Blessed Cesar de Bus April 15 is the memorial for Blessed Cesar de Bus. As a young man, Cesar de Bus lived a frivolous and wild life. After a dramatic conversion experience, he devoted his life to God and was ordained in 1582. He looked to the example of Saint … Read more...

Saint John Baptist de La Salle April 7 is the memorial for Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the patron saint of teachers and educators. Saint John Baptist de La Salle gave up his personal wealth and … Read more...

Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka March 30 is the memorial for Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka. Blessed Mary Restituta Kafka was the daughter of a shoemaker in Vienna, Austria, and she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity in 1914, at the age of 16. She worked as a nurse for 20 … Read more...

Saint Joseph March 19 is one of the two memorials for Saint Joseph. On March 19 we celebrate for Joseph the husband of Mary, and on May 1 for Joseph the worker. Joseph was a just and compassionate man, and protected Mary from shame when he discovered that she was … Read more...

Saint Brigid of Ireland Since the Focus on Faith article is about Saint Patrick, whose memorial is March 17, I thought it would be appropriate to present another patron saint of Ireland in the Saint Spotlight. February 1 is the memorial for Saint Brigid of Ireland. As a child, Brigid … Read more...

Saint John of God March 8 is the memorial for Saint John of God. . Born in 1495 in Portugal, Saint John of God spent his youth and early adult life as a soldier, a mercenary, and later a peddler of religious books even though he had no religious convictions. … Read more...

Saint Katharine Drexel March 3 is the memorial for Saint Katharine Drexel. Born into a wealthy family in 1858, Saint Katharine learned early in life the responsibility of using her resources to help others. In an audience with Pope Leo XIII in 1887, she asked the Pope to send missionaries … Read more...

Saint Paula of Saint Joseph of Calasanzra Angelico February 26 is the memorial for Saint Paula of Saint Joseph of Calasanz. Saint Paula was born in Spain in 1799. When she was still young, her father died, and she worked with her mother to help raise her four siblings. From … Read more...

Blessed Fra Angelico February 18 is the memorial for Blessed Fra Angelico Born in 1387 Fra Angelico was a gifted Dominican artist. His given birth name was Guido di Pietro, and he took the name Fra Giovanna when he joined the Dominican order. After his death, the title Fra Angelico … Read more...

Saint Josephine Bakhita February 8 is the memorial for Saint Josephine Bakhita. The patron saint of Sudan, Josephine Bakhita was kidnapped at the age of 9 and sold into slavery, eventually ending up in Italy. In Italy she converted to Christianity and later became a Canossian Sister. She worked to … Read more...

Saint Blase A physician and Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia, Saint Blase was imprisoned during a time of Christian persecution in Armenia. While imprisoned he cared for his fellow prisoners and saved a child who was choking. For this reason he was named patron of healthy throats and against throat disease. … Read more...

Saint Thomas Aquinas January 28 is the memorial for Saint Thomas Aquinas. A Doctor of the Church, Saint Thomas Aquinas is a wonderful model for the role of curiosity in learning. Born near Naples, Italy, he joined the mendicant Dominican friars in 1244 against the wishes of his family. He … Read more...

Saint Agnes of Rome January 21 is the memorial for Saint Agnes of Rome. Saint Agnes was martyred in Rome in the late 3rd or early 4th century. As a young girl, she was to be sacrificed to the pagan gods. At the time of her sacrifice, she made the … Read more...

Blessed Peter Donders January 14 is the memorial for Blessed Peter Donders. Blessed Peter Donders stands as a remarkable example of persistence and commitment to the call to priestly vocation. Born in Holland in 1809, he grew up in poverty, rarely attending school. At the age of 22, he entered … Read more...

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini December 22 is the memorial for Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. Saint Frances Cabrini was born in Italy in 1850. Mother Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart with a mission to minister to the poor in schools and hospitals. Sent by Pope Leo XIII, … Read more...

Saint John of the Cross December 14 is the memorial for Saint John of the Cross. Saint John of the Cross is recognized as a Doctor of the Church. A member of the Carmelite order, Saint John of the Cross began the Discalced reform of the order. Although his reforms … Read more...

Saint Juan Diego December 9 is the memorial for Saint Juan Diego. Canonized in 2002, Saint Juan Diego was a devoted and faithful convert to Catholicism. He was an indigenous member of Mexican society, holding no social or financial status. Every Saturday and Sunday, he would walk a great distance … Read more...

Saint Francis Xavier December 3 is the memorial for Saint Francis Xavier. Saint Francis Xavier was a friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the founding Jesuits. He worked as a missionary in Asia, Africa, the East Indies, Portugal, and Italy before dying in China from an illness … Read more...