Today, August 30, is the memorial of Blessed Maria Rafols. Foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Anne. Maria Rafols was born to a working class family in 1781 in Villafranca del Panedes, Spain. Her father Cristobal Rafols Cunillera and mother Margarita Bruna Brugol had 10 children, with Maria the sixth. She received the …
Today, August 28, is the memorial of Saint Augustine of Hippo. Doctor of the Church. Augustine was born in 354 in modern-ay Algeria. He was the son of Patricius, a pagan who converted on his death bed, and of St. Monica, who never stopped praying for her son’s conversion to the Catholic faith. Despite being …
Today, August 27, is the memorial of Saint Monica. Born in 332 in present-day Souk Ahras, Algeria, Monica was married off at a very young age to the Roman pagan Patricius, who seemed to have inherited his mother’s savage temper. Patricius’ mother lived with the couple, thus whenever mother and son would quarrel, Monica would …
Today, August 26, is the memorial of Blessed Jacques Retouret. Carmelite priest and martyr. Born to a family of merchants in Limoges (France) in 1746, Jacques was an educated man and was known as a lover of books. He joined the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance (O.Carm.) at age 15. He was a priest, whose …
Today, August 25, is the memorial of Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified. Carmelite nun. Mariam Baouardy was born at Abellin in Galilee in 1846 to very poor and devoted Greek-rite Catholic parents. She became an orphan at three years old when both her parents died of natural causes days apart. An uncle adopted Mariam and …
Today, August 24, is the feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle. Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified with Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel according to John as being introduced to Christ by Philip, who would also become an Apostle. A popular tradition holds that he was skinned …
Today, August 23, is the memorial of Saint Rose of Lima. Secondary patroness of the Philippines. Born in 1586, Rose was a beautiful girl and devoted daughter. She was so devoted to her vow of chastity that she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be attractive. In emulation of …
Memorial Today we celebrate the Queenship of our Blessed Mother, a recognition of the announcement of Gabriel to Mary when he said that her Son will be given by God, the Most High, the throne of David and his Kingdom with have no end (Luke 1:32,33). In the early years of the Church the queenship …
Today, August 21, is the memorial of Pope St. Pius X. Born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto in 1835, he was the son of Giambattista Sarto, a mailman, and Margherita Sanson, a dressmaker. At age 11, he felt called to the priesthood. He studied at the seminary of Padua, Italy, and was almost always at the …
Today, August 20, is the memorial of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Doctor of the Church. Born to the French nobility in 1090 in Burgundy, France, Bernard was the brother of Saint Humbeline and Blesseds Guy, Gerard, and Nivard. At age 22, fearing the ways of the world, he, four of his brothers, and 25 friends …