Today, February 21, is the memorial of Saint Peter Damian. Doctor of the Church. Peter Damian was born in 988 in Ravenna, Italy. He came from a large and impoverished family. When he was a young orphan, his brother mistreated him and forced him to work in a piggery. He was later sent to live …
Today, February 19, is the memorial of Blessed Elizabeth of Mantua. Known in life as Elizabeth Picenardi, this holy virgin was born in 1428 and was raised in Mantua, Italy. Since her childhood, she lived near the Servite Church in Mantua, which is why she became associated with the Servite Order. She would wear the …
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 …
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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 Saint 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 12, is the memorial of Saint Eulalia of Barcelona. During Eulalia’s time, Spain was under the rule of Roman emperor Diocletian, who hated Christians. Eulalia’s mother wanted her daughter, a staunch Christian, to hide. However, Eulalia spoke out against the atrocities of her time. The authorities arrested her immediately. The arresting officers dragged …
Today, February 11, is the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. This day commemorates the 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Bernadette Soubirous that occurred between 11 February and 16 July of 1858 near the town of Lourdes in the Hautes-Pyrenees region of France.
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 …