Saint Clare of Assisi
Before following the example of St. Francis and continuing his work by founding the Poor Clares, a female branch of his order, Saint Clare of Assisi (c. 1193-1253) had been able to ask in prayer and meditate in her heart about what God was calling her to do
Saint Lawrence
The figure of Saint Lawrence (†258), deacon and martyr, has over the centuries been a source of inspiration for artists and poets, from Titian to Giovanni Pascoli, and an object of great devotion among the faithful.
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
The life of this brilliant philosopher, for a long time atheist, then in love with God and victim of the Shoah, never ceases to fascinate. The existential pilgrimage of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, born Edith Stein (1891-1942), proclaimed co-patroness of Europe by John Paul II, contains much of the dramatic history of the 20th century
Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic of Guzmán (1170-1221) - founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, commonly known as Dominicans - was born into a wealthy family in a small village in Old Castile. St. Dominic taught his friars that “our study must primarily, with ardour, with every energy, aim to make us useful to our brothers”, with the aim of saving souls
Saint Cajetan of Thiene
Saint Cajetan of Thiene (1480-1547), founder of the Theatines, is among the most luminous figures of the Catholic Reformation. He is called “the saint of Providence” because of the immense trust he had in the good Lord, from whom he drew the strength for many works of charity in favour of the sick and the needy
Transfiguration of the Lord
Introducing the Mysteries of Light in the recitation of the Rosary, Saint John Paul II wrote that the Gospel scene of the Transfiguration of Our Lord can be taken as an “icon of Christian contemplation”. And our goal, as it was for the apostles, annihilated and ecstatic before the divine majesty, is “to fix our eyes on the face of Christ”.
Dedication of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four papal basilicas of Rome, is so called to indicate its pre-eminence over all the other churches in the world named after the Blessed Virgin. Its name is linked to the centuries-old cult of Our Lady of the Snow.
Saint John Mary Vianney
The first loves of Saint John Mary Vianney (1786-1859), known as the Curé d'Ars, were the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady. “The Priesthood is the love of Jesus' heart”, the saint said, proclaimed by Pius XI in 1929 patron saint of all parish priests.
Saint Aspren of Naples
Naples boasts the Basilica of Saint Peter in Aram, which according to tradition was founded on the place where St. Peter baptized St. Aspren (1st-2nd century), the first bishop of Naples.
Saint Eusebius of Vercelli
While Constantius II used every means to impose Aryan heresy throughout the Roman Empire, Saint Eusebius of Vercelli (end of the 3rd century - 371) was one of the few bishops to defend strenuously, at the cost of persecution, the righteous faith in the Son of God “begotten, not created, of the same substance as the Father”, as had been solemnly confirmed by the Nicene Creed.
Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori
A distinguished moral theologian, composer of famous melodies in Neapolitan and Italian (including the Christmas carol “Tu scendi dalle stelle”), able to speak of the truths of faith to both learned and simple people, author of over a hundred works, some of which have been translated into more than 70 languages.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Before choosing holiness and consecrating his life to the greater glory of God, Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) had had a rather turbulent youth. The great protagonist of the Catholic Reformation was the last of 13 children of a couple of the high Spanish nobility, who had baptized him with the name of Iñigo.
