Rogation Day: Rogation Days are days of prayer and fasting in the Church. They are observed with processions and the praying of the Litany of the Saints. The major Rogation is held on 25 April, the minor Rogations are held on Monday to Wednesday, preceding Ascension Thursday. The word Rogation comes from the Latin verb rogare, meaning “to ask,” which reflects the beseeching of God, for the appeasement of His anger and for protection from calamities. Rogation Days began in the Fifth Century in France by St Mamertus (Died c 477) Archbishop of Vienne. His Life here: https://anastpaul.com/2019/05/11/saint-of-the-day-11-may-st-mamertus-died-c-475/
St Basileus of Braga St Desiderius of Langres (c 307-c 356) Bishop Martyr St Epitacius of Tuy St Euphebius of Naples St Eutychius of Valcastoria St Florentius of Valcastoria St Goban Gobhnena
Martyrs of Béziers: 20 Mercedarian Friars murdered by Huguenots for being Catholic. Martyrs. 1562 at the Mercedarian convent at Béziers, France.
Martyrs of Cappadocia: A group of Christians tortured and Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian and Galerius. Their names and the details of their lives have not come down to us. They were crushed to death in c.303 in Cappadocia (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of Carthage: When a civil revolt erupted in Carthage in 259 during a period of persecution by Valerian, the procurator Solon blamed it on the Christians, and began a persecution of them. We know the names and a few details about 8 of these martyrs – Donatian, Flavian, Julian, Lucius, Montanus, Primolus, Rhenus and Victorius. They were beheaded in 259 at Carthage (modern Tunis, Tunisia).
Martyrs of Mesopotamia: A group of Christians Martyred in Mesopotamia in persecutions by imperial Roman authorities. Their names and the details of their lives have not come down to us. They were suffocated over a slow fire in Mesopotamia.
Martyrs of North Africa: A group of 19 Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of the Arian Vandal King Hunneric for refusing to deny the Trinity. We know little more than a few of their names – Dionysius, Julian, Lucius, Paul and Quintian. c 430.
Saint of the Day – 22 May – St Basiliscus of Pontus (Died c 310) Martyr, Bishop of Comana in Pontus, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey) Died by beheading in c 310 in Comana, Pontus (in modern Turkey). Also known as – Basiliscus of Pontus, Basilicus, Basilisco.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Comana, in Pontus, under the Emperor Maximian and the Governor Agrippa, the holy Martyr Basiliscus, who was forced to wear iron shoes, pierced with heated nails and endured many other trials. Being at last decapitated and thrown into a river, he obtained the glory of Martyrdom.”
In our earliest sources Basiliscus is said to have announced in a vision at Comana, to the dying St John Chrysostom, the latter’s immediate entry into Heaven and to lead him home and to have identified himself as a Bishop of Comana, Martyred at Nicomedia under Maximian at about the same time as St Lucian of Antioch (who is reported by Eusebius to have been Martyred in 312 under Maximinus Daia).
In the seventh- or eighth-century Vitas of St John Chrysostom ascribed to George of Alexandria Basiliscus, makes the same appearance but identifies himself as a military Martyr. In this latter construction, he has a legendary Greek-language Passio, making him a Martyr at Comana under Maximian. In this version, Basiliscus was brought to a pagan temple to perform ritual sacrifice, which resulted, both in the temple’s being set afire by lightning and in the destruction of its idols, after which he was executed on this day, by decapitation and his body was thrown into the river Iris. Christians secretly retrieved the Saint’s remains and buried them in a freshly plowed field, where later a Martyrion or Shrine, was built in his honour. Thus far Basiliscus’ own Passio.
A related account under today’s date in a Byzantine menologion (the Greek version of the Martyrology) specifies, that he had been tortured by being forced to wear iron shoes studded with red-hot nails.
St Aigulf of Bourges St Atto of Pistoia St Aureliano of Pavia St Ausonius of Angoulême St Baoithin of Ennisboyne St Basiliscus of Pontus (Died c 310) Bishop
St Boethian of Pierrepont St Castus the Martyr St Conall of Inniscoel Bl Diego de Baja Bl Dionisio Senmartin St Emilius the Martyr St Faustinus the Martyr St Francisco Salinas Sánchez St Fulgencio of Otricoli Bl Fulk of Castrofurli Bl Giacomo Soler Bl Giusto Samper St Helen of Auxerre
St Lupo of Limoges St Marcian of Ravenna St Margaret of Hulme Bl Pedro of the Assumption St Quiteria St Romanus of Subiaco St Timothy the Martyr St Venustus the Martyr
Martyred in Japan John Baptist Machado Matthias of Arima Pedro of the Assumption
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War: • Blessed Francisco Salinas Sánchez • Blessed José Quintas Durán
Saint of the Day – 21 May – Saint Godric of Finchale (c 1070-1170) Hermit, Merchant, Pilgrim, Hymnist, Spiritual Advisor to Saints, both great and small, friend of all animals. Born in c 1070 at Walpole, Norfolk, England and died in 1170 at Finchale, County Durham, England of natural causes, Also known as – Godrick
Godric’s life was recorded by a his contemporary, a Monk named Reginald of Durham. Several other Hagiographies are also extant. According to these accounts, Godric, who began from humble beginnings as the son of Ailward and Edwenna, “both of slender rank and wealth but abundant in righteousness and virtue,” was a pedlar, then a sailor and entrepreneur and may have been the captain and owner of the ship which conveyed King Baldwin I of Jerusalem to Jaffa in 1102.
After years at sea, Godric went to the Island of Lindisfarne and there experienced a vision of St Cuthbert. This encounter changed his life and, thereafter, he devoted himself to Christianity and service to God.
After many pilgrimages around the Mediterranean, Godric returned to England and lived with an elderly hermit named Aelric for two years. Upon Aelric’s death, Godric made one last pilgrimage to Jerusalem and then returned home, where he convinced Ranulf Flambard, the Bishop of Durham, to grant him a place to live as a Hermit at Finchale near the Monastery, by the River Wear. He had previously served as doorkeeper, the lowest of the minor orders, at the hospital Church of nearby St Giles Hospital in Durham. He is recorded to have lived at Finchale for the final sixty three years of his life, occasionally meeting with visitors approved by the Prior of Finchale Monaster, under whose care and obedience he lived and died. A Monk of that house was his Confessor, said Mass for him and administered him the Sacraments in a Chapel adjoining to his cell, which the holy man had built in honour of St John the Baptist.
Finchale Monastery today
As the years passed, his reputation grew, and St Thomas à Becket (Martyr) (1118-1170) and Pope Alexander III, both reportedly sought Godric’s advice as a wise and holy man.
Reginald of Durham.describes Godric’s physical attributes:
For he was vigorous and strenuous in mind, whole of limb and strong in body. He was of middle stature, broad-shouldered and deep-chested, with a long face, grey eyes most clear and piercing, bushy brows, a broad forehead, long and open nostrils, a nose of comely curve and a pointed chin. His beard was thick and longer than the ordinary, his mouth well-shaped, with lips of moderate thickness, in youth, his hair was black, in age as white as snow; his neck was short and thick, knotted with veins and sinews; his legs were somewhat slender, his instep high, his knees hardened and horny with frequent kneeling; his whole skin rough beyond the ordinary, until all this roughness was softened by old age.
This Statue resides at the Church named in his honour
For several years before his death, Godric was confined to his bed by sickness and old age. Father William of Newburgh OSA, Augustinian Priest and Historian, who visited him during that time, tells us that although his body appeared in a manner dead, his tongue was ever repeating the sacred names of the Three Divine Persons and, in his countenance, there appeared a wonderful dignity, accompanied with an unusual grace and sweetness. Having remained in his desert for sixty-three years, he was seized with his last illness and happily departed to his Lord on the 21st of May, 1170,
His body was buried in the Chapel of St John Baptist. Many miracles confirmed the opinion of his sanctity and a little Chapel was built in his memory by Richard, brother to Hugh Pidsey, Bishop of Durham.
St Godric is often remembered for his affinity with and kindness toward animals and many stories recall his protection of the creatures, who lived near his forest home. According to one of these, he hid a stag from pursuing hunters; according to another, he even allowed snakes to warm themselves by his fire.
Godric lived on a diet of herbs, wild honey, acorns, crab-apples and nuts. He slept on the bare ground.
Reginald of Durham recorded four hymns of St Godric. They are the oldest hymns in English for which the original musical settings survive. Reginald describes the circumstances in which Godric learnt the first hymn. In a vision, the Virgin Mary appeared to Godric “two maidens of surpassing beauty clad in shining white raiments,” at her side. They pledged to come to his aid in times of need and the Virgin herself, taught Godric a hymn of consolation, to overcome grief or temptation Saintë Marië Virginë.
The novel Godric (1981) by Frederick Buechner is a fictional retelling of his life and travels. It was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.
