St. Pius I succeeded St. Hyginus to the papacy in 142. The conflicts which St. Pius sustained, which included condemning heretics Valentinus and Marcion, obtained for him the title of martyr. He also is the contemporary of the Roman apologist St. Justin. He was buried at the foot of the Vatican hill on July 11,…
John Gualbert was born at Florence around 995. One Good Friday, accompanied by armed retainers, he met his brother’s murderer, unarmed and alone; he was about to slay him when the murderer fell at his feet begging forgiveness for the love of Christ crucified. John was touched by grace, recalling our Lord’s command to love…
This Saint, who was rightfully surnamed “the Apostle of America,” is one of the greatest missionaries that the Franciscan Order has produced. He was born at Montilla (Spain) and was educated by the Jesuits. At the age of twenty he put on the Franciscan habit and was ordained a priest. He preached first in Spain,…
St. Bonaventure was born at Bagnorca near Viterbo in 1221. Having joined the Franciscan Order he went to Paris for his studies where his master was Alexander of Hales. He was made General of his Order and deserves to be reckoned its second founder for his work in consolidating an institution that was as yet…
Successively Duke of Bavaria, King of Germany and Emperor, Henry II devoted himself to the spread of religion by rebuilding churches and founding monasteries. Until the end of his life he displayed on the throne the virtues of a great saint. Together with his wife, St. Cunegunda, whose dowry he mortgaged for the purpose, he…
The Order of Mount Carmel traces itself to the monastic traditions of Mount Carmel, which go back to the prophet Elias. On July 16, 1251, our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock, the English general of the order, and promised special blessings to all its members and all who wore its habit. Pope Innocent IV…
The only son of a rich senator of Rome, in the fifth century St. Alexis was given a careful education in charity by his parents. Fearing lest temporal honors might divide his heart from noble objects, after complying with the will of his parents and marrying a rich and virtuous lady, on the day of…
St. Camillus, entirely without means of existence and from his early youth suffering from an incurable wound in his foot, experienced the horrors of the Roman hospitals in the sixteenth century in which the nursing and other staff were drawn from the dregs of the population. He effected a great change for the better, for…
In the seventeenth century St. Vincent de Paul was the instrument of a wonderful renewal of spirituality among the priests of France, a great and zealous apostle and a hero of charity. In turn he was parish priest, chief chaplain to the galley-slaves and missioner in the countryside; he was eager to relieve all forms…
Born in Venice, Jerome founded a religious congregation of Clerks Regular to devote themselves to the education of youth in orphanages and colleges. Inspired with a great love of the poor he was lavish in his giving of alms and opened many places of refuge for them. He died of the plague in 1537 at…
