Saint of the day .

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Saint of the day: 22nd May


Saint Rita of Cascia

Augustinian nun. Patron of desperate cases and difficult marriages. St Rita was born in 1377 at Roccaporena in Umbria. She was to become a nun but her parents made her marry. Her husband was violent and unfaithful. They had two sons. She endured the marriage for 18 years, until one day her husband was killed in a vendetta.

In 1407 Rita became a nun. She prayed and meditated on the Passion of Christ with such intensity that wounds of the crown of thorns appeared on her forehead. Rita devoted herself to caring for the sick. She was also known as a good listener and people would go to her with their problems. She had a reputation for great holiness and many miracles were attributed to her.

Rita died of tuberculosis in 1447. She was beatified in 1626 and canonised in 1900. A basilica with a hospital, school and children's home was built by her shrine in 1946.

She was very popular in many Latin communities around the world. More recently in Italy she is now considered, like St Jude, to be a patron of hopeless cases and difficult marriages. At Cascia and Roccaporena, roses are blessed in her honour on this day.

Saint Rita of Cascia , inspired by your example may we be good listeners in this world of noise .

 

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Saint of the day: 23rd May


Saint William of Rochester

This 12th century saint was a Scottish fisherman from Perth. As a young man he experienced a conversion and devoted himself to caring for orphans and the poor. One child in his care had been abandoned as a baby on a church doorstep.

In 1201 he set off on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but only reached Rochester in Kent, when he was set upon by thieves and murdered. His body was found by a madwoman. She covered him in honeysuckle and was apparently cured. William was buried in Rochester cathedral where many other miracles soon began to occur.

In 1256 bishop Laurence obtained permission from the Pope to set up an official shrine. Offerings there contributed to the rebuilding work of the cathedral.

There were many bequests made at the shrine including gifts from King Edward I in 1300, and Queen Philippa in 1352.

St William's Hospital, on the road to Maidstone, marks the place of his death.

Saint William of Rochester , inspired by your example may we give priority to the poor .

 

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Saint of the day: 24th May

Saint David of Scotland

Scotland's greatest king was the sixth and youngest son of St Margaret of Scotland and Malcolm III, born in 1085. He married Matilda daughter of Waldef, the Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northampton and Huntingdon which gave him a claim to the earldom Northumberland.

For many years he waged a long and unsuccessful war against England, but after being crowned king of Scotland in 1124, around the age of 40, he devoted his life to peaceful activities and became known as a kind, just and liberal king.

Historians say he was responsible for making Scotland into a modern nation, by reforming the legal system and public administration and encouraging trade and the foundation of towns. He also reformed the Scottish church, establishing a system of dioceses. Under his rule many monasteries, hospitals and almshouses were founded.

David prayed the Divine Office daily, received Communion each week and gave generous alms to the poor - often in person as his mother had done.

He died on this day in 1153 and was buried at Dunfermline. His shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage until the Reformation. One of the patron saints of Scotland, many churches are named after him.

Saint David of Scotland , inspired by your example may we be generous to the poor in whom we meet Jesus .

 

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Saint of the day: 25th May

The Venerable Bede

Monk. Born in Northumbria in 673, Bede studied at the newly-founded monastery of Wearmouth, and then Jarrow. Here he became a monk, and spent the rest of his life - probably travelling no further afield than York and Lindisfarne.

The Venerable Bede said: 'I have devoted my energies to the study of the Scriptures. Observing monastic discipline, singing the daily services in church, study, teaching and writing have always been my delight."

Bede's religious writings were very important in his day, but it is as a historian that he is most remembered now. He is one of the main contemporary authorities about the early saints in these islands. His most famous work is the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. He wrote other histories, the first martyrology, letters and poems - all in Latin. He wrote in the vernacular, although most of his English writing has been lost.

During his last illness he was translating the Gospel of St John and extracts from the writings of St Isidore of Seville. He died in 735, surrounded by his community, after dictating the last sentence.

A hundred years later he was already referred to as 'the Venerable'. It was not until 1899 that he was formally recognised as a Doctor of the Church. St Boniface called him ' a light of the Church, lit by the Holy Spirit'.

He wrote the Latin words of the hymns 'The hymns for conquering martyrs raise' and ' Sing we triumphant hymns of praise'.

