop of Grenoble in 1080; attempted to reform the diocese, but, discouraged, retired to Chaise Dieu Abbey; ordered back to Grenoble by Pope St. Gregory VII; Hugh gave St. Bruno the land on […]
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Benjamin, 329-424; deacon, imprisoned in the Persian persecution; released on the condition that he would never speak to any of the courtiers about religion; he continued to preach Christ, and was again apprehended, tortured, and executed Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John Climacus, 525-606; called “Climacus,” because of his famous book, “The Climax,” or, “The Ladder of Perfection”; lived as a hermit on Mount Sinai, then went to Thale; elected abbot of the monks of Mount Sinair at the age of 70 Office of […]
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Berthold; believed to be the founder of the Carmelite order; born in Limoges, France; after ordination, he joined his brother Aymeric, the Latin Patriarch of Antioch, in Turkey, on the Crusades; on Mount Carmel, he found a group of hermits, joined them and […]
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Venturino of Bergamo, 1304-1346; native of Bergamo, Italy; joined the Dominicans in 1319; planned to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but was suspected of trying to crown himself pope, so he was forbidden by Pope Benedict XII and by the Dominicans; unaware of […]
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Rupert, 660-717; appointed bishop of Worms, Germany; took over the deserted town of Iuvavum in 697, which was renamed Salzburg, Austria; founded a church, a monastery, and a school, brought in missionaries, and established a nunnery; revered as the Apostle of Bavaria and […]
Fifth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/23 Gospel: John 11:1-45
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/23 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Aldemar; 11th Century abbot and miracle worker; monk at Monte Cassino, then became director of the religious in the new convent at Capua, built by Pricess Aloara; reassigned by his abbot to Monte Cassino, which angered the princess; one former companion tried to […]
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Turibius de Mongrovejo, 1538-1606; lawyer who was eventually appointed archbishop of Lima, Peru, in 1580; reformed the archdiocese, aided the poor, and defended the rights of Indians who were suffering under the occupation of Spain; founded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the […]
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1608; born at Oxford, England, and worked as a carpenter, building hiding places for Jesuit priests; became a Jesuit lay brother in 1580; arrested in 1594, and released on the payment of a ransom by a wealthy Catholic; arrested again 1606, […]
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas of Flue, 1417-1487; became a hermit at the age of 50; survived 19 years on nothing but the Eucharist; known for his holiness and wisdom, he was regularly visited by civic leader, powerful people, and simple men and women with a variety […]
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/20/23 Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24
Fourth Sunday of Lent – Laetare Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/19/23 Gospel: John 9:1-41
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-386; as bishop of Jerusalem, he spent about half of his episcopate in exile, following a dispute with the nearby Arian bishop; vindicated, the Council of Constantinople called him a champion of orthodoxy against the Arians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Friday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Patrick, 415-493; captured by Irish raiders and sold into slavery; after his escape, he spent years at Auxerre, France, and was consecrated bishop at age 43; dreamed of bringing the faith to the Irish, and he was sent to carry out the task; ordained many […]
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Finian Lobhar; Sixth Century Irish abbot and disciple of St. Columba; founded a church and monastery at Innisfallen; later became abbot of Swords Abbey near Dublin; acquired the name Lobhar–“the leper”–when he contracted leprosy from a young boy whom he had cured of […]
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Louise de Marillac, 1591-1660; wanted to become a nun, but married Antony Legras, an official in the Queen’s service; after his death, St. Vincent de Paul became her spiritual adviser; she helped to found the Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul; […]
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Mathilda, 895-968; daughter of a Saxon count, married to Henry “the fowler,” who became King of Germany in 919; Queen Mathilda visited and comforted the sick and afflicted, instructed the ignorant, succored prisoners, and worked to convert sinners; when King Henry died, she […]
Monday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Agnellus of Pisa, 1135-1236; received by St. Francis himself into his order; sent to Paris, then to England to start the Franciscan English Province; worked with King Henry III to avert a civil war, but contracted a serious illness in the process, and […]
Third Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/12/23 Gospel: John 4:5-42
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Eulogius of Cordoba; priest and noted scripture scholar of Cordoba, Spain; arrested in 850, and wrote “Exhortation to Martyrdom” for two young virgin martyrs; released, and named archbishop of Cordoba or Toledo; aided Leocritia, a young Moorish woman who had converted to Christianity; […]
Friday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John Ogilvie, 1579-1615; Scottish noble, a convert from Calvinism, who became a Jesuit; brought many in Scotland back to the faith, but was betrayed; he was tortured and convicted of high treason for converting Protestants to the Catholic faith, denying the king’s spiritual […]
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Frances of Rome, 1384-1440; born of wealthy parents, married, and joined with an in-law to serve the poor; after losing two children, Frances opened a section of her house as a hospital and founded a society of women bound by no vows, to serve the […]
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of St. John of God, 1495-1550; abandoned the faith until age 40, then went to Africa hoping to free captive Christians; returned to Spain, and ran a religious goods store; moved by a sermon of St. John of Avila, he publicly beat himself, begging mercy and repenting–for […]
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of Saints Perpetua and Felicity; Perpetua was a noblewoman of Carthage in North Africa, and Felicity–an expectant mother–was her slave; despite threats of persecution and death they and three companions refused to renounce their Christian faith; Perpetual and Felicity were beheaded, the others killed by beasts, in […]
Monday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: st. Colette, 1380-1447; became a Franciscan tertiary and lived at Corby Abbey in Picardy, France, as a solitary; but she left her cell in response to a dream which instructed her to reform the Poor Clares; she founded seventeen convents with the reformed rule, […]
Second Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/5/23 Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
Saturday of the First Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Casimir, 1458-1483; born in the line of kings, but lived an austere life even as a teen; his father, the king of Poland, sent him to take over Hungary, but Casimir’s army was outnumbered, and he returned home, and returned to prayer and study; reigned […]
Friday of the First Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Katharine Drexel, 1858-1955; gave up her wealth and place in society to minister to Native and African-Americans; opened a boarding school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, followed by a string of foundations; by 1942, she had a system of black Catholic schools in 13 states, […]
Thursday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Bohemia, 1211-1282; engaged twice as a child, but petitioned Pope Gregory IX to intercede for her; built a convent for the Friars Minor in Prague, where she took the veil; became abbess and was known for her humility, aid to the […]
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. David of Wales, 500-589; became a priest and engaged in missionary work, and founded many monasteries; in 550, he attended a synod where he was elected primate of the region; ruled to an old age, and told his monks and subjects, “Be joyful, […]
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Oswald, 925-992; a Dane by birth, he studied in Fleury, France, where he was ordained; became Bishop of worcester in 962, and Archbishop of York in 972; worked to improve the morals of his clergy and increase their theological knowledge; revered as one […]
Monday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Anne Line; English martyr; disowned by her father when she married a Catholic; hid Catholic priests in a London safe house; aided Jesuit Father John Gerard until her arrest; hanged in Tyburn, February 27, 1601; one of the Forty Martyrs of England and […]
First Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/26/23 Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
Saturday After Ash Wednesday Saint of the Day: St. Walburga, 710-779; sister of St. Willibald and Winebald; became a nun, and assisted St. Boniface in his missionary work in Germany; eventually became abbess of the double monastery at Heidenheim, founder by her brother Winebald Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/25/23 Gospel: Luke 5:27-32
Friday After Ash Wednesday Saint of the Day: St. Adela, 1067-1137; youngest daughter of William the Conqueror; married Stephen of Blois in 1080; active in English politics, and famed for endowing churches and monastic institutions Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/24/23 Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15
Thursday After Ash Wednesday Commemoration of St. Polycarp, 69-155; bishop of Smyrna, disciple of St. John the Apostle, and friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch; at age 86, he was to be burned alive, but the flames did not harm him, so he was killed with a dagger Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Ash Wednesday: The beginning of Lent, a period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, in preparation for Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/22/23 Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian, 988-1072; left a teaching career to become a Benedictine; ultimately became abbot of his community and founded five other hermitages; Pope Stephen IX appointed him cardinal-bishop of Ostia, where he worked to wipe out abuses and encourage the holiness of the […]
Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Saints Jacinta (1920-1920) and Francisco (1908-1919) Marto; two of the three Portuguese shepherd children who received apparitions of Our Lady near Fatima, Portugal, from May to October of 1917; Mary asked the children to pray the rosary to obtain peace for the world […]
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/19/23 Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48
Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gertrude Caterina Comensoli, 1847-1903; born in Bienne, Valcamonica, under the kingdom of Lombady-Venetia; founded the Institute of the Sisters Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament; opened a house of huns in 1894 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/18/23 Gospel: Mark 9:2-13
Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order; in 1240, seven noblemen of Florence withdrew from the city to a solitary place for prayer and direct service of God; they eventually moved to the deserted slopes of Monte Senario; they adopted the name, Servants of […]
Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Onesimus; mentioned by Paul in his letter to Philemon; Onesimus was an escaped slave, baptized by Paul, and sent back to Philemon; Paul urged Philemon to treat him “no longer as a slave, but than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to […]
Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Claude de la Colombière, 1641-1682; ordained in 1675, and was made superior of a small Jesuit residence in Burgundy, where he met Margaret Mary Alacoque; he served as her confessor for many years while promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; […]
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cyril (827-869) and Methodius (818-885); brought Christianity to the Slavic people in their native tongue; translated the liturgy and most books of the Bible into the Slavonic language; to that end, they invented an alphabet, which is today known as “Cyrillic” Office of Readings […]
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Catherine de Ricci, 1522-1589; became perpetual prioress of the Dominican nuns at Prat in Tuscany at the age of 25; her sanctity drew many to her side, including three who later sat in the chair of Peter; corresponded with St. Philip Neri, […]
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/12/23 Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37
Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Scholastica; sister of St. Benedict; governed a monastery of nuns five miles from Monte Cassino, and visited her brother annually, conferring on spiritual matters; once, Scholastica begged her brother to stay overnight, and he refused; so she prayed, and a fierce thunderstorm broke out; […]
Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alto; Eighth Century hermit and missionary, Irish, or possibly Anglo-Saxon; given land near Altmunster in modern Friesling Diocese in Bavaria, and founded an abbey; St. Boniface dedicated the abbey church in 750; died 760 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/9/23 […]
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita, 1869-1947; lived for many years as a slave; became Catholic, and was eventually freed, and she entered the Institute of St. Magdalen of Canossa; became well-loved by the children and local citizens Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/8/23 Gospel: […]
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Luke the Younger; tried to become a religious, but was arrested as an escaped slave and imprisoned for a time; finally became a hermit on Mount Joannitsa, near Corinth, revered for his holiness and miracles; died 946 A.D. Office of Readings and […]
Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Paul Miki and companions, the Japanese martyrs; Paul Miki joined the Jesuits in 1850, and was known for eloquent preaching; along with 25 other Catholics, he was crucified during a persecution of Christians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/6/23 Gospel: Mark 6:53-56
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/5/23 Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph of Leonissa, 1556-1612; Capuchin who went to Constantinople to care for Christian galley slaves working under Turkish masters; he was imprisoned, and warned not to resume on his release; he resumed his work for the galley slaves, and was condemned to […]
Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Blaise; Fourth Century bishop of Sebastea, Armenia; fled to the back country to escape persecution, and made friends with wild animals; hunters found him praying, surrounded by wolves, lions, and bears; as they hauled him to prison, a mother came with her son […]
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/2/23 Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Brigid of Ireland, 451-525; founded a monastery in Kildare; organized communal consecrated religious life for women in Ireland; later founded a school of art that included metalwork and illumination; evidence exists that she was a friend of St. Patrick Office of Readings […]
Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Bosco, 1815-1888; his principle ministry was to young boys, placing them in surrounding removed from the likelihood of committing sin; opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys, and added a printing press for religious and catechetical pamphlets; in 1854, he […]
Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Bathidis, 626-680; born in England, enslaved and sent to Neustria in the Frankish kingdom; married King Clovis II in 649, and bore him three sons, who all became kings; she served as regent for one of them; founded a Benedictine convent at […]
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/29/23 Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274; joined the Dominicans, and completed his studies under Albert the Great. The unity, harmoney and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings; when asked why he stopped writing, he replied, “All that I have […]
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici, 1474-1540; on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she was struck with blindness, but continued to visit the sacred shrines, and had her sight restored on the way back while praying before a crucifix; at age 60, she founded the Company […]
Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus; Timothy was a convert of St. Paul, around the year 47, and later joined him in his apostolic work; Titus was a close friend and disciple of Paul, and a fellow missionary; known as a peacemaker, administrator, and great friend; both […]
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/25/23 Gospel: Mark 16:15-18
Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; studied law at Padua, and later was ordained and elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva, then a center for the Calvinists, whom he worked to convert; became bishop of Geneva at 35; wrote “Introduction to the Devout Life” and […]
Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Marianne Cope; as provincial of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse, New York, she led a team to Hawaii to run the receiving station for those suspected of having leprosy; opened a hospital and school for girls […]
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/23 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23
Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes; lived in the Third Century; legend has it that she was a beautiful young woman, desired by many men; one whom she refused reported to authorities as a Christian; she was arrested and confined to a house of prostitution; one man who looked […]
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Fabian, 200-250; a Roman layman who came into the city as the next pope was about to be elected, when a dove rested on his head, and he was selected unanimously; led the Church for 14 years, and died a martyr’s death Office […]
Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Henry of Sweden; Englishman residing at Rom; named bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, in 1152; journey with King Eric to Finland, where a battle erupted, and was won by the Swedes; Henry remained to baptize and evangelize; slain by a convicted murderer whom […]
Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Margaret of Hungary, 1242-1272; a princess, entered the Dominican novitiate at the age of 12; objected to any special treatment, and went out of her way to perform the most menial tasks, and serve the poor and sick Office of Readings and […]
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt, 251-356; gave his large inheritance to the poor at the age of 20, and spent most of his life in solitude; at 54, he founded a sort of monastery with scattered cells; at 60, he hoped to be a martyr in […]
Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Fursey; 7th Century Irish monastic founder; founded Rathmat Abbey; in 630, he went to East Anglia, where he founded a monastery near Ugremouth; later, he went to France to build a monastery near Paris; St. Bede and other wrote about his intense […]
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/15/23 Gospel: John 1:29-34
Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Felix of Nola; third century heir to an estate in Italy, who donated it to the poor; ordained by Bishop St. Maximus; Maximus fled a persecution, and Felix was seized, but reputedly released by an angel, and brought Maximus back to Nola; […]
Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary, 315-368; raised a pagan, met the God of nature in scriptures, and converted; fought the Arian heresy, and was banished from France by the Emperor; some semi-Arians invited him to a council to countereact the Council of Nicea, but he defended the […]
Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Benedict Biscop, 628-690; served King Oswui of Northumbria as a warrior until his first of numerous visits to Rome; appointed abbot of Saints Peter and Paul monastery (now St. Augustine’s) in Canterbury; assured Pope Agatho of the orthodoxy of the English church; […]
Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch, 423-529; born in Cappadocia (modern Turkey); entered a monastery, and was later named head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem; departed to live as a hermit; attracted many followers, and built a monastery; appointed visitor to all of […]
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gregory of Nyssa, 335-395; brother of St. Basil the great, who raised him, along with their sister Macrina; became bishop of Nyssa in 372, a period of tension over the Arian heresy; Gregory wrote with great effectiveness against Ariansim and other heresies; […]
