Today, June 22, is the memorial of Saint Thomas More and Saint John Fisher. Thomas More was a humanist and chancellor of England. He was a close friend of Erasmus. Thomas wrote the masterpiece “Utopia”. He refused to support Henry VII’s divorce of Queen Catherine and his Act of Supremacy, saying that one cannot violate …
Today, June 21, is the memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Aloysius was born in 1568 to Italian aristocrats. He was trained from age four as a soldier and courtier, as he was expected to inherit his father privileged status. He lived in Renaissance Italy, a time of violence, blood, and savagery. The effect was too …
Today, June 19, is the memorial of Saint Juliana Falconieri. Juliana, born in 1270, was the only child of the wealthy Florentine noble family named Falconieri. She was the niece of St. Alexis Falconieri, one of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. All her life, she suffered painful chronic gastric problems. For Juliana, …
Today, June 18, is the memorial of Saint Marina. Marina was born between the 5th and 7th centuries in Bithynia. Her devoutly Christian family taught her religious values. After the early death of his wife, Marina’s father Eugenius became a monk. He brought along the little Marina to the monastery. To hide his daughter from …
Today, June 17, is the memorial of Saint Emilie de Vialar. Foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition. In 1797, Emilie was born to an aristocratic family. When Emilie was 15, her mother Antoinette died. She then took over the house until she turned 35. During those times, Emilie nurtured a life …
Today, June 16, is the memorial of Saint Lutgardis. Lutgardis was born in Belgium in 1182. She was a pretty girl who enjoyed wearing the most fashionable clothes. She also had no apparent religious vocation, She was sent to the Benedictine monastery near Saint Trond at age 12 because her dowry had been lost in …
Today, June 15, is the memorial of Saint Germaine Cousin. Germaine was born into poverty in 1579 in Pibrac, France. Her mother died while Germaine was an infant. A sickly child, Germaine suffered from scrofula, and her right hand was deformed. Her step-mother Hortense (other accounts identified her as Armande) mistreated her while her father …
Today, June 10, is the memorial of Blessed Edward Poppe. A follower of St. Therese of Lisieux’s “The Little Way,” Edward was one of 11 children and born in Belgium. One brother became a priest, five sisters were nuns. He felt a call to the priesthood early in life. When his father died, Edward wanted …
Today, June 9, is the memorial of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi. Anna Maria was born in 1769. Her father Luigi’s pharmacy went bankrupt when she was five years old. Luigi moved the family from their native Siena to Rome to find work. Anna Maria had no choice but to work to help feed the family. …
Today, June 8, is the memorial of Saint Jacques Berthieu. Jacques Berthieu, born in France in 1838, was one of seven children. Early in life he already acknowledged his vocation. He joined the Jesuits in 1873 and later became a missionary to Madagascar. He became a passionate missionary, bringing many to God’s fold. His mission …