Saint Landry of Paris
The first hospital in Paris, the Hôtel-Dieu (“Hostel of God”), and the oldest in the world still in operation was founded in 651 by Saint Landry (Landericus). The saint had the idea and the charity to gather the sick under one roof in order to improve their treatment and reduce the risks of contagion, at a time when epidemics were fairly frequent.
Saint Ephrem the Syrian
“The great Ephrem has awakened the numbed souls; comforted the afflicted; formed, directed and exhorted the young; mirror of monks, guide of penitents, sword and arrow against heretics, casket of virtues, temple and resting place of the Holy Spirit.” Thus a great Eastern Father and Doctor of the Church, St. John Chrysostom (†407), wrote about St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373), the most important of Syriac writers and himself a Doctor of the Church.
Saint James Berthieu
A shining example of what it means to give one's life for Christ, in union with His sacrifice on the cross, is offered by Saint James Berthieu (27 November 1838 - 8 June 1896). This French priest was a Jesuit missionary killed in Madagascar during the Malagasy rebellion of 1896, when he preferred martyrdom to giving in to repeated requests to deny the faith.
Saint Anthony Maria Gianelli
He was born and grew up in an era of accelerated secularisation, between the French Revolution and the Risorgimento. St Anthony Maria Gianelli (1789-1846), founder of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Garden, was an admirable example of a priest and bishop who was passionate about charity for his neighbour and aware of the urgency of relaunching an adequate Christian education aimed at the salvation of souls.
Mary Mother of the Church
Today we commemorate the Blessed Virgin Mary “Mother of the Church”, a title that was defined during the Second Vatican Council, but which is based on two thousand years of Christianity and the history of salvation.
Pentecost
Towards the end of Pentecost, on the fiftieth day after Easter, the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus descended abundantly on the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. Thus began the saving mission of the Church among the peoples of every language and nation.
Saint Francis Caracciolo
He is often depicted contemplating the Blessed Sacrament. Eucharistic adoration was in fact at the heart of his days and nights
Ugandan Holy Martyrs
Today the Church celebrates the memory of saint Charles Lwanga and other 21 Catholic martyrs killed on different days between 1885 and 1887 and proclaimed saints all together in October 1964 by Paul VI
Saints Marcellinus and Peter
In the early centuries of Christianity, Saints Marcellinus and Peter (†304), martyred during Diocletian's persecutions, enjoyed great popularity. We owe the oldest written record of their martyrdom to Saint Damasus (c. 305-384), the Pope who composed famous epigrams in honour of the martyrs and identified several sepulchres.
Saint Justin
The first philosopher to be proclaimed a saint lived his entire youth in a continuous search for truth. He moved from one philosophical school to another until his conversion to Christ, to which he gave witness tirelessly from then on, first with his teaching and then with his martyrdom.
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St Francis de Sales extolled Mary’s solicitude towards Elizabeth: “Charity and humility are not perfect unless they pass from God to neighbour. It is not possible to love God whom we do not see, if we do not love the people we see. This part is fulfilled in the Visitation”.
Saint Joan of Arc
Within a year, a very young illiterate peasant girl lead France to win decisive battles against the English, who occupied its territory. The story of Saint Joan of Arc (1412-1431) is the most compelling demonstration that nothing is impossible to God, and reveals His tangible intervention in the history of man, through the humble who surrender themselves to His will.
