Saint of the Day

Saint Juan Diego

Franciscan Media December 9

Thousands of people gathered in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe July 31, 2002, for the canonization of Juan Diego, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared in the 16th century. Pope John Paul II celebrated the ceremony at which the poor Indian peasant became the Church’s first saint indigenous to the Americas.

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Franciscan Media December 8

Under the title of the Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Virgin is the patron of the United States. Thus this is a major feast—in fact a Holy Day of Obligation—for the Church in the United States of America.

Saint Ambrose

Franciscan Media December 7

One of Ambrose’s historical claims to fame is that he was instrumental in the conversion of Saint Augustine, and also baptized him. Known for his lively preaching and writing, Saint Ambrose must have been a force to be reckoned with. ...

Saint Nicholas

Franciscan Media December 6

The absence of “hard historical facts” is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to Saint Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that after the Blessed Virgin, ...