The Venerable Bede , inspired by your example may we have a thirst for the Scriptures .

 

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Saint of the day: 26th May


Saint Philip Neri

Priest, reformer and founder. The son of a lawyer, Philip Neri was born in Florence in 1515. He was educated by the Dominicans before being apprenticed to an uncle's mercantile business. At 17 he went to Rome where he became a tutor in the house of a nobleman, wrote poetry, and studied theology and philosophy. From 1538 he formed a brotherhood of laymen who met together to pray and work with pilgrims and the sick. He spent much of his time at night praying in the catacomb of St Sebastian. In 1544 he is said to have had a mystical experience which permanently affected his physical heart.

Philip was ordained in 1551. He went to live at the clergy house at San Girolamo where he soon made a name as a confessor. An oratory was built over the church where religious addresses and discussions took place and work for the sick and needy was organised.

Musical services were also held here, consisting of a new composition on a religious theme sung by solo voices and a choir. This was the start of the oratorio.

In 1575 he formed the Congregation of the Oratory. For the next 33 years the Oratory was at the centre of religious life in Rome. Philip took a special interest in the young, and often met with the seminarians studying at the English College preparing for the perilous mission to England under Elizabeth I.

Known for his charismatic leadership, sense of humour, humility and kindly manner, he had many friends. Philip once said: 'A joyful heart is more easily made perfect than one cast down' .

Often described as the 'Second Apostle of Rome' Philip however did not escape criticism. Some were shocked by his friendliness and informality. He said that the path of perfection was for laypeople as much as for the clergy and religious. He preached more about love and spiritual integrity than physical austerity. He was very fond of cats. St Philip died in Rome in 1595. He was canonised in 1622 .

Saint Philip Neri , may we be inspired by your example as we journey along the path of perfection . When we fall may we not get discouraged .

 

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Saint of the day: 27th May

Saint Augustine of Canterbury

Bishop and missionary. Known as the Apostle of the English, St Augustine was Prior of St Andrew's in Rome when Pope Gregory the Great sent him with a band of 40 missionaries to evangelise England. They landed at Ebbsfleet near Ramsgate in 597. Augustine soon converted the local King Ethelbert whose wife Bertha, daughter of the King of Paris, was already Christian. Rather than ban pagan customs his missionaries incorporated some old practices into the Christian worship.

Augustine established his see at Canterbury and founded two more bishoprics at London and Rochester. He died at Canterbury around this time in 605.

From the earliest times St Augustine has been venerated as the evangeliser of the English, although his relatively short mission was confined to a limited area.

No early images of Augustine survive, but he is depicted in 14th century stained glass at Christ Church, Oxford, at Canterbury Cathedral (1470) and in a cycle of miniatures in the breviary of the Duke of Bedford (1424). He is also in 15th century frescoes in the church of St Gregory in Rome.

Saint Augustine of Canterbury , pray for us .

 

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Saint of the day: 28th May


Saint Germain of Paris

Abbott and bishop. Many incredible healings are attributed to this early French saint. Born in 496 near Autun, he was abbot of a monastery before becoming bishop of Paris in 555. He is said to have cured King Childebert I of a serious illness, and converted him from his licentious life. Out of gratitude the King built a huge Abbey for St Germain. He moved there, but continued to live very frugally.

Saint Germain was known for his generosity to all including the sick, slaves, prisoners and people of all races. He died on this day in 576.

He was buried close to King Childebert in his abbey church. In 1408 a fine reliquary was built. This was later enshrined above the high altar. It was destroyed during the French Revolution. Together with St Genevieve, he is a patron of Paris. He is also known as 'father of the poor'.

Saint Germain of Paris , known as father of the poor , may we be inspired by your example .

 

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Saint of the day: 29th May

Saint Bona of Pisa

Pilgrim. St Bona was born in Pisa in 1156. From an early age she experienced visions, particularly of St James. By the age of ten she had decided to dedicate herself to the Augustinian rule and by 14 had set off on her first journey to see her father, who was fighting in the Crusades near Jerusalem. On her way home she was captured by Muslim pirates in the Mediterranean, wounded and imprisoned. Some fellow Pisans rescued her and brought her home.

Bona wasn't put off by those experiences. She soon set out again on a thousand mile pilgrimage to Compostella - this time leading a large group of pilgrims under the auspices of the Knights of St James.

