Franciscan Media

Saint Paschal Baylon was born into the Golden Age of the Church in Spain: the 16th century. He worked as a shepherd where he had ample time for prayer and mortification.

Saint Margaret of Cortona’s life story certainly had its ups and downs. Having run away from her stepmother after her mother’s death, she lived with a man and bore him a son.

A married man known for his love of prayer, Saint Isidore the Farmer is one of the five saints of Spain. Saint Isidore worked on the estate of a wealthy landowner and thus attained the title of farmer.

Acts of the Apostles records that Saint Matthias was selected by the early Church to replace Judas Iscariot in the ranks of the apostles. We know little more about him except that he was a witness to Jesus from his baptism to his ascension.

Like the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes, this appearance was not given to Church officials, but to children. Through them, Mary requested that the Church spread devotion to the rosary to all the faithful.

Saint Leopold Mandic, a Capuchin Franciscan, was well known as a good confessor and spiritual director. His one aim in life was to work for the reunification of the Orthodox church with Rome: a goal he prayed for but was unable to achieve due in part to poor health.