Saint Polycarp
He had the grace of being a direct witness of the charisms of the apostles; he was a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist, who consecrated him Bishop of Smyrna
Chair of Saint Peter
The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter has very ancient origins. From the Latin cathedra, "chair" indicates the seat of the bishop, including the Holy Father's, as Bishop of Rome
Saint Peter Damian
He drafted a Rule stressing the importance of the "rigour of the hermitage" and defining the monastic cell as the "parlour where God converses with men"
Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto
The Church celebrates the memorial of the two little shepherds on February 20th: these are the first non-martyred children to be proclaimed saints
Saint Lucy Yi Zhenmei
This exemplary Chinese catechist, who suffered martyrdom at the age of 47, had demonstrated virtuousness from childhood
Saint Geltrude Comensoli
She founded the Institute of the Sacramentine Sisters which was consecrated to the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Saint Claude de la Colombière
He became the confessor of saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and worked tirelessly, both writing and preaching, to spread the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks, in the Roman rite, the beginning of Lent
Saint Benedict of Aniane
He was among the protagonists of the Carolingian Renaissance, defended orthodoxy and contributed to spreading the Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia throughout the Holy Roman Empire.