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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260820
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260821
DTSTAMP:20170727T180909Z
CREATED:20170727T180909Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180909Z
UID:50866-1787184000-1787270399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
DESCRIPTION:Image: Stained glass representing St. Bernard of Clairvaux | photo by Jastrow (2006)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Bernard of Clairvaux\nSaint of the Day for August 20\n(1090 – August 20\, 1153)\nSaint Bernard of Clairvaux’s Story\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nMan of the century! Woman of the century! You see such terms applied to so many today—“golfer of the century\,” “composer of the century\,” “right tackle of the century”—that the line no longer has any punch. But Western Europe’s “man of the twelfth century\,” without doubt or controversy\, had to be Bernard of Clairvaux. Adviser of popes\, preacher of the Second Crusade\, defender of the faith\, healer of a schism\, reformer of a monastic Order\, Scripture scholar\, theologian\, and eloquent preacher: any one of these titles would distinguish an ordinary man. Yet Bernard was all of these—and he still retained a burning desire to return to the hidden monastic life of his younger days. \nIn the year 1111\, at the age of 20\, Bernard left his home to join the monastic community of Citeaux. His five brothers\, two uncles\, and some 30 young friends followed him into the monastery. Within four years\, a dying community had recovered enough vitality to establish a new house in the nearby valley of Wormwoods\, with Bernard as abbot. The zealous young man was quite demanding\, though more on himself than others. A slight breakdown of health taught him to be more patient and understanding. The valley was soon renamed Clairvaux\, the valley of light. \nHis ability as arbitrator and counselor became widely known. More and more he was lured away from the monastery to settle long-standing disputes. On several of these occasions\, he apparently stepped on some sensitive toes in Rome. Bernard was completely dedicated to the primacy of the Roman See. But to a letter of warning from Rome\, he replied that the good fathers in Rome had enough to do to keep the Church in one piece. If any matters arose that warranted their interest\, he would be the first to let them know. \nShortly thereafter it was Bernard who intervened in a full-blown schism and settled it in favor of the Roman pontiff against the antipope. \nThe Holy See prevailed on Bernard to preach the Second Crusade throughout Europe. His eloquence was so overwhelming that a great army was assembled and the success of the crusade seemed assured. The ideals of the men and their leaders\, however\, were not those of Abbot Bernard\, and the project ended as a complete military and moral disaster. \nBernard felt responsible in some way for the degenerative effects of the crusade. This heavy burden possibly hastened his death\, which came August 20\, 1153. \n\nReflection\nBernard’s life in the Church was more active than we can imagine possible today. His efforts produced far-reaching results. But he knew that they would have availed little without the many hours of prayer and contemplation that brought him strength and heavenly direction. His life was characterized by a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. His sermons and books about Mary are still the standard of Marian theology.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-bernard-of-clairvaux/2026-08-20/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260821
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260822
DTSTAMP:20170727T180911Z
CREATED:20170727T180911Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180911Z
UID:50869-1787270400-1787356799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Pius X
DESCRIPTION:Image: Portrait of Pope Saint Pius X | Library of Congress | Tryphosa Bates-Batcheller\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Pius X\nSaint of the Day for August 21\n(June 2\, 1835 – August 20\, 1914)\nSaint Pius X’s Story\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nPope Pius X is perhaps best remembered for his encouragement of the frequent reception of Holy Communion\, especially by children. \nThe second of 10 children in a poor Italian family\, Joseph Sarto became Pius X at age 68. He was one of the 20th century’s greatest popes. \nEver mindful of his humble origin\, Pope Pius stated\, “I was born poor\, I lived poor\, I will die poor.” He was embarrassed by some of the pomp of the papal court. “Look how they have dressed me up\,” he said in tears to an old friend. To another\, “It is a penance to be forced to accept all these practices. They lead me around surrounded by soldiers like Jesus when he was seized in Gethsemani.” \nInterested in politics\, Pope Pius encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically involved. One of his first papal acts was to end the supposed right of governments to interfere by veto in papal elections—a practice that reduced the freedom of the 1903 conclave which had elected him. \nIn 1905\, when France renounced its agreement with the Holy See and threatened confiscation of Church property if governmental control of Church affairs were not granted\, Pius X courageously rejected the demand. \nWhile he did not author a famous social encyclical as his predecessor had done\, he denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations of Peru\, sent a relief commission to Messina after an earthquake\, and sheltered refugees at his own expense. \nOn the 11th anniversary of his election as pope\, Europe was plunged into World War I. Pius had foreseen it\, but it killed him. “This is the last affliction the Lord will visit on me. I would gladly give my life to save my poor children from this ghastly scourge.” He died a few weeks after the war began\, and was canonized in 1954. \n\nReflection\nHis humble background was no obstacle in relating to a personal God and to people whom he loved genuinely. Pius X gained his strength\, his gentleness and warmth for people from the source of all gifts\, the Spirit of Jesus. In contrast\, we often feel embarrassed by our backgrounds. Shame makes us prefer to remain aloof from people whom we perceive as superior. If we are in a superior position\, on the other hand\, we often ignore simpler people. Yet we\, too\, have to help “restore all things in Christ\,” especially the wounded people of God.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-pius-x/2026-08-21/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260822
