Select your language
With the fervor of his exhortations and prayers, he encouraged the faithful and dedicated himself to defending the freedom of Christians. This is Saint John of Capestrano, born on June 24, 1386 in Capestrano near the city of L’Aquila, to a father of German origin and an Abruzzese mother. John inherited both northern and Mediterranean traits, earning the affectionate nickname “Giantudesco.” [Germanjohn]
Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyła was elected Pope on 16 October 1978. In line with his predecessor, who died suddenly on 28 September 1978, he chose the name John Paul II. He was the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years, since the death of the last foreigner, Adrian VI from Utrecht, in 1523. He was also the first Pope from Poland and the first Pope to be a native speaker of a Slavic language. His Pontificate was among the longest in history, second only to Saint Peter and Pius IX. It lasted almost 27 years.
In a turbulent period for the Church, Gaspar distinguished himself by his courage. When, in 1810, priests were required to take an oath of allegiance to Emperor Napoleon, he resolutely refused. This act cost him exile and then four years of imprisonment which he endured with serenity and unshakable faith. Saint Gaspar del Bufalo never hesitated to reject any compromise with those who threatened the life of the Church and the Pope.
What is striking about her is not the extraordinariness of her works, but her ability to transform the ordinary into an inspired offering. Saint Maria Bertilla Boscardin—born Anna Francesca—was a simple woman, at times impulsive, yet endowed with deep determination and remarkable self-control. Often the target of jealousy and misunderstanding, she never allowed herself to be discouraged: her resolve, “I want to become a saint and bring many souls to Jesus,” became her life’s program.
The figure of the suffering Christ was the silent yet powerful center of his spiritual life, the inner strength behind his apostolic zeal and the spark that gave birth to the mission of the religious community he founded. There is no doubt that Paul of the Cross is the Saint of the Passion of Jesus Christ.
Born in Antioch to a pagan family, Luke was a physician who was concerned about his patients and who was well aware of their weaknesses and misery. After hearing Saint Paul speak about Jesus, Luke embraced the faith and never left the Apostle again, following him to his martyrdom in Rome in 67 A.D.
Select your language