Church of Our Lady of Mercy and St Godric of Finchale in Durham
St Adalric of Bèze Bl Adilio Daronch St Ageranus of Bèze St Ansuinus of Bèze St Antiochus of Caesarea Philippi
St Bairfhion of Killbarron St Berard of Bèze St Collen of Denbighshire
St Constantine the Great St Donatus of Caesarea St Eutychius of Mauretania
St Genesius of Bèze St Godric of Finchale (c 1070-1170) Hermit Bl Hemming of Åbo St Hospitius St Isberga of Aire Bl Jean Mopinot Bl Lucio del Rio St Mancio of Évora Bl Manuel Gómez González St Nicostratus of Caesarea Philippi
St Polieuctus of Caesarea St Polius of Mauretania St Restituta of Corsica St Rodron of Bèze St Secundinus of Cordova St Secundus of Alexandria St Serapion the Sindonite St Sifrard of Bèze Bl Silao St Synesius St Theobald of Vienne St Theopompus St Timothy of Mauretania St Valens of Auxerre St Vales St Victorius of Caesarea
Martyrs of Egypt: Large number of Bishops, Priests, Deacons and lay people banished when the Arian heretics seized the diocese of Alexandria, Egypt in 357 and drove out Saint Athanasius and other orthodox Christians. Many were old, many infirm and many, many died of abuse and privations while on the road and in the wilderness. Very few survived to return to their homes in 361 when Julian the Apostate recalled all Christians and then many of those later died in the persecutions of Julian.
Martyrs of Pentecost in Alexandria: An unspecified number of Christian clerics and lay people who, on Pentecost in 338, were rounded up by order of the Arian bishop and Emperor Constantius and were either killed, or exiled, for refusing to accept Arian teachings. 339 in Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Caesarea Philippi Antiochus Nicostratus
Martyrs of Mauretania Eutychius Polius Timothy Monks of Tibhirine Célestin Ringeard Christian de Chergé Christian Lemarchand Christophe Lebreton Michel Fleury Paul Dochier Paul Favre-Miville
Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – The Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) Confessor
“Was it not through the brilliance and sweet savour of this Name, that God called us into His marvelous light?”“
Jesus, Name Full of Glory By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Jesus, Name full of Glory, Grace, Love and Strength! You are the Refuge of those who repent, our Banner of Warfare in this life, the Medicine of souls, the Comfort of those who mourn, the Delight of those who believe, the Light of those who preach the True Faith, the Wages of those who toil, the Cure of the sick. To You our devotion aspires, by You our prayers are received; we delight in contemplating You. O Name of Jesus, You are the Glory of all the Saints for Eternity. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 20 May – The Memorial of St Bernadine of Siena OFM (1380-1444) Confessor – Ecclesiasticus 31:8-11, Matthew 19:27-29.
“And everyone who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life everlasting.” – Matthew 19:29
REFLECTION – “Seek for nothing, desiring to enter for love of Jesus, with detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you made your heart yield itself – for the poor in spirit are most happy and joyful in a state of privation and he who has set his heart on nothing, finds satisfaction everywhere.
The poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) give generously all they have and their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God’s sake and out of love to their neighbour … Not only do temporal goods – the delights and tastes of the senses – hinder and thwart the way of God but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.” – St John of the Cross (1542-1591) Carmelite, Doctor of the Church (Spiritual maxims, nos. 352, 355,356, 364; 1693 edition).
PRAYER – O Lord Jesus, Who bestowed on blessed Bernardine, Your Confessor, an unusual love for Your Holy Name, we beseech You, by his merits and intercession, graciously pour upon us the spirit of Your love. Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 20 May – St Austregisilus of Bourges (c 551-624) Bishop of Bourges from 612 to 624. Priest, Monk, Abbot Born in c 551 in Bourges, France and died in 624 of natural causes. Patronage – Bourges, France. Also known as – Aoustrille, Austregesilio, Outril, Outrille.
Austregisilus was born of noble but not very wealthy parentsin Bourges and when he was about 24, he was sent to live at the Court of King Saint Guntram (died c 592).
There, according to his Vita, he was falsely accused of forging an authorisation for one of the Courtiers and was ordered to fight a duel to prove his innocence.
By Divine intervention, it is reported, his slanderer was kicked to death by his own horse on the morning the ordeal.
Austregisilus then left the Court, became a Monk and a Priest and was appointed Abbot of St Nicetius Monastery in Lyon.
He was Consecrated Bishop of Bourges on 13 February 612. In October 614 he attended a Synod which met at Paris and his name appears eighth in the list of 79 Bishops who signed the Decrees.
He is reported to have granted a hermitage at Bourges to St Amandus, who became his disciple and later became the zealous and effective missionary to Flanders, known as the “Apostle of Belgium.” He Ordained St Sulpitius the Pious as cleric of his Church, then Deacon and Priest and appointed him Director of his Episcopal school and finally his successor as Bishop of Bourges.
The French villages of Saint-Outrille and Saint-Aoustrille are named after him.
St Abercius Bl Albert of Bologna St Alexander of Edessa St Althryda St Anastasius of Brescia St Aquila of Egypt Bl Arnaldo Serra and Companions St Asterius of Edessa St Austregisilus of Bourges (c 551-624) Bishop St Basilla of Rome St Baudelius of Nîmes St Codrato
St Plautilla of Rome St Protasius Chong Kuk-bo St Rafaél García Torres St Talaleo of Egea St Thalalaeus of Edessa St Theodore of Pavia St Tomás Valera González
One Minute Reflection – 19 May – The Memorial of St Peter Celestine (1210-1296) Pope and Confessor – 1 Peter 5:1-4; 5:10-11, Matthew 16:13-19
“Upon this rock I will build my church” … Matthew 16:18
REFLECTION – “Nothing escaped the Wisdom and Power of Christ, the elements of nature lay at His service, spirits obeyed Him, Angels served Him. … And yet, out of all the world, Peter alone was chosen to stand at the head, for the calling of all the peoples and the oversight of all the Apostles and Fathers of the Church. Thus, even though there are many Priests and shepherds among the People of God, Peter governed them all in person, while Christ also governs them in the capacity of Head. …
The Lord asks all the Apostles what people think of Him and they all say the same thing, so long as they are making known the doubts deriving from human ignorance. But when the Lord demands to know, what the disciples themselves think, the first to confess the Lord, is he, who is the first in dignity of the Apostles. As he had said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” Jesus answers him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” That is to say, blessed are you because my Father taught this to you. Earthly opinion has not led you astray but it is heavenly inspiration that has instructed you. It is not flesh and blood that enabled you to discover Me but He, Whose only Son I am.
“And so I say to you,” that is to say- just as my Father has manifested My Divinity to you, so, I Am making known your superiority to you. “You are Peter” namely, I am the unshakeable Rock, the Cornerstone who makes two peoples one (Eph 2:14), the foundation other than which, no-one can lay any other (1 Cor 3:11). But you also, you are rock, since you are impregnable by My Strength and, what I have by virtue of My Power, you have in common with Me, by the fact,, that you participate in it. “On this rock I will build my Church” … On the firmness of this foundation, He says, will I build an everlasting temple and my Church, whose summit is to reach to Heaven, will be raised on the strength of that faith.” … Saint Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Father and Doctor of the Church ( 4th sermon for the Anniversary of his Conse
PRAYER – O God, Who raised blessed Peter Celestine to the lofty dignity of Supreme Pontiff and taught him to prefer self-abasement instead; mercifully grant that by his example, we may look upon all worldly things as naught and may be worthy, to reap in joy, the rewards promised to the humble. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Saint of the Day – 19 May – Saint Dunstan of Canterbury (909-988) Bishop of London, Worcester then Archbishop of Canterbury, Priest, Monk, Abbot. As Abbot, he was the principal agent in the restoration of English monasticism, following the devastation of the Viking invasions. He was renowned as a great Scholar, Painter, Musician and Metalsmith, Writer and Poet, as well as being a Counsellor of Kings and a zealous reforming Bishop. Born in 909 at Baltonsborough, Glastonbury, England and died on 19 May 988 at Canterbury, England of natural causes. Patronages – Armourers, blacksmiths, the blind and sight-impaired, bell-ringers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, jewellers, lighthouse keepers, locksmiths, musicians, swordsmiths, Diocese of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
St Dunstan was the son of Heorstan, Anglo-Saxon nobleman, born in the early 10th century near Glastonbury during the reign of King Athelstan. Northern Europe and the British Isles had been under attack and conquest from the Danes and Vikings for several centuries and many coastal communities and monasteries, had been destroyed by the invaders. As a young boy he was introduced to the Irish scholars who visited the renowned Monastery at Glastonbury.
After recovering from a near fatal illness, beloved to be leprosy, he pursued his studies with a zeal for knowledge and artistic skills. He became well known for his devotion and was summoned by his uncle Athelm, Archbishop of Canterbury, to enter his service. He soon became a favourite of King Aethelstan which aroused the envy of the King’s Court. St. Dunstan was accused of studying magic and heathen literature and was attacked by his enemies who bound, gagged him and threw him into a filthy pit . He escaped to Winchester and entered the service of the Bishop, another uncle, St Alphege. Following an illness caused by his treatment at Court, he was persuaded by his uncle to become a Monk.
Following his Ordination to the Priesthood by his uncle in 934, he returned to Glastonbury and built a cell alongside the Church of St Mary. His cell was tiny only 5 feet (150 cms) long by 2ft 6ins(75 cms) wide. At this time, the devil tempted him but Dunstan seized Satan’s face with his smith’s tongs.
