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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180412
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180413
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T173606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T173606Z
UID:6568-1523491200-1523577599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Teresa of Los Andes
DESCRIPTION:Saint Teresa of Los Andes\nSaint of the Day for April 12\n(July 13\, 1900 – April 12\, 1920)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr12.mp3\nSaint Teresa of Los Andes’ Story\nOne needn’t live a long life to leave a deep imprint. Teresa of Los Andes is proof of that. \nAs a young girl growing up in the early 1900’s in Santiago\, Chile\, Juana Fernandez read an autobiography of a French-born saint—Thérèse\, popularly known as the Little Flower. The experience deepened her desire to serve God and clarified the path she would follow. At age 19 Juana became a Carmelite nun\, taking the name of Teresa. \nThe convent offered the simple lifestyle Teresa desired and the joy of living in a community of women completely devoted to God. She focused her days on prayer and sacrifice. “I am God’s\,” she wrote in her diary. “He created me and is my beginning and my end.” \nToward the end of her short life\, Teresa began an apostolate of letter-writing\, sharing her thoughts on the spiritual life with many people. At age 20 she contracted typhus and quickly took her final vows. She died a short time later\, during Holy Week. \nKnown as the “Flower of the Andes\,” Teresa remains popular with the estimated 100\,000 pilgrims who visit her shrine in Los Andes each year. Canonized in 1993 by Pope John Paul II\, she is Chile’s first saint. \n\nReflection\nThe special graces given Saint Teresa reflect the mysterious wisdom of God at work in individuals whether young or old. It appears God has his own logic when it comes to who gets what in the realm of grace. All we can say is; “Praised be the Lord.” \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for April 12 is Saint Gregory of Narek.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-teresa-of-los-andes/2018-04-12/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180411
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180412
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T173247Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T175310Z
UID:6565-1523404800-1523491199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Stanislaus
DESCRIPTION:Saint Stanislaus\nSaint of the Day for April 11\n(July 26\, 1030 – April 11\, 1079)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr11.mp3\nSaint Stanislaus’ Story\nAnyone who reads the history of Eastern Europe cannot help but chance on the name of Stanislaus\, the saintly but tragic bishop of Kraków\, patron of Poland. He is remembered with Saints Thomas More and Thomas Becket for vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government. \nBorn in Szczepanow near Kraków on July 26\, 1030\, he was ordained a priest after being educated in the cathedral schools of Gniezno\, then capital of Poland\, and at Paris. He was appointed preacher and archdeacon to the bishop of Kraków\, where his eloquence and example brought about real conversion in many of his penitents\, both clergy and laity. He became bishop of Kraków in 1072. \nDuring an expedition against the Grand Duchy of Kiev\, Stanislaus became involved in the political situation of Poland. Known for his outspokenness\, he aimed his attacks at the evils of the peasantry and the king\, especially the unjust wars and immoral acts of King Boleslaus II. \nThe king first excused himself\, then made a show of penance\, then relapsed into his old ways. Stanislaus continued his open opposition in spite of charges of treason and threats of death\, finally excommunicating the king. Enraged\, the latter ordered soldiers to kill the bishop. When they refused\, the king killed Stanislaus with his own hands. \nForced to flee to Hungary\, Boleslaus supposedly spent the rest of his life as a penitent in the Benedictine abbey in Osiak. \n\nReflection\nSaints John the Baptist\, Thomas Becket\, Thomas More\, and Stanislaus are a few of the prophets who dared to denounce corruption in high places. They followed in the footsteps of Jesus himself\, who pointed out the moral corruption in the religious leadership of his day. It is a risky business. \n\nSaint Stanislaus is the Patron Saint of:\nPoland
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-magdalen-of-canossas-story-wealth-and-privilege-did-nothing-to-prevent-todays-saint-from-following-her-calling-to-serve-christ-in-the-poor-nor-did-the-protests-of-her-relativ/2018-04-11/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180410
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180411
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T173107Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T173107Z
UID:6562-1523318400-1523404799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Magdalen of Canossa
DESCRIPTION:Saint Magdalen of Canossa\nSaint of the Day for April 10\n(March 1\, 1774 – April 10\, 1835)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr10.mp3\nSaint Magdalen of Canossa’s Story\nWealth and privilege did nothing to prevent today’s saint from following her calling to serve Christ in the poor. Nor did the protests of her relatives\, concerned that such work was beneath her. \nBorn in northern Italy in 1774\, Magdalen knew her mind—and spoke it. At age 15 she announced she wished to become a nun. After trying out her vocation with the cloistered Carmelites\, she realized her desire was to serve the needy without restriction. For years she worked among the poor and sick in hospitals and in their homes\, and also among delinquent and abandoned girls. \nIn her mid-twenties Magdalen began offering lodging to poor girls in her own home. In time she opened a school\, which offered practical training and religious instruction. As other women joined her in the work\, the new Congregation of the Canossian Daughters of Charity–or Canossian Sisters–emerged. Over time\, houses were opened throughout Italy. \nMembers of the new religious congregation focused on the educational and spiritual needs of women. Magdalen also founded a smaller congregation for priests and brothers. Both groups continue to this day. \nMagdalen died in 1835. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1988. \n\nReflection\nLet us pray to Saint Magdalen for the many young women who are caught up in the sex trafficking epidemic of our day.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-magdalen-of-canossa/2018-04-10/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180409
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180410
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T172736Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T172736Z
UID:6559-1523232000-1523318399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Casilda
DESCRIPTION:Saint Casilda\nSaint of the Day for April 9\n(d. c. 1050)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr09.mp3\nSaint Casilda’s Story\nSome saints’ names are far more familiar to us than others\, but even the lives of obscure holy persons teach us something. \nAnd so it is with Saint Casilda. Her father was a Muslim leader in Toledo\, Spain\, in the 10th century. Casilda was a devout Muslim but was kind to Christian prisoners. She became ill as a young woman but did not trust that any of the local Arab doctors could cure her. So she made a pilgrimage to the shrine of San Vicenzo in northern Spain. Like so many other people who made their way there—many of them suffering from hemorrhages—Casilda sought the healing waters of the shrine. We’re uncertain what brought her to the shrine\, but we do know that she left it relieved of illness. \nIn response\, she became a Christian and lived a life of solitude and penance not far from the miraculous spring. It’s said that she lived to be 100 years old. Her death likely occurred around the year 1050. \n\nReflection\nTensions between Muslims and Christians have often existed throughout history\, sometimes resulting in bloody conflict. Through her quiet\, simple life Casilda served her Creator—first in one faith\, then in another.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-casilda/2018-04-09/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180408
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180409
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T160751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T160751Z
UID:6551-1523145600-1523231999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Julie Billiart
DESCRIPTION:Saint Julie Billiart\nSaint of the Day for April 8\n(July 12\, 1751 – April 8\, 1816)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr08.mp3\nSaint Julie Billiart’s Story\nBorn in Cuvilly\, France\, into a family of well-to-do farmers\, young Marie Rose Julie Billiart showed an early interest in religion and in helping the sick and poor. Though the first years of her life were relatively peaceful and uncomplicated\, Julie had to take up manual work as a young teen when her family lost its money. However\, she spent her spare time teaching catechism to young people and to the farm laborers. \nA mysterious illness overtook her when she was about 30. Witnessing an attempt to wound or even kill her father\, Julie was paralyzed and became a complete invalid. For the next two decades\, she continued to teach catechism lessons from her bed\, offered spiritual advice\, and attracted visitors who had heard of her holiness. \nWhen the French Revolution broke out in 1789\, revolutionary forces became aware of her allegiance to fugitive priests. With the help of friends\, she was smuggled out of Cuvilly in a haycart. She then spent several years hiding in Compiegne\, being moved from house to house despite her growing physical pain. She even lost the power of speech for a time. \nBut this period also proved to be a fruitful spiritual time for Julie. It was at this time she had a vision in which she saw Calvary surrounded by women in religious habits and heard a voice saying\, “Behold these spiritual daughters whom I give you in an institute marked by the cross.” \nAs time passed and Julie continued her mobile life\, she made the acquaintance of an aristocratic woman\, Françoise Blin de Bourdon\, who shared Julie’s interest in teaching the faith. In 1803\, the two women began the Institute of Notre Dame\, which was dedicated to the education of the poor\, young Christian girls\, and the training of catechists. The following year\, the first Sisters of Notre Dame made their vows. That was the same year that Julie recovered from the illness: She was able to walk for the first time in 22 years. \nThough Julie had always been attentive to the special needs of the poor and that always remained her priority\, she also became aware that other classes in society needed Christian instruction. From the founding of the Sisters of Notre Dame until her death\, Julie was on the road\, opening a variety of schools in France and Belgium that served the poor and the wealthy\, vocational groups\, teachers. Ultimately\, Julie and Françoise moved the motherhouse to Namur\, Belgium. \nJulie died there in 1816. She was canonized in 1969. \n\nReflection\nJulie’s immobility in no way impeded her activities. In spite of her suffering\, she managed to co-found a teaching order that tended to the needs of both the poor and the well-to-do. Each of us has limitations\, but the worst malady any of us can suffer is the spiritual paralysis that keeps us from doing God’s work on earth.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-julie-billiart/2018-04-08/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180407
