Today, December 22, is the memorial of Saint Flavian of Acquapendente. Flavian was the father of Saint Bibiana and Saint Demetria, and the husband of Saint Dafrosa of Acquapendente. He was greatly admired by Romans for his virtues and talents. Even Constantine the Great held him in high esteem, so much so that the emperor …
Today, December 21, is the memorial of Saint Peter Canisius. Doctor of the Church. Born in 1521 in Habsburg Netherlands, Peter had wealthy parents (his father was a chief magistrate). At 19, he was sent to study at the University of Cologne. There he met St. Peter Faber, one of the founders of the Society …
Today, December 19, is the memorial of Pope Saint Anastasius I. Anastasius, whose father was Maximus, was born in Rome. His predecessor was Pope St. Siricius. He was Pope from 399 to 401. As Pope he condemned the works of the theologian Origen. In fact, contradicting Origen’s writings became one of the main points of …
Today, December 18, is the memorial of Blessed Giulia Nemesia Valle. Giulia was born in Sardinia in 1847 to Anselmo Valle and Cristina Dalbar who both worked in the family’s hatmaker shop. Her mother died when she was four, and she was raised by relatives in Aosta and Donnas in Italy. She studied in Besançon, …
Today, December 17, is the memorial of Saint Lazarus of Bethany. Saint Lazarus was the brother of Saint Martha and Saint Mary of Bethany and was the one of whom the Jews referred to: “See how much He loved him.” He was the friend of Jesus raised from the dead after having been buried in …
Today, December 16, is the memorial of Blessed Mary of the Angels. Carmelite nun. She was born Marianna Fontanella in Turin, Italy in 1661 to nobility. She was a distant cousin of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. At around six years old, Marianna already knew she had a vocation to the religious life. One day, she planned …
Today, December 15, is the memorial of Saint Maria Crocifissa di Rosa. Foundress of the Handmaids of Charity. She was born Paolina Francesca di Rosa in 1839 in Brescia, Italy. She came from a wealthy family, with her father the famous industrialist Clement di Rosa and Countess Camilla Albani. When Paolina was 17, her mother …
Today, December 14, is the feast of Saint John of the Cross. Carmelite and Doctor of the Church. Born in Fontiveros, Spain in 1542, Juan de Yepes y Álvarez lived in poverty. In Medina del Campo, John was able to study and become an altar boy at a nearby Augustinian nunnery. There, he also cared …
Today, December 12, is the memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, an Indian convert to the Catholic faith, was walking to a nearby village so that he could attend Mass. On his way, a woman appeared to him amidst the sound of heavenly music. The woman said to him: …
Today, December 11, is the memorial of Saint Maria Maravillas de Jesus. Carmelite nun. Maria de la Maravillas Pidal Chico de Guzman was born in Madrid in 1891. Her father was the Spanish ambassador to the Vatican. She grew up in a pious family, was known as “Mavi, ”an intelligent and religious child. When she …