THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS, TOR

Blessed Charles de Foucauld Saint of the Day for December 1 (September 15, 1858 – December 1, 1916) Click to hear audio clip ► Blessed Charles de Foucauld’s Story Born into an aristocratic family in Strasbourg, France, Charles was orphaned at the age of 6, raised by his devout grandfather, rejected the Catholic faith as […]

Blessed Rafal Chylinski Saint of the Day December 2 (January 8, 1694 – December 2, 1741) Click to hear audio clip ► Blessed Rafal Chylinski’s Story Born near Buk in the Poznan region of Poland, Melchior showed early signs of religious devotion; family members nicknamed him “the little monk.” After completing his studies at the […]

  Saint Francis Xavier Saint of the Day for December 3 (April 7, 1506 – December 3, 1552) Click to hear audio clip ► Saint Francis Xavier’s Story Jesus asked, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26a). The words were repeated to a young teacher of […]

Saint John Damascene Saint of the Day for December 4 (c. 676 -749) Click to hear audio clip ► Saint John Damascene’s Story John spent most of his life in the monastery of Saint Sabas, near Jerusalem, and all of his life under Muslim rule, indeed, protected by it. He was born in Damascus, received […]

                          Saint Sabas Saint of the Day for December 5 (439 – December 5, 532)  Click to hear audio clip ► Saint Sabas’ Story Born in Cappadocia, Sabas is one of the most highly regarded patriarchs among the monks of Palestine, and is considered one […]

Saint Nicholas Saint of the Day for December 6 (March 15, 270 – December 6, 343) Click to hear audio clip ► Saint Nicholas’ Story The absence of the “hard facts” of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to Saint Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western […]

Saint Ambrose Saint of the Day for December 7 (337 – April 4, 397) Click to hear audio clip ► Saint Ambrose’ Story One of Ambrose’s biographers observed that at the Last Judgment, people would still be divided between those who admired Ambrose and those who heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of action […]

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Saint of the Day for December 8 Click to hear audio clip ► The Story of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the 11th […]

Saint Juan Diego Saint of the Day for December 9 (1474 – May 30, 1548)  Click to hear audio clip ► Saint Juan Diego’s Story Thousands of people gathered in […]

Blessed Adolph Kolping Saint of the Day for December 10 (December 8, 1813 – December 4, 1865) Click to hear audio clip ► Blessed Adolph Kolping’s Story The rise of […]