Select your language
Select your language
Gerard of Brogne emerged as a charismatic figure, highly esteemed by the important families of Lotharingia and Flanders. For twenty-five years he tirelessly traveled these lands, renewing more than a dozen religious communities. In some cases, he temporarily assumed the role of abbot, but only until monastic life had been restored, after which he returned autonomy to the community.
Germanus was appointed Bishop of Capua around the year 519, but before that date, his life remains largely shrouded in obscurity. The only information about his origins comes from a hagiographic source of the ninth century, considered late and unreliable. According to this account, Germanus was born in the city of Capua between 470 and 480, to parents of high social rank, Amanzio and Giuliana. After his father’s death, and with his mother’s consent, he decided to sell the family’s possessions in order to devote himself entirely to an ascetic life and the study of the Scriptures. Upon the death of Bishop Alexander, the Capuan community elected him as successor, and only after much insistence did he accept the office.
He is remembered not only for his martyrdom but also for his steadfast faith, his strength in the face of persecution, and his dedication to spreading Christianity. Saint Quentin, originally from Rome, lived in the 3rd century. Little is known for certain about his life. According to tradition, he was the son of an influential senator named Zeno and, after embracing the Christian faith, began a missionary journey that led him to Gaul, together with Saint Lucian of Beauvais.
Known as the Apostle of Divine Mercy and Teacher of the Interior Life, Saint Faustina Kowalska is one of the most significant spiritual figures of the 20th century, loved throughout the world for the mystical depth of her experience and for her mission in the history of the Church.
Saint Bruno remains to this day a model of contemplative life, of fruitful silence and of authentic detachment from the world. His spiritual work left a lasting mark on the history of Western monasticism. Bruno was born around 1030 in Cologne, Germany, into a noble family.
In the heart of the Byzantine Empire, an ancient liturgical calendar commissioned by Emperor Basil II preserves the names of several Christian martyrs; among them we find Pelagia, alongside Domitius, Aquila—described as an eparch—and Theodosius. Their memory, kept alive in the Eastern tradition, also reached the West through the Roman Martyrology.
Pentecost is the feast that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles and marks the end of the Easter season. The name comes from the Greek pentēkostē, meaning "fiftieth" because it is celebrated fifty days after Easter. On this occasion the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church are commemorated and remembered. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, he sends his disciples a power—the Holy Spirit— a force to enable them to be his personal witnesses in the world.
The glory of God and the health of souls. This is the second name on which Saint Anthony Maria Gianelli founded his life, distinguishing himself for his charity towards poor girls, offering them a dignified future.
He is one of the first four Doctors of the Church of the West, who promoted the evangelization of England and laid down the fundamental norms for chants, which later took his name. Gregory the Great was born to a wealthy Roman patrician family, some time around 540. He received a sound education, studying a range of subjects that went from the law, to the Bible, to the works of the Fathers, in particular of Saint Augustine.
Historical information about the life of Saint Giles is rather scarce. According to some sources, he was born in Athens at the beginning of the 7th century and later moved to Provence, where he founded a monastery near Arles and became its abbot.
He dedicated his time to the sick, helped those in need, and supported even those who were spiritually weak. He prayed, fasted, celebrated Mass, and wept for the sinners who came to him for confession, pleading with God to free them from the slavery of sin.
Of these two martyrs, Saint Proto and Saint Hyacinthus, only their names, the place of their burial and the date of their death—September 11, the day on which the Church commemorates them—are known. However, according to ancient sources such as the Depositio Martyrum of Rome and the Gelasian and Gregorian Sacramentaries, their martyrdom is a historically certain event from antiquity as was their widespread veneration.
The memorial of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary originated in Spain in the 16th century and was later extended to the entire Church by Pope Innocent XI in 1683. The Pope wanted to thank the Virgin for the victory over the Ottoman army during the siege of Vienna—thanks in part to the intervention of the King of Poland, Jan Sobieski. This victory was seen as a sign of Mary’s maternal protection over Christendom.
In the Middle Ages, Christians began to reflect more deeply on the suffering of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, especially at the time of the Passion. Mary was the only person who remained completely faithful to Christ, from his birth to the Cross.
Cornelius, possibly a member of the noble Cornelii family, was elected Pope in 251 for his renowned qualities of kindness, prudence, and humility. Before his election, during the period of the Sede Vacante, Novatian, an educated and influential priest, had temporarily led the Church. When Cornelius was appointed, Novatian opposed him, accusing him of being too lenient toward those Christians who, during the persecutions, had renounced the faith (the so-called lapsi), thus causing a rigorist schism.
Saint Robert Bellarmine was born on October 4, 1542, in Montepulciano. He came from a large family—the third of twelve children—and his mother was the sister of Cardinal Marcello Cervini, who became Pope Marcellus II in 1555, although his pontificate lasted only twenty-one days.
A simple, humble and almost illiterate Franciscan friar, known for his mystical experiences, numerous miracles, and above all, for levitating during prayer. This is Saint Joseph of Cupertino, born on June 17, 1603, in Copertino, Apulia in southern Italy. He came into the world in extreme poverty, in a stable, and his childhood was marked by hardship and illness. With little formal education—he could barely read and write—he was rejected by several religious orders.
Saint Januarius lived in the 3rd century and was probably born in Naples. He was elected Bishop of Benevento and carried out his ministry with zeal, earning the esteem of both Christians and pagans for his charity and exemplary conduct.
Saint Zenon is remembered as a martyr of the Christian faith, a victim of the persecutions against Christians that took place in the ancient city of Nicomedia, one of the main metropolises of the Eastern Roman Empire, located in what is now Turkey.
The evangelization of Korea began at the start of the 17th century, when some Koreans came into contact with Christianity during a journey to Beijing. Upon returning home, they founded a vibrant and persevering Christian community, despite the initial absence of priests.
Page 14 of 15
Select your language