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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180222
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T164446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T164446Z
UID:6284-1519171200-1519257599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Peter Damian
DESCRIPTION:Saint Peter Damian\nSaint of the Day for February 21\n(988 – February 22\, 1072)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Peter Damian’s Story\nMaybe because he was orphaned and had been treated shabbily by one of his brothers\, Peter Damian was very good to the poor. It was the ordinary thing for him to have a poor person or two with him at table and he liked to minister personally to their needs. \nPeter escaped poverty and the neglect of his own brother when his other brother\, who was archpriest of Ravenna\, took him under his wing. His brother sent him to good schools and Peter became a professor. \nAlready in those days\, Peter was very strict with himself. He wore a hair shirt under his clothes\, fasted rigorously and spent many hours in prayer. Soon\, he decided to leave his teaching and give himself completely to prayer with the Benedictines of the reform of Saint Romuald at Fonte Avellana. They lived two monks to a hermitage. Peter was so eager to pray and slept so little that he soon suffered from severe insomnia. He found he had to use some prudence in taking care of himself. When he was not praying\, he studied the Bible. \nThe abbot commanded that when he died Peter should succeed him. Abbot Peter founded five other hermitages. He encouraged his brothers in a life of prayer and solitude and wanted nothing more for himself. The Holy See periodically called on him\, however\, to be a peacemaker or troubleshooter\, between two abbeys in dispute or a cleric or government official in some disagreement with Rome. \nFinally\, Pope Stephen IX made Peter the cardinal-bishop of Ostia. He worked hard to wipe out simony (the buying of church offices)\, and encouraged his priests to observe celibacy and urged even the diocesan clergy to live together and maintain scheduled prayer and religious observance. He wished to restore primitive discipline among religious and priests\, warning against needless travel\, violations of poverty\, and too comfortable living. He even wrote to the bishop of Besancon complaining that the canons there sat down when they were singing the psalms in the Divine Office. \nHe wrote many letters. Some 170 are extant. We also have 53 of his sermons and seven lives\, or biographies\, that he wrote. He preferred examples and stories rather than theory in his writings. The liturgical offices he wrote are evidence of his talent as a stylist in Latin. \nHe asked often to be allowed to retire as cardinal-bishop of Ostia\, and finally Pope Alexander II consented. Peter was happy to become once again just a monk\, but he was still called to serve as a papal legate. When returning from such an assignment in Ravenna\, he was overcome by a fever. With the monks gathered around him saying the Divine Office\, he died on February 22\, 1072. \nIn 1828\, he was declared a Doctor of the Church. \n\nReflection\nPeter was a reformer and if he were alive today would no doubt encourage the renewal started by Vatican II. He would also applaud the greater emphasis on prayer that is shown by the growing number of priests\, religious\, and laypersons who gather regularly for prayer\, as well as the special houses of prayer recently established by many religious communities.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-peter-damian/2018-02-21/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180220
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180221
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T164332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T164332Z
UID:6281-1519084800-1519171199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto
DESCRIPTION:Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto\nSaint of the Day for February 20\n(Jacinta: 1910 – February 20\, 1920; Francisc0: 1908 – April 14\, 1919)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaints Jacinta and Francisco Marto’s Story\nBetween May 13 and October 13\, 1917\, three Portuguese shepherd children from Aljustrel\, received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria\, near Fátima\, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. At that time\, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil\, having overthrown its monarchy in 1910; the government disbanded religious organizations soon after. \nAt the first appearance\, Mary asked the children to return to that spot on the thirteenth of each month for the next six months. She also asked them to learn to read and write and to pray the rosary “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” They were to pray for sinners and for the conversion of Russia\, which had recently overthrown Czar Nicholas II and was soon to fall under communism. Up to 90\,000 people gathered for Mary’s final apparition on October 13\, 1917. \nLess than two years later\, Francisco died of influenza in his family home. He was buried in the parish cemetery and then re-buried in the Fátima basilica in 1952. Jacinta died of influenza in Lisbon in 1920\, offering her suffering for the conversion of sinners\, peace in the world\, and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fátima basilica in 1951. Their cousin Lúcia dos Santos\, became a Carmelite nun and was still living when Jacinta and Francisco were beatified in 2000; she died five years later. Pope Francis canonized the younger children on his visit to Fátima to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first apparition–May 13\, 2017. The shrine of Our Lady of Fátima is visited by up to 20 million people a year. \n\nReflection\nThe Church is always very cautious about endorsing alleged apparitions\, but it has seen benefits from people changing their lives because of the message of Our Lady of Fátima. Prayer for sinners\, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary\, and praying the rosary—all these reinforce the Good News Jesus came to preach.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saints-jacinta-and-francisco-marto/2018-02-20/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180219
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180220
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T164222Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T164222Z
UID:6278-1518998400-1519084799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Conrad of Piacenza
DESCRIPTION:Saint Conrad of Piacenza\nSaint of the Day for February 19\n(c. 1290 – February 19\, 1351)\nSaint Conrad of Piacenza’s Story\nBorn of a noble family in northern Italy\, Conrad as a young man married Euphrosyne\, daughter of a nobleman. \nOne day while hunting he ordered attendants to set fire to some brush in order to flush out the game. The fire spread to nearby fields and to a large forest. Conrad fled. An innocent peasant was imprisoned\, tortured to confess\, and condemned to death. Conrad confessed his guilt\, saved the man’s life\, and paid for the damaged property. \nSoon after this event\, Conrad and his wife agreed to separate: she to a Poor Clare monastery and he to a group of hermits following the Third Order Rule. His reputation for holiness\, however\, spread quickly. Since his many visitors destroyed his solitude\, Conrad went to a more remote spot in Sicily where he lived 36 years as a hermit\, praying for himself and for the rest of the world. \nPrayer and penance were his answer to the temptations that beset him. Conrad died kneeling before a crucifix. He was canonized in 1625. \n\nReflection\nFrancis of Assisi was drawn both to contemplation and to a life of preaching; periods of intense prayer nourished his preaching. Some of his early followers\, however\, felt called to a life of greater contemplation\, and he accepted that. Though Conrad of Piacenza is not the norm in the Church\, he and other contemplatives remind us of the greatness of God and of the joys of heaven.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-conrad-of-piacenza/2018-02-19/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180218
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180219
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T164122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T164122Z
UID:6275-1518912000-1518998399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed John of Fiesole
DESCRIPTION:Blessed John of Fiesole\nSaint of the Day for February 18\n(1387 – February 18\, 1455)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nBlessed John of Fiesole’s Story\nThe patron of Christian artists was born around 1400 in a village overlooking Florence. He took up painting as a young boy and studied under the watchful eye of a local painting master. He joined the Dominicans at about age 20\, taking the name Fra Giovanni. He eventually came to be known as Fra Angelico\, perhaps a tribute to his own angelic qualities or maybe the devotional tone of his works. \nHe continued to study painting and perfect his own techniques\, which included broad-brush strokes\, vivid colors and generous\, lifelike figures. Michelangelo once said of Fra Angelico: “One has to believe that this good monk has visited paradise and been allowed to choose his models there.” Whatever his subject matter\, Fra Angelico sought to generate feelings of religious devotion in response to his paintings. Among his most famous works are the Annunciation and Descent from the Cross as well as frescoes in the monastery of San Marco in Florence. \nHe also served in leadership positions within the Dominican Order. At one point\, Pope Eugenius approached him about serving as archbishop of Florence. Fra Angelico declined\, preferring a simpler life. He died in 1455. \n\nReflection\nThe work of artists adds a wonderful dimension to life. Without art our lives would be much depleted. Let us pray for artists today\, especially those who can lift our hearts and minds to God. \n\nBlessed John of Fiesole is the Patron Saint of:\nChristian Artists \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for February 18 is Saint Simeon.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-john-of-fiesole/2018-02-18/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180217