She was to make the journey a further nine times, travelling mainly on foot. Bona was cheerful and adventurous: 'full of energy, helpful and unselfish, ready to reassure with her smile those who were sick' - according to a contemporary account.

She became ill while setting out on her tenth pilgrimage. Bona managed to reach her little room near the church of San Martino, and died on this day in 1207, aged 51.

She is a patron saint of travellers, couriers, tour guides and airline staff and has been adopted as a patron by several airlines.

Saint Bona of Pisa , pray for us .

 

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Saint of the day: 30th May

Saint Joan of Arc

The Maid of Orleans was the daughter of a peasant, born in Domremy in Lorraine, in 1412. From the age of 13 she began hearing heavenly voices telling her to take up arms and lead the French army against the English who had invaded the country.

She obtained an audience with the the Dauphin, Charles, and after a searching interview, he entrusted her with a staff of attendants and a suit of armour. They joined the army at Blois and ten days later routed the English who had been besieging Orleans. Further victories followed and Charles was crowned King at Rouen.

However, Joan was captured by the Burgundians and handed over to the English. She was tried by a church court, presided over by the Bishop of Beauvais, on charges of witchcraft and heresy. During 15 sessions, St Joan defended herself and her 'heavenly voices'. She was condemned as a heretic and burnt at the stake in 1431.

The case was tried again in 1456 and she was found innocent. After centuries of popular veneration she was canonised in 1920. St Joan was declared Patron of France in 1922.

Saint Joan of Arc , pray for the people of France .

 

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Saint of the day: 31st May

Saint Petronilla

Little is known about this early Roman martyr, except that she refused to marry a nobleman named Flaccus in the first century. He threatened to kill her but she died naturally after three days fasting. She was a member of the Domitilla family and was buried in their catacomb. During the eighth century her sarcophagus was moved to St Peter's.

Her chapel there was later used by the kings of France and by the Popes who employed Michelangelo.

Her image is often depicted in English mediaeval stained glass windows and screens. Her usual emblem is a set of keys. presumably borrowed from St Peter's. On this day, Mass is offered in the chapel for France and is attended by French residents in Rome.

Saint Petronilla , pray for the people of France .

 

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Saint of the day: 1st June


St Whyte

Whitchurch Canonicorum
Whitchurch Canonicorum church .

This early British saint gave her name to, and is buried at Whitechurch Canonicorum, in Dorset. Her modest shrine, together with that of Edward the Confessor, (in Westminster Abbey) are the only two to survive intact in England to this day.

Very little is known about her. Some historians think she was a West Saxon, others say she may have been the Welsh saint Gwen, whose relics were given by St Athelstan to this church.

William Worcestre and John Gerard both mention her relics. St Thomas More referred to the custom of offering cakes or cheese on her feast day.

In 1990 her leaden coffin was opened. It was inscribed: Hic requies[bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] reliquie Sancte Wite, and contained the bones of a small woman about 40 years old.

St Whyte , pray for us .

 

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Saint of the day: 2nd June

Saint Erasmus



Popularly known as St Elmo, this early saint was Bishop of Formiae in Italy. When the Christians were being persecuted under Emperor Diocletian according to legend he took refuge on Mt Lebanon, living on food brought to him by birds.

He was captured and suffered horrendous tortures before he managed to escape and began boldly preaching again. He was recaptured in Illyricum, tortured again, and finally killed in 303. His symbol is a windlass used to lift a ship's anchor.

St Elmo is the patron saint of sailors. St Elmo's Fire - a electrical phenomenon that sometimes appears on ship's mastheads after a storm, is named after him.

For centuries the parish church of Faversham in Kent had an altar dedicated to St Erasmus with lights provided by legacies. Several alabastar carvings, and paintings of him by Grunwald, Cranach and Dirk Bouts survive to this day, as does a sculpture of the saint in the chapel of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey.


Saint Erasmus , pray for us .

 

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Saint of the day: 3rd June

The Martyrs of Uganda






This group of 22 Africans who died for their faith in 1885-87 includes Charles Lwanga, Joseph Mukasa, Judge Matthias Murumba and Andrew Kagwa, a leading catechist.