In 940 after the death of King Aethelstan, he was summoned by the new King, Eadmund and appointed a Counsellor but again he was driven from the Court by jealous courtiers. After narrowly escaping death while hunting, the King remembered the harsh treatment that Dunstan had received at Court. At Glastonbury, he took St Dunstan by the hand, gave him a kiss of peace and led him to the Abbot’s throne.
In his position as Abbot of Glastonbury, St Dunstan set about recreating the monastic life and rebuilding the Abbey. He rebuilt the Church of St Peter, the cloister and reestablished the monastic enclosure. Only two years later, King Eadmond was assassinated, and was succeeded by Eadred. As Abbot of Glastonbury, Dunstan was appointed Guardian of the Royal treasure. The new King encouraged the spread of Christian devotion and observance and the expulsion of heathendom. Dunstan became deeply involved in secular politics and incurred the enmity of the West Saxon nobles, for denouncing their immorality and for urging peace with the Danes.
In 955, Eadred died and was succeeded by Eadwig. Different from his predecessor he was under the influence of two unprincipled women. After the coronation, Dunstan discovered the King with his two harlots and was again forced to flee from the Court in exile. He took refuge at a Benedictine Monastery in Ghent. He stayed in Ghent for a year, during which time he came into contact with the reformed continental monasticism which was to inspire his vision of Benedictine perfection.
In 957, the nobles, unable to endure the excesses of King Eadwig, drove him out. His successor Eadgar, asked St Dunstan to return and appointed him Archbishop of Worchester In the following year, the See of London became vacant and was conferred on Dunstan, who held it simultaneously with Worcester.
One of Eadwig’s final acts had been to appoint a successor to Archbishop Oda of Canterbury, who died on 2 June 958. The chosen candidate was Ælfsige of Winchester but he died of cold in the Alps as he journeyed to Rome to receive the Pallium. In his place. Eadwig then nominated the Bishop of Wells, Byrhthelm. However, as soon as Edgar became King, he reversed this second choice on the ground that Byrhthelm had not been able to govern even his first Diocese in a successful manner. The Archbishopric was then conferred on Dunstan.
In 960, Dunstan journeyed to Rome to receive the Pallium from Pope John XII. On his journey there, Dunstan’s acts of charity were so lavish as to leave nothing for himself and his attendants. His steward complained but Dunstan replied that they trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and all would be well..
On his return from Rome, Dunstan at once regained his position as virtual prime minister of the Kingdom. By his advice, Ælfstan was appointed to the Bishopric of London and Oswald, to that of Worcester. In 963, Æthelwold, the Abbot of Abingdon, was appointed to the See of Winchester. With their aid and with the ready support of King Edgar, Dunstan was able to implement his reforms in the English Church. The Monks were taught to live in a spirit of self-sacrifice and Dunstan actively enforced the law of celibacy. He forbade the practices of simony (selling ecclesiastical offices for money) and ended the custom of clerics appointing relatives to offices under their jurisdiction. New Monasteries were built and in some of the great Cathedrals, Monks took the place of the Secular Canons and Canons were obliged to live according to rule. The Parish Priests were compelled to be qualified for their office; they were urged to teach Parishioners not only the truths of the Christian faith but als, trades to improve their lives. The state saw reforms as well. Good order was maintained throughout the realm and there was respect for the law. Trained bands policed the north and a navy guarded the shores from Viking raids. There was a level of peace in the Kingdom unknown in living memory.
Dunstan’s influence under the new Monarch began to wane and he retired to Canterbury. His retirement at Canterbury consisted of long hours, both day and night, spent in private prayer, as well as his regular attendance at Mass and the daily Office. He visited the Shrines of St Augustine and St Æthelberht, and there are reports of a vision of angels who sang to him heavenly canticles. He worked to improve the spiritual and temporal well-being of his people, to build and restore Churches, to establish schools, to judge suits, to defend widows and orphans, to promote peace and to enforce respect for purity. He practised his crafts, made bells and organs and collated the books in the Cathedral library. He encouraged and protected European scholars who came to England, and was active as a Teacher in the Cathedral school.
On the Vigil of Ascension Day 988, it is recorded that a vision of angels warned he would die in three days. On the Feast day of Ascension itself, Dunstan celebrated Holy Mass and preached three times to the faithful. In this last address, he announced his impending death and wished his congregation well. That afternoon he chose the spot for his tomb, then went to his bed. His strength failed rapidly and on Saturday morning, 19 May, he caused the Clergy to assemble. Mass was celebrated in his presence, then he received Extreme Unction and the Viaticum and died. Dunstan’s final words are reported to have been, “He hath made a remembrance of His wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He hath given food to them that fear Him.“
The English people accepted him as a Saint shortly thereafter. He was formally Canonised in 1029 Pope John XIX. That year, at the Synod of Winchester, St Dunstan’s feast was ordered to be kept solemnly throughout England
English literature contains many references to St Dunstan, for example, in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and in this folk rhyme:
St Dunstan, as the story goes, Once pull’d the devil by the nose With red-hot tongs, which made him roar, That he was heard three miles or more.
Another story relates how Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the Devil’s hoof when he was asked to re-shoe the Devil’s horse. This caused the Devil great pain and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil, after he promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is over the door. This is the origin of the lucky horseshoe. Until St Thomas Becket’s fame overshadowed Dunstan’s, St Dunstan was the most popular Saint in England for nearly two centuries, having gained fame for the many stories of his greatness, not least among which, were those concerning his famed cunning in defeating the Devil. Eighteen Churches in England are named after St Dunstan, including two famous ones in the City of London, as well as a number of schools, hospitals and other institutions, including the Charity established to help those blinded as a result of war.
Dunstan had been buried in his Cathedral and when that building was destroyed by a fire in 1074, his relics were translated by Archbishop St Lanfranc to a tomb on the south side of the High Altar, in the rebuilt Canterbury Cathedral. The Monks of Glastonbury used to claim, that during the sack of Canterbury by the Danes in 1012, Dunstan’s body had been carried ,for safety, to their Abbey. This story was disproved by Archbishop William Warham, who opened the tomb at Canterbury in 1508. They found Dunstan’s relics still to be there. Within a century, however, his s=Shrine was destroyed during the English Reformation.
BEFORE YOU ASK: _ I have been unsuccessful in ascertaining the reason for St Dunstan’s Patronage of the Blind. All I have so far found is the result of his Patronage – the worldwide organisations under his Patronage which are dedicated to the care and assistance of the blind and sight-impaired. I will keep trying.
The image below is from the Manuscript known as the “Glastonbury Classbook” – it is a portrait of Christ,and the Monk kneeling beside Him is believed to be a self-portrait of St Dunstan. The text beside the Monk says: “Dunstanum memet clemens rogo, Christe, tuere / Tenarias me non sinas sorbsisse procellas” (‘I ask, merciful Christ, that You protect me, Dunstan; do not permit the Taenarian storms to swallow me‘). Then the Statue of St Dunstan beneath the above, is on his tomb in Canterbury Cathedral and shows him holding the Glastonbury Classbook – how lovely!
St Crispin of Viterbo St Cyriaca of Nicomedia and Companions St Cyril of Trèves St Dunstan of Canterbury (909-988) Bishop of London, Worcester then Archbishop of Canterbury St Evonio of Auvergne
Saint of the Day – 18 May – Saint Eric of Sweden (c 1120-1161) King of Sweden, Martyr, Confessor, Defender of the oppressed. Born in c 1120 and died on 18 May 1161 at Uppsala, Sweden by being beheaded as he left Holy Mass. Patronages – Sweden, the Capital of Sweden, Stockholm and of farmers. Also known as – Henry of Sweden, Eric The Lawgiver, Eric IX.
The only full account of Eric’s life is a Hagiographic dating from the late 13th century. It writes that Eric was of royal blood and was unanimously chosen King of Sweden. It also states that Eric reigned for ten years, which would put the beginning of his reign in c 1150. If this is correct ,he would have been a rival King to Sverker I, who had ascended the throne in c. 1132 and was murdered in 1156. At any rate, it is assumed that Eric was recognised in most Provinces after 1156. While his paternity is obscure, there is good evidence, that he strengthened his claims to the throne, by marriage to the Danish princess Christina Björnsdotter, a granddaughter of King Inge the Elder. They were blessed with four children.
Eric did much to consolidate Christianity in his realm. The only reliable source mentioning his reign is a Cistercian chronicle from c 1200. Quite contrary to the impression of pro-clerical policy of the Eric Hagiography, it says that King Eric and Queen Christina harassed the Monks of Varnhem Abbey in Västergötland. Some Monks left for Denmark where Vitskøl Abbey was founded in 1158. After this, however, Eric and Christina changed their stance and allowed Varnhem to be reorganised under Abbot Gerhard of Alvastra Abbey. An early 13th-century source adds that he made donations to Nydala Abbey in Småland.
