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“As soon as Peter recognized the Lord, he threw himself into the water and reached Him, while the others arrived by boat. [This event…] is a sign of Peter’s unique authority as Pontiff […]. [Peter] was given governance over the whole world, not just a single boat like the other Apostles.
She experienced mystical phenomena, had visions of Hell and Purgatory, and even received the stigmata—so much so that the Inquisition became suspicious. After a thorough investigation, however, they confirmed the authenticity of her experiences.
Saint Barnabas, though not one of the original twelve Apostles directly chosen by Jesus, was recognized as a true Apostle by the early Church Fathers and by Saint Luke. This recognition was granted not only because of his special vocation inspired by the Holy Spirit but also due to the significant role he played in the spread of Christianity, actively collaborating with the other Apostles.
Pope Leo III, born in Rome, was educated from childhood within the vestiarium of the Roman Church, the office that managed the papal treasury.
Ordained as a subdeacon and later as Cardinal with the titular church of Santa Susanna, he maintained an important role in that administration which he officially headed in 789, becoming one of the main collaborators of Pope Adrian I.
A Portuguese nobleman who renounced wealth and honors to join the Augustinian Canons, Saint Anthony of Padua was deeply moved by the martyrdom of five Franciscan proto-missionaries. Inspired by their example, he became a disciple of Saint Francis of Assisi, dedicating his life to preaching the Word of God.
Elisha is still a common name among African Christian families today. It comes from the Hebrew meaning “God is Lord” (El-Yah). In the Bible, Elisha is presented as a prophet who lived in the 8th century B.C., a disciple of the great prophet Elijah. His calling is recounted in the First Book of Kings, chapter 19:
He is known for founding the famous hospices on the alpine passes of the Great St. Bernard and the Little St. Bernard, which were named after him. These hospices, located at altitudes of 2,469 meters and 2,188 meters respectively, were established to meet the needs of travelers crossing the Alps. They offered shelter, medical assistance, and spiritual support to pilgrims and wayfarers in difficulty. In a short time, the hospices became a symbol of Christian charity and dedication to others.
Quiricus and Julita were two martyrs of the 4th century: a mother and her three-year-old son, killed together in Tarsus, in what is now Turkey. Julita was a noblewoman of royal lineage from Iconium in Lycaonia, a central region of present-day Turkey.
Blaise (or Blastus) and Diogen (or Diogenes) are two saints who have been venerated in Rome since antiquity and throughout the Middle Ages. Their commemoration is recorded in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum under the date of June 17.
Regarding Saint Blaise, some texts — including the Acts of the Martyr Saint Valentine — refer to a Roman Tribune named Blastus, who was condemned to death in 269 AD by Emperor Claudius Gothicus for his Christian faith. However, there is no conclusive evidence to confirm that this Blastus is the same saint remembered on this date.
“The greatest imitator of Saint Charles [Borromeo] was Saint Gregory Barbarigo in Padua, where, thanks to his virtue, the Seminary became a monument and through three centuries it still remains in aedificationem gentium[for the edification of the nations].”
With these words, Pope John XXIII described Saint Gregory Barbarigo during the homily for his canonization, on May 26, 1960, in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
"Although the Eucharist is solemnly celebrated every day, we deem it fitting that, at least once a year, a more honored and solemn remembrance be observed. The other things we commemorate, we grasp with the spirit and the mind, but do not for that reason obtain their real presence. However, in this sacramental commemoration of Christ, even though under a different form, Jesus Christ is truly present among us in His own substance. Indeed, as He was about to ascend into heaven, He said: 'And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age (Mt 28:20)."
Everything the world desires—honor, wealth, nobility, glory, power—he had. Yet Aloysius (Louis) Gonzaga chose to go against the tide, abandoning all worldly security to stake his entire life on following Christ. Born into the noble Gonzaga family on March 9, 1568 as the eldest son of the Marquis of Castiglione, Aloysius had a future of comfort and distinction ahead of him. However, he preferred prayer and penance over weapons and armor.
It was June 22, 1535, when Bishop John Fisher of Rochester England was executed by beheading in the Tower of London. He had been accused of high treason by King Henry VIII. In the hope of sparing his life, Pope Paul III had named him Cardinal on May 20 of that year, but it was in vain. Fisher’s head was displayed at the entrance of London Bridge until July 6, when it was thrown into the River Thames. In its place, the head of Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor of England, was set. He too had been condemned to death for high treason. His sentence was carried out on July 6, 1535.
He accompanied no fewer than 57 condemned prisoners to the gallows, hearing their confessions and giving them Communion to support them in their final moments. For this reason, he became known as the “Priest of the Gallows.” His concern for prisoners was part of his deep love for the marginalized and the most in need, to whom he sought to show the merciful face of God.
Saint John the Baptist is the only person, along with the Virgin Mary, whose birth is celebrated by the Church with a solemn feast. According to tradition, John was born in Ain Karem, and his coming into the world is considered the first visible sign of the beginning of the messianic times.
Pilgrim, founder of the Abbey of Montevergine and of the Benedictine Congregation closely linked to the monastery. He is known as William of Vercelli or William of Montevergine.
Born in Vercelli Italy around 1085 into a noble family, William began journeying across Europe at just 14 years old. He abandoned his noble garments, donned a simple cloak, and set out barefoot on a long pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Saint James of Compostela in Spain.
He is known as “the Saint of everyday life” because he taught that even the simplest actions of daily life can lead to holiness. This is Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, founder of the movement Opus Dei. Born on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, Spain, he received a strong Christian upbringing.
"The heart of Christ, as the symbol of the deepest and most personal source of his love for us, is the very core of the initial preaching of the Gospel. It stands at the origin of our faith, as the wellspring that refreshes and enlivens our Christian beliefs.”
With these words, Pope Francis expressed himself in his encyclical Dilexit nos on the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ, dated October 24, 2024.
“We have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young.
“Basing itself on the tradition of the fathers, knows that they did not actually suffer in the course of the same day between sunrise and sunset. So Paul suffered on Peter's birthday (natalitium), not the day he emerged from his mother's womb to join the ranks of mankind, but the one on which he was released from the bonds of the flesh and born into the light of the angels.
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