SAINT OF THE DAY

(1907-1943) Blessed Franz is recognized in Rome as one of the 20th century martyrs for their faith. Born in Upper Austria, he lost his father during World War I. He was later adopted by Heinrich Jägerstätter and grew up loving motorcycles and, to be honest, raised a bit of hell. He and his gang were […]

(1090-1154) St. William’s life was like a telenovela. Born into a prominent 12th century English family, his uncle was next in line for the English throne. One would assume that this guaranteed a charmed life. It was quite the contrary. He was first nominated to the position of Archbishop of York in 1140, but some […]

(306-373) St. Ephrem is the only Syrian recognized as a Doctor of the Church (Cosma and Damian were doctors, born in Arabia, who practiced in Syria). You could say he was one of the first “rock stars” of the church as well. Born in the city of Nisibis, he became a Christian early in his […]

(1783 – 1854) Joachima’s birth into an aristocratic family of Barcelona should have guaranteed an easy life, but fate saw things another way. Though she expressed a desire to become a Carmelite nun as early as 12 years old, she married at the age of 16 Theodore de Mas, a young lawyer. During their 17-year […]

(c. 75) You know that game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon?” One could easily play that with St. Barnabas. Though not one of the original Apostles, he was about as close as one could be to that. Barnabas was a Jew from Cyprus and it was he who introduced Paul to Peter and the other […]

(c. 1235–1298) The daughter of King Bela IV of Hungary, Jolenta was sent to Poland to supervise the education of her sister Kunigunde, who was married to the Duke of Poland. So introduced into the Polish court, Jolenta became the wife of Boleslaaus, the Duke of Greater Poland. Together with her husband, the pair did […]

(1195–1231) St. Anthony certainly does not need any introduction in our city, having a neighboring parish bearing his name. He often is invoked when someone searches for a lost item or is at a loss for patience. There are, however, some popular misconceptions about the holy man. First of all, though he is the patron […]

(1845–1916) Albert was born near Kraków, Poland. At 19 years old he lost a leg in the Polish revolt against Czar Alexander III. His handicap did not stop him from cultivating his artistic talents as a painter. He studied in Warsaw, Munich and Paris. He returned to Kraków and became a Secular Franciscan. In 1888, […]

(1701–1771) Marguerite hails from neighboring Varennes, Canada. Her hardships began very early in life, when at age 12 she left school to help her widowed mother. In 1725 she married François d’Youville, an indifferent gambler and bootlegger. By his death in 1730, they produced six children, but only two survived. While raising her children, she […]

(1597-1640) St. John Regis, though born more than 400 years ago, was in many ways a man for our times. Pope John Paul II honored him in 1997 as an example of holiness and example for the church in today’s world. Among his patronage are those of medical social workers and illegitimate children. The St. […]