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTSTAMP:20170727T180914Z
CREATED:20170727T180914Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180914Z
UID:50872-1787356800-1787443199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Queenship of Mary
DESCRIPTION:Image: Virgin of the Deliverance | Ernest Hébert\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nQueenship of Mary\nSaint of the Day for August 22\nThe Story of the Queenship of Mary\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODAug22.mp3\nPope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation\, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation\, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life\, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court. \nIn the fourth century St. Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail\, Holy Queen\,” “Hail\, Queen of Heaven\,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship. \nThe feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption\, and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To the Queen of Heaven\, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God\, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work\, because of her preeminent perfection\, and because of her intercessory power. \n\nReflection\nAs Saint Paul suggests in Romans 8:28–30\, God has predestined human beings from all eternity to share the image of his Son. All the more was Mary predestined to be the mother of Jesus. As Jesus was to be king of all creation\, Mary\, in dependence on Jesus\, was to be queen. All other titles to queenship derive from this eternal intention of God. As Jesus exercised his kingship on earth by serving his Father and his fellow human beings\, so did Mary exercise her queenship. As the glorified Jesus remains with us as our king till the end of time (Matthew 28:20)\, so does Mary\, who was assumed into heaven and crowned queen of heaven and earth.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/queenship-of-mary/2026-08-22/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260823
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260824
DTSTAMP:20170727T180916Z
CREATED:20170727T180916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180916Z
UID:50874-1787443200-1787529599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Rose of Lima
DESCRIPTION:Image: Saint Rose of Lima with Child Jesus | anonymous\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Rose of Lima\nSaint of the Day for August 23\n(April 20\, 1586 – August 24\, 1617)\n Saint Rose of Lima’s Story\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODAug23.mp3\nThe first canonized saint of the New World has one characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive practice of mortification. \nShe was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima\, Peru\, at a time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She seems to have taken Catherine of Siena as a model\, in spite of the objections and ridicule of parents and friends. \nThe saints have so great a love of God that what seems bizarre to us\, and is indeed sometimes imprudent\, is simply a logical carrying out of a conviction that anything that might endanger a loving relationship with God must be rooted out. So\, because her beauty was so often admired\, Rose used to rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later\, she wore a thick circlet of silver on her head\, studded on the inside\, like a crown of thorns. \nWhen her parents fell into financial trouble\, she worked in the garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against her parents began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a convent\, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. So deep was her desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in solitude. \nDuring the last few years of her life\, Rose set up a room in the house where she cared for homeless children\, the elderly\, and the sick. This was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and activity\, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators\, who could only say that she was influenced by grace. \nWhat might have been a merely eccentric life was transfigured from the inside. If we remember some unusual penances\, we should also remember the greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it withstood ridicule from without\, violent temptation\, and lengthy periods of sickness. When she died at 31\, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took turns carrying her coffin. \n\nReflection\nIt is easy to dismiss excessive penances of the saints as the expression of a certain culture or temperament. But a woman wearing a crown of thorns may at least prod our consciences. We enjoy the most comfort-oriented life in human history. We eat too much\, drink too much\, use a million gadgets\, fill our eyes and ears with everything imaginable. Commerce thrives on creating useless needs on which to spend our money. It seems that when we have become most like slaves\, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to discipline ourselves in such an atmosphere? \n\nSaint Rose of Lima is the Patron Saint of:\nAmericas\nFlorists\nLatin America\nPeru\nPhilippines\nSouth America
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-rose-of-lima/2026-08-23/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260824
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260825
DTSTAMP:20170727T180918Z
CREATED:20170727T180918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180918Z
UID:50880-1787529600-1787615999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Bartholomew
