21 May – Memorial of St Rita of Cascia Daughter of Antonio and Amata Lotti, a couple known as the Peacemakers of Jesus; they had Rita late in life. From her early youth, Rita visited the Augustinian nuns at Cascia, Italy, and showed interest in a religious life. However, when she was twelve, her parents [...]
21 May – Memorial of St Christopher Magailanes and his Companions, Martyrs Like Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, S.J., Cristóbal and his 24 companion martyrs lived under a very anti-Catholic government in Mexico, one determined to weaken the Catholic faith of its people. Churches, schools and seminaries were closed; foreign clergy were expelled. Cristóbal established a [...]
18 May – Memorial of St Bernardine of Siena Friar Minor. Priest. Itinerant preacher. Theological writer. His preaching skills were so great, and the conversions so numerous, that he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc. Bernardino’s charismatic preaching filled the piazze of Italian cities. Thousands of listeners flocked to [...]
18 May – Memorial of St John I, Pope, Martyr Priest in Rome. Elected 53rd pope in 523. Italy‘s ruler, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian, and for a while he let Catholics alone, but in later life he became suspicious of everyone, imagining conspiracies and attempts to seize his throne. He tried to involve [...]
2 May Memorial of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria Studied the classics and theology in Alexandria, Egypt. Deacon, secretary, and student of bishop Alexander of Alexandria. Attended the Council of Nicea in 325 where he fought for the defeat of Arianism and acceptance of the divinity of Jesus. Formulated the doctrine of homo-ousianism which says that [...]
1 May Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker Descendant of the house of David. Layman. Builder by trade; traditionally a carpenter, but may have been a stone worker. Earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Foster and adoptive father of Jesus Christ. Visionary who was visited by angels. Noted for his willingness to immediately get [...]
30 Apr Memorial of St Pius V, Pope Born to impoverished Italian nobility, the son of Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria. Worked as a shepherd as a boy. Received an excellent training in piety and holiness, including a scholastic education from a Dominican friar; he joined the Order himself in 1518, taking the name Michele. [...]
29 Apr Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena Youngest child in a large family. At the age of seven she had a vision in which Jesus appeared with Peter, Paul, and John; Jesus blessed her, and she consecrated herself to Him. Her parents wanted her to marry, but she became a Dominican tertiary. Mystic. Stigmatist. [...]
24 Apr Memorial of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen – Priest, Martyr Lawyer and philosophy teacher. Disgusted by the greed, corruption, and lack of interest in justice by his fellow lawyers, Mark Rey abandoned the law, became a priest, became a Franciscan friar with his brother George, changed his name to Fidelis, and gave away his [...]
23 Apr Memorial of Saint George, martyr Several stories have been attached to Saint George, the best known of which is the Golden Legend. In it, a dragon lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, and had gone down in painful defeat. The monster ate two [...]