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180408
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T160349Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T160349Z
UID:6548-1523059200-1523145599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint John Baptist de la Salle
DESCRIPTION:Saint John Baptist de la Salle\nSaint of the Day for April 7\n(April 30\, 1651 – April 7\, 1719)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr07.mp3\nSaint John Baptist de la Salle’s Story\nComplete dedication to what he saw as God’s will for him dominated the life of John Baptist de la Salle. In 1950\, Pope Pius XII named him patron of schoolteachers for his efforts in upgrading school instruction. As a young 17th-century Frenchman\, John had everything going for him: scholarly bent\, good looks\, noble family background\, money\, refined upbringing. At the early age of 11\, he received the tonsure and started preparation for the priesthood\, to which he was ordained at 27. He seemed assured then of a life of dignified ease and a high position in the Church. \nBut God had other plans for John\, which were gradually revealed to him in the next several years. During a chance meeting with Monsieur Nyel\, he became interested in the creation of schools for poor boys in Raven\, where he was stationed. Though the work was extremely distasteful to him at first\, he became more involved in working with the deprived youths. \nOnce convinced that this was his divinely appointed mission\, John threw himself wholeheartedly into the work\, left home and family\, abandoned his position as canon at Rheims\, gave away his fortune\, and reduced himself to the level of the poor to whom he devoted his entire life. \nThe remainder of his life was closely entwined with the community of religious men he founded\, the Brothers of the Christian School (Christian Brothers\, or De La Salle Brothers). This community grew rapidly and was successful in educating boys of poor families\, using methods designed by John. It prepared teachers in the first training college for teachers and also set up homes and schools for young delinquents of wealthy families. The motivating element in all these endeavors was the desire to become a good Christian. \nYet even in his success\, John did not escape experiencing many trials: heart-rending disappointment and defections among his disciples\, bitter opposition from the secular schoolmasters who resented his new and fruitful methods\, and persistent opposition from the Jansenists of his time\, whose moral rigidity and pessimism about the human condition John resisted vehemently all his life. \nAfflicted with asthma and rheumatism in his last years\, he died at 68 on Good Friday\, and was canonized in 1900. \n\nReflection\nComplete dedication to one’s calling by God\, whatever it may be\, is a rare quality. Jesus asks us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart\, with all your soul\, with all your mind\, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30b\, emphasis added). Paul gives similar advice: “Whatever you do\, do from the heart…” (Colossians 3:23). \n\nSaint John Baptist de la Salle is the Patron Saint of:\nTeachers \n 
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-john-baptist-de-la-salle/2018-04-07/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180406
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180407
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T154952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T154952Z
UID:6545-1522972800-1523059199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Crescentia Hoess
DESCRIPTION:Saint Crescentia Hoess\nSaint of the Day for April 6\n(October 20\, 1682 – April 5\, 1744)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr06.mp3\nSaint Crescentia Hoess’ Story\nCrescentia was born in 1682\, the daughter of a poor weaver\, in a little town near Augsburg. She spent play time praying in the parish church\, assisted those even poorer than herself and had so mastered the truths of her religion that she was permitted to make her first Holy Communion at the then unusually early age of 7. In the town she was called “the little angel.” \nAs she grew older\, she desired to enter the convent of the Tertiaries of St. Francis. But the convent was poor\, and because Crescentia had no dowry\, the superiors refused her admission. Her case was then pleaded by the Protestant mayor of the town to whom the convent owed a favor. The community felt it was forced into receiving her\, and her new life was made miserable. She was considered a burden and assigned nothing other than menial tasks. Even her cheerful spirit was misinterpreted as flattery or hypocrisy. \nConditions improved four years later when a new superior was elected who realized her virtue. Crescentia herself was appointed mistress of novices. She so won the love and respect of the sisters that\, upon the death of the superior\, Crescentia was unanimously elected to that position. Under her\, the financial state of the convent improved and her reputation in spiritual matters spread. She was soon being consulted by princes and princesses; bishops and cardinals too sought her advice. And yet\, a true daughter of Francis\, she remained ever humble. \nBodily afflictions and pain were always with her. First it was headaches and toothaches. Then she lost the ability to walk\, her hands and feet gradually becoming so crippled that her body curled up into a fetal position. In the spirit of Francis she cried out\, “Oh\, you bodily members\, praise God that he has given you the capacity to suffer.” Despite her sufferings she was filled with peace and joy as she died on Easter Sunday in 1744. \nShe was beatified in 1900 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001. \n\nReflection\nAlthough she grew up in poverty and willingly embraced it in her vocation\, Crescentia had a good head for business. Under her able administration\, her convent regained financial stability. Too often\, we think of good money management as\, at best\, a less-than-holy gift. But Crescentia was wise enough to balance her worldly skills with such acumen in spiritual matters that heads of State and Church both sought her advice. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast Day for Saint Crescentia Hoess is April 5.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-crescentia-hoess/2018-04-06/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180405
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180406
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T154826Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T154826Z
UID:6542-1522886400-1522972799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Vincent Ferrer
DESCRIPTION:Saint Vincent Ferrer\nSaint of the Day for April 5\n(January 23\, 1350 – April 5\,1419)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr05.mp3\nSaint Vincent Ferrer’s Story\nThe polarization in the Church today is a mild breeze compared with the tornado that ripped the Church apart during the lifetime of this saint. If any saint is a patron of reconciliation\, Vincent Ferrer is. \nDespite parental opposition\, he entered the Dominican Order in his native Spain at 19. After brilliant studies\, he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Peter de Luna—who would figure tragically in his life. \nOf a very ardent nature\, Vincent practiced the austerities of his Order with great energy. He was chosen prior of the Dominican house in Valencia shortly after his ordination. \nThe Western schism divided Christianity first between two\, then three\, popes. Clement VII lived at Avignon in France\, Urban VI in Rome. Vincent was convinced the election of Urban was invalid\, though Catherine of Siena was just as devoted a supporter of the Roman pope. In the service of Cardinal de Luna\, Vincent worked to persuade Spaniards to follow Clement. When Clement died\, Cardinal de Luna was elected at Avignon and became Benedict XIII. \nVincent worked for him as apostolic penitentiary and Master of the Sacred Palace. But the new pope did not resign as all candidates in the conclave had sworn to do. He remained stubborn\, despite being deserted by the French king and nearly all of the cardinals. \nVincent became disillusioned and very ill\, but finally took up the work of simply “going through the world preaching Christ\,” though he felt that any renewal in the Church depended on healing the schism. An eloquent and fiery preacher\, he spent the last 20 years of his life spreading the Good News in Spain\, France\, Switzerland\, the Low Countries and Lombardy\, stressing the need of repentance and the fear of coming judgment. He became known as the “Angel of the Judgment.” \nVincent tried unsuccessfully\, in 1408 and 1415\, to persuade his former friend to resign. He finally concluded that Benedict was not the true pope. Though very ill\, he mounted the pulpit before an assembly over which Benedict himself was presiding\, and thundered his denunciation of the man who had ordained him a priest. Benedict fled for his life\, abandoned by those who had formerly supported him. Strangely\, Vincent had no part in the Council of Constance\, which ended the schism. \n\nReflection\nThe split in the Church at the time of Vincent Ferrer should have been fatal—36 long years of having two “heads.” We cannot imagine what condition the Church today would be in if\, for that length of time\, half the world had followed a succession of popes in Rome\, and half an equally “official” number of popes in say\, Rio de Janeiro. It is an ongoing miracle that the Church has not long since been shipwrecked on the rocks of pride and ignorance\, greed and ambition. Contrary to Lowell’s words\, “Truth forever on the scaffold\, wrong forever on the throne\,” we believe that “truth is mighty\, and it shall prevail”—but it sometimes takes a long time. \n\nSaint Vincent Ferrer is the Patron Saint of:\nBuilders\nBusinessmen\nReconciliation