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180218
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T164003Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T164003Z
UID:6272-1518825600-1518911999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Seven Founders of the Servite Order
DESCRIPTION:Seven Founders of the Servite Order\nSaint of the Day for February 17\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nThe Story of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order\nCan you imagine seven prominent men of Boston or Denver banding together\, leaving their homes and professions\, and going into solitude for a life directly given to God? That is what happened in the cultured and prosperous city of Florence in the middle of the 13th century. The city was torn with political strife as well as the heresy of the Cathari\, who believed that physical reality was inherently evil. Morals were low and religion seemed meaningless. \nIn 1240\, seven noblemen of Florence mutually decided to withdraw from the city to a solitary place for prayer and direct service of God. Their initial difficulty was providing for their dependents\, since two were still married and two were widowers. \nTheir aim was to lead a life of penance and prayer\, but they soon found themselves disturbed by constant visitors from Florence. They next withdrew to the deserted slopes of Monte Senario. \nIn 1244\, under the direction of St. Peter of Verona\, O.P.\, this small group adopted a religious habit similar to the Dominican habit\, choosing to live under the Rule of St. Augustine and adopting the name of the Servants of Mary. The new Order took a form more like that of the mendicant friars than that of the older monastic Orders. \nMembers of the community came to the United States from Austria in 1852 and settled in New York and later in Philadelphia. The two American provinces developed from the foundation made by Father Austin Morini in 1870 in Wisconsin. \nCommunity members combined monastic life and active ministry. In the monastery\, they led a life of prayer\, work and silence while in the active apostolate they engaged in parochial work\, teaching\, preaching\, and other ministerial activities. \n\nReflection\nThe time in which the seven Servite founders lived is very easily comparable to the situation in which we find ourselves today. It is “the best of times and the worst of times\,” as Dickens once wrote. Some\, perhaps many\, feel called to a countercultural life\, even in religion. All of us are faced in a new and urgent way with the challenge to make our lives decisively centered in Christ.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/seven-founders-of-the-servite-order/2018-02-17/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180216
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180217
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T163854Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T163854Z
UID:6269-1518739200-1518825599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Gilbert of Sempringham
DESCRIPTION:Saint Gilbert of Sempringham\nSaint of the Day for February 16\n(c. 1083 – February 4\, 1189)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Gilbert of Sempringham’s Story\nGilbert was born in Sempringham\, England\, into a wealthy family\, but he followed a path quite different from that expected of him as the son of a Norman knight. Sent to France for his higher education\, he decided to pursue seminary studies. \nHe returned to England not yet ordained a priest\, and inherited several estates from his father. But Gilbert avoided the easy life he could have led under the circumstances. Instead he lived a simple life at a parish\, sharing as much as possible with the poor. Following his ordination to the priesthood he served as parish priest at Sempringham. \nAmong the congregation were seven young women who had expressed to him their desire to live in religious life. In response\, Gilbert had a house built for them adjacent to the Church. There they lived an austere life\, but one which attracted ever more numbers; eventually lay sisters and lay brothers were added to work the land. The religious order formed eventually became known as the Gilbertines\, though Gilbert had hoped the Cistercians or some other existing order would take on the responsibility of establishing a rule of life for the new order. The Gilbertines\, the only religious order of English origin founded during the Middle Ages\, continued to thrive. But the order came to an end when King Henry VIII suppressed all Catholic monasteries. \nOver the years a special custom grew up in the houses of the order called “the plate of the Lord Jesus.” The best portions of the dinner were put on a special plate and shared with the poor\, reflecting Gilbert’s lifelong concern for less fortunate people. \nThroughout his life\, Gilbert lived simply\, consumed little food\, and spent a good portion of many nights in prayer. Despite the rigors of such a life he died at well over age 100. \n\nReflection\nWhen he came into his father’s wealth\, Gilbert could have lived a life of luxury\, as many of his fellow priests did at the time. Instead\, he chose to share his wealth with the poor. The charming habit of filling “the plate of the Lord Jesus” in the monasteries he established reflected his concern. Today’s Operation Rice Bowl echoes that habit: eating a simpler meal and letting the difference in the grocery bill help feed the hungry.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-gilbert-of-sempringham/2018-02-16/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180216
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T163739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T163739Z
UID:6266-1518652800-1518739199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Claude de la Colombière
DESCRIPTION:Saint Claude de la Colombière\nSaint of the Day for February 15\n(February 2\,1641 – February 15\, 1682)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Claude de la Colombière’s Story\nThis is a special day for the Jesuits\, who claim today’s saint as one of their own. It’s also a special day for people who have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a devotion Claude de la Colombière promoted\, along with his friend and spiritual companion\, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. The emphasis on God’s love for all was an antidote to the rigorous moralism of the Jansenists\, who were popular at the time. \nClaude showed remarkable preaching skills long before his ordination in 1675. Two months later\, he was made superior of a small Jesuit residence in Burgundy. It was there he first encountered Margaret Mary Alacoque. For many years after he served as her confessor. \nHe was next sent to England to serve as confessor to the Duchess of York. He preached by both words and by the example of his holy life\, converting a number of Protestants. Tensions arose against Catholics and Claude\, rumored to be part of a plot against the king\, was imprisoned. He was ultimately banished\, but by then his health had been ruined. \nHe died in 1682. Pope John Paul II canonized Claude de la Colombière in 1992. \n\nReflection\nAs a fellow Jesuit and as a promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus\, Saint Claude must be very special to Pope Francis who has so beautifully emphasized the mercy of Jesus. The emphasis on God’s love and mercy are characteristic of both men.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-claude-de-la-colombiere/2018-02-15/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180214
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180215
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T163634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T163634Z
UID:6263-1518566400-1518652799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saints Cyril and Methodius