DESCRIPTION:Image: Sant Bertolomeu | Bernat Jiménez\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Bartholomew\nSaint of the Day for August 24\n(b. 1st century)\nSaint Bartholomew’s Story\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODAug24.mp3\nIn the New Testament\, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael\, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip. Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him\, Jesus said\, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48b). Whatever amazing revelation this involved\, it brought Nathanael to exclaim\, “Rabbi\, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with\, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50b). \nNathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success. In the morning\, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus. He told them to cast their net again\, and they made so great a catch that they could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter\, “It is the Lord.” \nWhen they brought the boat to shore\, they found a fire burning\, with some fish laid on it and some bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught\, and invited them to come and eat their meal. John relates that although they knew it was Jesus\, none of the apostles presumed to inquire who he was. This\, John notes\, was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles. \n\nReflection\nBartholomew or Nathanael? We are confronted again with the fact that we know almost nothing about most of the apostles. Yet the unknown ones were also foundation stones\, the 12 pillars of the new Israel whose 12 tribes now encompass the whole earth. Their personalities were secondary–without thereby being demeaned–to their great office of bearing tradition from their firsthand experience\, speaking in the name of Jesus\, putting the Word Made Flesh into human words for the enlightenment of the world. Their holiness was not an introverted contemplation of their status before God. It was a gift that they had to share with others. The Good News was that all are called to the holiness of being Christ’s members\, by the gracious gift of God. \nThe simple fact is that humanity is totally meaningless unless God is its total concern. Then humanity\, made holy with God’s own holiness\, becomes the most precious creation of God. \n\nSaint Bartholomew is the Patron Saint of:\nPlasterers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-bartholomew/2026-08-24/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260825
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260826
DTSTAMP:20170727T180921Z
CREATED:20170727T180921Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180921Z
UID:50886-1787616000-1787702399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Louis of France
DESCRIPTION:Image: HDR photo of the Apotheosis of St. Louis | Sculpture by C.H. Niehaus\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Louis IX of France\nSaint of the Day for August 25\n(April 25\, 1214 – August 25\, 1270)\nSaint Louis of France’s Story\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODAug25.mp3\nAt his coronation as king of France\, Louis IX bound himself by oath to behave as God’s anointed\, as the father of his people and feudal lord of the King of Peace. Other kings had done the same\, of course. Louis was different in that he actually interpreted his kingly duties in the light of faith. After the violence of two previous reigns\, he brought peace and justice. \nLouis “took the cross” for a Crusade when he was 30. His army seized Damietta in Egypt but not long after\, weakened by dysentery and without support\, they were surrounded and captured. Louis obtained the release of the army by giving up the city of Damietta in addition to paying a ransom. He stayed in Syria four years. \nLouis deserves credit for extending justice in civil administration. His regulations for royal officials became the first of a series of reform laws. He replaced trial by battle with a form of examination of witnesses and encouraged the use of written records in court. \nLouis was always respectful of the papacy\, but defended royal interests against the popes\, and refused to acknowledge Innocent IV’s sentence against Emperor Frederick II. \nLouis was devoted to his people\, founding hospitals\, visiting the sick\, and like his patron Saint Francis\, caring even for people with leprosy. He is one of the patrons of the Secular Franciscan Order. Louis united France—lords and townsfolk\, peasants and priests and knights—by the force of his personality and holiness. For many years the nation was at peace. \nEvery day\, Louis had 13 special guests from among the poor to eat with him\, and a large number of poor were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent\, all who presented themselves were given a meal\, and Louis often served them in person. He kept lists of needy people\, whom he regularly relieved\, in every province of his dominion. \nDisturbed by new Muslim advances in Syria\, he led another crusade in 1267\, at the age of 41. His crusade was diverted to Tunis for his brother’s sake. The army was decimated by disease within a month\, and Louis himself died on foreign soil at the age of 44. He was canonized 27 years later. \n\nReflection\nLouis was strong-willed\, strong-minded. His word was trusted utterly\, and his courage in action was remarkable. What is most remarkable was his sense of respect for anyone with whom he dealt\, especially the “humble folk of the Lord.” To care for his people he built cathedrals\, churches\, libraries\, hospitals and orphanages. He dealt with princes honestly and equitably. He hoped to be treated the same way by the King of Kings\, to whom he gave his life\, his family and his country. \n\nSaint Louis of France is the Patron Saint of:\nBarbers\nGrooms\nSecular Franciscan Order
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-louis-of-france/2026-08-25/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260826
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260827
DTSTAMP:20170727T180923Z
CREATED:20170727T180923Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180923Z
UID:50888-1787702400-1787788799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Joseph Calasanz
DESCRIPTION:Image: San José de Calasanz | Francisco Jover y Casanova\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Joseph Calasanz\nSaint of the Day for August 26\n(September 11\, 1556 – August 25\, 1648)\nSaint Joseph Calasanz’ Story\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODAug26.mp3\nFrom Aragon\, where he was born in 1556\, to Rome\, where he died 92 years later\, fortune alternately smiled and frowned on the work of Joseph Calasanz. A priest with university training in canon law and theology\, respected for his wisdom and administrative expertise\, he put aside his career because he was deeply concerned with the need for education of poor children. \nWhen he was unable to get other institutes to undertake this apostolate at Rome\, Joseph and several companions personally provided a free school for deprived children. So overwhelming was the response that there was a constant need for larger facilities to house their effort. Soon\, Pope Clement VIII gave support to the school\, and this aid continued under Pope Paul V. Other schools were opened; other men were attracted to the work\, and in 1621 the community–for