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/23 Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/23 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
Saturday of the Second Week of Christmas Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Pennafort, 1175-1275; became a famous teacher, and gave it up to join the Dominicans; with King James of Aragon and St. Peter Nolasco he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom; went with King James to Majorca, where the king set […]
Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997; born to Albanian parents in what is now Macedonia; entered the Loreto Sisters of Dublin in 1928; discerned a “call within a call” in 1946 to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them; worked […]
Saturday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, 540-604; elected pope at the age of 50; removed unworthy priests, forbade taking money for many services, and emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and victims of plague and famine; known […]
Friday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Ingrid of Sweden; born in the 13th Century, the first Dominican nun in Sweden; founded the first Dominican cloister in the country; died in 1282, and miracles through her intercession led to a popular cult of Ingrid, which ended at the Reformation, […]
Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Giles, 650-724; Athenian of noble birth; sailed for France, seeking solitude; conversed only with God for many years; admitted several disciples, and founded a monastery Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/1/22 Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
Wednesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne; born in Ireland, asked by King Oswald of Northumbria to serve as bishop of Lindisfarne; known for his knowledge of scripture, learning, eloquent preaching, holiness, distaste for pomp, kindness to the poor, and miracles Office of Readings and Morning […]
Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne Jugan, 1792-1879; born in France, during the French Revolution; at 15, became a kitchen maid for family that also cared for poor, elderly people nearby; formed an association with other women, and began the Little Sisters of the Poor; by the […]
Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/29/22 Gospel: Mark 6:17-29
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/28/22 Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14
Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Monica, 330-387; distressed at her son Augustine’s acceptance of the Manichean heresy, shoe followed him to Milan, where both came under the influence of St. Ambrose; Augustine was baptized at Easter 387; shortly after, Monica became ill and died Office of Readings and Morning […]
Friday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Elisabeth Bichier des Ages, 1773-1838; under the guidance of St. Andrew Fournet, she devoted herself to teaching and caring for the sick and needy; joined the Carmelites, then the Society of Providence, and founded the Daughters of the Cross, also known as […]
Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Louis IX, 1213-1270; protected French clergy from secular leaders; enforced laws against blasphemy; established the Sorbonne and three monasteries; led two crusades, the Sixth and Seventh, and died at the beginning of the Seventh Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/25/22 Gospel: […]
Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle; the Roman Martyrology says he preached in India and Greater Armenia, where he was flayed and beheaded Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/24/22 Gospel: John 1:45-51
Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, 1586-1617; forbidden by her parents to enter a convent, so she lived a life of penance and solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic; cared for homeless children, the elderly, and the sick in […]
Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary; her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship; a follow-up to the Assumption, celebrated on the octave day of that feast Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/22/22 Gospel: Matthew 23:13-22
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/21/22 Gospel: Luke 13:22-30
Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. John Eudes, 1601-1680; founded the Eudists, the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, devoted to the formation of the clergy; founded several seminaries in Normandy; disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who wanted to escape that life, he founded the Sisters of Charity […]
Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Helena, 248-328; mother of Emperor Constantine the Great; helped re-establish Christianity in the Holy Land, after a period of decline; discovered relics of the True Cross Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/18/22 Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Clare of Montefalco, 1268-1308; joined a convent of Franciscan tertiaries and succeeded her sister as abbess; let an austere life, devoted to the Passion of Christ and His Cross; on her death, an image of the Cross was found imprinted on her […]
Tuesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary, 975-1038; as ruler of Hungary, he adopted a policy of Christianization of the country; he established a system of tithes to support churches and pastors, and to relieve the poor; he abolished pagan customs, and was easily accissible to all, […]
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Into Heave – Proclaimed a dogma by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950 Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/15/22 Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/14/22 Gospel: Luke 12:49-53
Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Saints Pontian and Hippolytus; Third Century pope and antipope, respectively, who were both exiled to the mines of Sardinia, where they reconciled, and both died as martyrs Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/13/22 Gospel: Matthew 19:13-15
Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 1572-1641; married Baron de Chantal, by whom she had six children, three of whom died in infancy; widowed, and with the help of St. Francis de Sales, founded the Visitation order; encouraged local authorities to assist victims of the […]
Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Clare of Assisi, 1194-1253; lifelong friend of St. Francis; received a habit from St. Francis, after which he placed her in a convent; others followed; Clare became abbess at age 21, a responsibility which she exercised until her death; served the sick, and washed […]
Feast of St. Lawrence, 225-258; Roman deacon under Pope Sixtus II, who was martyred; the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence present the “treasures of the Church”; Lawrence gathered blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned, and widowed persons, and said, “These are the treasures of the Church”; Lawrence was burned on a gridiron, and was heard […]
Tuesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 1891-1942; abandoned Judaism, but was so taken with the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila that she became a Catholic, and then a Carmelite nun; taken by the Nazis from the convent in the Netherlands, and died at […]
Monday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Dominic, 1170-1221; commissioned to be part of a preaching crusade against the Albigensian heresy; his fellow preachers became a community, and in 1215 Dominic founded the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/8/22 Gospel: Matthew […]
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/7/22 Gospel: Luke 12:32-48
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/6/22 Gospel: Luke 9:28-36
Friday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome; one of the four patriarchal churches, along with St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Peter’s Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/5/22 Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28
Thursday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Vianney, 1786-1859; needed private tutoring to complete his studies for priesthood; as a priest, he spent many hours in the confessional; named patron of parish priests by Pope Pius XI Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/4/22 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-23
Wednesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gamaliel; rabbinical teacher and mentor of St. Paul; adviced the Jewish Sanhedrin to release St. Peter and other apostles. reportedly became a Christian; early Christians celebrated the finding of his body on August 3 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/3/22 […]
Tuesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, 300-271; first recorded bishop of Vercelli, Piedmont, northwest Italy; attended a council to settle matters between Catholics and Arians, and demanded that all in attendance sign the Nicene Creed; exiled to Palestine, Asia Minor, and Egypt, and eventually was able […]
Monday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787; founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer–the Redemptorists–in 1732; appointed bishop of St. Agatha in 1756, where he served until his health was failing; died in his convent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/1/22 Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/31/22 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21
Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, 380-450; became bishop of Ravenna in 433; got rid of the last vestiges of paganism and other abuses among his people; counseled the heretic Eutyches, who had asked for his support Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/30/22 Gospel: Matthew […]
Friday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus; siblings who were close friends of Jesus; Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus; Martha’s great glory is in her statement of faith, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, […]
Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: Pope St. Innocent I, 378-417; emphasized papal supremacy, encouraged clerical celibacy, and fought the unjust removal of St. John Chrysostom Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/28/22 Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53
Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Saints of the Day: Saints Natalie and Aurelius; Aurelius, orphaned as a child, was secretly raised a Christian by his aunt during Moorish persecution; Aurelius married Natalie, who converted to Christianity; they were martyred for practicing their faith openly in 852 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning […]
Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/18/22 Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42
Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Joachim and Anne represent an entire quite series of generations who faithfully perform their duties, practice their faith, and establish an atmosphere for the coming of the Messiah Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Feast of St. James, apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of St. John; martyred about 44 A.D. Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/25/22 Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/24/22 Gospel: Luke 11:1-13
Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, 1303-1373; had visions of Christ crucified from her childhood; her husband, King Magnus II gave her property to found a monastery, and the group eventually became known as the Bridgetines; made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1350, and never returned […]
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene; the first person to witness the resurrected Christ; the “apostle to the apostles”; died about 63 A.D. Friday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/22/22 Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18
Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1619; possessed a gift of languages; as a Capuchin, he preached to the Jews in Italy–and the rabbis felt sure he was a Jew who had become a Christian, because of his knowledge of Hebrew; became minister general of the […]
Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Apollinaris; appointed bishop of Ravenna, Italy, by St. Peter; exiled from the city three times by pagans; when he returned a fourth time, he was beaten so badly that he died from his wounds, about 79 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Tuesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Macrina the Younger; engaged to be married at 12, but her fiance died; she and her mother formed a community dedicated to prayer and contemplation at the family estate; wheh her mother died, Macrina served as head of the group until her […]
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/17/22 Gospel: Luke 10:38-42
Saturday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/16/22 Gospel: Matthew 12:14-21
Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bonaventure, 1221-1274; served as General Minister of the Franciscan Order for 17 years; structured the Order through effective legislation; offered the friars and organized spirituality based on the vision and insights of St. Francis, combining practical aspects of life with doctrines of the Church […]
Thursday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, 1656-1680; born in New York; suffered a smallpox epidemic which left her disfigured and half-blind; moved by the words of the Jesuit missionaries, and converted, baptized on Easter Sunday; traveled to a Christian Indian village near Montreal; took a vow of virginity […]
Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Henry, 972-1024; German king and Holy Roman Emperor; a practical man of affairs; helped Pope Benedict VIII quell disturbances in Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/13/22 Gospel: Matthew 11:25-27
Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Veronica; the woman who offered a cloth to Jesus so he could wipe his face on the way to His crucifixion; the image of His face was imprinted on the cloth; Veronica is not mentioned in scripture, but is known through tradition, […]
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/10/22 Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, the Chinese martyrs; The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/9/22 Gospel: `Matthew 10:24-33
Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Jeanne-Marie Kerguin, 1864-1900; born in France to a poor peasant family; joined the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1867; assigned first to Parish, then to Carthage in Northern Africa; went to China in 1899, and was executed in a crackdown on foreign […]
Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Palladius, 408-450; first bishop of Ireland, immediate predecessor to St. Patrick; sent by Pope Celestine I to preach to the Irish, but made little impact; sailed for Scotland to preach among the Picts, and died shortly after his arrival Office of Readings […]
Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, 1890-1902; at nearly 12 years of age, she was attacked by a young man, Alessandro, who tried to violate her; in the struggle, he stabbed her; her last hours were marked by concern for her mother, forgiveness of her murderer, and […]
Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, 1271-1336; married to Denis, king of Portugal; practiced piety, and helped pilgrims, strangers, the sick, and the poor; after the death of her husband, she retired as a Franciscan tertiary to a monastery of Poor Clares Office of Readings and […]
Independence Day in the United States (Optional Memorial) Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/4/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/3/22 Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Otto of Bamberg, 1060-1139; appointed bishop of Bamberg in 1103, consecrated by Pope Paschal II in 1108; Otto was instrumental in the reconciliation between the Pope and Emperor Henry V; headed a missionary effort to Pomerania, and is known as the Apostle […]
Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Junipero Serra, 1713-1784; born in Majorca, became a Franciscan, and landed in Mexico in 1750; spent the rest of life working for the conversion of the peoples of the New World Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/1/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome; when Rome burned in 64 A.D., Nero used the Christians as scapegoats, and executed many Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/30/22 Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/29/22 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Irenaeus, 130-202; bishop of Lyons, opposed the heretic Gnostics, contrasting their teachings with those of the apostles and the texts of Holy Scripture; through his work, the influence of the Gnostics gradually ended Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/28/22 Gospel: Matthew 8:23-27
Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, 378-444; as archbishop of Alexandria, he fought Nestorianism, a heresy which taught that there were two persons in Christ, one human and one divine; at the Council of Ephesus in 431, Cyril proclaimed Mary truly the “God-bearer,” from whence comes […]
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/26/22 Gospel: Luke 9:51-62
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/25/22 Gospel: Luke 2:41-51
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/24/22 Gospel: Luke 15:3-7
Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/23/22 Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80
Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Thomas More, 1478-1535, and St. John Fisher, 1469-1535; More, chancellor of England, and Fisher, a bishop, both refused to condone the divorce of King Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, and also refused to acknowledge Henry as supreme head […]
Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, 1568-1591; decided at age 8 to enter religious life, joined the Jesuits at 18; served in a hospital during the plague of 1587 in Milan, caught it himself, and died at the age of 23; received last rites from St. Robert Bellarmine […]
Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Adalbert of Magdeburg, 910-981; German Benedictine monk, consecrated a bishop and sent to Russia in 961, but was forced to flee; spent four years in Mainz, and was then named abbot of Weissenburg and bishop of Magdeburg–a diocese created to provide missionary […]
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – Corpus Christi Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/19/22 Gospel: Luke 9:11-17
Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Gregory Barbarigo, 1625-1697; originally embraced a diplomatic career, but became a priest, then the first bishop of Bergamo, and eventually a Cardinal; seminaries at Bergamo and Padua were enlarged under his rule, and he added a library and printing press to the […]
Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Hypatius of Bithynia, 366-450; hermit, known as the “Scholar of Christ”; sheltered people whose lives were threatened by Nestorian heretics; credited with halting a revival of the Olympic games because their pagan origins; known for miracles and prophecies Office of Readings and […]
Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Teresa of Portugal, 1178-1250; married a cousin, but the marriage was declared invalid due to consanguinity; founded a Benedictine monastery, replaced the monks with nuns, and expanded it to accommodate 300 nuns, and she lived there Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. John Friancis Regis, 1597-1640; entered the Jesuits at age 18; after ordination, he did missionary work in various French towns; gave great attention to the poor; he greatly desired to serve the Native Americans in Canada, but spent his days working in […]
Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Joseph the Hymnographer, 810-886; the most prolific of the Greek hymn writers; native of Sicily, but abandoned the island in 830 in the wake of an invasion by the Arabs; founded a monastery in Constantinople; exiled for his defense of icons during […]
Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, 1195-1231; joined the Franciscans, and prepared to preach to the Moors, but illness prevented this; first friar to teach theology to the other friars. called to preach to the Abigensians in France; spent his last days in a sort of treehouse […]
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/12/22 Gospel: John 16:12-15
Memorial of St. Barnabas; friend, associate, and fellow-preacher with St. Paul, until a disagreement over the participation of John Mark, who had earlier abandoned the apostolic mission; the three eventually reconciled Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/11/22 Gospel: Matthew 5:33-37
Friday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Landericus; Seventh Century bishop of Paris, who had great love for the poor and lowly; erected the city’s first hospital; welcomed the Benedictines to his diocese, and encouraged them to set of the Abbey of Denis; died 661 A.D. Office of Readings […]
Thursday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Ephrem, 306-373; famous as a teacher and writer; wrote hymns against the heretics of his day by composing new words to the heretical melodies; known as “Harp of the Holy Spirit”; lived in a small cave overlooking the city of Edessa Office of […]
Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. William of York, 1090-1154; nominated archbishop of York in 1140, but due to internal church disagreements, did not become the archbishop un 1154; died two months later, likely from poisoning; following his death, miracles were attributed to him Office of Readings and […]
Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Willibald, 700-786; sent by Pope Gregory III to Germany to assist his cousin, St. Boniface; Boniface ordained him, and he became bishop of Eichstatt; founded a double monastery at Heidenhem, with his brother Winebald as abbot, and his sister Walburga abbess; Willibald […]
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/6/22 Gospel: John 19:25-34
Solemnity of Pentecost – the coming of the Holy Spirit Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/5/22 Gospel: John 7:37-39
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petroc; born in Wales, studied in Ireland, and settled in Cornwall, England; 30 years later, made a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem; returned to Cornwall, established a community, and became a hermit; known for miracles; died in 564 while visiting disciples Office of […]
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and companions; Charles protected his fellow pages from the immoral demands of their ruler; for this, he was burned to death on Jun 3, 1886; he is the patron of youth and Catholic action in most of tropical Africa Office of Readings and […]
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Saints Marcellinus and Peter; Marcellinus, a priest, and Peter, an exorcist, were imprisoned for their Christian faith; they converted their jailer and his family; executed in 304 A.D. in the forest, so that their bodies could not be venerated, but they were found a properly […]
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Memorial of St. Justin, 100-165; attracted to the school of Plato, but found that Christianity answered questions of life and existence better; converted, and became an apologist; for his adherence to Christianity, he was beheaded Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/1/22 Gospel: John 17:11-19
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/31/22 Gospel: Luke 1:39-56
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Joan of Arc, 1412-1431; led French troops against the English in the Hundred Years War; she was sold to the English and tried for heresy and witchcraft; in the end, she was condemned for wearing men’s clothes, but was burned at the stake […]
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/29/22 Gospel: Luke 24:46-53
Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Bernard of Montjoux, 923-1008; Vicar General of Aosta; did missionary work in the Alps for four decades; best know for two Alpine hospices he built to aid lost travelers; patron saint of mountaineers, skiers, and the Alps Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury; set out in 596 to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons in England; built a church and monastery near the site of the present Canterbury Cathedral; adhered to missionary principles of purifying–rather than destroying–pagan temples, allowing pagan festivals to be transformed into Christian feasts, […]
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (in United States ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha, and Philadelphia) Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/26/22 Gospel: Luke 24-46-53
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, 673-735; became a monk at the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul in Wearmouth-Jarrow, England, and was ordained at the age of 30; spent most of his life in the monastery studying scripture, teaching, and writing; considered one of the most […]
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. David I of Scotland, 1080-1153; son of St. Margaret of Scotland; known for his religious devotion and generosity to the poor; endowed the founding of several dioceses and many monasteries Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/24/22 Gospel: John 16:5-11
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Crispin of Viterbo, 1668-1750; studied at the Jesuit college and became a shoemaker; joined the Franciscan Capuchins and served as gardener and cook; effected many miraculous cures during an epidemic; also known for his prophecies and spiritual wisdom Office of Readings and Morning […]
Sixth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/22/22 Gospel: John 14:23-29
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes and companions, martyrs; lived under a very anti-Catholic government in Mexico in the early 20th Century; Christopher and other priests were forced to minister secretly to Catholics; martyred over a period of 22 years time, in eight Mexican states Office of Readings […]
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Theophilus of Corte, 1676-1740; founded Franciscan houses in Corsica and Tuscany; famous for his preaching and missionary efforts; served God’s people in the confession, in the sickroom, and at the graveside Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/19/22 Gospel: John 15:9-11
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. John I, 470-526; “inherited” the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ; sent by the western emperor to seek less severed treatment of Arians by the eastern emperor; imprisoned by the western emperor over suspicion of a conspiracy; died in prison from […]
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Paschal Baylon, 1540-1592; became a Franciscan lay brother in 1564, and spent most of his life as a humble doorkeeper; had a deep love for the Blessed Sacrament; defended the doctrine of the Real Presence against a Calvinist preacher in France Office of […]
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Simon Stock; brought Carmelites from the Holy Land to Europe, and founded Carmelite communities in such cities as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna; elected Superior-General of the order in 1254; received an apparition of the Blessed Virgin in 1251, in which she gave […]
Fifth Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/15/22 Gospel: John 13:31-35
Feast of St. Matthias, apostle; chosen, by lot, to replace Judas Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/14/22 Gospel: John 15:9-17
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/13/22 Gospel: John 14:1-6
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Saints Nereus and Achilleus, First Century martyrs; Pope St. Damasus wrote that they were soldiers in the Roman army who were converted by a “miracle of faith”; they threw down their weapons and escaped their camp; they were later martyred Office of Readings and Morning […]
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Ignatius of Laconi, 1701-1781; vowed to become a Capuchin if he recovered from an illness, but failed to keep his promise; later had a riding accident, made the same promise, and kept it; known for self-denial and charity, he served as the official […]
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, 1840-1889; born in Belgium, he arrived in Hawaii in 1864; went to the leper colony on Molokai in 1873, and volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people’s physical, medical and spiritual needs; contracted Hansen’s disease (formerly known as […]
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: st. Pachomius, 292-348; soldier turned monk; built a monastery on the banks of the Nile, and was quickly joined by a hundred followers; built more monasteries and nunneries, and by the time of his death, there were 7,000 monks in his houses Office of […]
Fourth Sunday of Easter – Good Shepherd Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/8/22 Gospel: John 10:27-30
Friday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Petronax, 670-747; joined the Benedictines in 717, and was asked by Pope Gregory to examine the ruins of Monte Cassino, which had been damaged by the Lombards in 580; rebuilt, and he served as abbot for three decades Office of Readings and Morning […]
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hilary of Arles, 401-449; became bishop of Arles, France, at the age of 29; did manual labor to earn money for the poor, sold sacred vessels to ransom captives, and became a great orator; he traveled everywhere on foot, wearing simple clothing Office […]
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Robert Lawrence; one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales; Carthusian at the time when King Henry VIII broke with Rome and dissolved monasteries; went with St. John Houghton to see Thomas Cromwell, who had them arrested; upon refusing to sign the […]
Feast of Saints Philip and James, apostles Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/3/22 Gospel: John 14:6-14
Monday of the Third Week of Easter Memorial of St. Athanasius, 296-373; the great champion of the faith against the widespread heresy of Arianism, which taught that Jesus was not truly divine; the vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/2/22 Gospel: […]
Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/1/22 Gospel: John 21:1-19
Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, 1504-1572; tasked with implementing the reforms of the Council of Trent; built hospitals, provided food for the hungry, gave money to poor Roman converts, ordered the founding of seminaries, published a new missal, breaviary, and catechism, and established Confraternity of Christian […]
Friday of the Second Week of Easter Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380; virgin and doctor of the Church; entered the Dominican Third Order at age 18; worked for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope; worked for the unity of the Church during the Great Schism Office […]
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, 1803-1841; born in France, with a desire to be a missionary; joined the Marists at age 28, and was sent to Futuna Island, northeast of Fiji; mastered the language, but had little apparent success aside from a few natives who were baptized; […]
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Zita, 1212-1272; became a servant at the age of twelve; known for giving away food and clothing to the poor, and for miracles; one tradition holds that the other servants once found an angel taking Zita’s place in baking and cleaning; patroness of […]
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Cletus; third bishop of Rome, serving from 76 to 89 A.D., and succeeding St. Linus; known as a martyr; buried near St. Linus, on the Vatican Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/26/22 Gospel: John 3:7-15
Feast of St. Mark; author of the oldest and shortest of the four Gospels; known as a companion of both St. Peter and St. Paul; said to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt; died 68 A.D.
Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/24/22 Gospel: John 20:19-31
Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Adalbert of Prague, 956-997; chosen bishop of Prague at the age of 27; exiled by those resisting his clerical reforms; returned to Prague, but was exiled again; preached near the Baltic Sea, where he was martyred by pagan priests Office of Readings and Morning […]
Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Abdiesus; Fourth Century Persian deacon, victim of the persecutions of King Shapur II; accompanied in his martyrdom by seven other men and one woman; died 342 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/22/22 Gospel: John 21:1-14
Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Anselm, 1033-1109; entered the Bec monaster in Normandy at 27, was elected prior, and eventually abbot; began publishing his theological works; appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093; his care and concern extended to the very poorest people Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Montepulciano, 1268-1317; governed a new convent at Montepulciano under the Dominican rule until her death; known for her visions and miracles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/20/22 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Alphege of Canterbury, 954-1012; lived as a hermit, then in community, becoming abbot of the Bath monastery; consecrated bishop of Winchester, then archbishop of Canterbury; told Danish invaders to turn their wrath on him, rather than on the innocent people; he was stoned and […]
Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Apollonius the Apologist; Second Century Roman senator who was arrested for being a Christian; debated the Prefect in the Roman senate, but was condemned and beheaded in 185 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/18/22 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15
Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. Bernadette Soubirous, 1844-1879; received a total of 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858; Lourdes has become one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, known for miracles and healings; Bernadette suffered much, and died at the age of 35 Office of Readings and […]
Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Lydwine, 1380-1433; born in Holland; after an injury in her youth, she became bedridden for the rest of her life; she offered up her sufferings for the sins of humanity, and experienced visions of heaven, hell, purgatory, apparitions of Christ, and the stigmata Office of Readings and Morning […]
Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Martin I, 590-655; became pope in 649; battled the heresy–favored by emperors–which held that Christ had no human will; Martin was captured and brought to Constantinople; saved from execution, he died from torture and ill treatment Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/13/22 Gospel: Matthew […]
Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; converted to Christianity, and became a lector in Targoviste, Romania; under persecution by the pagan Goths, Sabas was captured and ultimately tortured and drowned, along with fifty others Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/12/22 Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38
Monday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Stanislaus, 1030-1079; became bishop of Krakow, Poland, in 1072; became involved in the political situation of Poland, and was eventually killed by King Boleslaus II Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/11/22 Gospel: John 12:1-11
Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/10/22 Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:56
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Casilda, 1007-1107; Spanish Muslim who was kind to Christian prisoners; she sought and received healing at the shrine of San Vicenzo, and became a Christian; she then lived a life of solitude and penance Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/9/22 Gospel: […]
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Julie Billiart, 1751-1816; stricken with paralysis at the age of 30, but taught catechism lessons from her bed, and offered spiritual advice; in response to a vision, Julie and Francoise Blin de Bourdon founded the Institute of Notre Dame, dedicated to the education […]
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. John Baptist de la Salle, 1651-1719; founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and established teacher colleges; one of the first to emphasize classroom instruction, and to teach in the vernacular; patron of teachers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/22 […]
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: Pope St. Celestine I, 376-432; fought heresies of Novationism and Pelagianism; sent Palladius to evangelize Ireland in 431; founder of the papal diplomatic service Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/6/22 Gospel: John 8:31-42
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Vincent Ferrer, 1350-1419; Dominican priest who lived in the time of the Western schism; worked for the cardinal who would become pope at Avignon, but eventually became convinced that the true pope was in Rome Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/5/22 Gospel: John […]
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Isidore of Seville, bishop and doctor of the Church, 560-636; sometimes called “schoolmaster of the Middle Ages”; wrote a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of goths, and a history of the world; Isidore has been suggested as patron of the Internet Office of Readings and […]
Fifth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/22 Gospel: John 8:1-11
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Francis of Paola, 1416-1507; lived as a hermit in a cave near Paola, Italy; attracted followers, and founded the Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi; known for miracles and prophecy; helped to restore peace between France and Brittany, and between France and Spain Office of […]
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; became bishop of Grenoble, France, in 1080; became discouraged at his attempts to reform the diocese, and became a Benedictine, but was called back by Pope St. Gregory VII; gave to St. Bruno the land on which the Grande […]
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Benjamin, 329-424; deacon, martyred in the Persian persecution of Christians in the Fifth Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/31/22 Gospel: John 5:31-47
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John Climacus, 525-606; Syrian or Palestinian who began eremetical life at sixteen; wrote “The Ladder of Perfection,” to provide a treatise on the ideal of Christian perfection, and the virtues and vices of monastic life; elected abbot of the monks of Mount Sinair […]
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Ludolf of Ratzenburg; 13th Century Norbertine priest who became bishop of Ratzenburg in 1236; imprisoned and treated poorly by Duke Albrecht of Saxony-Lauenburg, died of his ill treatment in 1250; after his death, a soldier received a healing through Ludolf’s intercession, and donated […]
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Venturino of Bergamo, 1304-1346; joined the Dominicans in 1319, and distinguished himself as an outstanding preacher; planned a pilgrimage to Rome, but was forbidden by the Pope and his order; arrested at Avignon, and imprisoned until 1342; helped to organize a crusade against […]
Fourth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/27/22 Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Ludger, 742-809; born in Holland, trained by St. Gregory at Utrecht; ordained in Cologne, Germany; spent seven years as a missionary; became founding bishop of Munster in 804 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/22 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Friday of the Third Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/22 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Aldemar; Eleventh Century abbot and miracle-worker; became the subject of contention between a princess and his religious superior; fled, and founded several more religious houses; died 1080 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/22 Gospel: Luke 11:14-23
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Turibius de Mongrovejo, 1538-1606; Spanish lawyer who was appointed archbishop of Lima, Peru; reformed the archdiocese and worked to aid the poor, and defend the rights of the Indians suffering under Spanish occupation; fouded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the New World […]
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1606; Jesuit lay brother who built hiding places for priests during the English persecution; arrested twice, and eventually tortured to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/22/22 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