DESCRIPTION:Saints Cyril and Methodius\nSaint of the Day for February 14\n(Cyril: c. 827 – February 14\, 869; Methodius: c. 815 – April 6\, 884)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaints Cyril and Methodius’ Story\nBecause their father was an officer in a part of Greece inhabited by many Slavs\, these two Greek brothers ultimately became missionaries\, teachers\, and patrons of the Slavic peoples. \nAfter a brilliant course of studies\, Cyril (called Constantine until he became a monk shortly before his death) refused the governorship of a district such as his brother had accepted among the Slavic-speaking population. Cyril withdrew to a monastery where his brother Methodius had become a monk after some years in a governmental post. \nA decisive change in their lives occurred when the Duke of Moravia asked the Eastern Emperor Michael for political independence from German rule and ecclesiastical autonomy (having their own clergy and liturgy). Cyril and Methodius undertook the missionary task. \nCyril’s first work was to invent an alphabet\, still used in some Eastern liturgies. His followers probably formed the Cyrillic alphabet. Together they translated the Gospels\, the psalter\, Paul’s letters and the liturgical books into Slavonic\, and composed a Slavonic liturgy\, highly irregular then. \nThat and their free use of the vernacular in preaching led to opposition from the German clergy. The bishop refused to consecrate Slavic bishops and priests\, and Cyril was forced to appeal to Rome. On the visit to Rome\, he and Methodius had the joy of seeing their new liturgy approved by Pope Adrian II. Cyril\, long an invalid\, died in Rome 50 days after taking the monastic habit. \nMethodius continued mission work for 16 more years. He was papal legate for all the Slavic peoples\, consecrated a bishop and then given an ancient see (now in the Czech Republic). When much of their former territory was removed from their jurisdiction\, the Bavarian bishops retaliated with a violent storm of accusation against Methodius. As a result\, Emperor Louis the German exiled Methodius for three years. Pope John VIII secured his release. \nBecause the Frankish clergy\, still smarting\, continued their accusations\, Methodius had to go to Rome to defend himself against charges of heresy and uphold his use of the Slavonic liturgy. He was again vindicated. \nLegend has it that in a feverish period of activity\, Methodius translated the whole Bible into Slavonic in eight months. He died on Tuesday of Holy Week\, surrounded by his disciples\, in his cathedral church. \nOpposition continued after his death\, and the work of the brothers in Moravia was brought to an end and their disciples scattered. But the expulsions had the beneficial effect of spreading the spiritual\, liturgical\, and cultural work of the brothers to Bulgaria\, Bohemia and southern Poland. Patrons of Moravia\, and specially venerated by Catholic Czechs\, Slovaks\, Croatians\, Orthodox Serbians and Bulgarians\, Cyril and Methodius are eminently fitted to guard the long-desired unity of East and West. In 1980\, Pope John Paul II named them additional co-patrons of Europe (with Benedict). \n\nReflection\nHoliness means reacting to human life with God’s love: human life as it is\, crisscrossed with the political and the cultural\, the beautiful and the ugly\, the selfish and the saintly. For Cyril and Methodius much of their daily cross had to do with the language of the liturgy. They are not saints because they got the liturgy into Slavonic\, but because they did so with the courage and humility of Christ. \n\nSaints Cyril and Methodius are the Patron Saints of:\nSlavic Peoples\nEcumenism
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saints-cyril-and-methodius/2018-02-14/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180214
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T163435Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T163435Z
UID:6260-1518480000-1518566399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph
DESCRIPTION:Saint Giles Mary of St. Joseph\nSaint of the Day for February 13\n(November 16\, 1729 – February 7\, 1812)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph’s Story\nIn the same year that a power-hungry Napoleon Bonaparte led his army into Russia\, Giles Mary of Saint Joseph ended a life of humble service to his Franciscan community and to the citizens of Naples. \nFrancesco was born in Taranto to very poor parents. His father’s death left the 18-year-old Francesco to care for the family. Having secured their future\, he entered the Friars Minor at Galatone in 1754. For 53 years\, he served at St. Paschal’s Hospice in Naples in various roles\, such as cook\, porter\, or most often as official beggar for that community. \n“Love God\, love God” was his characteristic phrase as he gathered food for the friars and shared some of his bounty with the poor—all the while consoling the troubled and urging everyone to repent. The charity which he reflected on the streets of Naples was born in prayer and nurtured in the common life of the friars. The people whom Giles met on his begging rounds nicknamed him the “Consoler of Naples.” He was canonized in 1996. \n\nReflection\nPeople often become arrogant and power hungry when they forget their own sinfulness and ignore the gifts God has given to other people. Giles had a healthy sense of his own sinfulness—not paralyzing but not superficial either. He invited men and women to recognize their own gifts and to live out their dignity as people made in God’s divine image. Knowing someone like Giles can help us on our own spiritual journey.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-giles-mary-of-saint-joseph/2018-02-13/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180212
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180213
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T163315Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T163315Z
UID:6255-1518393600-1518479999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Apollonia
DESCRIPTION:Saint Apollonia\nSaint of the Day for February 12\n(d. c. 249)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Apollonia’s Story\nThe persecution of Christians began in Alexandria during the reign of the Emperor Philip. The first victim of the pagan mob was an old man named Metrius\, who was tortured and then stoned to death. The second person who refused to worship their false idols was a Christian woman named Quinta. Her words infuriated the mob and she was scourged and stoned. \nWhile most of the Christians were fleeing the city\, abandoning all their worldly possessions\, an old deaconess\, Apollonia\, was seized. The crowds beat her\, knocking out all of her teeth. Then they lit a large fire and threatened to throw her in it if she did not curse her God. She begged them to wait a moment\, acting as if she was considering their requests. Instead\, she jumped willingly into the flames and so suffered martyrdom. \nThere were many churches and altars dedicated to her. Apollonia is the patroness of dentists\, and people suffering from toothache and other dental diseases often ask her intercession. She is pictured with a pair of pincers holding a tooth or with a golden tooth suspended from her necklace. Saint Augustine explained her voluntary martyrdom as a special inspiration of the Holy Spirit\, since no one is allowed to cause his or her own death. \n\nReflection\nThe Church has quite a sense of humor! Apollonia is honored as the patron saint of dentists\, but this woman who had her teeth extracted without anesthetic surely ought to be the patron of those who dread the chair. She might also be the patron of the aging\, for she attained glory in her old age\, standing firm before her persecutors even as her fellow Christians fled the city. However we choose to honor her\, she remains a model of courage for us. \n\nSaint Apollonia is the Patron Saint of:\nDentists\nToothache
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-apollonia/2018-02-12/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180211
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180212
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T163326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T163326Z
UID:6254-1518307200-1518393599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Our Lady of Lourdes
DESCRIPTION:Our Lady of Lourdes\n Saint of the Day for February 11\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nThe Story of Our Lady of Lourdes\nOn December 8\, 1854\, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus. A little more than three years later\, on February 11\, 1858\, a young lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous. This began a series of visions. During the apparition on March 25\, the lady identified herself with the words: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” \nBernadette was a sickly child of poor parents. Their practice of the Catholic faith was scarcely more than lukewarm. Bernadette could pray the Our Father\, the Hail Mary and the Creed. She also knew the prayer of the Miraculous Medal: “O Mary conceived without sin.” \nDuring interrogations Bernadette gave an account of what she saw. It was “something white in the shape of a girl.” She used the word aquero\, a dialect term meaning “this thing.” It was “a pretty young girl with a rosary over her arm.” Her white robe was encircled by a blue girdle. She wore a white veil. There was a yellow rose on each foot. A rosary was in her hand. Bernadette was also impressed by the fact that the lady did not use the informal form of address (tu)\, but the polite form (vous). The humble virgin appeared to a humble girl and treated her with dignity. \nThrough that humble girl\, Mary revitalized and continues to revitalize the faith of millions of people. People began to flock to Lourdes from other parts of France and from all over the world. In 1862 Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions and authorized the cult of Our Lady of Lourdes for the diocese. The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became worldwide in 1907. \n\nReflection\nLourdes has become a place of pilgrimage and healing\, but even more of faith. Church authorities have recognized over 60 miraculous cures\, although there have probably been many more. To people of faith this is not surprising. It is a continuation of Jesus’ healing miracles—now performed at the intercession of his mother. Some would say that the greater miracles are hidden. Many who visit Lourdes return home with renewed faith and a readiness to serve God in their needy brothers and sisters. \nThere still may be people who doubt the apparitions of Lourdes. Perhaps the best that can be said to them are the words that introduce the film The Song of Bernadette: “For those who believe in God\, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe\, no explanation is possible.” \n\nOur Lady of Lourdes if the Patron Saint of:\nBodily Ills