The tyrannical King Mwanga ordered the persecutions. He began by killing an Anglican missionary, Bishop James Hannington, and several Christian converts in his court. When Charles Lwanga and several others protested, Mwanga ordered them to be dismembered and burnt alive. The Divine Office [Collins. Volume III] states: "Because they would not acquiesce in the impure desires of the king some of them were killed by the sword while others were burned alive" p. 37* --- and the MARTIROLOGIO ROMANO "essendosi rifiutati di accondiscendere alle turpi richieste del re ..." p. 445.

Many Christians of all denominations were killed before Mwanga was overthrown in 1888.

The martyrs, lead by Charles Lwanga are reputed to have sung hymns as they perished. They were all canonised on October 18 1964 by Pope Paul VI. They are the Protomartyrs of Sub Saharan Africa and Charles is the patron of African young people.


The Martyrs of Uganda , pray for the people of Africa .

 

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Saint of the day: 4th June

Saint Petroc

Abbot. Cornwall's most famous saint and early hunt saboteur. Petroc is said to have been the son of a Welsh chieftain. He studied in Ireland before settling in Cornwall in the 4th century.

Petroc founded a monastery at what is now called Padstow (Petroc's Stow). About 30 years later he established another monastery at Little Petherick, where he built a mill and a chapel. In his last years, Petroc lived as a hermit on Bodmin Moor. He built a cell there for himself by the river and a monastery for twelve monks who followed him.

St Petroc died at Treravel while on a journey visiting his other monasteries. He was buried at Padstow which became the centre of his cult.

His relics were later moved to Bodmin. In 1177 a disgruntled canon took them off to the abbey of St Mewan in Brittany. Thanks to the intervention of King Henry II they were returned to Bodmin amidst great celebrations. This event has been revived as part of the Bodmin Riding and Heritage Festival. The actual reliquary survived the Reformation and the destruction of the shrine.

Petroc was greatly revered for centuries throughout Cornwall and Brittany, (where he is known as St Perreux). The saint had a special affinity with wild animals. One of his emblems is a stag - in memory of one he rescued from hunters. According to legend he also once tamed a dragon.

Saint Petroc , pray for us .

 

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Saint of the day: 5th June

Saint Boniface

Bishop and martyr. St Boniface was born around 680AD to a Saxon farming family near Crediton in Devon. He was baptised as Wynfrith. Educated in monastery schools in the West Country, he became a monk, first at Exeter, then at Nursling, near Southampton. During this time he compiled the first Latin grammar written in English. In 718, he left his homeland, never to return, to take the Gospel to the pagan tribes in Germany.

The results of his mission were long-lasting. His mission extended over Hesse, Bavaria, Westphalia, the Thuringenland, and Wurtenburg. To help in his work he enlisted many men and women from Wessex.

The text of many of letters written by St Boniface and others from the time still exist and depict a great and lovable man. He journeyed to Rome three times to report to the Pope. On his second visit he was made bishop and by around 732 he was archbishop. When he was over 70 he set out on a mission to Holland. There his life ended in martyrdom. At a place called Dokkum he was set upon by a group of Frieslanders armed with swords as he sat reading in his tent.

Archbishop Cuthbert of Canterbury wrote at the time: "we in England lovingly reckon Boniface to be among the best and greatest teachers of the faith."

St Boniface is especially honoured in Germany. His tomb at Fulda, where he established a monastery is revered as a sacred place.


Saint Boniface , pray for us .

 

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Saint of the day: 6th June

Saint Norbert

Bishop and founder. Born into an aristocratic family near Cleves in Germany, in around 1080. Norbert embarked on a comfortable career holding several posts at the wealthy courts of Archbishop Frederick I and Emperor Henry V.

When he was about 35, he had a riding accident, narrowly escaping death, and underwent a sudden conversion which made him give up his life at court to become a priest. Soon after his ordination he tried to reform the canons of Xanten, asking them to give up their luxurious lifestyle and devote more time to prayer and pastoral duties. His appeal was treated with contempt, so he left the court to become an itinerant preacher. He founded a community of reformed canons under the rule of St Augustine at Premontre. This was the first house of the Premonstratensians (now normally called the Norbertines). The new order was very popular in Western Europe because it combined the priesthood with an austere daily life.

In 1126 he was chosen as archbishop of Magdeburg and introduced many reforms into his diocese, fighting corrupt practices among the clergy and laity. In 1130 he put all his influence behind Pope Innocent t II in his struggle with the antipope Pierleone. Norbert was appointed Chancellor for Italy by Emperor Lothair II. There was more than one attempt on his life.