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-vincent-ferrer/2018-04-05/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180404
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180405
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T154610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T154610Z
UID:6536-1522800000-1522886399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Isidore of Seville
DESCRIPTION:Saint Isidore of Seville\nSaint of the Day for April 4\n(c. 560 – April 4\, 636)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr04.mp3\nSaint Isidore of Seville’s Story\nThe 76 years of Isidore’s life were a time of conflict and growth for the Church in Spain. The Visigoths had invaded the land a century and a half earlier\, and shortly before Isidore’s birth they set up their own capital. They were Arians—Christians who said Christ was not God. Thus\, Spain was split in two: One people (Catholic Romans) struggled with another (Arian Goths). \nIsidore reunited Spain\, making it a center of culture and learning. The country served as a teacher and guide for other European countries whose culture was also threatened by barbarian invaders. \nBorn in Cartagena of a family that included three other sibling saints–Leander\, Fulgentius and Florentina–he was educated by his elder brother\, whom he succeeded as bishop of Seville. \nAn amazingly learned man\, he was sometimes called “The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages” because the encyclopedia he wrote was used as a textbook for nine centuries. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese\, wrote a Rule for religious orders\, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Isidore wrote numerous books\, including a dictionary\, an encyclopedia\, a history of Goths\, and a history of the world—beginning with creation! He completed the Mozarabic liturgy\, which is still in use in Toledo\, Spain. For all these reasons\, Isidore has been suggested as patron of the Internet. Several others–including Anthony of Padua–also have been suggested. \nHe continued his austerities even as he approached age 80. During the last six months of his life\, he increased his charities so much that his house was crowded from morning till night with the poor of the countryside. \n\nReflection\nOur society can well use Isidore’s spirit of combining learning and holiness. Loving\, understanding and knowledge can heal and bring a broken people back together. We are not barbarians like the invaders of Isidore’s Spain. But people who are swamped by riches and overwhelmed by scientific and technological advances can lose much of their understanding love for one another. \n\nSaint Isidore of Seville is the Patron Saint of:\nInternet\nComputers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-isidore-of-seville/2018-04-04/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180403
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180404
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T154355Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T154652Z
UID:6532-1522713600-1522799999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Benedict the African
DESCRIPTION:Saint Benedict the African\nSaint of the Day for April 3\n(1526 – 1589)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr03.mp3\nSaint Benedict the African’s Story\nBenedict held important posts in the Franciscan Order and gracefully adjusted to other work when his terms of office were up. \nHis parents were slaves brought from Africa to Messina\, Sicily. Freed at 18\, Benedict did farm work for a wage and soon saved enough to buy a pair of oxen. He was very proud of those animals. In time\, he joined a group of hermits around Palermo and was eventually recognized as their leader. Because these hermits followed the Rule of Saint Francis\, Pope Pius IV ordered them to join the First Order. \nBenedict was eventually novice master and then guardian of the friars in Palermo—positions rarely held in those days by a brother. In fact\, Benedict was forced to accept his election as guardian. And when his term ended\, he happily returned to his work in the friary kitchen. \nBenedict corrected the friars with humility and charity. Once he corrected a novice and assigned him a penance only to learn that the novice was not the guilty party. Benedict immediately knelt down before the novice and asked his pardon. \nIn later life\, Benedict was not possessive of the few things he used. He never referred to them as “mine\,” but always called them “ours.” His gifts for prayer and the guidance of souls earned him throughout Sicily a reputation for holiness. Following the example of Saint Francis\, Benedict kept seven 40-day fasts throughout the year; he also slept only a few hours each night. \nAfter Benedict’s death\, King Philip III of Spain paid for a special tomb for this holy friar. Canonized in 1807\, he is honored as a patron saint by African Americans. \n\nReflection\nAmong Franciscans\, a position of leadership is limited in time. When the time expires\, former leaders sometimes have trouble adjusting to their new position. The Church needs men and women ready to put their best energies into leadership—but also men and women who are gracefully willing to go on to other work when their time of leadership is over. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Saint Benedict the African is April 4.\n\nSaint Benedict the African is the Patron Saint of:\nAfrican Americans
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-benedict-the-african/2018-04-03/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180402
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180403
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T153736Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T153736Z
UID:6529-1522627200-1522713599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Francis of Paola
DESCRIPTION:Saint Francis of Paola\nSaint of the Day for April 2\n(March 27\, 1416 – April 2\, 1507)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr02.mp3\nSaint Francis of Paola’s Story\nFrancis of Paola was a man who deeply loved contemplative solitude and wished only to be the “least in the household of God.” Yet\, when the Church called him to active service in the world\, he became a miracle-worker and influenced the course of nations. \nAfter accompanying his parents on a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi\, he began to live as a contemplative hermit in a remote cave near Paola\, on Italy’s southern seacoast. Before he was 20\, he received the first followers who had come to imitate his way of life. Seventeen years later\, when his disciples had grown in number\, Francis established a Rule for his austere community and sought Church approval. This was the founding of the Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi\, who were approved by the Holy See in 1474. \nIn 1492\, Francis changed the name of his community to “Minims” because he wanted them to be known as the least (minimi) in the household of God. Humility was to be the hallmark of the brothers as it had been in Francis’s personal life. Besides the vows of poverty\, chastity and obedience\, Francis enjoined upon his followers the fourth obligation of a perpetual Lenten fast. He felt that heroic mortification was necessary as a means for spiritual growth. \nIt was Francis’s desire to be a contemplative hermit\, yet he believed that God was calling him to the apostolic life. He began to use the gifts he had received\, such as the gifts of miracles and prophecy\, to minister to the people of God. A defender of the poor and oppressed\, Francis incurred the wrath of King Ferdinand of Naples for the admonitions he directed toward the king and his sons. \nFollowing the request of Pope Sixtus IV\, Francis traveled to Paris to help Louis XI of France prepare for his death. While ministering to the king\, Francis was able to influence the course of national politics. He helped to restore peace between France and Brittany by advising a marriage between the ruling families\, and between France and Spain by persuading Louis XI to return some disputed land. \nFrancis died while at the French court. \n\nReflection\nThe life of Francis of Paola speaks plainly to an overactive world. He was a contemplative man called to active ministry and must have felt keenly the tension between prayer and service. Yet\, in Francis’s life it was a productive tension\, for he clearly utilized the fruits of contemplation in his ministry\, which came to involve the workings of nations. He responded so readily and so well to the call of the Church from a solid foundation in prayer and mortification. When he went out to the world\, it was not he who worked but Christ working through him—“the least in the household of God.” \n\nSaint Francis of Paola is the Patron Saint  of:\nSailors \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for April 2 is Blessed Elisabetta Vendramini.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-francis-of-paola/2018-04-02/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180401
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180402
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T153016Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T153016Z
UID:6521-1522540800-1522627199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Hugh of Grenoble
