Saint of the day

Saint of the day

13 December: Saint Lucia, Virgin and Martyr

Charity and the light that brightens the night

A witness of Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice of her life, she is an example of consistency for those who refuse to submit to the powerful of the moment and prevailing ideologies. She is Lucia, the Saint of light and charity, beloved by boys and girls in many European countries. On the night of 13 December, processions of young people light up the darkness with their candles, passing through towns and cities to remember their peer, who gave her life to remain faithful to the true Light: Christ. This tradition is still very much alive, especially in Northern Europe, and pays homage to Lucia’s great charity. Her name, which comes from the Latin word lux, meaning light, is linked to an act of courage and generosity performed by this young woman. It is said that in order to bring food and aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs, she placed some candles over her head to illuminate the dark tunnels. Lighting the catacombs in this way, her hands were free to lend assistance.

12 December: Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Evangelizer of the New World

There is no Latin American who does not know Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is invoked as Empress of the Americas and Patron Saint of Mexico, and is worshipped by indigenous peoples as “Virgen morenita”, young indigenous woman.

December 11: Saint Damasus, Pope

Defender of the Nicene–Constantinopolitan Creed

Saint Damasus, born around 305, led the Church as Bishop of Rome from October 1, 366, until his death on December 11, 384. He succeeded Pope Liberius, with whom he had shared a period of exile, and he found a community troubled by the presence of numerous heretical groups—Arians, Novatians, Donatists, and Luciferians—who were very active in the capital.

10 December: Our Lady of Loreto

The place where Mary said her “yes”

There is a House that is more important than others, a House whose walls witnessed the Annunciation and Mary’s complete openness to God’s will. According to tradition, this House is in Loreto, in the Marian Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto.

December 9: Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Humble servant of Mary

The apparition of the Virgin Mary at Guadalupe in Mexico is filled with spiritual and cultural meaning and at its center stands the figure of Saint Juan Diego: a simple man of Indigenous origin who, through his sincere faith, became an instrument of dialogue between different cultures.

8 December: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Tota Pulchra

Since medieval times, the Church has preserved a profound veneration for Mary, celebrating her conception without sin as early as the 11th century. This feast, placed at the heart of Advent, illuminates the expectation of the Messiah by recalling the unique bond between the Mother and the Son: Mary, shaped by the Spirit as a new creature, is presented by tradition as the one foretold in the promise made to the first parents, the woman destined to share in the victory over evil and to give birth to Emmanuel.