Saint of the day

Saint of the day

22 March: Saint John Nepomucene, Martyr

Symbol of fidelity to the truth and to the freedom of the Church

John Nepomucene was born in 1330 (or 1345, depending on the sources) in Nepomuk, currently part of the Czech Republic. He stood out for his intelligence from a young age and graduated in Canon Law from the University of Padua in 1387, but never had any personal ambitions of an ecclesiastical career, preferring instead to humbly dedicate himself to his vocation. He served in different roles, including as parish priest and canon of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, for which he received no financial benefit.

21 March: Saint Nicholas of Flüe, Patron Saint of Switzerland and the Pontifical Swiss Guard

A hermit, worker of peace and reconciliation

Nicholas was a hermit, who mediated and advised his fellow citizens and reconciled opposing hearts. Although he lived far away from the world in the solitude of a cell nourished by the Eucharist alone, he was able to prevent the onset of war between brothers, using the Rosary he always carried with him as his only weapon. Known as Bruder Klaus and Saint Nicholas of Flüe, he was born in 1417 in the small village of Flüeli, Obwalden, which was part of the Confederation of eight Cantons of central Switzerland. His family earned a living from agriculture.

18 March: Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church

Defender of the faith against heresy

Cyril was born around 315 in Jerusalem or close to it and was well educated in literature, which became the basis for his ecclesiastical knowledge, centred on the study of the Bible.

17 March: Saint Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland

From monk to evangelizer

Saint Patrick's real name was Maewyn Succat. Born around 385 in Scotland, he was the son of a Roman centurion from Great Britain.

When Maewyn was 16 years old, he was kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave to a Druid in what is now Ulster, Ireland. During his six years of slavery, he worked as a shepherd for an Irish clan leader and discovered Christianity, becoming a practicing Christian.

9 March, Saint Frances of Rome, Advocata Urbis

Patron Saint of motorists

Francesca Bussa in Ponziani was known to people as “Ceccolella”. She was born into a noble family and was recognized for her charity and for her lack of shame in begging for alms for the poor.

Born in Rome in 1384 to Paolo Bussa di Leoni and Giacobella di Roffredeschi, she loved to read the biographies of the saints as a young child, and was attracted to spiritual matters. Her spiritual guide was Fr. Antonio di Monte Savello, an Olivetan Benedictine who served at the Church of Santa Maria Nuova al Foro. She wished to consecrate herself to God, but by the time she was 12, her father had already made plans to marry her off to Lorenzo Ponziani, who hailed from a very wealthy family.