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On August 15, the Church celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the moment when Mary was taken up into Heaven, body and soul, by God. For Christians, Mary is the first human being to enter fully into God’s eternal glory, without experiencing bodily corruption after death.
Founder of the Kingdom of Hungary in the year 1000 and evangelizer of his people, King Stephen I is not only the patron saint of the Hungarian nation but also a central figure in the identity of the Magyar people.
The cross she bore was not symbolic, but real—a sign of her deep union with Christ and her solidarity with the sufferings of all humanity. Clare of Montefalco carried it imprinted on her heart, as her fellow sisters discovered after her death.
Little is known about the young Roman man Agapitus, except that he was martyred in Praeneste (today Palestrina, outside Rome) and that his veneration has been documented since ancient times. He is mentioned in several liturgical books and about two kilometers from Palestrina one can still see the remains of a basilica dedicated to him, along with an inscription bearing his name. During the 9th century, numerous churches were built in his honor. He is recognized as the patron saint of the Diocese of Palestrina.
An untiring apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, founder of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, known as the Eudists, his life was marked by intense missionary activity and profound spirituality, making him a prominent figure in the history of the 17th-century Church.
Proclaiming the Word of God “to the most abandoned and spiritually neglected” was the mission and charism of Saint Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori. A man of broad culture in the humanities, law, theology, and philosophy, he was a fervent Christian layman before becoming a priest.
Pierre-Julien Eymard was born in France, on February 4, 1811, in La Mure (Isère), into a modest and devout Christian family. From a young age, he demonstrated a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and aspired to become a priest, though his father initially opposed the idea.
“If the waves of pride, ambition, slander, and envy toss you here and there, look to the star, call upon Mary! If anger, greed, or sensual urges shake the little boat of your soul, turn your thoughts to Mary!
He is known for having compiled the Catechism that bears his name, for granting Communion to children from the age of seven and for promoting important reforms within the Church. This is Saint Pius X, born Giuseppe Sarto.
On the octave of the Assumption, the Church celebrates the memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955, originally set for May 31, but later moved to August 22 to highlight more clearly the connection between Mary’s queenship and her Assumption into heaven in body and soul.
She was the first canonized saint to be born in the Americas. A great mystic, she sought to imitate the example of Saint Catherine of Siena and entered the Dominican Third Order. She is Saint Rose of Lima, whose birth name was Isabel de Flores.
Lydia is a saint whose name does not appear in any official martyrology, yet she is mentioned in a well-known passage from the Acts of the Apostles, written by the evangelist Luke.
A humble parish priest who, relying solely on God, managed to awaken his parishioners from spiritual indifference and tepid belief bringing about a revival of faith. His life as a priest dedicated to the Lord and the salvation of souls, as a dispenser of Christ’s mercy, made him a point of reference for the needy, sinners, and those in search of peace.
According to an ancient tradition, during the pontificate of Pope Liberius (352–366), a Roman nobleman named John and his wife, who were childless, decided to donate their wealth to the Virgin Mary for the construction of a church in her honor.
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord commemorates the episode in which Jesus, on Mount Tabor, was transfigured before the Apostles Peter, James, and John, revealing his divine glory as the beloved Son of the Father. On that occasion, Moses and Elijah appeared beside him—symbols of the Law and the Prophets—confirming his salvific mission.
He is invoked as the Saint of Divine Providence for his unwavering trust in God. He turned to the Lord in all his endeavors, and even when needs seemed insurmountable, he always managed to find the resources to help the poor and the needy.
A life wholly dedicated to preaching and proclaiming salvation to all people, in truth and in poverty, he united contemplation and action in service to the Church and the Kingdom of God.
A refined intellectual whose tireless search for truth culminated in the discovery of Christ and His Cross. Born Jewish, a renowned philosopher and writer, Edith Stein converted to the Catholic faith and chose to consecrate her life to God among the Discalced Carmelites.
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.
Queen and Empress, she remains to this day one of the brightest figures of the Christian Middle Ages: a strong, generous woman, capable of governing with a degree of competence rarely found even among the chroniclers of her time.
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