SAINT OF THE DAY

To foster deep devotion to St. Joseph among Catholics, and in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955. This feast extends the long relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers in Catholic faith and devotion. Beginning in the […]

Athanasius was born of a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, where he received a classical education. In 319, Athanasius was ordained a deacon, and later became a priest. He served as secretary to Bishop Alexander, who vigorously opposed the Arian heresy, the belief named after a priest called Arius who claimed that Jesus wasn’t truly […]

 (1st century) In the sixth century, the bodies of Sts. Philip and James were brought to Rome from the East and were laid to rest in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles. Since they arrived together at the same location, the Church instituted a single feast day for both apostles. Previously, the Catholic Church had […]

(3rd century) Antonina was from Nicaea, a city in Turkey today. At that time the emperor was Maximian who was purging the empire of its Christians. Antonina was tortured because she would not renounce her faith. She was imprisoned and then taken out so they could force her to sacrifice to idols. Once again, she […]

(1817-1836) Life could not have been more tragic for today’s saint. Born in Pescara, Italy, to Domenico and Rosa Sulprizio, Nunzio lost his father in 1820, when the boy was 3 years old. His infant sister died just five months after their father. Faced with the prospect of abject poverty while trying to provide for […]

(Died 259) Born in North Africa, Marian was a lector or reader; James was a deacon. For their devotion to the faith, they suffered during the persecution of Valerian. Prior to their persecution, Marian and James were visited by two bishops who encouraged them in the faith not long before they themselves were martyred. A […]

(1656-1728) Rose was born in Viterbo, Italy, in 1656. She was the daughter of Godfrey Venerini, a physician. Upon the death of a young man who had been courting her, she entered a convent, but after a few months had to return home to look after her widowed mother. Rose used to gather the women […]

(550-615) Boniface IV was a doctor’s son from L’Aquila, in the Abruzzi region of Italy. He rose through the ranks of the Church to become a deacon and treasurer to St. Gregory the Great. Boniface was elected pope in late 607 but was not enthroned until September, 608, when his election was confirmed by Emperor […]

(8th century BCE)  Isaiah was the first of the major prophets of the Old Testament and delivered oracles for the southern kingdom of Judah in the eighth century B.C. Isaiah had a prophetess wife and two sons named Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Isaiah described his calling to the Lord in the sixth chapter of his book. […]

(1499-1569) John of Avila was born in the Castile region of Spain. He was sent at the age of 14 to the University of Salamanca to study law. He later moved to Alcala, where he studied philosophy and theology before his ordination as a diocesan priest. After John’s parents died and left him as their […]