Eric is attributed with the initial spread of the Church and the Christian faih into Finland, “which at this time was pagan and did Sweden great harm.” In an effort to conquer and convert the Finns, he led the First Swedish Crusade east of the Baltic Sea. “Then Eric the Saint asked the people of Finland to accept Christianity and make peace with him. But when they refused to accept it, he fought against them and conquered them by the sword, avenging the blood of the Christian men which they had spilled often and for a long time. And when he had scored such an honourable victory he prayed to God, falling on his knees with tears in his eyes. Then one of his good men asked why he cried, since he should rejoice over the honourable victory ,which he had won over the enemies of Jesus Christ and the holy faith. He then replied: I am happy and praise God since He gave us victory. But I greatly regret that so many souls were lost today, who could have gained eternal life if they had accepted Christianity.” Eric persuaded an English Bishop sT Henry of Uppsala to remain in Finland to evangelise the Finns, later becoming a martyr too.
Eric is portrayed as the ideal of a just ruler, who supported those who were oppressed by the mighty and expelled the rude and unfair from his Kingdom. He was responsible for codifying the laws of his Kingdom, which became known as King Eric’s Law (or the Code of Uppland). Additionally, it is believed that he established a monastic chapter in Old Uppsala, begun by Benedictines who had come from the Danish Abbey of Odense or from Vreta Abbey.
According to Eric’s Hagiography, the Devil inspired Magnus Henriksson, who wished to exercise his claims to the throne, in his machinations. He used gifts and grand promises to attract Swedish nobles, including “a mighty man in the kingdom”. If this is based on sound tradition it may mean that Magnus allied with Karl of the rival House of Sverker. This assumption is supported by a statement in a late medieval chronicle.
Unbeknownst to the King, the allies gathered a considerable army and accosted Eric near Uppsala when he attended Mass on the Feast of the Ascension in May 1160. The King, being informed of the approach of the enemy, heard Mass to the end, then armed himself and the few men at hand and went out to meet Magnus’ troops. He was pulled off his horse onto the ground by the swarming rebels, who taunted and stabbed him, then beheaded him.
St Eric at the Ascension Mass just before he was Martyred
A papal bull to his son, Canute I confirms that he was killed by unspecified enemies. The short chronicle in the Västgötalagen from c 1240 says: “The twelfth [King] was Eric. He was rashly killed in an unhappy moment. He always gave a good example while he lived and God rewarded him well. Now his soul is at rest with God and his Angels and his bones rest in Uppsala. And he has, with God’s help, made and manifested many precious miracles.”
Eric’s son Canute I, was eventually able to reclaim the throne and established the House of Eric as the ruling dynasty and used the memory of his father, to anchor the Christian faith and his regime.
The assassinated King Eric was buried in the Old Uppsala Church, which he had rebuilt. In about 1167, as his son began to take power, Eric’s body was enshrined. Eric’s son Canute encouraged veneration of his father as a Martyr. The miracle of a fountain springing from the earth where the King’s head fell became a site of pilgrimage. In 1273, a century after Canute consolidated Sweden, Eric’s relics and regalia were transferred to the present Cathedral of Uppsala, built on the Martyrdom site. The translation both displayed and extended, the depth of his religious cult. The Catholic Cathedral in Stockhol, is dedicated to Saint. King Eric.
St Eric’s Relics
St Eric is the Patron Saint of Sweden and of its capital, Stockholm and his crowned head is depicted in the City’s Coat of Arms.
Martyrs of Ancyra – 8 Saints: Seven nuns Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian and the innkeeper who was executed for giving them a Christian burial: Alexandria, Claudia, Euphrasia, Julitta, Matrona, Phaina, Thecusa and Theodatus. c.304 in Ancyra, Galatia (in modern Turkey).
Quote/s of the Day – 17 May – The Memorial of St Paschal Baylon OFM (1540-1592) Confessor, “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Blessed Sacrament.” Franciscan Lay Brother.
“Go to Jesus in The Most Blessed Sacrament with folded hands and say “take my hands, use them as Your hands Lord.”
“Go to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament with a closed mouth and listen to Him, whispering to our soul and responding with “Yes Lord.”
“Go to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament with a fiat and say, “Not my will but Your will be done Lord!”
“O Father Eternal God, Grant me faith and courage. Son, wisdom of the Father, grant me light and make me wise. Holy Spirit, beloved of Father and Son, inflame my heart and purify my soul, that I may approach this majestic Sacrament, with faith and love.”
Saint of the Day – 17 May – St Paschal Baylon OFM (16 May 1540 – 17 May 1592) Spanish Lay Brother “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Blessed Sacrament,” Franciscan Lay Brother, Mystic…….. Also known as – Pasquale, PascaL. Paschal was Beatified on 29 October 1618 by Pope Paul V and Canonised on 16 October 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII. Pope Leo XIII[7] proclaimed the saint as the “Seraph of the Eucharist” as well as the Patron of Eucharistic congresses and affiliated associations.
The Roman Martyrology states: “At Villa Real near Valencia in Spain, Saint Pasquale Baylon, a religious of the Order of Friars Minor, who, always showing himself caring and kind to everyone, constantly venerated the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist with fervent love.”
Childhood and early years: Let’s start by saying that the Spanish name Pasquale, is of Christian origin and is also widely used in the feminine – Pasqualina. It was given to children born on Easter Sunday but its distant origins are Jewish (Pesach = passage) meaning the passage of the Jewish people through the Red Sea and the passage of the Angel of the Lord, who saved, the Jewish firstborns, by marking their houses with the blood of the lamb, to distinguish them from the Egyptians, who were destined for death, in the last plague of Egypt. However, this is not the case with Pasquale Baylon, who was born on 16 May 1540, the day of Pentecost (which is also called in Spanish, “Pascua de Pentecostés.” From his childhood, he showed a marked devotion to the Holy Eucharist, which would later become the centre of his entire religious life. He was a shepherd first of the family’s flock, then in the service of other masters. The solitude of the fields favoured meditation, his desire for continuous prayer. He also began to mortify his young body with long fasts and painful flagellations.
Franciscan vocation: At the age of 18 he asked to join the Convent of Santa Maria di Loreto, of the Reformed Franciscans called Alcantarini by St Peter of Alcantara, reformer of the Order. But he was not accepted, perhaps due to his young age. In order to remain in the vicinity of the Convent, he entered the service, again as a shepherd, of the very wealthy landowner, Martín García. Admired by this young employee, he proposed to adopt Paschal, sin order to make him his heir. However, Paschal refused this offer as he was more determined than ever to enter among the Friars of St. Francis. In 1560, he was admitted to the Convent of St Maria di Loreto, where he made his religious profession on 2 February 1564. He never wanted to ascend to the Priesthood, despite the favourable opinion of his superiors because he did not feel worthy.
Friar, Porter, Cook, gifted with holy wisdom: For years Paschal fulfilled the various services necessary to the convent, especially as a Porter, a task that he always carried out with great goodness. Although so young, he acquired a reputation for holiness, for his Christian virtues but also for the miraculous deeds attributed to him. He was truly “Pentecostal,” that is, favoured by the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, including that of wisdom: he could read and write but he was not very cultured. Still, he was constantly asked for advice by many illustrious persons
On mission among the Calvinists: In 1576, even the Provincial Father of the Alcantarins of Spain, having to communicate urgently with the Father General residing in Paris, thought of sending Brother Paschal with the letter, knowing full well the serious difficulties of the journey, for the crossing of some French Provinces, which at that time were dominated by Calvinists. In fact, the Friar was made the object of continuous derision, insults, beatings. In Orléans, he too was in danger of death by stoning! There, Paschal had disputed with the Calvinist in regard to the Holy Eucharist debunking their false arguments.
“São Pascoal Bailão adora a Eucaristia” – Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara, Arenas de San Pedro (Espanha) – Foto: Francisco Lecaros
Seraph of the Eucharist: On returning from his delicate and dangerous mission, Paschal composed a small book of definitions and sentences on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and, on the divine power transmitted to the Roman Pontiff. As evidence of this great devotion, for which he was nicknamed “Seraph of the Eucharist,” we have received his personal thoughts and prayers, which he added to the collections of writings on Eucharistic themes.
Death: In order to acquire greater perfection, Paschal underwent continuous and heavy mortifications and increasingly numerous penances, to the point that his health was now compromised. On 17 May 1592, the day after his fifty-second birthday, Paschale died at the Convent of the Rosary in Villarreal, near Valencia. As had happened on the day of his birth, it was Pentecost! The funeral saw the participation of a crowd of faithful, who wanted to pay homage of heartfelt veneration to the body of the humble lay Franciscan Brother, whose holiness, fand miracles were well-known throughout the Catholic world.
Veneration and iconography: He was particularly revered in Naples, subject to Spanish domination. The cult was concentrated in two large and famous Franciscan Convents, once belonging to the Alcantarini but still existing – St Paschal a Chiaia and St Paschal Granatello. His name was given to generations of children, especially in Southern Italy. He was Beatified 26 years after his death, on 29 October 1618, by Pope Paul V and proclaimed a Saint on 16 October 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII. His remains, which were venerated with great devotion in Villarreal, were desecrated and dispersed during the Spanish Civil War; some were later recovered and returned to the City in 1952. Over the centuries, his passionate devotion to the Eucharist have inspired the many artists who have depicted him. Paschal usually appears in the act of adoring the Blessed Sacrament in a Monstrance.
