Saints of the Day

St. Gregory of Nyssa Feast date: Jan 10 The son of two saints, Basil and Emmilia, young Gregory was raised by his older brother, St. Basil the Great, and his sister, Macrina, in modern-day Turkey. Gregory’s success in his studies suggested great things were ahead for him. After becoming a professor of rhetoric, he was … Read more

St. Clement of Alexandria Feast date: Dec 04 Dec. 4 was once the traditional feast day of an early Christian theological author whose legacy is controversial, but who is cited as a saint in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and has been described as such in several addresses of Pope Benedict XVI. The writer … Read more

St. Adrian of Canterbury Feast date: Jan 09 The famous Abbot of St. Augustine’s in Canterbury, was likely born in Libya Cyrenaica, North Africa. Adrian decided to become a monk early in life and eventually abbot of Nerida, not far from Naples. Adrian became a valuable advisor to the pontiff and, three years later, was offered the … Read more

St. Apollinaris Feast date: Jan 08 St. Apollinaris was one of the first great martyrs of the church.  He was made Bishop of Ravenna by St. Peter. The miracles he conducted in Ravenna soon attracted official attention, for they and his preaching won many converts to the faith. However, at the same time, his words … Read more

St. Francis Xavier Feast date: Dec 03 On Dec. 3, the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits who went on to evangelize vast portions of Asia. Francis Xavier was born during 1506 in the Kingdom of Navarre, a region now divided between Spain and France. His mother was an … Read more

St. Foillan Feast date: Oct 31 St. Foillan was born in 7th-century Ireland and was the brother of St. Fursey and St. Ultan. He joined them in England, where they were working as missionaries, and had established a monastery near Yarmouth. During a war between the Mercians and Anglo-Saxons, c.650, the monastery was destroyed and many of … Read more

St. Raymond of Penafort Feast date: Jan 07 Saint Raymond of Penafort, a Dominican priest who worked to aid Christian captives during the era of the Crusades and also helped organize the Church’s legal code, will be celebrated liturgically on Jan. 7. A contemporary of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he inspired the theologian to write the … Read more

Feast date: Dec 02 Elisa Angela Meneguzzi was born on September 12, 1901, to poor and humble farming family in Padua, Italy. She manifested an ardently spiritual soul and spent hours in prayer, attended Mass every day and taught catechism. In 1926, willing to totally donate her life to God, she joined the Sisters Congregation of Saint … Read more

St. Andre Bessette Feast date: Jan 06 Brother André was born Alfred Bessette to a poor Quebec family in 1845, a biography from St. Joseph’s Oratory says. His father died in a work accident when he was nine, and his mother died three years later. His large family was split up and the future Brother … Read more

St. Alonso Rodriguez Feast date: Oct 30 On October 30, the Catholic Church honors a man whose humble occupation gave the world only glimpses of his extraordinary holiness. During his lifetime, Brother Alonso Rodriguez never became a priest, published a book, or advanced professionally. But writings discovered after his death revealed a true mystic, who … Read more