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/our-lady-of-lourdes/2018-02-11/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180210
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180211
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T163038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T163038Z
UID:6251-1518220800-1518307199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Scholastica
DESCRIPTION:Saint Scholastica\nSaint of the Day for February 10\n(c. 480 – February 10\, 542)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Scholastica’s Story\nTwins often share the same interests and ideas with an equal intensity. Therefore\, it is no surprise that Scholastica and her twin brother\, Benedict\, established religious communities within a few miles from each other. \nBorn in 480 of wealthy parents\, Scholastica and Benedict were brought up together until he left central Italy for Rome to continue his studies. \nLittle is known of Scholastica’s early life. She founded a religious community for women near Monte Cassino at Plombariola\, five miles from where her brother governed a monastery. \nThe twins visited each other once a year in a farmhouse because Benedict was not permitted inside the monastery. They spent these times discussing spiritual matters. \nAccording to the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great\, the brother and sister spent their last day together in prayer and conversation. Scholastica sensed her death was close at hand and she begged Benedict to stay with her until the next day. \nHe refused her request because he did not want to spend a night outside the monastery\, thus breaking his own Rule. Scholastica asked God to let her brother remain and a severe thunderstorm broke out\, preventing Benedict and his monks from returning to the abbey. \nBenedict cried out\, “God forgive you\, Sister. What have you done?” Scholastica replied\, “I asked a favor of you and you refused. I asked it of God and he granted it.” \nBrother and sister parted the next morning after their long discussion. Three days later\, Benedict was praying in his monastery and saw the soul of his sister rising heavenward in the form of a white dove. Benedict then announced the death of his sister to the monks and later buried her in the tomb he had prepared for himself. \n\nReflection\nScholastica and Benedict gave themselves totally to God and gave top priority to deepening their friendship with him through prayer. They sacrificed some of the opportunities they would have had to be together as brother and sister in order better to fulfill their vocation to the religious life. In coming closer to Christ\, however\, they found they were also closer to each other. In joining a religious community\, they did not forget or forsake their family but rather found more brothers and sisters. \n\nSaint Scholastica is the Patron Saint of:\nNuns
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-scholastica/2018-02-10/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180209
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180210
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162927Z
UID:6248-1518134400-1518220799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Jerome Emiliani
DESCRIPTION:Saint Jerome Emiliani\nSaint of the Day for February 9\n(1486 – February 8\, 1537)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Jerome Emiliani’s Story\nA careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice\, Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon. In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think\, and he gradually learned how to pray. When he escaped\, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood. \nIn the years after his ordination\, events again called Jerome to a decision and a new lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern Italy. Jerome began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the poor\, he soon resolved to devote himself and his property solely to others\, particularly to abandoned children. He founded three orphanages\, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital. \nAround 1532\, Jerome and two other priests established a congregation\, the Clerks Regular of Somasca\, dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He was canonized in 1767. In 1928\, Pius Xl named him the patron of orphans and abandoned children. \n\nReflection\nVery often in our lives it seems to take some kind of “imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in\, we finally come to know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Saint Jerome Emiliani is February 8.\n\nSaint Jerome Emiliani is the Patron Saint of :\nOrphans\nAbandoned Children
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-jerome-emiliani/2018-02-09/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180208
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180209
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T171417Z
UID:6245-1518048000-1518134399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Josephine Bakhita
DESCRIPTION:Saint Josephine Bakhita\nSaint of the Day for February 8\n(c. 1869 – February 8\, 1947)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Josephine Bakhita’s Story\nFor many years\, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. \nBorn in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan\, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of 7\, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita\, which means fortunate. She was resold several times\, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani\, Italian consul in Khartoum\, Sudan. \nTwo years later\, he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli\, whom she accompanied to Venice’s Institute of the Catechumens\, run by the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed\, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890\, taking the name Josephine. \nWhen the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them\, the future saint refused to go. During the ensuing court case\, the Canossian Sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephine’s behalf. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy\, she had actually been free since 1885. \nJosephine entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa in 1893 and made her profession three years later. In 1902\, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona)\, where she assisted her religious community through cooking\, sewing\, embroidery\, and welcoming visitors at the door. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters’ school and the local citizens. She once said\, “Be good\, love the Lord\, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!” \nThe first steps toward her beatification began in 1959. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later. \n\nReflection\nJosephine’s body was mutilated by those who enslaved her\, but they could not touch her spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to God’s people as a Canossian Sister. \nShe who worked under many “masters” was finally happy to address God as “master” and carry out everything that she believed to be God’s will for her.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-josephine-bakhita/2018-02-08/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180207
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180208
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162716Z
UID:6242-1517961600-1518047999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Colette
DESCRIPTION:Saint Colette\nSaint of the Day for February 7\n(January 13\, 1381 – March 6\, 1447)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Colette’s Story\nColette did not seek the limelight\, but in doing God’s will she certainly attracted a lot of attention. Colette was born in Corbie\, France. At 21\, she began to follow the Third Order Rule and became an anchoress\, a woman walled into a room whose only opening was a window into a church. \nAfter four years of prayer and penance in this cell\, she left it. With the approval and encouragement of the pope\, she joined the Poor Clares and reintroduced the primitive Rule of St. Clare in the 17 monasteries she established. Her sisters were known for their poverty—they rejected any fixed income—and for their perpetual fast. Colette’s reform movement spread to other countries and is still thriving today. Colette was canonized in 1807. \n\nReflection\nColette began her reform during the time of the Great Western Schism (1378-1417) when three men claimed to be pope and thus divided Western Christianity. The 15th century in general was a very difficult one for the Western Church. Abuses long neglected cost the Church dearly in the following century. Colette’s reform indicated the entire Church’s need to follow Christ more closely.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-colette/2018-02-07/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180206
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180207
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162608Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162608Z
UID:6239-1517875200-1517961599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Paul Miki and Companions