Official and traditional Patronages: Pope Leo XIII, on 28 November 1897, proclaimed him Patron of Eucharistic Congresses and Associations. Popularly he is also considered Patron of cooks and pastry chefs, on the basis of his humble services carried out in the Convent – according to tradition, Paschal is the creator of the famous desert called Zabaglione, whose name evidently derives from him. Probably due to a resemblance in the sound of Paschal’s Surname (“St Paschal Baylonne”). Paschal is finally invoked by single women looking for a husband and by women in general.
St Paschal Baylon OFM (1540-1592) “Seraph of the Eucharist,” “Saint of the Blessed Sacrament,” “Servant of the Blessed Sacrament.” Franciscan Lay Brother, Mystic…….. A man remarkable for innocence of life and the spirit of penance. Pope Leo XIII declared him the heavenly patron of Eucharistic Congresses and Societies and Apostolates, formed in honour of the Most Blessed Sacrament. About this beautiful Saint: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2018/05/17/saint-of-the-day-17-may-st-paschal-baylon-o-f-m-1540-1592-the-seraph-of-the-eucharist/
St Heraclius of Noviodunum Bl Ivan Ziatyk St Madron of Cornwall St Maildulf of Malmesbury St Maw
St Paul of Noviodunum St Peter Lieou St Rasso of Grafrath St Restituta of Carthage St Silaus of Lucca St Solochanus of Chalcedon St Thethmar St Victor Roma
Martyrs of Alexandria – 3 Saints: Three Christians Martyred together; no details about them have survived except their names: Adrio, Basilla and Victor. 4th century Alexandria, Egypt.
Martyrs of Nyon: A group of Christians Martyred together in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little more than three of their names: Aquilinus, Heradius and Paul. 303 at Noyon, Switzerland.
Saint of the Day – 16 May – St John Nepomucene (c 1345–1393) Priest, Martyr, Confessor and almoner.to the Queen of Bohemia – “The First Martyr of the Seal of Confession.” Born in c1345 in Nepomuk, Bohemia and died on 20 March 1393 (aged 47–48) at Prague . St John’s tongue is incorrupt and is kept in the Cathedral of St Vitus in Prague, Czech Republic. Patronages – Bohemia. – which includes the greater Czechoslovakia, Moravia and parts of Austria before various divisions; protection against slander, restoration of the good name of those slandered, help in confessing sins, for the protection of Priests and the Seal of Confession, San Juan, Batangas, Malibay, Pasay; Alfonso, Cavite; Moalboal, Cebu; San Remigio, Cebu; Cabiao; Spanish Navy. Also known as – John of Nepomuk, Nepomuc, Ioannes Nepomucenus, Johannes Nepomuk.
The Roman Martyrology states of him today: “At Prague in Bohemia, St John Nepomucene, a Canon of the Metropolitan Church, who, being tempted in vain to betray the secret of Confession, was cast into the river Moldaw and thus won the Palm of Martyrdom.”
Saint John Nepomucene, Priest and Martyr By Fr Francis Xavier Weninger SJ (1805-1888) (Excerpt)
John, whom, in our time, God has honoured with many miracles, received his surname from Nepomuc, a small town two miles from Prague, where he was born. His parents were plain people and had lived many years without issue. After having made a vow, however, in honour of the Blessed Virgin, whose miraculous picture is kept in a Cistercian Convent not far from Nepomuc, John was born to them. At the time of his birth, several stars were seen which floated down from heaven and rested upon the house of his parents. This event was interpreted and admired, as a prophecy of his future holiness. In his infancy, he fell dangerously ill but recovered after his parents had consecrated him to God, in the above-named place of pilgrimage.
As he grew, his greatest delight was to assist the Priests at Mass and he passed the whole forenoon in that sacred occupation, in the Cistercian Church. In his studies he made such rapid progress that he became Doctor of Divinity and Canon Law. After being Ordained Priest, he retired, for one month from all intercourse with men and prepared himself, by prayers, penances and purifying his soul, for his first Holy Mass. Soon after, he was commissioned to preach at Prague in the Church of our Lady, in the suburb and he did this with such eminent success, that the Archbishop raised him to the dignity of Canon and Preacher of the Cathedral, which functions he discharged until his death.
Wencelaus, at that period King of Bohemia, attended his sermons frequently, with his whole Court and esteemed the Saint highly. He offered him the See of Leimeritz and afterwards, the rich provostship of Wissherad but John refused both, hoping to do more good by preaching. Queen Jane, the wife of Wencelaus chose him for her Confessor and Almoner. The king, neglecting the affairs of the land, became, meanwhile, more and more, a slave to debauchery and drunkenness and added to the scandal which this gave to his people, by acts of the most unheard of cruelty. Not able to alter his conduct, either by exhortations or entreaties, the pious Queen, at last became silent, and endeavoured by prayer and other virtuous exercises, to inspire her husband with better thoughts and the fear of God. She frequently received the Holy Sacraments in order to give more power to her prayers and to be strengthened in patience. The wicked King regarded her frequent Confessions with mistrusting eyes, even suspecting that the Queen might have been as faithless to him, as he had been to her.
Hence, the desire to know what the Queen confessed was awakened in him and calling John into his presence, he, after long circumlocution and giving some feigned reasons, informed him of his wish, promising him all possible favours and honours. The Saint was at first stunned at so sacrilegious a demand and then explained to the King, the greatness of the crime, which a Priest would commit, if he revealed the least thing which had been told him, under the Seal of Confession, adding, that he would much rather die than become guilty of so terrible a crime.
The King dissimulated his anger at this reply, resolving to wait for another opportunity. He had not to wait long, for when, with unprecedented cruelty he had commanded that a cook, who had sent to the Royal table, a capon badly roasted, should be himself roasted alive on a spit and no-one dared to disobey the tyrant. Sohn, however, went to him and endeavoured to dissuade him from such barbarity. But instead of listening to the Saint, he gave orders to cast him into a dark, horrible dungeon and left him there a day without any food. After this, he sent the jailer to him with a message that he could save his life only by fulfilling the king’s desire. The Saint well understood the message and replied that he remained firm in what he had already said to the King. Wencelaus then determined to have recourse to kindness. He had the Saint liberated and informed, that he repented of his harshness and begged his pardon, at the same time requesting him to appear the following day at the Royal table, as a token of complete reconciliation. The Saint complied with the behest and appeared but no sooner had the King arisen from the table, than he repeated his godless desire, pressing the holy man, at first with great promises and then with cruel menaces. Seeing that neither the one nor the other were respected by John, he commanded that he should be again dragged to the dungeon and stretched upon the rack. To add to his suffering, he was, at the same time, burned with torches. The brave Martyr raised his eyes to Heaven and only repeated frequently the sacred names of Jesus and Mary. When he had been long tortured, the King, who was present, left and John was once more set at liberty.
He informed nobody of what had happened to him but as soon as his wounds were healed, he discharged his functions as he had hitherto done. As it was, however, revealed to him in a vision, that his silence would cost him his life, he bade farewell to his hearers on the Sunday before Ascension. His text was, “A little while and you shall not see me.” In this sermon he predicted the evils which would soon fall upon Bohemia, in consequence of new heresies and exhorted all to repentance and to constancy in the Catholic faith.
On the day before the festival of the Ascension, he made a pilgrimage to Bunzel where the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin was honoured. Arriving there, he fervently recommended his approaching death-agony to the divine Mother. At evening, he returned to Prague. The King, leaning out of the window of his palace, saw him. Having given orders to bring the Saint before him, he addressed him with these shameless words: “Listen, parson! Thou wilt have to die, if thou dost not immediately tell me what the Queen confessed to thee. I vow to God, that thou shalt drink water!” The Saint repeated fearlessly his former words: “I will rather die a thousand times.” Hardly had this passed his lips, when the King commanded the holy man to be dragged into the adjoining apartment and kept there. As soon as night had come, he was led to the bridge that unites the old and new portions of Prague, and from thence cast into the Moldaw, in the year 1383.
Heaven did not allow this crime to be concealed for one single hour. An uncommonly bright light in the form of many stars was seen, which seemed to float upon the water and accompanying the holy body, remaining with it. All the people came running towards the river but could not explain the prodigy. The King himself was called by the Queen to witness the scene and looked at it in fear and trembling. When the next day dawned, the waters of the river were divided into two parts and in the midst was seen, lying on the sand, with a sweet smile upon his face, the body of the Saint. The Canons brought it, at first into the nearest Church but soon after, transferred it with imposing solemnities to the Cathedral.
From that day, date the honours which were paid to the Saint and which God approved by numberless miracles which were wrought at his tomb.
After the expiration of more than 300 years, the holy body was exhumed and the tongue of the Saint was found fresh without a sign of corruption. When, six years later, this tongue was shown to a deputation, sent by the Pope to verify the report, it suddenly swelled up before the eyes of all present and changed from dark red to purple, as though it were still, imbued with life.
The tomb and reliquary of St John, containing the incorrupt tongue
St Vitus Cathedral
Remarkable is the fact, that everyone who approached the tomb of the Saint, irreverently was sure to be punished with some public derision. Many examples of recent date have verified this.