so the teachers lived–was recognized as a religious community\, the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools–Piarists or Scolopi. Not long after\, Joseph was appointed superior for life. \nA combination of various prejudices and political ambition and maneuvering caused the institute much turmoil. Some did not favor educating the poor\, for education would leave the poor dissatisfied with their lowly tasks for society! Others were shocked that some of the Piarists were sent for instruction to Galileo–a friend of Joseph–as superior\, thus dividing the members into opposite camps. Repeatedly investigated by papal commissions\, Joseph was demoted; when the struggle within the institute persisted\, the Piarists were suppressed. Only after Joseph’s death were they formally recognized as a religious community. \n\nReflection\nNo one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was doing; no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against him. Yet if he were to work within the Church\, he realized that he must submit to its authority\, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince authorized investigators. While the prejudice\, the scheming and the ignorance of men often keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time\, Joseph was convinced\, even under suppression\, that his institute would again be recognized and authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine spirit of forgiveness. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Saint Joseph Calasanz is August 25.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-joseph-calasanz/2026-08-26/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260827
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260828
DTSTAMP:20170727T180926Z
CREATED:20170727T180926Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180926Z
UID:50890-1787788800-1787875199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Monica
DESCRIPTION:Image: Detail | Stained glass window in the Church of Saint James the Greater in Bouxwiller | photo by GFreihalter\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Monica\nSaint of the Day for August 27\n(c. 330 – 387)\nSaint Monica’s Story\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nThe circumstances of Saint Monica’s life could have made her a nagging wife\, a bitter daughter-in-law\, and a despairing parent\, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian\, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan\, Patricius\, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features\, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety\, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371\, one year after his baptism. \nMonica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest\, Augustine\, is the most famous. At the time of his father’s death\, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy–“all flesh is evil”–and was living an immoral life. For a while\, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on\, she stayed close to her son\, praying and fasting for him. In fact she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted. \nWhen he was 29\, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick\, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult\, Monica pursued him to Milan. \nIn Milan\, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop\, Saint Ambrose\, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her. Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste. \nShe continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of instruction. At Easter 387\, Saint Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Soon after\, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware of it\, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine\, “Son\, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here\, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death. \nAlmost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of Saint Augustine\, especially his Confessions. \n\nReflection\nToday\, with Internet searches\, online shopping\, text messages\, tweets and instant credit\, we have little patience for things that take time. Likewise\, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of patience. Her long years of prayer\, coupled with a strong\, well-disciplined character\, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband\, her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son\, Augustine. \n\nSaint Monica is the Patron Saint of:\nAlcoholics\nConversion\nMarried Women\nMothers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-monica/2026-08-27/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260828
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260829
DTSTAMP:20170727T180928Z
CREATED:20170727T180928Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180928Z
UID:50891-1787875200-1787961599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Augustine of Hippo
DESCRIPTION:Image: Saint Augustine of Hippo | Line engraving by P. Cool after M. de Vos | Wellcome Images\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Augustine of Hippo\nSaint of the Day for August 28\n(November 13\, 354 – August 28\, 430)\nSaint Augustine’s Story\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nA Christian at 33\, a priest at 36\, a bishop at 41: Many people are familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo\, sinner turned saint. But really to get to know the man is a rewarding experience. \nThere quickly surfaces the intensity with which he lived his life\, whether his path led away from or toward God. The tears of his mother\, the instructions of Ambrose and\, most of all\, God himself speaking to him in the Scriptures\, redirected Augustine’s love of life to a life of love. \nHaving been so deeply immersed in creature-pride of life in his early days and having drunk deeply of its bitter dregs\, it is not surprising that Augustine should have turned\, with a holy fierceness\, against the many demon-thrusts rampant in his day. His times were truly decadent: politically\, socially\, morally. He was both feared and loved\, like the Master. The perennial criticism leveled against him: a fundamental rigorism. \nIn his day\, Augustine providentially fulfilled the office of prophet. Like Jeremiah and other greats\, he was hard-pressed but could not keep quiet. “I say to myself\, I will not mention him\,/I will speak in his name no more./But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart\,/imprisoned in my bones;/I grow weary holding it in\,/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9). \n\nReflection\nAugustine is still acclaimed and condemned in our day. He is a prophet for today\, trumpeting the need to scrap escapisms and stand face-to-face with personal responsibility and dignity. \n\nSaint Augustine is the Patron Saint of:\nPrinters\nTheologians
