All Saints
Today the Church celebrates the solemnity of All Saints, including those not canonised and whose names we do not know, “united in Christ in glory”, as the Roman Martyrology recalls.
Saint María de la Purísima of the Cross
Among contemporary saints only John Paul II was canonised faster than María de la Purísima of the Cross (1926-1998), born Maria Isabel Salvat Romero, canonised on 18 October 2015 by Pope Francis.
Saint Germanus of Capua
The doctrine and wisdom acknowledged to St Germanus of Capua († 540/541), friend of St Benedict, were important in settling a schism with the East that had lasted for 35 years. Before being chosen for this mission, Germanus had demonstrated that he was a man totally focused on God.
Saint Gaetano Errico
“God loves you, when will I see you?”, said St. Gaetano Errico (1791-1860), founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, to the people he met in the streets of Secondigliano (Naples).
Saints Simon and Jude
The Church commemorates the holy apostles Jude Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot, also known as the Canaanite, on the same day. According to various ancient sources they suffered martyrdom together in Persia, where they met after evangelising other regions.
Saint Evaristus
Little information has reached us on St Evaristus (†108), the fourth successor of St Peter. What is known is contained mainly in the writings of St Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-202), in the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-340), and in the Liber Pontificalis, a collection of short biographies of pontiffs, which was probably originally written before the siege of Rome in 546.
Saint Cedda
Founder of churches and monasteries, St Cedda (†664) carried out fundamental work in the complex historical and religious framework of 7th century Britain. At the time, the revival of paganism - following the Anglo-Saxon invasion that had begun two centuries earlier - made a new evangelisation necessary.
Saint Gaudentius of Brescia
Similarly to what had already happened in Milan to his contemporary and admirer Saint Ambrose, Saint Gaudentius of Brescia (†410) also accepted the office of bishop, overcoming his great initial reluctance.
Saint Anthony Mary Claret
The founder of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Religious of Mary Immaculate, St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870), was the fifth of 11 children. He was born to profoundly Christian parents who baptized him on December 25th (two days after his birth), with the name of Anthony Adjutor John.
Saint John of Capistrano
Saint John of Capistrano (1386-1456) was a great protagonist of his time. He is known, among other things, for his role in the siege of Belgrade, in defence of Christianity already shaken by the Muslim capture of Constantinople.
Saint John Paul II
“The greatest gift that my Immaculate Heart has obtained from the Heart of Jesus”, Our Lady said about St John Paul II during one of her apparitions in Civitavecchia. That message is an admirable synthesis of the life of Karol Wojtyla (1920-2005) and his 26 ½ years of pontificate, marked by a deep bond with the heavenly Mother.
Saint Laura Montoya
She was the first Colombian to be canonised. And one could say that St Laura Montoya or Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena (1874-1949), the latter her religious name, had a particular call to holiness from the start.