In conclusion, it is to be remarked, that the intercession of Saint John Nepomuceno, may be requested with great benefit by those whose good name has been tarnished, or who are in danger of a public disgrace, as also by those who feel difficulties in confessing their sins. In our times this glorious Saint has become particularly renowned, not only on account of the incorruption of his tongue and the many miracles which have taken place at his shrine but also, on account of the many graces and benefits which the Almighty has bestowed upon those, throughout the whole Christian world, who with confidence ask his intercession. Many books are filled with the relation of these facts.
St Carantac St Carantoc St Diocletian of Osimo St Felix of Uzalis St Fidolus of Aumont St Fiorenzo of Osimo St Fort of Bordeaux St Francoveus St Gennadius of Uzalis St Germerius of Toulouse St Hilary of Pavia
St Ubaldus Baldassini St Victorian of Isauria Bl Valdimir Ghika
Martyrs of Saint Sabas: A group of Monks, whose names have not come down to us, who were massacred by Moors at the monastery of Saint Sabas in Palestine.
Martyrs of Caramasi Albertin-Marie Maisonade Ignace-Alexandre-Joseph Cardon Jan Chrysostom Zavrel Maturin-Marie Pitri Modeste-Marie Burgen Zosimo Maria Brambat
Saint of the Day – 15 May – St John Baptiste de la Salle (1651-1719) Confessor. Known as the “Father of Modern Education,” “Apostle of Children and Youth.”
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Rouen in France, St John Baptiste de la Salle, Confessor, who deserved well the veneration of both the religious and society, by his labours for the education of the youth, especially the poor and by the founding of the Society of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.”
John Baptiste de La Salle, born of an honourable family at Rheims, when still a boy, showed by his manners and actions, that he was called by destiny to the Lord and was to be adorned with the excellence of holiness. As a youth he studied literature and the philosophical sciences at the Academy at Rheims. During this time, although his mental powers and his lively and pleasant disposition endeared him to all, he nevertheless, shrank from the company of his fellows, so that, being inclined to solitude, he might the more easily find time for God.
Already having been, for some time, enlisted in the ranks of the clergy, he was enrolled among the Canons of Rheims at the age of sixteen years. He went to Paris to study theology at the University of the Sorbonne and was admitted to the Sulpician Seminary. But he was soon forced to return home due to the death of his parents and undertook the education of his brothers, which he carried on,, without interrupting his sacred studies and with the greatest success, as was proved by subsequent events.
He was finally Ordained Priest and said his first Mass with the intense faith and ardour of the soul which, throughout his whole life, he brought to those Sacred Mysteries. Meanwhile, burning with zeal for the salvation of souls, he devoted himself wholly to their service. He undertook the direction of the Sisters of the Infant Jesus, founded for the education of girls and not only managed them most prudently, but saved their institute from dissolution. From this time onwards, he turned his attention to the education of poor boys in religion and good morals. And God had raised him up for this very end, namely, that he should found, in h=His Church, a new family of religious men and should look after boys’ schools, especially of poor boys, with unceasing and efficient care. And, indeed, this duty, entrusted to him by Divine Providence, was successfully accomplished, in spite of active and extreme and opposition and great hardships, by the foundation of an Institute of Brothers which he named the Christian Schools.
His male associates in this great and arduous work, he at first received into his own house and then, establishing them in a more suitable dwelling, thoroughly inspired them with his method and with those wise laws and regulations, which were afterwards confirmed by Benedict XIII. Because of humility and love of poverty, he first resigned his Canonry and distributed all his property among the poor and later too, after many unsuccessful attempts to do so, he of his own will, resigned the government of the Institute which he had founded.
But meanwhile his solicitude for the brothers and for the schools which he had opened in different places, did not lessen, although he began to give himself more diligently to God. Showing his hatred for self in constant fastings, in the use of the discipline and in other austerities, he spent his nights in prayer. At length, conspicuous for every kind of virtue, especially, obedience and zeal for fulfilling the Divine Will and love and devotion to the Apostolic See, full of merit and having devoutly received the Sacraments, he fell asleep in the Lord in the sixty-eighth year of his age.
The Supreme Pontiff Leo XIII placed him in the list of the Blessed and, illustrious by new miracles, he was adorned with honours of the Saints, in the year of Jubilee, 1900 on the 24th day of May of that year by the same Pontiff..
Prayer for the Intercession of St John Baptist de La Salle
O Glorious Saint John Baptiste de la Salle, Apostle of Children and Youth, be thou, from the heights of Heaven, our guide and our patron. Offer thy prayers fo us and help us, that we may be kept free from every stain of error and corruption and remain ever faithful to Jesus Christ and to His Church. Grant that we, practising the virtues of which thou has been so wondrous an example, may be made partakers of the glory in Heaven, our true country. Amen.
Bercthun of Beverley Bertha of Bingen St Caecilius of Granada St Caesarea of Otranto St Cassius of Clermont Bl Clemente of Bressanone St Colman Mc O’Laoighse St Ctesiphon of Verga Blessed Diego of Valdieri
St Hesychius of Gibraltar St Hilary of Galeata St Indaletius of Urci St Isaias St Isidore of Chios Bl Joan Montpeó Masip St Maximus of Clermont St Nicholas the Mystic St Rupert of Bingen St Secundus of Avila St Simplicius of Sardinia St Sophia of Rome St Victorinus of Clermont St Waldalenus of Beze
Saint of the Day – 14 May – St Maria Domenica Mazzarello FMA (1837-1881) Virgin, Religious Sister and Founder with St John Bosco of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. They were founded to work alongside Saint John Bosco and his Salesians of Don Bosco, in his teaching projects in Turin. They continue to be a teaching Order worldwide and are now called the Salesian Sisters of St John Bosco. Born on 9 May 1837 at Mornese, Acqui, Italy and died on 14 May 1881, aged 44, in Nizza Monferrato, Asti, Italy of natural causes. Also known as – Mary Dominic Mazzarello.
Maria was born in Mornese, in what is now the Province of Alessandria, northern Italy, to a peasant family who worked in a vineyard. She was the eldest of ten children of Joseph and Maddalena Calcagno Mazzarelli. When she was fifteen she joined the Association of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, known for there charitable works and run by the Parish Priest, Father, Domenico Pestarino – this Apostolate was a precursor to the founding of the Salesian Sisters.
When she was 23 years old, a typhoid epidemic hit Mornese causing the death of many villagers. Soon, her uncle and aunt were taken ill and Maria volunteered to care for them and their many children. After a week they recovered, however, when Maria returned home, she also became ill with typhoid. Due to the illness, she received the last rites. She recovered, but the illness left her weak. The strength which had formerly sustained her, in her work in the fields, was no more. Maria was now thin and frail; a shell of her formerly robust self.
She took an apprenticeship as a seamstress in the town and worked diligently at the craft. Like St John Bosco, the skills which she learned in her youth, she was able to pass onto those who would come after her. One day, Maria was walking in her village and was suddenly astounded to see before her, a vision of a large building with a courtyard and many girls playing and laughing. A voice said to her, “I entrust them to you.”
The education of girls was a particular need in the nineteenth century and Maria decided to devote herself to this work. Hosts of farm girls , or serving girls, factory workers and street vending girls, filled the streets of the city and all of them were at risk to juvenile prostitution. She wished to educate them and teach them a trade, to save them from the dangers of street life. She persuaded some of her girl friends to join her in this project. Fifteen young women now comprised the Daughters of Mary Immaculate. Fr Pestarino busied himself with training them in the spiritual life and managed to secure a place for some of them to live in community, thus was the beginning of religious life in Mornese. The Daughters took in a few young girls and housed them, schooling them in the faith and handing down to them, their knowledge of dress aking, tailoring and general sewing skills.
John Bosco was told of the Daughters by Fr Pestarino, who himself was training as a Salesian of Don Bosco, under the Saint. Considering his vision of the young girls, Bosco decided to meet with them. He went to Mornese with his boy band under the guise of raising funds for his Oratory but his true intention was to investigate the possibility of founding a female counterpart of the male Salesian religious Order,.
In 1867, after meeting with them and receiving the Daughters’ enthusiastic response to his proposal, St John drew up their first rule of life. A source of the community’s good spirit, sense of humour, optimism and charity, Maria Mazzarello was the natural choice for the first Superior. Eventually obedience won out and she was the first Mother of the young community at age thirty.
After many formation, struggles, the well-intentioned but misdirected advice of others, and difficulties with the townspeople (whose school for boys which they had raised money for and built, st John transferred to the Daughters, for their work). The day of their profession arrived. The fifteen young women, led by Maria, professed their vows as religious women in the presence of the Bishop of Acqui, their spiritual father St John and Fr Pestarino. The date was 31 July 1872, the birthday of this new religious family.
Collegio, the first community of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
At age thirty-five, donned in a habit, she was now Sister Maria Mazzarello. As the feminine branch of the Salesian religious family, the Daughters sought to do for girls what the Priests and Brothers were doing in Turin for boys.
After being elected Mother General of the Salesian Sisters, Maria Mazzarello felt that it was important that she and the other Sisters, have a good understanding of how to read and write; it was a skill which many of them had never had the opportunity to acquire and which training she now organised. Her dedication to her Sisters was not limited to their intellectual development alone. In every way, she was an attentive mother, which is why to this day, she is still fondly referred to as “Mother Mazzarello” by the Salesian Family.
