Saint of the Day

Saints John Jones and John Wall were ordained diocesan priests who later joined the Franciscans. Living almost a century apart, these two saints shared a common characteristic.

Saint Henry, a German king and Holy Roman Emperor, lived life according to the customs of his times, but did it in a holy way. He is a clear witness to the holiness of secular life lived according to the gospel norms.

Known as the Lily of the Mohawks, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha courageously converted to Catholicism at age 19 despite her family's disapproval. She was ostracized and forced into extreme poverty. Escaping to Montreal, Kateri continued to live a life of prayer and penance.

Saint Bonaventure was in many ways the second founder of the Franciscan Order. He served as the Minister General of the Franciscans and as the Cardinal Bishop of Albano. Through his teaching, writing, and mysticism, Bonaventure captured the spirit of Saint Francis and renewed the order accordingly.

The Blessed Virgin has many, many titles--among them is Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is in northern Israel and has long been the site of a monastery of religious monks. The entire Church celebrates this feast along with the Carmelite Monks and Nuns.

Saint Francis Solano asked to be sent to Africa as a missionary. Instead he was sent to South America, where he spent the rest of his life. After years of ministry in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, he died in the city of Lima, Peru.

Saint Camillus de Lellis was rejected by the Capuchins because of an ongoing medical condition. Against the advice of a friend, he founded a religious community on his own to care for the sick. These men proved to be invaluable during the plague, caring for the worst of its victims.

Australia’s first canonized saint, Mother Mary MacKillop founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, better known as the Josephite Sisters. They addressed the educational and social needs of the poor, especially of the aborigines. Today the Sisters serve throughout Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Peru, East Timor, Scotland, and Brazil.

Unwilling to take no for an answer, Saint Apollinaris was exiled from Ravenna several times, but he always returned trying to preach the good news to the people. He finally died of a beating he received in a suburb of Ravenna.

A Capuchin Franciscan, Saint Lawrence of Brindisi was a scholar, administrator, preacher, and lover of the poor. Versed in many languages, Saint Lawrence was an outstanding scripture scholar and used his knowledge of the holy writings to produce many homilies. He served his community as Minister General and served the papacy as an emissary and peacemaker.