DESCRIPTION:Saint Hugh of Grenoble\nSaint of the Day for April 1\n(1053 – April 1\, 1132)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODApr01.mp3\nSaint Hugh of Grenoble’s Story\nToday’s saint could be a patron for those of us who feel so overwhelmed by all the problems in the world that we don’t know where to begin. \nHugh\, who served as a bishop in France for 52 years\, had his work cut out for him from the start. Corruption seemed to loom in every direction: the buying and selling of Church offices\, violations of clerical celibacy\, lay control of Church property\, religious indifference and/or ignorance. After serving as bishop for two years\, he’d had his fill. He tried disappearing to a monastery\, but the pope called him back to continue the work of reform. \nIronically\, Hugh was reasonably effective in the role of reformer—surely because of his devotion to the Church but also because of his strong character. In conflicts between Church and state he was an unflinching defender of the Church. He fearlessly supported the papacy. He was eloquent as a preacher. He restored his own cathedral\, made civic improvements in the town\, and weathered a brief exile. \nHugh may be best known as patron and benefactor of Saint Bruno\, founder of the Carthusian Order. He died in 1132. He was canonized only two years later. \n\nReflection\nIn the midst of our confusing life these days\, let us pray for the ability to rise above the fray and to see things in the light of faith as did Saint Hugh. \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for April 1 is Blessed Anaclete Gonzales Flores.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-hugh-of-grenoble/2018-04-01/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180331
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180401
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T152711Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T152711Z
UID:6518-1522454400-1522540799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Stephen of Mar Saba
DESCRIPTION:Saint Stephen of Mar Saba\nSaint of the Day for March 31\n(725 – 794)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar31.mp3\nSaint Stephen of Mar Saba’s Story\nA “do not disturb” sign helped today’s saint find holiness and peace. \nStephen of Mar Saba was the nephew of Saint John Damascene\, who introduced the young boy to monastic life beginning at age 10. When he reached 24\, Stephen served the community in a variety of ways\, including guest master. After some time he asked permission to live a hermit’s life. The answer from the abbot was yes and no: Stephen could follow his preferred lifestyle during the week\, but on weekends he was to offer his skills as a counselor. Stephen placed a note on the door of his cell: “Forgive me\, Fathers\, in the name of the Lord\, but please do not disturb me except on Saturdays and Sundays.” \nDespite his calling to prayer and quiet\, Stephen displayed uncanny skills with people and was a valued spiritual guide. \nHis biographer and disciple wrote about Stephen: “Whatever help\, spiritual or material\, he was asked to give\, he gave. He received and honored all with the same kindness. He possessed nothing and lacked nothing. In total poverty he possessed all things.” \nStephen died in 794. \n\nReflection\nSaint Stephen of Mar Saba knew the value of solitude. Even though he was generous and served whoever came to him\, he relished his time alone. Maybe we can learn from him the value of solitude and seek it out a little more in our lives.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-stephen-of-mar-saba/2018-03-31/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180330
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180331
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T152529Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T152529Z
UID:6515-1522368000-1522454399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Peter Regalado
DESCRIPTION:Saint Peter Regalado\nSaint of the Day for March 30\n(1390 – March 30\, 1456)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar30.mp3\nSaint Peter Regalado’s Story\nPeter lived at a very busy time in history. The Great Western Schism (1378-1417) was settled at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). France and England were fighting the Hundred Years’ War\, and in 1453\, the Byzantine Empire was completely wiped out by the loss of Constantinople to the Turks. At Peter’s death\, the age of printing had just begun in Germany\, and Columbus’s arrival in the New World was less than 40 years away. \nPeter came from a wealthy and pious family in Valladolid\, Spain. At the age of 13\, he was allowed to enter the Conventual Franciscans. Shortly after his ordination\, he was made superior of the friary in Aguilar. He became part of a group of friars who wanted to lead a life of greater poverty and penance. In 1442\, he was appointed head of all the Spanish Franciscans in his reform group. \nPeter led the friars by his example. A special love of the poor and the sick characterized Peter. Miraculous stories are told about his charity to the poor. For example\, the bread never seemed to run out as long as Peter had hungry people to feed. Throughout most of his life\, Peter went hungry; he lived only on bread and water. \nImmediately after his death on March 31\, 1456\, his grave became a place of pilgrimage. Peter was canonized in 1746. \n\nReflection\nPeter was an effective leader of the friars because he did not become ensnared in anger over the sins of others. Peter helped sinning friars rearrange the priorities in their lives and dedicate themselves to living the gospel of Jesus Christ as they had vowed. This patient correction is an act of charity available to all Franciscans\, not just to superiors.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-peter-regalado/2018-03-30/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180329
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180330
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T151732Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T151732Z
UID:6512-1522281600-1522367999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Ludovico of Casoria
DESCRIPTION:Saint Ludovico of Casoria\nSaint of the Day for March 29\n(March 11\, 1814 – March 30\, 1885)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar29.mp3\nSaint Ludovico of Casoria’s Story\nBorn in Casoria\, near Naples\, Arcangelo Palmentieri was a cabinet-maker before entering the Friars Minor in 1832\, taking the name Ludovico. After his ordination five years later\, he taught chemistry\, physics\, and mathematics to younger members of his province for several years. \nIn 1847\, he had a mystical experience which he later described as a cleansing. After that\, he dedicated his life to the poor and the infirm\, establishing a dispensary for the poor\, two schools for African children\, an institute for the children of nobility\, as well as an institution for orphans\, the deaf\, and the speechless\, and other institutes for the blind\, elderly\, and for travelers. In addition to an infirmary for friars of his province\, he began charitable institutes in Naples\, Florence\, and Assisi. He once said\, “Christ’s love has wounded my heart.” This love prompted him to great acts of charity. \nTo help continue these works of mercy\, in 1859 he established the Gray Brothers\, a religious community composed of men who formerly belonged to the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later\, he founded the Gray Sisters of St. Elizabeth for the same purpose. \nToward the beginning of his final\, nine-year illness\, Ludovico wrote a spiritual testament which described faith as “light in the darkness\, help in sickness\, blessing in tribulations\, paradise in the crucifixion\, and life amid death.” The local work for his beatification began within five months of Ludovico’s death. He was beatified in 1993 and canonized in 2014. \n\nReflection\nSaintly people are not protected from suffering\, but with God’s help they learn how to develop compassion from it. In the face of great suffering\, we move either toward compassion or indifference. Saintly men and women show us the path toward compassion.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-ludovico-of-casoria/2018-03-29/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180328
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180329
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T151557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T153531Z
UID:6511-1522195200-1522281599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Catharine of Bologna
DESCRIPTION:Saint Catharine of Bologna\nSaint of the Day for March 28\n(September 8\, 1413 -March 9\, 1463 )\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar28.mp3\nSaint Catharine of Bologna’s Story\n\nSome Franciscan saints led fairly public lives; Catharine represents the saints who served the Lord in obscurity. \nBorn in Bologna\, Catharine was related to the nobility in Ferrara\, and was educated at court there. She received a liberal education at the court and developed some interest and talent in painting. In later years as a Poor Clare\, Catharine sometimes did manuscript illumination and also painted miniatures. \nAt the age of 17\, she joined a group of religious women in Ferrara. Four years later the whole group joined the Poor Clares in that city. Jobs as convent baker and portress preceded her selection as novice mistress. \nIn 1456\, she and 15 other sisters were sent to establish a Poor Clare monastery in Florence. As abbess\, Catharine worked to preserve the peace of the new community. Her reputation for holiness drew many young women to the Poor Clare life. She was canonized in 1712. \n\nReflection\nAppreciating Catharine’s life in a Poor Clare monastery may be hard for us. “It seems like such a waste\,” we may be tempted to say. Through prayer\, penance\, and charity to her sisters\, Catharine drew close to God. Our goal is the same as hers\, even if our paths are different. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Saint Catharine of Bologna is May 9.\n\nSaint Catharine of Bologna is the Patron Saint of:\nArt\nArtists
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-catharine-of-bologna/2018-03-28/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180327
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180328
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T151409Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T151409Z
UID:6508-1522108800-1522195199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Lazarus
