Saint of the Day

Saint Peter Canisius

An important Catholic reformer in Germany, Saint Peter Canisius earned a master’s degree at age 19, and then joined the Jesuits. He was a great writer and patron of the sick and imprisoned.

December 21

Saint John Chrysostom, the great preacher of Antioch, was the victim of his own success. Called to be a bishop, this simple monk found himself embroiled in the workings of the empire. He, however, managed to stay focused on the ...

Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Franciscan Media September 12

The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus: both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters. Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus ...

Saint Cyprian

Franciscan Media September 11

Saint Cyprian played an important role in the development of Christian thought and practice in the early Church. He was a noted speaker who became a Christian as an adult. He was ordained a priest within two years of his ...

Saint Thomas of Villanova

Franciscan Media September 10

Saint Thomas of Villanova was from Castile in Spain and received his surname from the town where he was raised.

Saint Peter Claver

Franciscan Media September 9

A native of Spain, young Saint Peter Claver left his homeland forever in 1610, to be a missionary in the colonies of the New World. He sailed into Cartagena, and began a ministry to the slaves brought there from West ...

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Franciscan Media September 8

Affirming the humanity of Jesus, the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, his mother. While Scripture does not record the birth of Mary, the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James notes the development of Christian piety around Mary's parents ...

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam

Franciscan Media September 7

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam proved to be a leader who helped others help the poor. He also formed a newspaper to push the cause of justice. In 1833, he founded the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, which continues to the present ...