Monday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas of Flue, 1417-1487; abandoned political aspirations, and with permission of his family became a hermit; known for holiness and wisdom, he was visited by civic leader, powerful people, and simple men and women; venerated in Switzerland, and known affectionately as “Bruder Klaus”; […]
Third Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/20/22 Gospel: John 4:5-42
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Saturday of the Second Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/19/22 Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24
Friday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-386; caught up in the Arian controversy, a heresy which denied the divinity of Christ; accused of Arianism, but ultimately vindicated; spent half of his episcopate in exile Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/18/22 Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Patrick, 415-493; captured at the age of 16 and sold into slavery in Ireland; escaped, and underwent spiritual conversion; consecrated bishop at the age of 43; returned to Ireland to evangelize, where the faith had never been preached, obtaining protection of local kings, and made […]
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Finian Lobhar; Sixth Century disciple of St. Columba; founded a church and monastery at Innisfallen; became abbot of Swords Abbey near Dublin; called “Lobhar”–“the leper”–because he had contracted the disease from a boy whom he had cured; died 560 Office of Readings and […]
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Louise de Marillac, 1591-1660; after being widowed, she worked with St. Vincent de Paul; became the co-foundress of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, aring for the sick, poor, and neglected Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/15/22 Gospel: […]
Monday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Matilda, 892-968; married Henry the Fowler, who eventually ascended to the German throne; Matilda was noted for her piety and charitable works; widowed in 936; built three convent and a monastery; died at the monastery at Quedlinburg
Second Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/13/22 Gospel: Luke 9:28-36
Saturday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Seraphina, 1238-1253; born to a poor family; known for self-denial and acts of penance; struck with a mysterious disease which disfigured and paralyzed her; died on the feast of St. Gregory the Great, as foretold by him to her in a dream Office […]
Friday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Sophronius of Jerusalem, 560-638; became an ascetic in his late teens or early twenties; fled Persian invaders, and returned to Jerusalem in 619; elected patriarch of Jerusalem in 634 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/11/22 Gospel: Matthew 5:20-26
Thursday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John Ogilvie, 1579-1615. born on Scottish nobility, raised a Calvinist, converted to the Catholic faith and became a Jesuit; brought many people in Scotland back to the Catholic faith; betrayed by one posing as a Catholic, and was ultimately sentenced to death Office […]
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Frances of Rome, 1384-1440; married to a young nobleman who gave his blessing for Frances to serve the poor; in spite of family tragedies, Frances opened a section of her house as a hospital; founded a society of women bound by no vows who served […]
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent Commemoration of St. John of God, 1495-1550; at the age of 40, went to Africa to free captive Christians and be martyred; after being advised against seeking martyrdom, he returned to Spain to operate a relgious goods store; inspired by St. John of Avila, he publicly beat himself, […]
Monday of the First Week of Lent Commemoration of Saints Perpetua and Felicity; Perpetua was a noblewoman with an infant son; Felicity was a slave and expectant mother; both were Christians, and were martyred in the public games in Carthage in 203 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/7/22 Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
First Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/6/22 Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
Saturday after Ash Wednesday Saint of the Day: St. John Joseph of the Cross, 1654-1734; joined the Franciscans at the age of 16, and was assigned to establish a new friary even before being ordained; served as novice master, guardian, and provincial; when his term as provincial expired, he dedicated himself to hearing confessions and […]
Friday after Ash Wednesday Commemoration of St. Casimir, 1458-1483; son of the King of Poland; lived a highly disciplined life, even as a teenager, sleeping on the ground, spending much of the night in prayer, dedicated himself to lifelong celibacy; died of lung trouble at the age of 25 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Thursday after Ash Wednesday Commemoration of St. Katharine Drexel, 1858-1955; gave up a family fortune to become a missionary to Native Americans and other people of color, establishing more than 50 missions in 16 states Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/3/22 Gospel: Luke 9:22-25
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/2/22 Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. David of Wales; patron saint of Wales, perhaps the most famous of British saints; founded many monasteries; eventually became primate of the region
Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Oswald; a Dane by birth, he became bishop of Worcester, England, in 962, and archbishop of York in 972; he built many monasteries, and is credited, in part, for the revival of English monasticism; died 992 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/27/22 Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Isabel of France, 1225-1270; sister of St. Louis, daughter of King Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile; refused marriage to live a life of virginity consecrated to God; founded the Franciscan Monastery of the Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary […]
Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Walburga, 710-779; sister of St. Willibald and Winebald; became a nun, and was sent to Germany to assist St. Boniface; later became abbess of the double monastery at Heidenheim founded by her brother Winebald; after Winebald’s death, she served as superior of […]
Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Adela, 1067-1137; youngest daughter of William the Conqueror; famed for endowing churches and monastic institutions Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/24/22 Gospel: Mark 9:41-50
Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Polycarp, 69-155, bishop and martyr; disciple of St. John the Apostle, friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch; martyred in the Smyrna stadium at the age of 86 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/23/22 Gospel: Mark 9:38-40
Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, commemorating Christ’s choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/22/22 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian, 988-1072; bishop and doctor of the Church; left his teaching duties to devote his life to prayer with the Benedictines; as abbot, he founded five additional hermitages; as cardinal-bishop of Ostia, he fought simony–the buying of church offices–and encouraged priests to […]
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/20/22 Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Barbatus of Benevento, 610-682; ordained in Marcona, and sent to Benevento; when the seige of the city by the Byzantine emperor ceased, he was named bishop of Benevento; attended the Council of Constantinople in 680 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Flavian of Constantinople; patriarch of Constantinople beginning in about 446; started the condemnation of Eutyches, who began the heresy of Monophysitism; deposed, exiled, and beaten; mortally wounded, and died 449 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/18/22 Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1
Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order; began in 1240; members combined monastic life and active ministry; members of the community came to the United States in 1852 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/17/22 Gospel: Mark 8:27-33
Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Onesimus; companion of St. Paul; escaped slave who Paul sent back to his master, Philemon, encouraging the latter to treat him as a brother; also mentioned as the companion of Tychicus, who carried Paul’s letter to the Colossians; died about 68 A.D.