DESCRIPTION:Saint Paul Miki and Companions\nSaint of the Day for February 6\n(d. 1597)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Paul Miki and Companions’ Story\nNagasaki\, Japan\, is familiar to Americans as the city on which the second atomic bomb was dropped\, immediately killing over 37\,000 people. Three and a half centuries before\, 26 martyrs of Japan were crucified on a hill\, now known as the Holy Mountain\, overlooking Nagasaki. Among them were priests\, brothers\, and laymen\, Franciscans\, Jesuits\, and members of the Secular Franciscan Order; there were catechists\, doctors\, simple artisans\, and servants\, old men and innocent children—all united in a common faith and love for Jesus and his Church. \nBrother Paul Miki\, a Jesuit and a native of Japan\, has become the best known among the martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross\, Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution: “The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines\, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all\, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.” \nWhen missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860s\, at first they found no trace of Christianity. But after establishing themselves they found that thousands of Christians lived around Nagasaki and that they had secretly preserved the faith. Beatified in 1627\, the martyrs of Japan were finally canonized in 1862. \n\nReflection\nToday\, a new era has come for the Church in Japan. Although the number of Catholics is not large\, the Church is respected and has total religious freedom. The spread of Christianity in the Far East is slow and difficult. Faith such as that of the 26 martyrs is needed today as much as in 1597.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-paul-miki-and-companions/2018-02-06/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180205
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180206
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162457Z
UID:6236-1517788800-1517875199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Agatha
DESCRIPTION:Saint Agatha\nSaint of the Day for February 5\n(c. 230 – 251)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Agatha’s Story\nAs in the case of Agnes\, another virgin-martyr of the early Church\, almost nothing is historically certain about this saint except that she was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius in 251. \nLegend has it that Agatha\, like Agnes\, was arrested as a Christian\, tortured and sent to a house of prostitution to be mistreated. She was preserved from being violated\, and was later put to death. \nShe is claimed as the patroness of both Palermo and Catania. The year after her death\, the stilling of an eruption of Mt. Etna was attributed to her intercession. As a result\, apparently\, people continued to ask her prayers for protection against fire. \n\nReflection\nThe scientific modern mind winces at the thought of a volcano’s might being contained by God because of the prayers of a Sicilian girl. Still less welcome\, probably\, is the notion of that saint being the patroness of such varied professions as those of foundry workers\, nurses\, miners and Alpine guides. Yet\, in our historical precision\, have we lost an essential human quality of wonder and poetry\, and even our belief that we come to God by helping each other\, both in action and prayer? \n\nSaint Agatha is the Patron Saint of:\nDiseases of the Breast\nNurses
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-agatha/2018-02-05/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180204
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180205
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162339Z
UID:6233-1517702400-1517788799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Joseph of Leonissa
DESCRIPTION:Saint Joseph of Leonissa\nSaint of the Day for February 4\n(January 8\, 1556  – February 4\, 1612)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Joseph of Leonissa’s Story\nJoseph was born at Leonissa in the Kingdom of Naples. As a boy and as a student in early adulthood\, Joseph drew attention for his energy and virtue. Offered a nobleman’s daughter in marriage\, Joseph refused and joined the Capuchins in his hometown in 1573 instead. Avoiding the safe compromises by which people sometimes undercut the gospel\, Joseph denied himself hearty meals and comfortable quarters as he prepared for ordination and a life of preaching. \nIn 1587\, he went to Constantinople to take care of the Christian galley slaves working under Turkish masters. Imprisoned for this work\, he was warned not to resume it on his release. He did and was again imprisoned and then condemned to death. Miraculously freed\, he returned to Italy where he preached to the poor and reconciled feuding families as well as warring cities which had been at odds for years. He was canonized in 1745. \n\nReflection\nSaints often jar us because they challenge our ideas about what we need for “the good life.” “I’ll be happy when. . . \,” we may say\, wasting an incredible amount of time on the periphery of life. People like Joseph of Leonissa challenge us to face life courageously and get to the heart of it: life with God. Joseph was a compelling preacher because his life was as convincing as his words.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-joseph-of-leonissa/2018-02-04/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180203
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180204
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162230Z
UID:6230-1517616000-1517702399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Blaise
DESCRIPTION:Saint Blaise\nSaint of the Day for February 3\n(d. c. 316)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Blaise’s Story\nWe know more about the devotion to Saint Blaise by Christians around the world than we know about the saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy day in some Eastern Churches. In 1222\, the Council of Oxford prohibited servile labor in England on Blaise’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor\, and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual Saint Blaise blessing for their throats. \nWe know that Bishop Blaise was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea\, Armenia\, in 316. The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years later. According to them Blaise was a good bishop\, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict of Toleration (311)\, granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire\, was already five years old\, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blaise was apparently forced to flee to the back country. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer\, but he made friends with the wild animals. One day a group of hunters seeking wild animals for the amphitheater stumbled upon Blaise’s cave. They were first surprised and then frightened. The bishop was kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves\, lions and bears. \nThe legend has it that as the hunters hauled Blaise off to prison\, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone. \nAgricolaus\, governor of Cappadocia\, tried to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blaise refused\, he was beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. Finally\, he was beheaded. \n\nReflection\nFour centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper\, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you\, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection. \n\nSaint Blaise is the Patron Saint of:\nThroat Ailments\nEnglish Wool Combers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-blaise/2018-02-03/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180202
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180203
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162120Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162120Z
UID:6227-1517529600-1517615999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Presentation of the Lord
DESCRIPTION:Presentation of the Lord\nSaint of the Day for February 2\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nThe Story of the Presentation of the Lord\nAt the end of the fourth century\, a woman named Etheria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Her journal\, discovered in 1887\, gives an unprecedented glimpse of liturgical life there. Among the celebrations she describes is the Epiphany\, the observance of Christ’s birth\, and the gala procession in honor of his Presentation in the Temple 40 days later. (Under the Mosaic Law\, a woman was ritually “unclean” for 40 days after childbirth\, when she was to present herself to the priests and offer sacrifice—her “purification.” Contact with anyone who had brushed against mystery—birth or death—excluded a person from Jewish worship.) This feast emphasizes Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification. \nThe observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25\, the Presentation was moved to February 2\, 40 days after Christmas. \nAt the beginning of the eighth century\, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration\, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemas. \n\nReflection\nIn Luke’s account\, Jesus was welcomed in the temple by two elderly people\, Simeon and the widow Anna. They embody Israel in their patient expectation; they acknowledge the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Early references to the Roman feast dub it the feast of Saint Simeon\, the old man who burst into a song of joy which the Church still sings at day’s end.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/presentation-of-the-lord/2018-02-02/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180201
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180202
