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. The First Saint of Generation X. Born in 1971, Chiara was a bright and strong-willed child. Being an only child, her parents Ruggero and Maria Teresa, wanting Chiara to meet other kids, enrolled in the nearby kindergarten. When Chiara was nine years old, she discovered …
Today, October 28, is the feast of Saint Jude Thaddeus and Saint Simon. Apostles. 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 …
Today, October 27, is the memorial of Saint Emilina of Boulancourt. Patron saint of single lay women. 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 …
Today, October 26, is the memorial of Blessed Celine Borzecka. Co-foundress — along with her biological daughter Venerable Hedwig Borzęcka — of the Sisters of the Resurrection. Celine was born in 1833 to Ignatius and Petronella, both wealthy landowners in Belarus. She wanted to pursue her religious vocation, but her family opposed it. In obedience …
Today, October 24, is the memorial of Saint Anthony Mary Claret. Founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians). Anthony Mary was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1807, and was the fifth of 11 children. He worked as a weaver in his youth. He wanted to join the …
Today, October 23, is the memorial of Saint John of Capistrano. John was born at Capistrano, near Aquila, perhaps of a Nordic family that had emigrated to Italy. He studied law at Perugia and eventually became governor there in 1412. He was jailed when Malatesta di Rimini conquered Perugia. He had a vision in which …
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. 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 developed a …
Today, October 20, is the memorial of Saint Maria Bertilla Boscardin. Born Anna Francesca Boscardin to a poor peasant family, she was nicknamed “The Goose” because of her lack of intelligence and mental slowness. Her childhood was full of trials. She had to endure her father Angelo’s violent behavior whenever he was drunk. She worked …