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-augustine-of-hippo/2026-08-28/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260829
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260830
DTSTAMP:20170727T180930Z
CREATED:20170727T180930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170727T180930Z
UID:50892-1787961600-1788047999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Martyrdom of John the Baptist
DESCRIPTION:Image: Salome with the Head of John the baptist | Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMartyrdom of John the Baptist\nSaint of the Day for August 29\nThe Story of the Martyrdom of John the Baptist\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODAug29.mp3\n  \nThe drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honor\, a seductive dance and the hateful heart of a queen combined to bring about the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The greatest of prophets suffered the fate of so many Old Testament prophets before him: rejection and martyrdom. The “voice crying in the desert” did not hesitate to accuse the guilty\, did not hesitate to speak the truth. But why? What possesses a man that he would give up his very life? \nThis great religious reformer was sent by God to prepare the people for the Messiah. His vocation was one of selfless giving. The only power that he claimed was the Spirit of Yahweh. “I am baptizing you with water\, for repentance\, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). \nScripture tells us that many people followed John looking to him for hope\, perhaps in anticipation of some great messianic power. John never allowed himself the false honor of receiving these people for his own glory. He knew his calling was one of preparation. When the time came\, he led his disciples to Jesus: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples\, and as he watched Jesus walk by\, he said\, ‘Behold\, the Lamb of God.’ The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus” (John 1:35-37). \nIt is John the Baptist who has pointed the way to Christ. John’s life and death were a giving over of self for God and other people. His simple style of life was one of complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centered on God and the call that he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident of God’s grace\, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation\, repentance\, and salvation. \n\nReflection\nEach of us has a calling to which we must listen. No one will ever repeat the mission of John\, and yet all of us are called to that very mission. It is the role of the Christian to witness to Jesus. Whatever our position in this world\, we are called to be disciples of Christ. By our words and deeds\, others should realize that we live in the joy of knowing that Jesus is Lord. We do not have to depend upon our own limited resources\, but can draw strength from the vastness of Christ’s saving grace.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/martyrdom-of-john-the-baptist/2026-08-29/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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UID:50893-1788048000-1788134399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Jeanne Jugan
DESCRIPTION:Image: Statue of Saint Jeanne Jugan at the Sisters of the Poor in Valladolid | photo by Rodelar\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Jeanne Jugan\nSaint of the Day for August 30\n(October 25\, 1792 – August 29\, 1879)\nSaint Jeanne Jugan’s Story\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nBorn in northern France during the French Revolution—a time when congregations of women and men religious were being suppressed by the national government\, Jeanne would eventually be highly praised in the French academy for her community’s compassionate care of elderly poor people. \nWhen Jeanne was three and a half years old\, her father\, a fisherman\, was lost at sea. Her widowed mother was hard pressed to raise her eight children alone; four died young. At the age of 15 or 16\, Jeanne became a kitchen maid for a family that not only cared for its own members\, but also served poor\, elderly people nearby. Ten years later\, Jeanne became a nurse at the hospital in Le Rosais. Soon thereafter\, she joined a third order group founded by Saint John Eudes. \nAfter six years she became a servant and friend of a woman she met through the third order. They prayed\, visited the poor\, and taught catechism to children. After her friend’s death\, Jeanne and two other women continued a similar life in the city of Saint-Sevran. In 1839\, they brought in their first permanent guest. They began an association\, received more members\, and more guests. Mère Marie of the Cross\, as Jeanne was now known\, founded six more houses for the elderly by the end of 1849\, all staffed by members of her association—the Little Sisters of the Poor. By 1853\, the association numbered 500 and had houses as far away as England. \nAbbé Le Pailleur\, a chaplain\, had prevented Jeanne’s reelection as superior in 1843; nine years later\, he had her assigned to duties within the congregation\, but would not allow her to be recognized as its founder. In 1890\, the Holy See removed him from office. \nBy the time Pope Leo XIII gave her final approval to the community’s constitutions in 1879\, there were 2\,400 Little Sisters of the Poor. Jeanne died later that same year\, on August 30. Her cause was introduced in Rome in 1970. She was beatified in 1982\, and canonized in 2009. \n\nReflection\nJeanne Jugan saw Christ in what Saint Teresa of Calcutta would describe as his “distressing disguises.” With great confidence in God’s providence and the intercession of Saint Joseph\, she begged willingly for the many homes that she opened\, relying on the good example of the Sisters and the generosity of benefactors who knew the good that the Sisters were doing. They now work in 30 countries. “With the eye of faith\, we must see Jesus in our old people—for they are God’s mouthpiece\,” Jeanne once said. No matter what the difficulties\, she was always able to praise God and move ahead.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-jeanne-jugan/2026-08-30/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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UID:50894-1788134400-1788220799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
