SAINT OF THE DAY

(1st century) Petronilla’s life story is not well documented. She is said to have been a daughter of the apostle St. Peter. We know that Peter was married before his vocation to the apostleship from the Gospel. It seems not certain however, whether St. Petronilla was any more than the spiritual daughter of that apostle. […]

(Died 165 AD) Justin converted to Christianity about the year 130 and he received baptism at Ephesus. Sometime after this Justin found himself in Rome, where he opened a philosophical school and tirelessly proclaimed Christ to pagan scholars. He wrote and spoke of the God he had come to know, using the language and categories […]

(Died 4th Century) In 304 AD, a great persecution of Christians was ordered by Emperor Diocletian, the last great culling of Christ’s followers before Constantine’s Edict of Milan, granting legal status to Christians throughout the Roman Empire. The second of the four edicts by which Diocletian planned the annihilation of Christians called for the arrest […]

(Died 1885-1887) St. Charles and many other martyrs for the faith died between Nov. 15, 1885 and Jan. 27, 1887, in Namugongo, Uganda. St. Charles and his companions were beatified in 1920 and canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1964. In 1879, Catholicism began spreading in Uganda when the White Fathers, a congregation of priests founded […]

(1563-1608) Francis Caracciolo was born from a noble family Villa Santa Maria (Abruzzo Region of Italy). When he was 22 years old, he was inflicted by a terrible disease which almost led him to death. In this trial he heard the Lord’s call and was ready to dedicate his life completely in the service of […]

(Died 755 AD) St. Boniface was a native of England. He was baptized under the name of Winfrid but received the name Boniface from the Pope, on account of the great good which he did. Boniface means one who does good. When just 5 years old, he requested of his parents to be sent to […]

(1075-1134) St. Norbert was a German of Frankish and German stock. As a youth, he was educated both in literature and the ways of the court and the world at the collegiate church of St. Victor in Xanten. He became a subdeacon but showed no inclination to pursue the priesthood. Rather, the wealthy, handsome, thin […]

(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 […]