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T162014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T162014Z
UID:6224-1517443200-1517529599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Ansgar
DESCRIPTION:Saint Ansgar\nSaint of the Day for February 1\n(801 – February 3\, 865)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Ansgar’s Story\nThe “apostle of the north” (Scandinavia) had enough frustrations to become a saint—and he did. He became a Benedictine at Corbie\, France\, where he had been educated. Three years later\, when the king of Denmark became a convert\, Ansgar went to that country for three years of missionary work\, without noticeable success. Sweden asked for Christian missionaries\, and he went there\, suffering capture by pirates and other hardships on the way. Fewer than two years later\, he was recalled\, to become abbot of New Corbie (Corvey) and bishop of Hamburg. The pope made him legate for the Scandinavian missions. Funds for the northern apostolate stopped with Emperor Louis’s death. After 13 years’ work in Hamburg\, Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading Northmen; Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism. \nHe directed new apostolic activities in the North\, traveling to Denmark and being instrumental in the conversion of another king. By the strange device of casting lots\, the king of Sweden allowed the Christian missionaries to return. \nAnsgar’s biographers remark that he was an extraordinary preacher\, a humble and ascetical priest. He was devoted to the poor and the sick\, imitating the Lord in washing their feet and waiting on them at table. He died peacefully at Bremen\, Germany\, without achieving his wish to be a martyr. \nSweden became pagan again after his death\, and remained so until the coming of missionaries two centuries later. \n\nReflection\nHistory records what people do\, rather than what they are. Yet the courage and perseverance of men and women like Ansgar can only come from a solid base of union with the original courageous and persevering Missionary. Ansgar’s life is another reminder that God writes straight with crooked lines. Christ takes care of the effects of the apostolate in his own way; he is first concerned about the purity of the apostles themselves. \n\nSaint Ansgar is the Patron Saint of:\nDenmark
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-ansgar/2018-02-01/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180131
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180201
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T161909Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T161909Z
UID:6221-1517356800-1517443199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint John Bosco
DESCRIPTION:Saint John Bosco\nSaint of the Day for January 31\n(August 16\, 1815 – January 31\, 1888)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint John Bosco’s Story\nJohn Bosco’s theory of education could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system\, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance\, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work\, study and play. \nEncouraged during his youth to become a priest so he could work with young boys\, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started when he met a poor orphan and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism. \nAfter serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls\, John opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money\, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys\, shoemaking and tailoring. \nBy 1856\, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. His interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers. \nJohn’s preaching fame spread and by 1850 he had trained his own helpers because of difficulties in retaining young priests. In 1854\, he and his followers informally banded together\, inspired by Saint Francis de Sales. \nWith Pope Pius IX’s encouragement\, John gathered 17 men and founded the Salesians in 1859. Their activity concentrated on education and mission work. Later\, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist girls. \n\nReflection\nJohn Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work\, study\, play. For John Bosco\, being a Christian was a full-time effort\, not a once-a-week\, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do\, letting their love lead us. Yet\, because John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that come with talent and ability\, he trained his students in the trade crafts\, too. \n\nSaint John Bosco is the Patron Saint of:\nBoys\nEditors\nYouth
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-john-bosco/2018-01-31/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180130
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180131
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T161804Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T161804Z
UID:6218-1517270400-1517356799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska\nSaint of the Day for January 30\n(May 16\, 1825 – October 10\, 1899)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nBlessed Mary Angela Truszkowska’s Story\nToday we honor a woman who submitted to God’s will throughout her life—a life filled with pain and suffering. \nBorn in 1825 in central Poland and baptized Sophia\, she contracted tuberculosis as a young girl. The forced period of convalescence gave her ample time for reflection. Sophia felt called to serve God by working with the poor\, including street children and the elderly homeless in Warsaw’s slums. In time\, her cousin joined her in the work. \nIn 1855\, the two women made private vows and consecrated themselves to the Blessed Mother. New followers joined them. Within two years\, they formed a new congregation\, which came to be known as the Felician Sisters. As their numbers grew\, so did their work\, and so did the pressures on Mother Angela (the new name Sophia took in religious life). \nMother Angela served as superior for many years until ill health forced her to resign at the age of 44. She watched the order grow and expand\, including missions to the United States among the sons and daughters of Polish immigrants. \nPope John Paul II beatified her in 1993. \n\nReflection\nLike Saints Francis of Assisi and Ignatius of Antioch\, Blessed Mary Angela experienced a conversion while convalescing from an illness. The Lord can use sickness as well as other situations to speak to the heart of an individual. This does not imply that God caused the illness; just that he used the opportunity to speak to Blessed Angela’s heart. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska is October 10.\n\nAnother Saint of the Day for January 30 is Saint Hyacinth of Mariscotti.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-mary-angela-truszkowska/2018-01-30/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180129
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180130
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T161703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T161703Z
UID:6215-1517184000-1517270399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Servant of God Brother Juniper
DESCRIPTION:Servant of God Brother Juniper\nSaint of the Day for January 29\n(d. 1258)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nServant of God Brother Juniper’s Story\n“Would to God\, my brothers\, I had a whole forest of such Junipers\,” said Francis of this holy friar. \nWe don’t know much about Juniper before he joined the friars in 1210. Francis sent him to establish “places” for the friars in Gualdo Tadino and Viterbo. When Saint Clare was dying\, Juniper consoled her. He was devoted to the passion of Jesus and was known for his simplicity. \nSeveral stories about Juniper in the Little Flowers of St. Francis illustrate his exasperating generosity. Once Juniper was taking care of a sick man who had a craving to eat pig’s feet. This helpful friar went to a nearby field\, captured a pig and cut off one foot\, and then served this meal to the sick man. The owner of the pig was furious and immediately went to Juniper’s superior. When Juniper saw his mistake\, he apologized profusely. He also ended up talking this angry man into donating the rest of the pig to the friars! \nAnother time Juniper had been commanded to quit giving part of his clothing to the half-naked people he met on the road. Desiring to obey his superior\, Juniper once told a man in need that he couldn’t give the man his tunic\, but he wouldn’t prevent the man from taking it either. In time\, the friars learned not to leave anything lying around\, for Juniper would probably give it away. \nHe died in 1258 and is buried at Ara Coeli Church in Rome. \n\nReflection\nWhat can we make of Juniper? He certainly seems to be the first of many Franciscan “characters.” No doubt some of the stories about him have improved considerably in the retelling. Although the stories about Juniper may seem a little quaint\, his virtues were not. He was humble because he knew the truth about God\, himself\, and others. He was patient because he was willing to suffer in his following of Jesus.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/servant-of-god-brother-juniper/2018-01-29/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180128
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180129
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T161558Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T161558Z
UID:6212-1517097600-1517183999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Thomas Aquinas
