Today, February 18, is the memorial of Saint Geltrude Caterina Comensoli. Foundress of the Congregation of the Sacramentine Sisters of Bergamo. Born in Brescia, Italy in 1847, Geltrude was the fifth of Carlo and Anna Maria’s children. Even as a young girl, she was already devoted to the Holy Eucharist and hoped that someday she …
Today, February 17, is the memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. The seven holy founders were Buonfiglio dei Monaldi, Giovanni di Buonagiunta, Bartolomeus degli Amidei, Hugh dei Lippi-Ugguccioni, Benedetto dell’ Antella, Gherardino di Sostegno, and Alessio de’ Falconieri. These men came from wealthy families in Florence, Italy and decided to live …
Today, February 16, is the memorial of Blessed Joseph Allamano. Founder of the Consolata Missionaries. Joseph was born in 1851 in Asti, Northwestern Italy. He was the nephew of St. Joseph Cafasso, elder brother of his mother Marianna. His father, also named Joseph, died of anthrax when the child was three years old. He studied …
Today, February 15, is the memorial of Blessed Michael Sopocko. Spiritual director of St. Faustina Kowalska. Michael was born in 1888 in what is now Belarus. After obtaining his doctorate in theology, he became the spiritual director at a seminary and a professor of pastoral theology at Stefan Batory University in Vilnius. Now, St. Faustina …
Today, February 14, is the memorial of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius. They were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they received …
Today, February 13, is the memorial of Blessed Jordan of Saxony. Jordan was born in a castle to the noble Saxon family in 1190. He began schooling in Germany and earned his Master’s Degree in Theology from the University of Paris. Around this time he met the founder of the Order of Preachers, none other …
Today, February 10, is the memorial of Saint Scholastica. Twin sister of Saint Benedict. St. Gregory the Great wrote in the “Dialogues” that Scholastica was born to the Italian nobility in the year 480 in Umbria, Italy. As a young lady, Scholastica had consecrated herself to God. It was her habit to visit Benedict once …
Today, February 9, is the memorial of Saint Miguel Febres Cordero. Born Francisco Luis Febres-Cordero y Muñoz in Ecuador in 1854, he was born with the inability to stand or walk. At age five, he saw the Blessed Virgin Mary in a vision and was afterwards cured. At age eight he was miraculously protected from …
Today, February 8, is the memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita. She was born to a well-to-do and respected Sudanese family in 1869. She was kidnapped by Arab slave-traders (she was around 7 to 9 years old). Because she was severely traumatized by her abduction, she completely forgot her real name. She was given the name …
Today February 7, is the memorial of Blessed Pope Pius IX. Born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti in 1792 to a noble family, Pope Pius IX began his papacy in 1846. He was the longest-reigning elected pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving for over 31 years. One of his first acts as Pope …