DESCRIPTION:Image: Monastery Church: Altar of the crucifixion\, Mecklenburg | Gaston Lenthe | (Longinus\, Joseph of Arimathea\, and Nicodemus)\nSaint Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus\nSaint of the Day for August 31\n(1st century)\nSaint Joseph of Arimathea’s and Nicodemus’ Story\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nThe actions of these two influential Jewish leaders give insight into the charismatic power of Jesus and his teachings—and the risks that could be involved in following him. \nJoseph was a respected\, wealthy civic leader who had become a disciple of Jesus. Following the death of Jesus\, Joseph obtained Jesus’ body from Pilate\, wrapped it in fine linen and buried it. For these reasons\, Joseph is considered the patron saint of funeral directors and pallbearers. More important is the courage Joseph showed in asking Pilate for Jesus’ body. Jesus was a condemned criminal who had been publicly executed. According to some legends\, Joseph was punished and imprisoned for such a bold act. \nNicodemus was a Pharisee and\, like Joseph\, an important first-century Jew. We know from John’s Gospel that Nicodemus went to Jesus at night—secretly—to better understand his teachings about the kingdom. Later\, he spoke up for Jesus at the time of his arrest and assisted in Jesus’ burial. We know little else about Nicodemus. \n\nReflection\nCelebrating these two contemporaries of Jesus who played significant roles in Jesus’ life\, reminds us of the humanity of Jesus and how he related to his fellow men and women. His gentleness to these two and his acceptance of their help remind us that he treats us in the same gentle way. \n\nSaint Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are the Patron Saints of:\nFuneral Directors\nPallbearers \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for August 31 is Saint Raymond Nonnatus.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saints-joseph-of-arimathea-and-nicodemus/2026-08-31/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTAMP:20170728T180904Z
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UID:50898-1788220800-1788307199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Giles
DESCRIPTION:Saint Giles\nSaint of the Day for September 1\n(c. 650 – 710)\n Saint Giles’ Story   \nClick to hear audio clip ►\n\nDespite the fact that much about Saint Giles is shrouded in mystery\, we can say that he was one of the most popular saints in the Middle Ages. Likely\, he was born in the first half of the seventh century in southeastern France. That is where he built a monastery that became a popular stopping-off point for pilgrims making their way to Compostela in Spain and the Holy Land. \nIn England\, many ancient churches and hospitals were dedicated to Giles. One of the sections of the city of Brussels is named after him. In Germany\, Giles was included among the so-called 14 Holy Helpers\, a popular group of saints to whom people prayed\, especially for recovery from disease and for strength at the hour of death. Also among the 14 were Saints Christopher\, Barbara\, and Blaise. Interestingly\, Giles was the only non-martyr among them. Devotion to the “Holy Helpers” was especially strong in parts of Germany and in Hungary and Sweden. Such devotion made his popularity spread. Giles was soon invoked as the patron of the poor and the disabled. \nThe pilgrimage center that once drew so many fell into disrepair some centuries after Giles’ death. \n\nReflection\nSaint Giles may not have been a martyr but\, as the word martyr means\, he was a true witness to the faith. This is attested to by the faith of the People of God in the Middle Ages. He became one of the “holy helpers” and can still function in that role for us today. \n\nSaint Giles is the Patron Saint of:\nBeggars\nThe Disabled\nDisasters\nThe Poor
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-giles/2026-09-01/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTAMP:20170728T180907Z
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UID:50906-1788307200-1788393599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed John Francis Burté and Companions
DESCRIPTION:Image: Massacre à la Salpêtrière\, 3 septembre 1792 | anonymous (Unrelated\, but similar incident during the French Revolution.)\nBlessed John Francis Burté and Companions\nSaint of the Day for September 2\n(d. September 2\, 1792 and January 21\, 1794)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nBlessed John Francis Burté and Companions’ Story\nThese priests were victims of the French Revolution. Though their martyrdom spans a period of several years\, they stand together in the Church’s memory because they all gave their lives for the same principle. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1791) required all priests to take an oath which amounted to a denial of the faith. Each of these men refused and was executed. \nJohn Francis Burté became a Franciscan at 16 and after ordination taught theology to the young friars. Later he was guardian of the large Conventual friary in Paris until he was arrested and held in the convent of the Carmelites. \nAppolinaris of Posat was born in 1739 in Switzerland. He joined the Capuchins and acquired a reputation as an excellent preacher\, confessor\, and instructor of clerics. Preparing for his assignment to the East as a missionary\, he was in Paris studying Oriental languages when the French Revolution began. Refusing the oath\, he was swiftly arrested and detained in the Carmelite convent. \nSeverin Girault\, a member of the Third Order Regular\, was a chaplain for a group of sisters in Paris. Imprisoned with the others\, he was the first to die in the slaughter at the convent. \nThese three plus 182 others—including several bishops and many religious and diocesan priests—were massacred at the Carmelite house in Paris on September 2\, 1792. They were beatified in 1926. \nJohn Baptist Triquerie\, born in 1737\, entered the Conventual Franciscans. He was chaplain and confessor of Poor Clare monasteries in three cities before he was arrested for refusing to take the oath. He and 13 diocesan priests were martyred in Laval on January 21\, 1794. He was beatified in 1955. \n\nReflection\n“Liberty\, Equality\, Fraternity” was the motto of the French Revolution. If individuals have “inalienable rights\,” as the Declaration of Independence states\, these must come not from the agreement of society (which can be very fragile) but directly from God. Do we believe that? Do we act on it?