DESCRIPTION:Lazarus\nSaint of the Day for March 27\n(first century)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar27.mp3\nLazarus’ Story\nLazarus\, the friend of Jesus\, the brother of Martha and Mary\, was the one of whom the Jews said\, “See how much he loved him.” In their sight\, Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. \nLegends abound about the life of Lazarus after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa\, he\, his sisters\, and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years. \nA church was built in his honor in Constantinople and some of his reputed relics were transferred there in 890. A Western legend has the oarless boat arriving in Gaul. There he was bishop of Marseilles\, was martyred after making a number of converts\, and was buried in a cave. His relics were transferred to the new cathedral in Autun in 1146. \nIt is certain there was early devotion to the saint. Around the year 390\, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been raised from the dead. In the West\, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de Lazaro\, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday. \n\nReflection\nMany people who have had a near-death experience report losing all fear of death. When Lazarus died a second time\, perhaps he was without fear. He must have been sure that Jesus\, the friend with whom he had shared many meals and conversations\, would be waiting to raise him again. We don’t share Lazarus’ firsthand knowledge of returning from the grave. Nevertheless\, we too have shared meals and conversations with Jesus\, who waits to raise us\, too. \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for March 27 is Blessed Francis Faà di Bruno.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/lazarus/2018-03-27/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180326
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180327
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T150741Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T150741Z
UID:6505-1522022400-1522108799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Catherine of Genoa
DESCRIPTION:Saint Catherine of Genoa\nSaint of the Day for March 26\n(1447 – September 15\, 1510)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar26.mp3\nSaint Catherine of Genoa’s story\nGoing to confession one day was the turning point of Catherine’s life. \nWhen Catherine was born\, many Italian nobles were supporting Renaissance artists and writers. The needs of the poor and the sick were often overshadowed by a hunger for luxury and self-indulgence. Catherine’s parents were members of the nobility in Genoa. At 13\, she attempted to become a nun but failed because of her age. At 16\, she married Julian\, a nobleman who turned out to be selfish and unfaithful. For a while she tried to numb her disappointment by a life of selfish pleasure. \nOne day in confession she had a new sense of her own sins and how much God loved her. She reformed her life and gave good example to Julian\, who soon turned from his self-centered life of distraction. Julian’s spending\, however\, had ruined them financially. He and Catherine decided to live in the Pammatone\, a large hospital in Genoa\, and to dedicate themselves to works of charity there. After Julian’s death in 1497\, Catherine took over management of the hospital. \nShe wrote about purgatory which\, she said\, begins on earth for souls open to God. Life with God in heaven is a continuation and perfection of the life with God begun on earth. \nExhausted by her life of self-sacrifice\, Catherine died September 15\, 1510\, and was canonized in 1737. \n\nReflection\nRegular confession and frequent Communion can help us see the direction–or drift–of our life with God. People who have a realistic sense of their own sinfulness and of the greatness of God are often the ones who are most ready to meet the needs of their neighbors. Saint Catherine began her hospital work with enthusiasm and was faithful to it through difficult times because she was inspired by the love of God\, a love which was renewed in her by the Scriptures and the sacraments. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast Day for Saint Catherine of Genoa is September 15.\n\nAnother Saint of the Day for March 26 is Saint Margaret Clitherow.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-catherine-of-genoa/2018-03-26/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180325
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180326
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T150509Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T150509Z
UID:6502-1521936000-1522022399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Annunciation of the Lord
DESCRIPTION:Annunciation of the Lord\nSaint of the Day for March 25\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar25.mp3\nThe Story of the Annunciation of the Lord\nThe feast of the Annunciation\, now recognized as a solemnity\, was first celebrated in the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now\, as Luke1:26-38 tells us\, the decision is being realized. The God-Man embraces all humanity\, indeed all creation\, to bring it to God in one great act of love. Because human beings have rejected God\, Jesus will accept a life of suffering and an agonizing death: “No one has greater love than this\, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). \nMary has an important role to play in God’s plan. From all eternity\, God destined her to be the mother of Jesus and closely related to him in the creation and redemption of the world. We could say that God’s decrees of creation and redemption are joined in the decree of Incarnation. Because Mary is God’s instrument in the Incarnation\, she has a role to play with Jesus in creation and redemption. It is a God-given role. It is God’s grace from beginning to end. Mary becomes the eminent figure she is only by God’s grace. She is the empty space where God could act. Everything she is she owes to the Trinity. \nMary is the virgin-mother who fulfills Isaiah 7:14 in a way that Isaiah could not have imagined. She is united with her son in carrying out the will of God (Psalm 40:8-9; Hebrews 10:7-9; Luke 1:38). \nTogether with Jesus\, the privileged and graced Mary is the link between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best\, after Jesus\, exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She received into her lowliness the infinite love of God. She shows how an ordinary human being can reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life. She exemplifies what the Church and every member of the Church is meant to become. She is the ultimate product of the creative and redemptive power of God. She manifests what the Incarnation is meant to accomplish for all of us. \n\nReflection\nSometimes spiritual writers are accused of putting Mary on a pedestal and thereby\, discouraging ordinary humans from imitating her. Perhaps such an observation is misguided. God did put Mary on a pedestal and has put all human beings on a pedestal. We have scarcely begun to realize the magnificence of divine grace\, the wonder of God’s freely given love. The marvel of Mary—even in the midst of her very ordinary life—is God’s shout to us to wake up to the marvelous creatures that we all are by divine design. \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for March 25 is Saint Dismas.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/annunciation-of-the-lord/2018-03-25/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180324
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180325
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T150327Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T150327Z
UID:6499-1521849600-1521935999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero
DESCRIPTION:Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero\nSaint of the Day for March 24\n(August 15\, 1917  – March 24\, 1980)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar24.mp3\nBlessed Oscar Romero’s Story\nThe night before he was murdered while celebrating Mass\, Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador said on the radio: “I would like to appeal in a special way to the men of the army\, and in particular to the troops of the National Guard\, the police\, and the garrisons. Brothers\, you belong to our own people. You kill your own brother peasants; and in the face of an order to kill that is given by a man\, the law of God that says ‘Do not kill!’ should prevail. \n“No soldier is obliged to obey an order counter to the law of God. No one has to comply with an immoral law. It is the time now that you recover your conscience and obey its dictates rather than the command of sin. . . . Therefore\, in the name of God\, and in the name of this long-suffering people\, whose laments rise to heaven every day more tumultuous\, I beseech you\, I beg you\, I command you! In the name of God: ‘Cease the repression!’” \nSimultaneously\, Romero had eloquently upheld the gospel and effectively signed his own death warrant. \nWhen he was appointed archbishop of San Salvador in 1977\, Bishop Romero was considered a very “safe” choice. He had served as auxiliary bishop there for four years before his three years as bishop of Santiago de Maria. \nOscar’s father wanted him to be a carpenter—a trade for which he demonstrated some talent. Seminary classes in El Salvador preceded his studies at Rome’s Gregorian University and his ordination in 1942. After earning a doctorate in ascetical theology\, he returned home and became a parish priest and later rector of an interdiocesan seminary. \nThree weeks after his appointment as archbishop\, Romero was shaken by the murder of his good friend Jesuit Father Rutilio Grande\, a vigorous defender of the rights of the poor. Five more priests were assassinated in the Archdiocese of San Salvador during Romero’s years as its shepherd. \nWhen a military junta seized control of the national government in 1979\, Archbishop Romero publicly criticized the U.S. government for backing the junta. His weekly radio sermons\, broadcast throughout the country\, were regarded by many as the most trustworthy source of news available. \nRomero’s funeral was celebrated in the plaza outside the cathedral and drew an estimated 250\,000 mourners. \nHis tomb in the cathedral crypt soon drew thousands of visitors each year. On February 3\, 2015\, Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing Oscar Romero as a martyr for the faith. His beatification took place in San Salvador on May 23\, 2015. \n\nReflection\nArchbishop Oscar Romero and many other Latin American martyrs for the faith were falsely accused of advocating a Marxist-inspired “theology of liberation.” Following Jesus always requires choices. Romero’s fiercest critics conveniently dismissed his choices as politically inspired. An incarnational faith must be expressed publicly. \n\nAnother Saint of the Day for March 24 is Blessed Didacus Joseph of Cadiz.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-oscar-arnulfo-romero/2018-03-24/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180323
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180324