In the 20 years that he lived after his conversion he made a great mark on his era. He died in Magdeburg in 1134 and was canonised in 1582. His relics were moved to the abbey church of his order at Strahove near Prague. His emblem is a monstrance

Saint Norbert , pray for us .

 

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Saint of the day: 7th June

Saint Meriadoc

Bishop, patron of Cambourne in Cornwall. St Meriadoc (also known as Meriasek) was probably a Welshman who founded at least one church in Cornwall and several churches and monasteries in Brittany. He eventually became a bishop there and his feast is celebrated in several Breton dioceses to this day.

The rare Cornish miracle play: Beunans Meriasek, tells his life story. St Meriadoc was once very rich but he gave away all his possessions - much to the consternation of his relatives - and devoted his life to prayer and caring for the sick and needy.

'Poverty is a remover of cares and the mother of holiness,' he said.

His bell is still in the church at Stival. Placed on the heads of migraine sufferers or the deaf, it is said to heal them.

Saint Meriadoc , may we be inspired by your example to care for those in need .

 

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Saint of the day: 8th June

St William of York

Archbishop. A patron saint of victims of injustice. St William of York's early career in the church was very successful. As a young man in 1130, he was appointed treasurer of York and chaplain to King Steven. He was known as a kind and good-natured person. When the archbishop of York died, the authorities chose William as his successor. But from that time on things went badly wrong, as he became the innocent victim of malicious gossip. Bernard and the Yorkshire Cistercians accused him of a number of wicked deeds shortly before he was to be installed as Archbishop of York. This set off a wrangle that was to last for years.

William retired to Winchester and lived devoutly as a monk until 1153, when his name was cleared. Enormous crowds greeted him when he returned to York. But he died suddenly, possibly of poisoning, just a month later.

He was buried in his cathedral and many miracles began to be reported at his tomb. Pope Honorius II appointed the monks of Fountains and Rievaulx to investigate his life and miracles. He was canonised in 1227. In 1421 the famous St William window was made, depicting his life, death, translation and miracles in 62 scenes.

St William's shrine flourished for centuries. A few modern churches are named after him.


St William of York , pray for victims of gossip and for those who indulge in malicious gossip .

 

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Saint of the day: 9th June


St Columba

Born at Gartan in Co Donegal, in 521, St Columba was trained as a monk first by Finian of Moville and then by Finian of Clonard. He spent 15 years in Ireland preaching and founding monasteries - the greatest of these being Kells, Durrow and Derry. Then in 565 he left with twelve companions for the Scottish island of Iona. There he founded the community that was to become the heart of Celtic Christianity.

From Iona, Columba and his monks made extensive journeys - evangelising the north of England and establishing religious communities. The king of the Picts, Brude, and many of his people, were converted after watching Columba drive away a sea monster.

According to his biographer Adomnan, writing a century later, Columba was a charismatic figure, who combined the skills of scholar, scribe, poet and ruler with a fearless commitment to God's cause.

On this day in 587, St Columba was copying the psalm: 'They that love the Lord shall lack no good thing' - when he had to stop as he was too weak to continue. He died shortly afterwards.

Adoman writes that he was: " loving to everyone, happy-faced, rejoicing in his inmost heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit."


St Columba , pray for us that we may rejoice in our hearts with the joy of the Holy Spirit .

 

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Saint of the day: 10th June


St Landry (or Landeric) of Paris

Saint Landry is known mainly for his work with the sick. From the time he was consecrated Bishop of Paris in 650, he devoted himself to their care - founding the city's first hospital, dedicated to St Christopher, next to Notre Dame Cathedral.

His generosity was so great that in times of famine, Landry sold or pawned the sacred vessels and his own furniture in order to relieve the suffering of the poor. Together with 23 other bishops he subscribed to the charter Clovis II gave to Saint-Denis Abbe
y in 653.

St Landry died in 661. The hospital changed its name to the Hotel Dieu, and exists to this day.

He was buried in the church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, then called St Vincent's, where his relics, except two bones given to the parish of Saint-Landry in 1408, are kept in a silver shrine. He is honoured with an office in the new Paris Breviary.

St Landry , pray for those who care for the sick .