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-john-francis-burte-and-companions/2026-09-02/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTAMP:20170728T180909Z
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UID:50908-1788393600-1788479999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Gregory the Great
DESCRIPTION:Image: Saint Gregory the Great | Jusepe de Ribera\, also known as José de Ribera\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Gregory the Great\nSaint of the Day for September 3\n(c. 540 – March 12\, 604)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Gregory the Great’s Story\nGregory was the prefect of Rome before he was 30. After five years in office he resigned\, founded six monasteries on his Sicilian estate and became a Benedictine monk in his own home at Rome. \nOrdained a priest\, he became one of the pope’s seven deacons\, and also served six years in the East as papal representative in Constantinople. He was recalled to become abbot\, and at the age of 50 was elected pope by the clergy and people of Rome. \nHe was direct and firm. He removed unworthy priests from office\, forbade taking money for many services\, emptied the papal treasury to ransom prisoners of the Lombards and to care for persecuted Jews and the victims of plague and famine. He was very concerned about the conversion of England\, sending 40 monks from his own monastery. He is known for his reform of the liturgy\, and for strengthening respect for doctrine. Whether he was largely responsible for the revision of “Gregorian” chant is disputed. \nGregory lived in a time of perpetual strife with invading Lombards and difficult relations with the East. When Rome itself was under attack\, he interviewed the Lombard king. \nAn Anglican historian has written: “It is impossible to conceive what would have been the confusion\, the lawlessness\, the chaotic state of the Middle Ages without the medieval papacy; and of the medieval papacy\, the real father is Gregory the Great.” \nHis book\, Pastoral Care\, on the duties and qualities of a bishop\, was read for centuries after his death. He described bishops mainly as physicians whose main duties were preaching and the enforcement of discipline. In his own down-to-earth preaching\, Gregory was skilled at applying the daily Gospel to the needs of his listeners. Called “the Great\,” Gregory has been given a place with Augustine\, Ambrose\, and Jerome as one of the four key doctors of the Western Church. \n\nReflection\nGregory was content to be a monk\, but he willingly served the Church in other ways when asked. He sacrificed his own preferences in many ways\, especially when he was called to be Bishop of Rome. Once he was called to public service\, Gregory gave his considerable energies completely to this work. Gregory’s description of bishops as physicians fits in well with Pope Francis’ description of the Church as a “field hospital.” \n\nSaint Gregory the Gregory the Great is the Patron Saint of:\nEngland\nEpilepsy\nMusicians\nTeachers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-gregory-the-great/2026-09-03/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTAMP:20170728T180910Z
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UID:50910-1788480000-1788566399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Rose of Viterbo
DESCRIPTION:Image: Santa Rosa e San Donnino | fresco\, Duomo di Ivrea | photo by Laurom\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaint Rose of Viterbo\nSaint of the Day for September 4\n(1233 – March 6\, 1251)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Rose of Viterbo’s Story\nEven as a child\, Rose had a great desire to pray and to aid the poor. While still very young\, she began a life of penance in her parents’ house. She was as generous to the poor as she was strict with herself. At the age of 10\, she became a Secular Franciscan and soon began preaching in the streets about sin and the sufferings of Jesus. \nViterbo\, her native city\, was then in revolt against the pope. When Rose took the pope’s side against the emperor\, she and her family were exiled from the city. When the pope’s side won in Viterbo\, Rose was allowed to return. Her attempt at age 15 to found a religious community failed\, and she returned to a life of prayer and penance in her father’s home\, where she died in 1251. Rose was canonized in 1457. \n\nReflection\nThe list of Franciscan saints seems to have quite a few men and women who accomplished nothing very extraordinary. Rose is one of them. She did not influence popes and kings\, did not multiply bread for the hungry and never established the religious order of her dreams. But she made a place in her life for God’s grace\, and like Saint Francis before her\, saw death as the gateway to new life. \n\nSaint Rose of Viterbo is the Patron Saint of:\nFlorists\nFlower Growers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-rose-of-viterbo/2026-09-04/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTAMP:20170728T180912Z
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UID:50914-1788566400-1788652799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Teresa of Calcutta