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T150048Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T150149Z
UID:6496-1521763200-1521849599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo
DESCRIPTION:Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo\nSaint of the Day for March 23\n(November 16\, 1538 – March 23\, 1606)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar23.mp3\nSaint Turibius of Mogrovejo’s Story\nTogether with Rose of Lima\, Turibius is the first known saint of the New World\, serving the Lord in Peru\, South America\, for 26 years. \nBorn in Spain and educated for the law\, he became so brilliant a scholar that he was made professor of law at the University of Salamanca and eventually became chief judge of the Inquisition at Granada. He succeeded too well. But he was not sharp enough a lawyer to prevent a surprising sequence of events. \nWhen the archdiocese of Lima in Peru required a new leader\, Turibius was chosen to fill the post: He was the one person with the strength of character and holiness of spirit to heal the scandals that had infected that area. \nHe cited all the canons that forbade giving laymen ecclesiastical dignities\, but he was overruled. Turibius was ordained priest and bishop and sent to Peru\, where he found colonialism at its worst. The Spanish conquerors were guilty of every sort of oppression of the native population. Abuses among the clergy were flagrant\, and he devoted his energies and suffering to this area first. \nHe began the long and arduous visitation of an immense archdiocese\, studying the language\, staying two or three days in each place\, often with neither bed nor food. Turibius confessed every morning to his chaplain\, and celebrated Mass with intense fervor. Among those to whom he gave the Sacrament of Confirmation was the future Saint Rose of Lima\, and possibly the future Saint Martin de Porres. After 1590\, he had the help of another great missionary\, Francis Solanus\, now also a saint. \nThough very poor his people were sensitive\, dreading to accept public charity from others. Turibius solved the problem by helping them anonymously. \n\nReflection\nThe Lord indeed writes straight with crooked lines. Against his will\, and from the unlikely springboard of an Inquisition tribunal\, this man became the Christlike shepherd of a poor and oppressed people. God gave him the gift of loving others as they needed it.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/6496/2018-03-23/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180322
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180323
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T145558Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T153305Z
UID:6493-1521676800-1521763199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Nicholas Owen
DESCRIPTION:Saint Nicholas Owen\nSaint of the Day for March 22\n(? – 1606)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar22.mp3\nSaint Nicholas Owen’s Story\nNicholas\, familiarly known as “Little John\,” was small in stature but big in the esteem of his fellow Jesuits. \nBorn at Oxford\, this humble artisan saved the lives of many priests and laypersons in England during the penal times (1559-1829)\, when a series of statutes punished Catholics for the practice of their faith. Over a period of about 20 years\, Nicholas used his skills to build secret hiding places for priests throughout the country. \nHis work\, which he did completely by himself as both architect and builder\, was so good that time and time again priests in hiding were undetected by raiding parties. Nicholas was a genius at finding and creating places of safety: subterranean passages\, small spaces between walls\, impenetrable recesses. \nAt one point he was even able to mastermind the escape of two Jesuits from the Tower of London. Whenever Nicholas set out to design such hiding places\, he began by receiving the holy Eucharist\, and he would turn to God in prayer throughout the long\, dangerous construction process. \nAfter many years at his unusual task\, Nicholas entered the Society of Jesus and served as a lay brother\, although—for very good reasons—his connection with the Jesuits was kept secret. \nAfter a number of narrow escapes\, he himself was finally caught in 1594. Despite protracted torture\, Nicholas refused to disclose the names of other Catholics. After being released following the payment of a ransom\, “Little John” went back to his work. He was arrested again in 1606. This time he was subjected to horrible tortures\, suffering an agonizing death. The jailers tried suggesting that he had confessed and committed suicide\, but his heroism and sufferings soon were widely known. \nNicholas Owen was canonized in 1970 as one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales. \n\nReflection\nNicholas was a clever builder and architect who used his skills to protect endangered priests. Without his help\, hundreds of English Catholics would have been deprived of the sacraments. His gift for spotting unlikely places to hide priests was impressive\, but more impressive was his habit of seeking support for his work in prayer and the Eucharist. If we follow his example\, we may also discover surprising ways to put our skills to God’s service.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-nicholas-owen/2018-03-22/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180321T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180321T170000
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T144402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T144402Z
UID:6487-1521619200-1521651600@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Blessed John of Parma
DESCRIPTION:Blessed John of Parma\nSaint of the Day for March 21\n(1209–1289)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar21.mp3\nBlessed John of Parma’s Story\nThe seventh general minister of the Franciscan Order\, John was known for his attempts to bring back the earlier spirit of the Order after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. \nHe was born in Parma\, Italy\, in 1209. It was when he was a young philosophy professor known for his piety and learning that God called him to bid good-bye to the world he was used to and enter the new world of the Franciscan Order. After his profession\, John was sent to Paris to complete his theological studies. Ordained to the priesthood\, he was appointed to teach theology at Bologna\, then Naples\, and finally Rome. \nIn 1245\, Pope Innocent IV called a general council in the city of Lyons\, France. Crescentius\, the Franciscan minister general at the time\, was ailing and unable to attend. In his place he sent Friar John\, who made a deep impression on the Church leaders gathered there. Two years later\, when the same pope presided at the election of a minister general of the Franciscans\, he remembered Friar John well and held him up as the man best qualified for the office. \nAnd so in 1247\, John of Parma was elected to be minister general. The surviving disciples of St. Francis rejoiced in his election\, expecting a return to the spirit of poverty and humility of the early days of the Order. And they were not disappointed. As general of the Order\, John traveled on foot\, accompanied by one or two companions\, to practically all of the Franciscan convents in existence. Sometimes he would arrive and not be recognized\, remaining there for a number of days to test the true spirit of the brothers. \nThe pope called on John to serve as legate to Constantinople\, where he was most successful in winning back the schismatic Greeks. Upon his return\, he asked that someone else take his place to govern the Order. At John’s urging\, Saint Bonaventure was chosen to succeed him. John took up a life of prayer in the hermitage at Greccio. \nMany years later\, John learned that the Greeks who had been reconciled with the Church for a time\, had relapsed into schism. Though 80 years old by then\, John received permission from Pope Nicholas IV to return to the East in an effort to restore unity once again. On his way\, John fell sick and died. \nHe was beatified in 1781. \n\nReflection\nIn the 13th century\, people in their 30s were middle-aged; hardly anyone lived to the ripe old age of 80. John did\, but he didn’t ease into retirement. Instead he was on his way to try to heal a schism in the Church when he died. Our society today boasts a lot of folks in their later decades. Like John\, many of them lead active lives. But some aren’t so fortunate. Weakness or ill health keeps them confined and lonely—waiting to hear from us. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast Day for Blessed John of Parma is March 20.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/blessed-john-of-parma/2018-03-21/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180320
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180321
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T144208Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T144208Z
UID:6484-1521504000-1521590399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Salvator of Horta
DESCRIPTION:Saint Salvator of Horta\nSaint of the Day for March 20\n(1520 – March 18\, 1567)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar20.mp3\nSaint Salvator of Horta’s Story\nA reputation for holiness does have some drawbacks. Public recognition can be a nuisance at times—as the confreres of Salvator found out. \nSalvator was born during Spain’s Golden Age. Art\, politics\, and wealth were flourishing. So was religion. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus in 1540. \nSalvator’s parents were poor. At the age of 21\, he entered the Franciscans as a brother and was soon known for his asceticism\, humility\, and simplicity. As cook\, porter\, and later the official beggar for the friars in Tortosa\, he became well known for his charity. He healed the sick with the Sign of the Cross. When crowds of sick people began coming to the friary to see Salvator\, the friars transferred him to Horta. Again\, the sick flocked to ask his intercession; one person estimated that 2\,000 people a week came to see Salvator. He told them to examine their consciences\, go to confession\, and to receive Holy Communion worthily. He refused to pray for those who would not receive those sacraments. \nThe public attention given to Salvator was relentless. The crowds would sometimes tear off pieces of his habit as relics. Two years before his death\, Salvator was moved again\, this time to Cagliari on the island of Sardinia. He died at Cagliari saying\, “Into your hands\, O Lord\, I commend my spirit.” He was canonized in 1938. \n\nReflection\nMedical science is now seeing more clearly the relation of some diseases to one’s emotional and spiritual life. In Healing Life’s Hurts\, Matthew and Dennis Linn report that sometimes people experience relief from illness only when they have decided to forgive others. Salvator prayed that people might be healed\, and many were. Surely not all diseases can be treated this way; medical help should not be abandoned. But notice that Salvator urged his petitioners to reestablish their priorities in life before they asked for healing. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast of Saint Salvator of Horta is October 18.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-salvator-of-horta/2018-03-20/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180319
