SAINT OF THE DAY

(Died 79 A. D.) The importance of St. Apollinaris in the early church can be substantiated by two magnificent basilicas in the city of Ravenna, Italy and another in Rome. Who was this man? Tradition says that when St. Peter left Antioch to bring the message of Jesus to Rome, he was accompanied by some […]

(1559–1619) Gifted with a facility with languages and diplomacy, today’s saint played an important role in the history of the church and in Europe in his day. St. Lawrence was born in Brindisi, Italy, on July 22, 1559. He was baptized with the name Giulio Cesare. He received his early education from the Franciscan Friars […]

(1st Century) Most people today know today’s saint through her appearance in recent works of popular culture. The readers know her through Dan Brown’s book “The DaVinci Code.” Cinema buffs know her through Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ.” Younger folks will know her from Andrew Lloyd […]

Bridget was the daughter of the governor of Uppland, Sweden. He used his position and wealth to contribute to helping the less fortunate, a practice that is daughter Bridget would continue through her life. Bridget married into the royal family of Sweden and produced eight children. Her daughter would one day become St. Catherine of […]

(4th century) St. Christina is one of our youngest saints. She was the daughter of, Urbain, a wealthy magistrate and pagan. When Christina was 11-years-old she was well-known for her beauty and attracted the attention of several suitors. Her father, however, wanted his daughter to become a pagan priestess. Urbain demanded that his daughter pay […]

(3 A.D.-44 A.D.) James was among the first 12 Apostles of Jesus. The son of Zebedee, James was the older brother of John and is called “the Greater” to distinguish him from the Apostle James “the Less,” who probably was shorter in stature. Some scholars believe that Salome, the mother of James and John, was […]

We know almost nothing of today’s saints, Anne and Joachim, who were the parents of the Blessed Mother. We really can’t even be sure that those were there true names. They never are mentioned in the Bible. Surely, Mary did have parents and if a child is a reflection of the parents who raised him/her, […]

(Died 432) St. Celestine I was a Roman deacon when elected pope in 422. A major campaign of his pontificate was his vigorous attack on Nestorianism, the unorthodox teaching of Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople, which stressed that Christ’s human and divine natures were independent and which denounced the Virgin’s title Theotokos (God-bearer). Celestine also challenged […]

(C. 155–199) Pope Victor I was the 14th leader of the church. He was a Berber from North Africa who held the papal throne for more than a decade. He continued to use his given name after becoming the pope and inspired two other men to also use the name Victor. Before becoming the pope, […]

When the bodies of her martyred brothers, Simplicius and Faustinus, were tossed into the waters of the Tiber River, Beatrice did not hesitate to try to recover their bodies to give them a proper burial. Aided by two priests, she managed to recover them from the river. She gave them burial in the place, where […]