DESCRIPTION:Saint Thomas Aquinas\nSaint of the Day for January 28\n( 1225 – March 7\, 1274)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Thomas Aquinas’ Story\nBy universal consent\, Thomas Aquinas is the preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic Church\, honored with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor. \nAt five he was given to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in his parents’ hopes that he would choose that way of life and eventually became abbot. In 1239\, he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was here that he was first attracted to Aristotle’s philosophy. \nBy 1243\, Thomas abandoned his family’s plans for him and joined the Dominicans\, much to his mother’s dismay. On her order\, Thomas was captured by his brother and kept at home for over a year. \nOnce free\, he went to Paris and then to Cologne\, where he finished his studies with Albert the Great. He held two professorships at Paris\, lived at the court of Pope Urban IV\, directed the Dominican schools at Rome and Viterbo\, combated adversaries of the mendicants\, as well as the Averroists\, and argued with some Franciscans about Aristotelianism. \nHis greatest contribution to the Catholic Church is his writings. The unity\, harmony and continuity of faith and reason\, of revealed and natural human knowledge\, pervades his writings. One might expect Thomas\, as a man of the gospel\, to be an ardent defender of revealed truth. But he was broad enough\, deep enough\, to see the whole natural order as coming from God the Creator\, and to see reason as a divine gift to be highly cherished. \nThe Summa Theologiae\, his last and\, unfortunately\, uncompleted work\, deals with the whole of Catholic theology. He stopped work on it after celebrating Mass on December 6\, 1273. When asked why he stopped writing\, he replied\, “I cannot go on…. All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.” He died March 7\, 1274. \n\nReflection\nWe can look to Thomas Aquinas as a towering example of Catholicism in the sense of broadness\, universality\, and inclusiveness. We should be determined anew to exercise the divine gift of reason in us\, our power to know\, learn\, and understand. At the same time we should thank God for the gift of his revelation\, especially in Jesus Christ. \n\nSaint Thomas Aquinas is the Patron Saint of:\nCatholic Schools\nColleges\nSchools\nStudents
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-thomas-aquinas/2018-01-28/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180127
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180128
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T161442Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T161442Z
UID:6207-1517011200-1517097599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Angela Merici
DESCRIPTION:Saint Angela Merici\nSaint of the Day for January 27\n(March 21\, 1474 – January 27\, 1540)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Angela Merici’s story\nAngela has the double distinction of founding the first teaching congregation of women in the Church and what is now called a “secular institute” of religious women. \nAs a young woman\, she became a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis\, and lived a life of great austerity\, wishing\, like Saint Francis\, to own nothing\, not even a bed. Early in life she was appalled at the ignorance among poorer children\, whose parents could not or would not teach them the elements of religion. Angela’s charming manner and good looks complemented her natural qualities of leadership. Others joined her in giving regular instruction to the little girls of their neighborhood. \nShe was invited to live with a family in Brescia (where\, she had been told in a vision\, she would one day found a religious community). Her work continued and became well known. She became the center of a group of people with similar ideals. \nShe eagerly took the opportunity for a trip to the Holy Land. When they had gotten as far as Crete\, she was struck with blindness. Her friends wanted to return home\, but she insisted on going through with the pilgrimage\, and visited the sacred shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm as if she had her sight. On the way back\, while praying before a crucifix\, her sight was restored at the same place where it had been lost. \nAt 57\, she organized a group of 12 girls to help her in catechetical work. Four years later the group had increased to 28. She formed them into the Company of Saint Ursula (patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women) for the purpose of re-Christianizing family life through solid Christian education of future wives and mothers. The members continued to live at home\, had no special habit and took no formal vows\, though the early Rule prescribed the practice of virginity\, poverty\, and obedience. The idea of a teaching congregation of women was new and took time to develop. The community thus existed as a “secular institute” until some years after Angela’s death. \n\nReflection\nAs with so many saints\, history is mostly concerned with their activities. But we must always presume deep Christian faith and love in one whose courage lasts a lifetime\, and who can take bold new steps when human need demands.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-angela-merici/2018-01-27/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180126
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180127
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T161248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T161248Z
UID:6206-1516924800-1517011199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saints Timothy and Titus
DESCRIPTION:Saints Timothy and Titus\nSaint of the Day for January 26\n(d. c. 95)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaints Timothy and Titus’ Story\nWhat we know from the New Testament of Timothy’s life makes it sound like that of a modern harried bishop. He had the honor of being a fellow apostle with Paul\, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel and suffering for it. \nTimothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. Being the product of a “mixed” marriage\, he was considered illegitimate by the Jews. It was his grandmother\, Lois\, who first became Christian. Timothy was a convert of Paul around the year 47 and later joined him in his apostolic work. He was with Paul at the founding of the Church in Corinth. During the 15 years he worked with Paul\, he became one of his most faithful and trusted friends. He was sent on difficult missions by Paul—often in the face of great disturbance in local churches which Paul had founded. \nTimothy was with Paul in Rome during the latter’s house arrest. At some period Timothy himself was in prison (Hebrews 13:23). Paul installed him as his representative at the Church of Ephesus. \nTimothy was comparatively young for the work he was doing. Several references seem to indicate that he was timid. And one of Paul’s most frequently quoted lines was addressed to him: “Stop drinking only water\, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23). \nTitus has the distinction of being a close friend and disciple of Paul as well as a fellow missionary. He was Greek\, apparently from Antioch. Even though Titus was a Gentile\, Paul would not let him be forced to undergo circumcision at Jerusalem. Titus is seen as a peacemaker\, administrator\, great friend. Paul’s second letter to Corinth affords an insight into the depth of his friendship with Titus\, and the great fellowship they had in preaching the gospel. \nWhen Paul was having trouble with the community at Corinth\, Titus was the bearer of Paul’s severe letter and was successful in smoothing things out. Paul writes he was strengthened not only by the arrival of Titus but also “by the encouragement with which he was encouraged in regard to you\, as he told us of your yearning\, your lament\, your zeal for me\, so that I rejoiced even more…. And his heart goes out to you all the more\, as he remembers the obedience of all of you\, when you received him with fear and trembling” (2 Corinthians 7:7a\, 15). \nThe Letter to Titus addresses him as the administrator of the Christian community on the island of Crete\, charged with organizing it\, correcting abuses\, and appointing presbyter-bishops. \n\nReflection\nIn Titus we get another glimpse of life in the early Church: great zeal in the apostolate\, great communion in Christ\, great friendship. Yet always there is the problem of human nature and the unglamorous details of daily life: the need for charity and patience in “quarrels with others\, fears within myself\,” as Paul says. Through it all\, the love of Christ sustained them. At the end of the Letter to Titus\, Paul says that when the temporary substitute comes\, “hurry to me.” \n\nSaints Timothy and Titus are the Patron Saints of:\nStomach Disorders
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saints-timothy-and-titus/2018-01-26/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180125
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180126
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T161103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T161103Z
UID:6203-1516838400-1516924799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Conversion of Saint Paul
