Philip, a venerable old man, bishop of Heraclea, the metropolis of Thrace, was an illustrious martyr of Christ in the persecution of Diocletian. He was careful to train many disciples in the study of sacred learning, and in the practice of solid piety. Two of his disciples, Serverus, a priest, and Hermes, a deacon, had…
Born in Barcelona in 1807, Antony Mary Claret felt called to the foreign missions in far off lands. Instead he was asked to exercise his missionary apostolate in his own country. He went everywhere in Catalonia and in the Canary Islands where his burning zeal and deep piety was the means of converting many souls.…
Our knowledge of the Archangel Raphael comes to us from the book of Tobias. His mission as wonderful healer and fellow traveler with the youthful Tobias has caused him to be invoked for journeys and at critical moments in life. His Mass invites us to see in the angels perpetual adorers who live constantly in…
St. Evaristus became Pope in 112 and governed the church for 9 years. The institution of cardinal priest is by some ascribed to him, because he first divided Rome into several parishes, according to the Pontifical, assigning a priest to each: he also appointed seven deacons to attend the bishop. He was honored with the…
The only survivors of a capture during a voyage back from Persia, cousins Frumentius and Edesius were raised by a prince of Abyssinia and eventually assisted his widow in the government of the state. Frumentius supported Christian merchants and strongly recommended the true religion to the infidels. After release from his duties, Frumentius entreated St.…
Celebrated on the same day, Saints Simon and Jude appear together in the Canon of the Mass, possibly because they both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia. St. Simon was zealous for the honor of his Master, and exact in all the duties of the Christian religion. He showed a pious indignation towards those…
The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in his encyclical Quas primas as a counter response to the growing secularism and secular ultra-nationalism in the world. As society increasingly leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes the lives of humanity as if God does not exist,…
St. Alphonsus was born in Spain in 1532. His wife and child died and so he entered the newly formed Jesuit order at about age 40. His lack of formal education led his superiors to appoint to be the porter. In this capacity he assisted many in their troubles. He helped a fervent seminarian who…
St. Remigius, the great apostle of the French nation was one of the brightest lights of the Gaulish church, illustrious for his learning, eloquence, sanctity and miracles. An episcopacy of seventy years and many great actions have rendered his name famous. His father Emilius and mother Cilinia, both descended of noble Gaulish families, lived to…
A feast of the Guardian Angels distinct from that of St. Michael was celebrated in Spain in the 16th century. In 1670 Clement X extended its celebration to the whole Church, placing it on October 2, the first free day after Michaelmas. The prime duty of the angels, who have already entered into everlasting glory,…