DESCRIPTION:Image: Mother Teresa accompanies Pope John Paul II as he visits people at the Home For the Dying in Kolkata\, India\, in 1986. (CNS photo/Arturo Mari\, L’Osservatore Romano)\nSaint Teresa of Calcutta\nSaint of the Day for September 5\n(August 26\, 1910 – September 5\, 1997)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Teresa of Calcutta’s Story\nMother Teresa of Calcutta\, the tiny woman recognized throughout the world for her work among the poorest of the poor\, was beatified October 19\, 2003. Among those present were hundreds of Missionaries of Charity\, the order she founded in 1950 as a diocesan religious community. Today the congregation also includes contemplative sisters and brothers and an order of priests. \nBorn to Albanian parents in what is now Skopje\, Macedonia\, Gonxha (Agnes) Bojaxhiu was the youngest of the three children who survived. For a time\, the family lived comfortably\, and her father’s construction business thrived. But life changed overnight following his unexpected death. \nDuring her years in public school\, Agnes participated in a Catholic sodality and showed a strong interest in the foreign missions. At age 18\, she entered the Loreto Sisters of Dublin. It was 1928 when she said goodbye to her mother for the final time and made her way to a new land and a new life. The following year she was sent to the Loreto novitiate in Darjeeling\, India. There she chose the name Teresa and prepared for a life of service. She was assigned to a high school for girls in Calcutta\, where she taught history and geography to the daughters of the wealthy. But she could not escape the realities around her—the poverty\, the suffering\, the overwhelming numbers of destitute people. \nIn 1946\, while riding a train to Darjeeling to make a retreat\, Sister Teresa heard what she later explained as “a call within a call. The message was clear. I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.” She also heard a call to give up her life with the Sisters of Loreto and\, instead\, to “follow Christ into the slums to serve him among the poorest of the poor.” \nAfter receiving permission to leave Loreto\, establish a new religious community\, and undertake her new work\, she took a nursing course for several months. She returned to Calcutta\, where she lived in the slums and opened a school for poor children. Dressed in a white sari and sandals (the ordinary dress of an Indian woman) she soon began getting to know her neighbors—especially the poor and sick—and getting to know their needs through visits. \nThe work was exhausting\, but she was not alone for long. Volunteers who came to join her in the work\, some of them former students\, became the core of the Missionaries of Charity. Others helped by donating food\, clothing\, supplies\, and the use of buildings. In 1952\, the city of Calcutta gave Mother Teresa a former hostel\, which became a home for the dying and the destitute. As the order expanded\, services were also offered to orphans\, abandoned children\, alcoholics\, the aging\, and street people. \nFor the next four decades\, Mother Teresa worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor. Her love knew no bounds. Nor did her energy\, as she crisscrossed the globe pleading for support and inviting others to see the face of Jesus in the poorest of the poor. In 1979\, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On September 5\, 1997\, God called her home. She was canonized by Pope Francis on September 4\, 2016. \n\nReflection\nMother Teresa’s beatification\, just over six years after her death\, was part of an expedited process put into effect by Pope John Paul II. Like so many others around the world\, he found her love for the Eucharist\, for prayer\, and for the poor a model for all to emulate.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-teresa-of-calcutta/2026-09-05/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTAMP:20170728T180914Z
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UID:50916-1788652800-1788739199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Claudio Granzotto
DESCRIPTION:Image: Blessed Claudio Granzotto | photo by Infovalli It | flickr\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBlessed Claudio Granzotto\nSaint of the Day for September 6\n(August 23\, 1900 – August 15\, 1947)\n\n\n\n\nClick to hear audio clip ►\n\n\n\n\nBlessed Claudio Granzotto’s Story\nBorn in Santa Lucia del Piave near Venice\, Claudio was the youngest of nine children and was accustomed to hard work in the fields. At the age of 9\, he lost his father. Six years later\, he was drafted into the Italian army\, where he served more than three years. \nHis artistic abilities\, especially in sculpture\, led to studies at Venice’s Academy of Fine Arts\, which awarded him a diploma with the highest marks in 1929. Even then he was especially interested in religious art. When Claudio entered the Friars Minor four years later\, his parish priest wrote\, “The Order is receiving not only an artist but a saint.” Prayer\, charity to the poor\, and artistic work characterized his life which was cut short by a brain tumor. He died on the feast of the Assumption\, August 15\, 1947 and was beatified in 1994. \n\nReflection\nClaudio developed into such an excellent sculptor that his work still turns people toward God. No stranger to adversity\, he met every obstacle courageously\, reflecting the generosity\, faith\, and joy that he learned from Francis of Assisi. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Blessed Claudio Granzotto is March 23.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-claudio-granzotto/2026-09-06/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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