Feasts and Memorials

A blessed All Saints Day to all! “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects” (James 5:16-17).

Today, October 30, is the memorial of Blessed Maria Teresa of St. Joseph. Foundress of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus. She came from a deeply religious Lutheran pastor’s family. Many trials and experiences with society’s poor and needy led her to the road of the Catholic faith. In front of her

Today, October 29, is the memorial of Blessed Chiara Badano. Born in 1971, Chiara was a bright and strong-willed child. Chiara was an only child, so her parents Ruggero and Maria Teresa enrolled her in the nearby kindergarten to make friends with other kids. When Chiara was nine years old, she discovered the Focolare Movement,

Today, October 28, is the feast of Saint Jude and Saint Simon. St. Jude, also known as Thaddeus, was a brother of St. James the Lesser, and a relative of Jesus. According to the ancient writers, Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. Eusebius wrote that he returned to Jerusalem

Today, October 27, is the memorial of Saint Emilina of Boulancourt. Born in 1115, the young Emilina joined the Cistercian Abbey of Boulancourt at Longeville, France. Emilina became a lay sister and was known for her intense prayer life, extreme way of fasting, and severe self-imposed penances such as wearing a pointed chain under her

Today, October 26, is the memorial of Blessed Celine Borzecka. Co-foundress — along with her biological daughter Venerable Hedwig Borzecka — of the Sisters of the Resurrection. Celine was born in 1833 in Belarus to Ignatius and Petronella, both wealthy landowners in Belarus. She wanted to pursue her religious vocation, but her family opposed it.

Today, October 25, is the memorial of Blessed Recaredo Abad. Recaredo was born in the Diocese of Tortosa, Spain, where he studied. He also attended the seminary in Tarragona. He was ordained priest in 1929, having been inspired by his rector, Blesed Joe Maria Peris. He was a member of the Diocesan Worker Priests of

Today, October 23, is the memorial of Saint John of Capistrano. John was born in 1386 at Capistrano, Kingdom of Naples. He took up law at Perugia in Central Italy and eventually became governor there in 1412. He was jailed when Malatesta di Rimini conquered Perugia. In a vision, St. Francis of Assisi invited him

Today, October 22, is the memorial of Pope Saint John Paul II. Karol Wojtyla believed that God blessed him with a priestly vocation. After surviving two almost fatal accidents, he finally answered God’s call. He attended secret classes during the German occupation of Poland, and was ordained in 1946. Around this time he learned and

Today, October 21, is the memorial of Blessed Charles of Austria. Emperor and King. Charles was the last Emperor of Austria and the last King of Hungary. He was the husband of the Servant of God Empress Zita of Bourbon-Parma, whose own cause for beatification is already underway. Charles received a strong Catholic education, and