Saint Victor
Saint Ambrose's piety towards the martyrs accounts for much of the popularity of the cult of Saint Victor (†303), one of the most beautiful figures to have been witness to Christ during the Great Persecution, to the point of giving up his life. Ambrose, bishop of Milan since 7 December 374, spoke of him in the Expositio evangelii secundum Lucam and in the hymn Victor, Nabor, Felix pii.
Saint Rosa Venerini
Among the great figures of Christian pedagogy is Saint Rosa Venerini (1656-1728), the founder of the Maestre Pie (Pious Teachers). She focused on giving girls a good education, together with the teaching of the truths of faith and morals.
Saint Dominic Savio
The world could become an anticipation of Paradise if only care were taken to teach and have children read the life of St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857), the little giant of holiness who blossomed fully at the school of St. John Bosco.
Saint Angelo of Sicily
Saint Angelo of Sicily (c. 1185-1220), also known as “of Jerusalem” because of his birthplace, was born in the Holy City from Jews converted to Christianity. After the death of his parents, he and his twin brother John entered the monastery of Mount Carmel, whose spirituality was inspired from the beginning by the example of the Blessed Virgin and the prophet Elijah.
Saints John Houghton, Robert Lawrence, Augustine Webster, Richard Reynolds
The saints remembered today were the first to suffer martyrdom for refusing to take the oath to the Act of Supremacy of 1534, which declared King Henry VIII supreme head of the Church of England. These were the Carthusian Protomartyrs John Houghton, Robert Lawrence and Augustine Webster and the Brigidine monk Richard Reynolds, all martyred on 4 May 1535.
Saints Philip and James the Lesser
The two apostles Philip and James the Lesser are remembered with a single liturgical feast because their relics, transferred respectively from Hierapolis and Jerusalem, were placed together in the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome. Their joint worship was established with the 1969 calendar reform.
Saint Athanasius
The five times this man of Providence was forced into exile for his indomitable defence of the true faith, which was threatened by the Arians, shine a light on why Saint Athanasius (c. 295-373) was called “the Great”.
Saint Joseph the Worker
On May 1, 1955, Pius XII instituted the feast of “St. Joseph the Worker” to help workers not to lose sight of the Christian sense of labour, so fully incarnated in the humble carpenter of Nazareth and glorious putative father of Jesus.
Saint Pius V
An impressive number of achievements were accomplished in the six years of the pontificate of Saint Pius V (1504-1572), one of the greatest figures of the Catholic Reformation, who defended the true faith against heresies and linked his name to the Battle of Lepanto.
Saint Catherine of Siena
The stigmata, the ecstasies, the conversations with God, the bilocations were just some of the countless graces received by Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), co-patroness of Italy and Europe.
Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort
Saint Pius X not only recommended reading the Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, one of the masterpieces by St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716), but he also granted in writing the Apostolic Blessing “to all those who will read this Treatise”.
Saint Zita
Patroness of Lucca, in Tuscany, Saint Zita (1218-1278) enjoyed a widespread cult long before she was canonized, so much so that her contemporary Dante Alighieri mentioned her in the Divine Comedy.