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180320
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170830T143752Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170830T143752Z
UID:6481-1521417600-1521503999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Joseph\, Husband of Mary
DESCRIPTION:Saint Joseph\, Husband of Mary\nSaint of the Day for March 19\n(c. 100–c. 1)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar19.mp3\nSaint Joseph’s Story\nThe Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a “just” man. The quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts. \nWhen the Bible speaks of God “justifying” someone\, it means that God\, the all-holy or “righteous” one\, so transforms a person that the individual shares somehow in God’s own holiness\, and hence it is really “right” for God to love him or her. In other words\, God is not playing games\, acting as if we were lovable when we are not. \nBy saying Joseph was “just\,” the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself totally to God. \nThe rest we can easily surmise. Think of the kind of love with which he wooed and won Mary\, and the depth of the love they shared during their marriage. \nIt is no contradiction of Joseph’s manly holiness that he decided to divorce Mary when she was found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he planned to do this “quietly” because he was “a righteous man\, yet unwilling to expose her to shame” (Matthew 1:19). \nThe just man was simply\, joyfully\, wholeheartedly obedient to God—in marrying Mary\, in naming Jesus\, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt\, in bringing them to Nazareth\, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage. \n\nReflection\nThe Bible tells us nothing of Joseph in the years after the return to Nazareth except the incident of finding Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41–51). Perhaps this can be taken to mean that God wants us to realize that the holiest family was like every other family\, that the circumstances of life for the holiest family were like those of every family\, so that when Jesus’ mysterious nature began to appear\, people couldn’t believe that he came from such humble beginnings: “Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary…?” (Matthew 13:55a). It was almost as indignant as “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46b). \n\nSaint Joseph is the Patron Saint of:\nBelgium\nCanada\nCarpenters\nChina\nFathers\nHappy death\nPeru\nRussia\nSocial Justice\nTravelers\nUniversal Church\nVietnam\nWorkers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-joseph-husband-of-mary/2018-03-19/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180318
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180319
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170829T173216Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170829T173216Z
UID:6458-1521331200-1521417599@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
DESCRIPTION:Saint Cyril of Jerusalem\nSaint of the Day for March 18\n(c. 315 – March 18\, 386)\nSaint Cyril of Jerusalem’s Story\nThe crises that the Church faces today may seem minor when compared with the threat posed by the Arian heresy\, which denied the divinity of Christ and almost overcame Christianity in the fourth century. Cyril was to be caught up in the controversy\, accused of Arianism by Saint Jerome\, and ultimately vindicated both by the men of his own time and by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1822. \nRaised in Jerusalem and well-educated\, especially in the Scriptures\, he was ordained a priest by the bishop of Jerusalem and given the task during Lent of catechizing those preparing for Baptism and catechizing the newly baptized during the Easter season. His Catecheses remain valuable as examples of the ritual and theology of the Church in the mid-fourth century. \nThere are conflicting reports about the circumstances of his becoming bishop of Jerusalem. It is certain that he was validly consecrated by bishops of the province. Since one of them was an Arian\, Acacius\, it may have been expected that his “cooperation” would follow. Conflict soon rose between Cyril and Acacius\, bishop of the rival nearby see of Caesarea. Cyril was summoned to a council\, accused of insubordination and of selling Church property to relieve the poor. Probably\, however\, a theological difference was also involved. He was condemned\, driven from Jerusalem\, and later vindicated\, not without some association with and help from Semi-Arians. Half his episcopate was spent in exile; his first experience was repeated twice. He finally returned to find Jerusalem torn with heresy\, schism and strife\, and wracked with crime. Even Saint Gregory of Nyssa\, who was sent to help\, left in despair. \nThey both went to the Council of Constantinople\, where the amended form of the Nicene Creed was promulgated in 381. Cyril accepted the word consubstantial–that is\, Christ is of the same substance or nature as the Father. Some said it was an act of repentance\, but the bishops of the Council praised him as a champion of orthodoxy against the Arians. Though not friendly with the greatest defender of orthodoxy against the Arians\, Cyril may be counted among those whom Athanasius called “brothers\, who mean what we mean\, and differ only about the word consubstantial.” \n\nReflection\nThose who imagine that the lives of saints are simple and placid\, untouched by the vulgar breath of controversy\, are rudely shocked by history. Yet\, it should be no surprise that saints\, indeed all Christians\, will experience the same difficulties as their Master. The definition of truth is an endless\, complex pursuit\, and good men and women have suffered the pain of both controversy and error. Intellectual\, emotional\, and political roadblocks may slow up people like Cyril for a time. But their lives taken as a whole are monuments to honesty and courage. \nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar18.mp3
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-cyril-of-jerusalem/2018-03-18/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180317
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180318
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170829T164209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170829T164209Z
UID:6454-1521244800-1521331199@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Patrick
DESCRIPTION:Saint Patrick\nSaint of the Day for March 17\n(c. 386 – 461)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar02.mp3\nSaint Patrick’s Story\nLegends about Patrick abound; but truth is best served by our seeing two solid qualities in him: He was humble and he was courageous. The determination to accept suffering and success with equal indifference guided the life of God’s instrument for winning most of Ireland for Christ. \nDetails of his life are uncertain. Current research places his dates of birth and death a little later than earlier accounts. Patrick may have been born in Dunbarton\, Scotland\, Cumberland\, England\, or in northern Wales. He called himself both a Roman and a Briton. At 16\, he and a large number of his father’s slaves and vassals were captured by Irish raiders and sold as slaves in Ireland. Forced to work as a shepherd\, he suffered greatly from hunger and cold. \nAfter six years Patrick escaped\, probably to France\, and later returned to Britain at the age of 22. His captivity had meant spiritual conversion. He may have studied at Lerins\, off the French coast; he spent years at Auxerre\, France\, and was consecrated bishop at the age of 43. His great desire was to proclaim the good news to the Irish. \nIn a dream vision it seemed “all the children of Ireland from their mothers’ wombs were stretching out their hands” to him. He understood the vision to be a call to do mission work in pagan Ireland. Despite opposition from those who felt his education had been defective\, he was sent to carry out the task. He went to the west and north–where the faith had never been preached–obtained the protection of local kings\, and made numerous converts. \nBecause of the island’s pagan background\, Patrick was emphatic in encouraging widows to remain chaste and young women to consecrate their virginity to Christ. He ordained many priests\, divided the country into dioceses\, held Church councils\, founded several monasteries and continually urged his people to greater holiness in Christ. \nHe suffered much opposition from pagan druids and was criticized in both England and Ireland for the way he conducted his mission. \nIn a relatively short time\, the island had experienced deeply the Christian spirit\, and was prepared to send out missionaries whose efforts were greatly responsible for Christianizing Europe. \nPatrick was a man of action\, with little inclination toward learning. He had a rocklike belief in his vocation\, in the cause he had espoused. \nOne of the few certainly authentic writings is his Confessio\, above all an act of homage to God for having called Patrick\, unworthy sinner\, to the apostolate. \nThere is hope rather than irony in the fact that his burial place is said to be in County Down in Northern Ireland\, long the scene of strife and violence. \n\nReflection\nWhat distinguishes Patrick is the durability of his efforts. When one considers the state of Ireland when he began his mission work\, the vast extent of his labors\, and how the seeds he planted continued to grow and flourish\, one can only admire the kind of man Patrick must have been. The holiness of a person is known only by the fruits of his or her work. \n\nSaint Patrick is the Patron Saint of:\nEngineers\nIreland\nNigeria
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-patrick/2018-03-17/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180316