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Claude de Colombiere, 1641-1682; friend and confessor of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque; served as superior of a small Jesuit residence in Burgundy; he was then sent to England to serve as confessor to the Duchess of York; due to tensions against Catholics, […]
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cyril (827-869) and Methodius (815-884); brothers who evangelized the Slavic peoples; they translated the Gospels, the psalter, Paul’s letters, and the liturgical books into Slavonic, and composed a Slavonic liturgy Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/14/22 Gospel: Mark 8:11-13
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/13/22 Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26
Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes; the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, with a message of conversion and penance; the apparitions were confirmed by Church authorities in 1862, and the feast became worldwide in 1907 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Scholastica, 480-542; twin sister of St. Benedict; founded a religious community for women near her brother’s monastery; she and her brother visited annually; on their final visit, Benedict refused to stay for the night, so Scholastica prayed to God, who sent a severe thunderstorm […]
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Alto; Eighth Century hermit and missionary; founded an abbey in Bavaria; St. Boniface came in 750 to dedicate the abbey church; Alto died in 760 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/9/22 Gospel: Mark 7:14-23
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, 1486-1537; irreligious soldier who spent time in prison and learned to pray; on his escape, began studying for the priesthood; cared for the sick and hungry during famine in northern Italy; founded the Clerks Regular of Somasca in 1532; died of […]
Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Luke the Younger; tried to become a religious, but was arrested as an escaped slave; finally became a hermit on Mount Joannitsa, near Corinth; revered for his holiness and miracles; died 946 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/7/22 Gospel: […]
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/6/22 Gospel: Luke 5:1-11
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agatha, 230-251; very little is known of her with certainty, excep that she was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius; patroness of both Palermo and Catania Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/5/22 Gospel: Mark 6:30-34
Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Andrew Corsini, 1302-1374; wild as a youth, he was converted and became a Carmelite monk; known as the Apostle of Florence, a prophet, and a miracle worker; named bishop of Fiesole in 1349 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/4/22 Gospel: […]
Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Blaise; a good bishop, but as persecution continued in Armenia, he fled to the back country and lived as a hermit; as hunters took him to prison, he was approached by a mother with a young son who had a fish bone stuck […]
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/2/22 Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Brigid of Ireland, 451-525; born into slavery; unable to keep from feeding the poor and healing them; patroness of Ireland, dairymaids, cattle, midwives, Irish nuns, and newborn babies Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/1/22 Gospel: Mark 5:21-43
Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. John Bosco, 1815-1888; known for his work with young boys; founded the Salesians in 1859 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/31/22 Gospel: Mark 5:1-20
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/30/22 Gospel: Luke 4:21-30
Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Dallan; kinsman of St. Edan of Ferns; became blind, theoretically, because of his hard work studying; wrote a poem in honor of St. Columba, and when it was published after Columba’s death, Dallan’s sight was restored; Dallan was murdered by pirates in […]
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274; preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation; the unity harmony, and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/28/22 Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici, 1474-1540; founded the first teaching congregation of women, and founded the first of what are now called “secular institutes” in the Church Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/27/22 Gospel: Mark 4:21-25
Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus; both companions of St. Paul; Timothy was with Paul at the founding of the Church in Corinth; Titus was the administrator of the Christian community on the island of Crete; both died about 95 A.D. Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […]
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/25/22 Gospel: Mark 16:15-18
Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622; became provost and the bishop of Geneva, a center for Calvinists, whom Francis sought to convert, with much success; for his writings, he was named patron of the Catholic press; worked with St. Jane Frances de Chantal to establish the […]
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/23/22 Gospel: Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/22/22 Gospel: Mark 3:20-21
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr; legend holds that she was a beautiful young girl, and was reported by a would-be suitor for being a Christian; she was arrested and confined to a house of prostitution; she was condemned, executed, and buried near Rome Office of […]
Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Fabian; Eusebius relates that Fabian visited Rome during a papal election, and a dove rested on him, which was seen as a sign, and he was elected pope; he built up the structure of the Church of Rome, appointed seven deacons, and helped […]
Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Wulfstan, 1008-1095; bishop of Worcester, England; after the Norman conquest, he was the lone bishop to be kept in his post by William the Conqueror; struggled to alleviate the harsh decrees of the Normans upon the defeated Saxons Office of Readings and […]
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Margaret of Hungary, 1242-1271; joined the Dominicans in a royal convent on an island in the Danube; as a princess among nuns of noble heritage, she refused special treatment, and performed the most menial tasks Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for […]
Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Anthony of Egypt, 251-356; gave up his inheritance, and spent most of his life in solitude; attracted many people for spiritual healing and guidance; founded a monastery of “scattered cells”; hoped to be a martyr in the Roman persecution of 311; fought the Arian […]
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/16/22 Gospel: John 2:1-11
Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Arnold Jansen, 1837-1909; born in Germany; founded the Society of the Divine Word in 1875, to provide priests and lay brothers for the missions; founded the Servant Sisters of the Holy Ghost for the missions in 1889 Office of Readings and Morning […]
Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Felix of Nola, Third Century; ordained by Bishop St. Maximus, and became his assistant; imprisoned during Decius’ persecution; chosen bishop on Maximus’ death, but declined, and lived on a small piece of land, sharing what he had with the poor; miracles were […]
Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Hilary of Poitiers, 315-368; battled the heresy of Arianism, and was exiled for his defense of the faith; when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians pleaded with the emperor to “send this troublemaker back home,” […]
Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Aelred of Rievaulx, 1110-1167; Cestercian abbot of Rievaulx; wrote “The Mirror of Charity” at the request of Bernard of Clairvaux Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/12/22 Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Paulinus of Aquileia, 726-804; with the intervention of Charlemagne, he was chosen archbishop of Aquilieia in 787; he was a zealous defender of the faith, refuting the heresy of Adoptionism; he reiterated the Church’s Trinitarian teaching of the procession of the Holy […]
Monday of the First Week of Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Marcian; lived in the Fifth Century; from a Roman family of Constantinople; ordained 455 A.D., and was the treasurer of Hagia Sophia; composed hymns, and was a miracle worker Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/10/22 Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord – Final Day of the Christmas season Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/9/22 Gospel: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
Saturday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Apollinaris; Second Century bishop who wrote a defense of the faith to the emperor, Marcus Aurelius; he reminded the emperor of the favor he had received from God–water for his perishing Twelfth Legion–through the prayers of the Christian soldiers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/8/22 […]
Friday after Epiphany Optional Memorial of St. Raymond of Pennafort, 1175-1275; born in Spain, a relative of the King of Aragon; finished studies early and became a teacher, but gave it up to join the Dominicans; along with King James of Aragon and St. Peter Nolasco, he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom, […]
Thursday after Epiphany Saint of the Day: St. Peter of Canterbury; Benedictine monk who accompanied St. Augustine of Canterbury on his mission to England in 597; became the first abbot of the Canterbury monastery Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/6/22 Gospel: Luke 4:14-22
Memorial of St. John Neumann, 1811-1860; born in what is now the Czech Republic, and came to New York at 25; ordained a priest, and joined the Redemptorists; did missionary work in Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio; as bishop of Philadelphia, he organized the parochial school system into a diocesan one, and drew many teaching religious […]
Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821; founded the first American religious community for women; opened the first American parish school; established the first American Catholic orphanage; first American-born citizen to be canonized a saint Tuesday after Epiphany Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/4/22 Gospel: Mark 6:34-444
Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Monday after Epiphany Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/3/22 Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 1/2/22 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12