DESCRIPTION:Saint of the Day for January 25\nConversion of Saint Paul\n1600 \nClick to hear audio clip ►\nThe Story of the Conversion of Saint Paul\nPaul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant\, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted\, like the strength of a boxer swinging wildly. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus\, who was only a few years older. But he had acquired a zealot’s hatred of all Jesus stood for\, as he began to harass the Church: “…entering house after house and dragging out men and women\, he handed them over for imprisonment” (Acts 8:3b). Now he himself was “entered\,” possessed\, all his energy harnessed to one goal—being a slave of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation\, an instrument to help others experience the one Savior. \nOne sentence determined his theology: “I am Jesus\, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5b). Jesus was mysteriously identified with people—the loving group of people Saul had been running down like criminals. Jesus\, he saw\, was the mysterious fulfillment of all he had been blindly pursuing. \nFrom then on\, his only work was to “present everyone perfect in Christ. For this I labor and struggle\, in accord with the exercise of his power working within me” (Colossians 1:28b-29). “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone\, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and [with] much conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5a). \nPaul’s life became a tireless proclaiming and living out of the message of the cross: Christians die baptismally to sin and are buried with Christ; they are dead to all that is sinful and unredeemed in the world. They are made into a new creation\, already sharing Christ’s victory and someday to rise from the dead like him. Through this risen Christ the Father pours out the Spirit on them\, making them completely new. \nSo Paul’s great message to the world was: You are saved entirely by God\, not by anything you can do. Saving faith is the gift of total\, free\, personal and loving commitment to Christ\, a commitment that then bears fruit in more “works” than the Law could ever contemplate. \n\nReflection\nPaul is undoubtedly hard to understand. His style often reflects the rabbinical style of argument of his day\, and often his thought skips on mountaintops while we plod below. But perhaps our problems are accentuated by the fact that so many beautiful jewels have become part of the everyday coin in our Christian language.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/conversion-of-saint-paul/2018-01-25/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180124
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180125
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T160723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T160723Z
UID:6200-1516752000-1516838399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Francis de Sales
DESCRIPTION:Saint Francis de Sales\nSaint of the Day for January 24\n(August 21\, 1567 – December 28\, 1622)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Francis de Sales’ Story\nFrancis was destined by his father to be a lawyer so that the young man could eventually take his elder’s place as a senator from the province of Savoy in France. For this reason Francis was sent to Padua to study law. After receiving his doctorate\, he returned home and\, in due time\, told his parents he wished to enter the priesthood. His father strongly opposed Francis in this\, and only after much patient persuasiveness on the part of the gentle Francis did his father finally consent. Francis was ordained and elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva\, then a center for the Calvinists. Francis set out to convert them\, especially in the district of Chablais. By preaching and distributing the little pamphlets he wrote to explain true Catholic doctrine\, he had remarkable success. \nAt 35\, he became bishop of Geneva. While administering his diocese he continued to preach\, hear confessions\, and catechize the children. His gentle character was a great asset in winning souls. He practiced his own axiom\, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.” \nBesides his two well-known books\, the Introduction to the Devout Life and A Treatise on the Love of God\, he wrote many pamphlets and carried on a vast correspondence. For his writings\, he has been named patron of the Catholic Press. His writings\, filled with his characteristic gentle spirit\, are addressed to lay people. He wants to make them understand that they too are called to be saints. As he wrote in The Introduction to the Devout Life: “It is an error\, or rather a heresy\, to say devotion is incompatible with the life of a soldier\, a tradesman\, a prince\, or a married woman…. It has happened that many have lost perfection in the desert who had preserved it in the world. ” \nIn spite of his busy and comparatively short life\, he had time to collaborate with another saint\, Jane Frances de Chantal\, in the work of establishing the Sisters of the Visitation. These women were to practice the virtues exemplified in Mary’s visit to Elizabeth: humility\, piety\, and mutual charity. They at first engaged to a limited degree in works of mercy for the poor and the sick. Today\, while some communities conduct schools\, others live a strictly contemplative life. \n\nReflection\nFrancis de Sales took seriously the words of Christ\, “Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart.” As he said himself\, it took him 20 years to conquer his quick temper\, but no one ever suspected he had such a problem\, so overflowing with good nature and kindness was his usual manner of acting. His perennial meekness and sunny disposition won for him the title of “Gentleman Saint.” \n\nSaint Francis de Sales is the Patron Saint of:\nAuthors\nDeafness\nJournalists\nWriters
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-francis-de-sales/2018-01-24/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180123
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180124
DTSTAMP:20260403T134531
CREATED:20170825T160604Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170825T160604Z
UID:6197-1516665600-1516751999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Marianne Cope
DESCRIPTION:Saint Marianne Cope\nSaint of the Day for January 23\n(January 23\, 1838 – August 9\, 1918)\nClick to hear audio clip ►\nSaint Marianne Cope’s Story\nThough leprosy scared off most people in 19th-century Hawaii\, that disease sparked great generosity in the woman who came to be known as Mother Marianne of Molokai. Her courage helped tremendously to improve the lives of its victims in Hawaii\, a territory annexed to the United States during her lifetime (1898). \nMother Marianne’s generosity and courage were celebrated at her May 14\, 2005\, beatification in Rome. She was a woman who spoke “the language of truth and love” to the world\, said Cardinal José Saraiva Martins\, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. Cardinal Martins\, who presided at the beatification Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica\, called her life “a wonderful work of divine grace.” Speaking of her special love for persons suffering from leprosy\, he said\, “She saw in them the suffering face of Jesus. Like the Good Samaritan\, she became their mother.” \nOn January 23\, 1838\, a daughter was born to Peter and Barbara Cope of Hessen-Darmstadt\, Germany. The girl was named after her mother. Two years later the Cope family emigrated to the United States and settled in Utica\, New York. Young Barbara worked in a factory until August 1862\, when she went to the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Syracuse\, New York. After profession in November of the next year\, she began teaching at Assumption parish school. \nMarianne held the post of superior in several places and was twice the novice mistress of her congregation. A natural leader\, three different times she was superior of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse\, where she learned much that would be useful during her years in Hawaii. \nElected provincial in 1877\, Mother Marianne was unanimously re-elected in 1881. Two years later the Hawaiian government was searching for someone to run the Kakaako Receiving Station for people suspected of having leprosy. More than 50 religious communities in the United States and Canada were asked. When the request was put to the Syracuse sisters\, 35 of them volunteered immediately. On October 22\, 1883\, Mother Marianne and six other sisters left for Hawaii where they took charge of the Kakaako Receiving Station outside Honolulu; on the island of Maui they also opened a hospital and a school for girls. \nIn 1888\, Mother Marianne and two sisters went to Molokai to open a home for “unprotected women and girls” there. The Hawaiian government was quite hesitant to send women for this difficult assignment; they need not have worried about Mother Marianne! On Molokai she took charge of the home that Saint Damien de Veuster had established for men and boys. Mother Marianne changed life on Molokai by introducing cleanliness\, pride\, and fun to the colony. Bright scarves and pretty dresses for the women were part of her approach. \nAwarded the Royal Order of Kapiolani by the Hawaiian government and celebrated in a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson\, Mother Marianne continued her work faithfully. Her sisters have attracted vocations among the Hawaiian people and still work on Molokai. \nMother Marianne died on August 9\, 1918 and was beatified in 2005 and canonized seven years later. \n\nReflection\nThe government authorities were reluctant to allow Mother Marianne to be a mother on Molokai. Thirty years of dedication proved their fears unfounded. God grants gifts regardless of human short-sightedness and allows those gifts to flower for the sake of the kingdom.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-marianne-cope/2018-01-23/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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