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180317
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170829T162955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170829T162955Z
UID:6451-1521158400-1521244799@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer
DESCRIPTION:Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer\nSaint of the Day for March 16\n(December 26\, 1751 – March 15\, 1820)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar16.mp3\nSaint Clement Mary Hofbauer’s Story\nClement might be called the second founder of the Redemptorists\, as it was he who carried the congregation of Saint Alphonsus Liguori to the people north of the Alps. \nJohn\, the name given him at Baptism\, was born in Moravia into a poor family\, the ninth of 12 children. Although he longed to be a priest\, there was no money for studies\, and he was apprenticed to a baker. But God guided the young man’s fortunes. He found work in the bakery of a monastery where he was allowed to attend classes in its Latin school. After the abbot there died\, John tried the life of a hermit\, but when Emperor Joseph II abolished hermitages\, John again returned to Vienna and to baking. \nOne day after serving Mass at the Cathedral of St. Stephen\, he called a carriage for two ladies waiting there in the rain. In their conversation they learned that he could not pursue his priestly studies because of a lack of funds. They generously offered to support both John and his friend Thaddeus\, in their seminary studies. The two went to Rome\, where they were drawn to Saint Alphonsus’ vision of religious life and to the Redemptorists. The two young men were ordained together in 1785. \nNewly professed at age 34\, Clement Mary\, as he was now called\, and Thaddeus were sent back to Vienna. But the religious difficulties there caused them to leave and continue north to Warsaw\, Poland. There they encountered numerous German-speaking Catholics who had been left priestless by the suppression of the Jesuits. At first they had to live in great poverty and preach outdoor sermons. Eventually they were given the church of St. Benno\, and for the next nine years they preached five sermons a day\, two in German and three in Polish\, converting many to the faith. They were active in social work among the poor\, founding an orphanage and then a school for boys. \nDrawing candidates to the congregation\, they were able to send missionaries to Poland\, Germany\, and Switzerland. All of these foundations eventually had to be abandoned because of the political and religious tensions of the times. After 20 years of difficult work\, Clement Mary himself was imprisoned and expelled from the country. Only after another arrest was he able to reach Vienna\, where he was to live and work the final 12 years of his life. He quickly became “the apostle of Vienna\,” hearing the confessions of the rich and the poor\, visiting the sick\, acting as a counselor to the powerful\, sharing his holiness with all in the city. His crowning work was the establishment of a Catholic college in his beloved city. \nPersecution followed Clement Mary\, and there were those in authority who were able for a while to stop him from preaching. An attempt was made at the highest levels to have him banished. But his holiness and fame protected him and prompted the growth of the Redemptorists. Due to his efforts\, the congregation was firmly established north of the Alps by the time of his death in 1820. \nClement Mary Hofbauer was canonized in 1909. \n\nReflection\nClement Mary saw his life’s work meet with disaster. Religious and political tensions forced him and his brothers to abandon their ministries in Germany\, Poland\, and Switzerland. Clement Mary himself was exiled from Poland and had to start all over again. Someone once pointed out that the followers of the crucified Jesus should see only new possibilities opening up whenever they meet failure. Clement Mary encourages us to follow his example\, trusting in the Lord to guide us. \n\nThe Liturgical Feast Day of Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer is March 15.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-clement-mary-hofbauer/2018-03-16/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180315
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180316
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170829T162731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170829T162731Z
UID:6448-1521072000-1521158399@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Louise de Marillac
DESCRIPTION:Saint Louise de Marillac\nSaint of the Day for March 15\n(August 12\, 1591 – March 15\, 1660)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar15.mp3\nSaint Louise de Marillac’s Story\nBorn near Meux\, France\, Louise lost her mother when she was still a child\, her beloved father when she was but 15. Her desire to become a nun was discouraged by her confessor\, and a marriage was arranged. One son was born of this union. But Louise soon found herself nursing her beloved husband through a long illness that finally led to his death. \nLouise was fortunate to have a wise and sympathetic counselor\, Francis de Sales\, and then his friend\, the bishop of Belley\, France. Both of these men were available to her only periodically. But from an interior illumination she understood that she was to undertake a great work under the guidance of another person she had not yet met. This was the holy priest Monsieur Vincent\, later to be known as Saint Vincent de Paul. \nAt first\, he was reluctant to be her confessor\, busy as he was with his “Confraternities of Charity.” Members were aristocratic ladies of charity who were helping him nurse the poor and look after neglected children\, a real need of the day. But the ladies were busy with many of their own concerns and duties. His work needed many more helpers\, especially ones who were peasants themselves and therefore\, close to the poor and able to win their hearts. He also needed someone who could teach them and organize them. \nOnly over a long period of time\, as Vincent de Paul became more acquainted with Louise\, did he come to realize that she was the answer to his prayers. She was intelligent\, self-effacing\, and had physical strength and endurance that belied her continuing feeble health. The missions he sent her on eventually led to four simple young women joining her. Her rented home in Paris became the training center for those accepted for the service of the sick and poor. Growth was rapid and soon there was the need for a so-called “rule of life\,” which Louise herself\, under the guidance of Vincent\, drew up for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. \nMonsieur Vincent had always been slow and prudent in his dealings with Louise and the new group. He said that he had never had any idea of starting a new community\, that it was God who did everything. “Your convent\,” he said\, “will be the house of the sick; your cell\, a hired room; your chapel\, the parish church; your cloister\, the streets of the city or the wards of the hospital.” Their dress was to be that of the peasant women. It was not until years later that Vincent de Paul would finally permit four of the women to take annual vows of poverty\, chastity and obedience. It was still more years before the company would be formally approved by Rome and placed under the direction of Vincent’s own congregation of priests. \nMany of the young women were illiterate. Still it was with reluctance that the new community undertook the care of neglected children. Louise was busy helping wherever needed despite her poor health. She traveled throughout France\, establishing her community members in hospitals\, orphanages and other institutions. At her death on March 15\, 1660\, the congregation had more than 40 houses in France. Six months later Vincent de Paul followed her in death. \nLouise de Marillac was canonized in 1934 and declared patroness of social workers in 1960. \n\nReflection\nIn Louise’s day\, serving the needs of the poor was usually a luxury only fine ladies could afford. Her mentor\, Saint Vincent de Paul\, wisely realized that women of peasant stock could reach poor people more effectively\, and the Daughters of Charity were born under her leadership. Today\, that order–along with the Sisters of Charity–continues to nurse the sick and aging and provide refuge for orphans. Many of its members are social workers toiling under Louise’s patronage. The rest of us must share her concern for the disadvantaged. \n\nSaint Louise de Marillac is the Patron Saint of:\nSocial workers
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-louise-de-marillac/2018-03-15/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180314
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180315
DTSTAMP:20260404T180304
CREATED:20170829T162534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20170829T162534Z
UID:6432-1520985600-1521071999@www.thefranciscanfriars.org
SUMMARY:Saint Maximilian
DESCRIPTION:Saint Maximilian\nSaint of the Day for March 14\n(274 – March 12\, 295)\nhttps://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar14.mp3\nSaint Maximilian’s Story\nWe have an early\, precious\, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria. \nBrought before the proconsul Dion\, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying\, “I cannot serve\, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.” \nDion replied: “You must serve or die.” \nMaximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head\, but I will not be a soldier of this world\, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God\, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.” \nDion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian\, Constantius and Galerius.” \nMaximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian\, and I cannot serve.” \nDion: “But what harm do soldiers do?” \nMaximilian: “You know well enough.” \nDion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.” \nMaximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth\, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.” \nMaximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful\, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift. \n\nReflection\nIn this celebration we find one inspirational son and one incredible father. Both men were filled with strong faith and hope. Let’s ask them to help us in our struggle to remain faithful.
URL:https://www.thefranciscanfriars.org/event/saint-maximilian/2018-03-14/
CATEGORIES:Saint of the Day
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