Saint Gianna Beretta MollaApril 28 is the memorial for Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. Gianna was born in 1922 in Milan, Italy, into a large, pious family. She was a wife, mother, and pediatrician. Facing a difficult delivery of her fourth child, she made it clear that if the doctors could … Read more...

Saint Anselm of CanterburyApril 21 is the memorial for Saint Anselm of Canterbury. Anselm was born in Italy in 1033. He wished to enter religious life, but his father would not allow him to. In 1056 he fled to France, and become a Benedictine monk in 1060. In 1092 he … Read more...

Blessed Cesar de BusApril 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 Charles … Read more...

Saint John Baptist de La SalleApril 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 comfort … Read more...

Mary Restituta KafkaMarch 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 years. After … Read more...

Saint Margaret ClitherowMarch 26 is the memorial for Saint Margaret Clitherow. Born in 1556 in York, England, Saint Margaret Clitherow was raised Anglican but later converted to Catholicism. She was imprisoned for sheltering priests and allowing the Mass to be celebrated on her property. She was martyred on Good Friday … Read more...

Saint Brigid of IrelandSince 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 heard … Read more...

Saint John of GodMarch 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. After having … Read more...

Saint Katharine DrexelMarch 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 to … Read more...

Saint Paula of Saint Joseph of CalasanzFebruary 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 this experience … Read more...

Blessed Fra AngelicoFebruary 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 came … Read more...

Saint Josephine BakhitaFebruary 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 serve … Read more...

Saint BlaiseFebruary 3 is the memorial for Saint Blaise. A physician and Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia, Saint Blaise 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 … 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 DondersJanuary 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 the … Read more...

Saint Frances Xavier CabriniDecember 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 Heartwith a mission to minister to the poor in schools and hospitals. Sent by Pope Leo XIII, Mother Cabrini … Read more...

Saint John of the CrossDecember 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 were … Read more...