Saint of the Day

Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist

The martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist is one of the most gruesome stories in the New Testament. Yet it is the story of the victory of faith and loyalty over cowardice and hate.

August 29

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 ...

Blessed Claudio Granzotto

Franciscan Media September 6

Blessed Claudio Granzotto was the youngest of nine children whose father died when the boy was only nine years old. At the age of 15 he entered the army where he served for three years.