The first Missionary Sisters set out for Uruguay in 1877. Mother Mazzarello accompanied them to their port of call in Genoa, and then took a boat to France, so that she could visit the SIsters who had already established themselves there.
In Marseilles their ship had to be repaired and all of the passengers were forced to disembark while it was dry docked. Although the Sisters had been told that lodging had been prepared for them, there was a mix-up and they were left without stranded.. Mother Mazzarello was not one to let events such as this discourage her, so she took the sheets that they had brought with them, stuffed them with straw and made makeshift beds for all of them. After a miserable night of sleep, they all awoke but Mother Mazzarello could not get up. A fever was ravaging her body and she was in terrible pain. The next morning,, more out of a concern for her already exhausted companions, she was able to get up, see the Missionaries off and then journey with her remaining Sisters to their house and orphanage in St.Cyr.
Once in St Cyr ,she fainted and was confined to bed for forty days.. The diagnosis was pleurisy. Eventually she returned to Italy, even though the doctor told her not to travel. She said that she wanted to die in her own community. She made her return journey in stages, she was painfully aware of her delicate condition. Fortunately. on one of her stops St John was near and they were able to meet for the last time.
In early April, Maria returned to Mornese. Her native air strengthened her and since she felt stronger she insisted on keeping the community schedule and doing her usual work. Unfortunately, it was too much for her and she relapsed. Near the end of April it seemed that death was approaching. Finally, in the pre-dawn hours of 14 May 1881, Mother Mazzarello began her death agony. After receiving the last rites she turned her attention to those around her and weakly whispered, “Good-bye. I am going now. I will see you in Heaven.” Shortly after she died at the age of forty-four.
Maria was Beatified on 20 November 1938 and Canonised on 24 June 1951. Her incorrupt body is venerated in the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, in Turin, Italy, which is the Mother Basilica of the Salesians, built by St John Bosco. A Church in southeast Rome bears her name, Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello – the Statue below resides there..
St Boniface of Ferentino St Boniface of Tarsus St Corona the Martyr St Costanzo of Capri St Costanzo of Vercelli Bl Diego of Narbonne St Dyfan St Engelmer St Erembert of Toulouse St Felice of Aquileia St Fortunatus of Aquileia St Gal of Clermont-Ferrand
St Henedina of Sardinia St Justa of Sardinia St Justina of Sardinia St Maria Domenica Mazzarello FMA (1837-1881) Virgin, Religious Sister and Founder with St John Bosco of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. They were founded to work alongside Saint John Bosco and his Salesians of Don Bosco in his teaching projects in Turin. They continue to be a teaching Order worldwide and are now called the Salesian Sisters of St John Bosco.Her Body is incorrupt.
St Pons of Pradleves St Pontius of Cimiez St Tuto of Regensburg St Victor the Martyr
Martyrs of Seoul – 5 Beata: A group of lay people Nartyred together in the apostolic vicariate of Korea. • Petrus Choe Pil-je • Lucia Yun Un-hye • Candida Jeong Bok-hye • Thaddeus Jeong In-hyeok • Carolus Jeong Cheol-sang 14 May 1801 at the Small West Gate, Seoul, South Korea
One Minute Reflection – 13 May – The Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church – Wisdom 7:7-14, Matthew 5:13-19
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so, will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments, will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 5:19
REFLECTION – “For what reason then does He call some of these commandments “least,” although they are so magnificent and lofty? Jesus spoke this way because He was about to introduce His own teaching, as a new law . As He humbles Himself and speaks of Himself with great modesty, so He refers to His own teaching in the same manner. In this way, Jesus teaches us to practice humility in everything. And besides, since some suspected His teaching to be a new departure, He temporarily taught it in a more reserved way.
But when you hear “least in the Kingdom of Heaven,” you are to think of nothing but hell and punishment. For it was His practice to speak, not only of the joy the Kingdom brings but also, of the time of the resurrection and the fearful event of the Second Coming.
Think of one who calls a brother a fool. That one, transgresses only one commandment, maybe even the slightest one and falls into hell. Compare that one with another, who breaks all the commandments and instigates others to break them too. Do both have the same relationship to the Kingdom? This is not the argument Jesus is making. Rather, He means, that one who transgresses only one of the commands will, on the final day, be the least—that is, cast out—and last and will fall into hell!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Archbishop of Constantinople, Father and Doctor of the Church (The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily 16).
PRAYER – O God, Who endowed blessed Robert, Your Bishop and Doctor, with wondrous learning and virtue to repel the deceits of error and to defend the rights of the Apostolic See, grant, by his merits and intercession, that we may ever grow in love of truth and that the hearts of the erring may return to the unity of Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 13 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and the Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church.
St Robert Bellarmine’s Hymn to Mary the Virgin: Among St Robert’s extant writing, there is a short poem of twenty stanzas which he composed in the nature of a Litany to the Blessed Virgin. The text was first published in Italian some fifty years ago and to the best of the writer’s knowledge, has never been translated into English. Each verse-line begins with the name “Virgin,” joined to a title and petition to Our Lady, starting with the letter “A” and going down the Italian alphabet to “V.” Thus the first seven verses begin with the invocation: “Vergine adorna … Vergine Bella …Vergine casta … Vergine degna … Vergine eletta … Vergine felice … Vergine gradita …”
A translation to this tribute to the Virgin Mother reads as follows: – Servant of God Fr John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000).
Hymn to Mary the Virgin By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church.
Virgin adored and clothed with the sun, grant me thine aid. Virgin most beautiful, mystical rose, take abode in my heart. Virgin most chaste, all undefiled, grant me true peace. Virgin deserving of all honour and praise, give me thy love. Virgin elect and full of all grace, lead me to God. Virgin most blessed, star of the sea, dispel the storms besetting me. Virgin most virtuous, holy and sweet, show me the way. Virgin illustrious, with thy burning light, enlighten thou my mind. Virgin more precious than jewels or gold, make reparation for me. Virgin most worthy of all praise, mother, daughter and immaculate spouse. Virgin and Mother, make me more pleasing to Jesus thy Son. Virgin most innocent of any stain or fault, make me more worthy of God. Virgin enriched with every gift and grace, obtain the remission of my sins. Virgin most pure, grant me to enjoy the bliss of heavenly love. Virgin, thou lily among thorns, I pray thee for the grace of a happy death. Virgin more rare than the rarest dream, bring joy to my heart. Virgin so great, there is none like thee on earth, bring peace to my soul. Virgin most true, loving Mother too, Virgin Mary. Amen.
Saint of the Day – 13 May – St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) Archbishop of Capua, Italy, Rector of the Roman College, Confessor, Cardinal, Doctor of the Church, Theologian, Professor, Writer, Preacher, Mediator. Known as – “The Father of the Poor,” “The Hammer of Heretics,” “The Model of Promoters and Defenders of the Catholic religion.”
St Robert Bellarmine From the Roman Breviary
Robert, a native of Montepulciano, Italy and of the noble family of Bellarmine, had for his mother, the most pious Cynthia Cervini, sister of Pope Marcellus II. From the first, he was conspicuous for exemplary piety and most chaste manners, earnestly desiring this one thing, to please God alone and to win souls to Christ.
He attended the college of the Society of Jesus in his native town where he was highly commended for his intelligence and modesty. At the age of eighteen, he entered the same Society at Rome and was a model of all religious virtues. Having passed through the course of philosophy at the Roman College, he was sent firstly to Florence, then to Monreale, later to Padua to teach Sacred Theology and afterwards, to Louvain where, not yet a Priest, he ably discharged the office of preacher. After Ordination at Louvain, he taught Theology with such success, that he brought back many heretics to the unity of the Church and was regarded throughout Europe, as a most brilliant Theologian, so much so, that St Charles, Bishop of Milan and others, keenly sought after him.
Recalled to Rome at the wish of Pope Gregory XIII, he taught the science of controversial Theology at the Roman College and there, as Spiritual Director, he guided the angelic youth St Aloysius in the paths of holiness. He governed the Roman College and then the Neapolitan Province of the Society of Jesus, in accordance with the spirit of St Ignatius.
Again summoned to Rome, he was employed by Clement VIII in the most important affairs of the Church, with the greatest advantage to the Christian state. Then, against his will and in spite of opposition, he was admitted among the number of the Cardinals because, as the Pontiff publicly declared, he did not have his equal among Theologians in the Church of God, at the time. He was Consecrated Bishop by the same Pope and administered the Archdiocese of Capua in a most saintly manner for three years. Having resigned this office, he lived in Rome until his death, as a most impartial and trusty Counsellor to the Supreme Pontiff. He wrote much and in an admirable manner.
His principal merit lies in his complete victory in the struggle against the new errors, during which he distinguished himself as a strenuous and outstanding vindicator of Catholic tradition and the rights of the Roman See. He gained this victory by following St Thomas as his guide and teacher, by a prudent consideration of the needs of his times, by his irrefragable teaching and by a most abundant wealth of testimony, well-chosen from the Sacred Writings and from the very rich fountain of the Fathers of the Church. He is eminently noted for very numerous short works, for fostering piety and especially for that golden Catechism, winch he never failed to explain to the young and ignorant, both at Capua and at Rome, although preoccupied with other very important affairs.
