From Franciscan Media

September 5. Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born in Albania, but is known for her work in India. A member of the Sisters of Loreto, she felt a call to live among the poor. While working with the poorest of the poor in India, she founded the Missionaries of Charity who continue her work.

Here are some ideas, and a recipe, on how to celebrate Halloween and All Saints Day.

August 28. Saint Augustine is a giant in many ways. He had a powerful and forceful personality which he used both before and after his conversion. He had a passion for whatever he did, and this showed up in his theological teachings. Yet he also was a man of great love, as is evident in his sermons to his priests. And he had a deep love for the Lord.

August 11. Saint Clare referred to herself as a little plant. In many ways, she was a strong oak. The first woman to write a Rule of Life for her sisters, she insisted on the privilege of poverty until her dying breath, getting papal approval of her Rule just days before she died. A model of humility, Clare cared for her sisters even through her own years of illness. Her devotion to Jesus was extraordinary.

July 6. Saint Maria Goretti has captured the love and affection of thousands of people because of the simplicity and purity of her life. Killed defending her chastity, Saint Maria Goretti posthumously witnessed the conversion of her murderer and his reconciliation with her family.

July 5. Saint Anthony Zaccaria lived only 36 years, but founded three religious communities, and contributed to the reformation of the Church. He insisted on various religious or devotional practices to renew the spiritual life of the clergy, religious, and laity.

July 4. Saint Elizabeth of Portugal did not have an easy life in spite of the fact that she was royalty. She spent her life seeking peace between herself and her unfaithful husband, and between many of her relatives. She had some success before retiring to a Poor Clare monastery where she died.

July 3. We don’t know a lot about Saint Thomas the Apostle, but tradition has it that he traveled to and preached the gospel in India, where he was eventually martyred. His name means “twin,” and due to his skepticism, he is also known as “Doubting Thomas.”

July 2. Saint Oliver Plunkett may not be a household name in the United States but he certainly is well known in the British Isles. The Archbishop of Armagh, Saint Oliver Plunkett led his archdiocese through the rough days of persecution of Catholics. Finally apprehended, Saint Oliver was hanged, drawn, and quartered July 1, 1681.

July 1. Embroiled in some controversy due to the interpretation of historical facts, Saint Junipero Serra was canonized by Pope Francis on the steps of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC on September 23, 2015. Known for having traveled the west coast of the country, Saint Juniper founded many of the famous California Missions in the 18th century. Giving his life for the Native Americans and the missions, Saint Junipero is honored with a statue in the United States Capitol National Statuary Hall.