A contemporary Cardinal declared, that Robert was sent by God for the instruction of Catholics, for the guidance of the good and for the confusion of heretics. St Francis de Sales regarded him as a fountain of learning; the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XIV called him the Hammer of Heretics and Benedict XV proclaimed him the Model of Promoters and Defenders of the Catholic religion.
He was most zealous in the religious life and he maintained that manner of life after having been chosen as one of the empurpled Cardinals. He did not want any wealth beyond what was necessary; he was satisfied with a moderate household and scanty fare and clothing. He did not strive to enrich his relatives and he could scarcely be induced to relieve their poverty, even occasionally. He had the lowest opinion of himself and was of wonderful simplicity of soul. He had an extraordinary love for the Mother of God; he spent many hours daily in prayer. He ate very sparingly and fasted three times a week. Uniformly austere with himself, he burned with charity towards his neighbour and was often called the Father of the poor. He earnestly strove that he might not stain his baptismal innocence by even the slightest fault.
Almost eighty years old, he fell into his last illness at St Andrew’s on the Quirinal hill and in it, he showed his usual radiant virtue. Pope Gregory XV and many Cardinals visited him on his deathbed, lamenting the loss of such a great pillar of the Church. He fell asleep in the Lord in the year 1621, on the day of the Sacred Stigmata of St Francis, the memory of which, he had been instrumental in having celebrated everywhere. The whole City mourned his death, unanimously proclaiming him a Saint. The Supreme Pontiff Pius XI inscribed his name, firstly, in the number of the Blessed, and then in that of the Saints and shortly afterwards, by a Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, he declared him a Doctor of the Universal Church.
His body is honoured with pious veneration at Rome in the Church of St Ignatius, near the tomb of St Aloysius, as he himself had desired. Blessed be God in His Holy Saints! Amen.
St Anno of Verona St Argentea of Cordoba St Euthymius the Illuminator Bl Fortis Gabrielli Bl Gerard of Villamagna Bl Gemma of Goriano St Glyceria of Trajanopolis
St Lucius of Constantinople St Mael of Bardsey Bl Magdalen Albrizzi St Merewenna of Rumsey St Mucius of Byzantium St Natalis of Milan St Onesimus of Soissons St Servatus of Tongres St Valerian of Auxerre
Martyrs of Alexandria: A group of Christians Martyred in the Church of Theonas, Alexandria, Egypt by order of the Arian Emperor Valens. Their names have not come down to us. 372 in Alexandria, Egypt.
Saint of the Day – 12 May – St Domingo de la Calzada / Dominic of the Causeway ((1019 – 1109) Priest, Hermit, Bridge Builder, a road, a Hospital/Hostel, a Church, in effect a town, Miracle-worker. Born in 1019 as Domingo García in Victoria, Biscay, Spain and died in 1109 at Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain, of natural causes. Patronages – Spanish civil engineers. eye diseases, the blind, the Pilgrim’s Town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain. Also known as – Dominic of Landeveien, Domenico, Dominicus…
Dominic was the son of a peasant named Ximeno García. His mother was named Orodulce. We know little about his early years, except that he worked as a shepherd and then tried, in vain, to be admitted as a Monk in the Benedictine Monasteries of Valvanera and San Millán de la Cogolla. This failure caused him to retire as a Hermit to a secluded place, Ayuela, near present-day Santo Domingo de la Calzada. There he led a contemplative life until 1039.
Fundamental to his later development was the relationship he established, around this date, with Gregory, Bishop of Ostia, who arrived in Calahorra as a Papal Envoy to combat a terrible locust plague that devastated the Navarrese and Riojan territories. For five years and until the death of the future Ostiense Saint in 1044, Dominic became Bishop Gregory’s close collaborator.
He received the Priestly Ordination from Gregory’s hands. Together, they decided to build a first wooden bridge over the Oja River to facilitate the transit of pilgrims to Compostela.
After the death of Saint Gregory, Dominic returned to the area where he had spent his years of retirement and undertook a profound colonising work there. He cut down the forests, cleared the land and began the construction of a stone road that was a deviation from the traditional path between Logroño and Burgos but which became, from that moment on, the main route between Nájera and Redecilla.
To improve the conditions of the pilgrims on their way to Compostela. who began to cross it, he replaced the first wooden bridge with another made of stone and built a complex consisting of a hospital, a well and a Church, to attend to the needs of travellers. Today, it is the Casa del Santo, which is a used as a hostel by modern-day pilgrims.
Statue of Dominic de la Calzada, Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
The town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada began as a few houses built around the Hermitage of the Saint in his lifetime. At his death in 1109, the village had grown in population. King Alfonso VI of Castile annexed La Rioja in 1076 and seeing that Dominic’s efforts contributed to the Castilianisation of the region, decided to support him and his projects. He visited Dominic in 1090 and, thereafter, Dominic, assisted by his disciple Juan de Ortega, began construction on a Church dedicated to Christ and the Virgin Mary. Outside, and attached to its walls, the Saint chose a place for his own burial. The Church was Consecrated by the Bishop of Calahorra in 1106.
Dominic died in 1109. His Church, later the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, was where he was buried, as he had requested and it was elevated to the rank of Cathedral after being placed in the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Calahorra in the 1230s.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Many miracles are attributed to the intercession of St Dominic, among them the exorcism of a French knight who had been possessed by the devil and who was freed of his affliction by visiting the tomb of Dominic. Another miracle, concerns the healing of a German pilgrim named Bernard in the 15th Century, who was cured of an affliction of the eyes, by his prayers at Dominic’s tomb. Another concerns the healing of a blind Norman who was granted his eyesight by God, when he prayed fervently for Dominic’s intercession in the Cathedral.
The most famous miracle, however, concerns that of the rooster and the chicken, which occurred at Santo Domingo de la Calzada. In the 14th Century, a German 18-year-old named Hugonell, from Xanten, went on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela with his parents. A Spanish girl at the hostel where they were staying made sexual advances toward Hugonell. But he rejects her advances. Angry at this, the girl hid a silver cup in the German’s bag and then informs the authorities, that the youth had stolen it. Hugonell was sentenced to the gallows, in accordance with the laws of Alfonso X of Castile.
The parents sadly decided to examine their son’s body, still hanging on the gallows,but suddenly heard his voice telling them that Saint Dominic had saved his life! His parents quickly made their way to Santiago de Compostela to see the Magistrate. The Magistrate, who was eating dinner, remarked: “Your son is as alive as this rooster and chicken that I was feasting on before you interrupted me.” And at that moment, the two birds jump from the plate and begin to sing and crow happily.
The first element of the tale, that of a hanged pilgrim, is found in many collections of miracles, with the restoring of life after the death of the victim attributed not only St Dominic, but also to Saint James the Great, or to the Virgin Mary. The second part of the tale, the miracle of the dancing and singing roasted chicken and rooster, is unique to St Dominic de la Calzada.
In memory of Dominic’s miracle, a rooster and chicken, with white feathers, are kept alive at the Cathedral all year round. A different rooster and chicken are alternated each month, although they are called descendants of the original birds, who miraculously danced even though roasted. The pairs of roosters and chickens, when they are not at the Cathedral, are kept in a chicken coop called the Gallinero de Santo Domingo de la Calzada, which the Confraternity of St Dominic maintains with the help of donations. A wayside Shrine built in 1445, holds a relic associated with the miracle: a piece of wood from the gallows from which Hugonell was hanged and then restored to life. Medieval pilgrims gathered the feathers of these favoured birds, or received them from the Priest and would affix them to their hats. Another tradition claimed that if the birds ate breadcrumbs directly from the end of the pilgrim’s staff, that pilgrim would arrive safely in Compostela.
The German pilgrim Hermann Künig (15th century) claimed to have seen the room where the roasted birds began to sing and dance. Documents written by pilgrims, state that Hugonell’s shirt as well as the gallows, had been conserved by the Church of Santo Domingo. These artifacts are now lost
The rooster and chicken, are visible behind the bars of its ornate coop.
St Crispoldus St Cyril of Galatz St Dedë Malaj St Diomma of Kildimo St Dionysius of Asia St Domingo de la Calzada / Dominic of the Causeway ((1019 – 1109) Priest, Hermit, Bridge Builder St Ejëll Deda St Ephrem of Jerusalem
Blessed Joanna of Portugal OP (1452-1490) Religious of the Second Order of St Dominic, Virgin, Princess of Portugal of the House of Aviz, daughter of King Afonso V of Portugal and his first wife Isabella of Coimbra, Penitent. About Blessed Joanna whom the Portuguese called “Saint Princess Joanna”: https://anastpaul.com/2020/05/12/saint-of-the-day-12-may-blessed-joanna-of-portugal-1452-1490/
Bl Juan de Segalars St Lucien Galan
St Maria Domenica Mazzarello
St Modoald of Trier St Palladius of Rome St Philip of Agira St Richrudis of Marchiennes St Theodora of Terracina St Thomas Khampheuane Inthirath
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