Cristy Li

Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Image: Saint Dominic Priory

(EWTN) Born in Italy Siena in 1347 Catherine appeared to be favored by God with extraordinary graces as soon as she was capable of knowing Him. When Catherine was still very young, she withdrew into seclusion a little ways out of the town to imitate the lives of the Fathers of the desert–returning after sometime to her father’s home, Catherine continued to be guided by the same spirit and consecrated herself with a vow of chastity to God by a private vow.

Catherine’s love for spiritual discipline, prayer and her sentiments of virtue were such as are not usually found in one so tender in age but God was pleased to put her resolution to a great trial.

At 12 yrs of age, Catherine’s parents thought of engaging her in a married state, she found them deaf to her pleas that she might live single. Catherine thereafter redoubled her prayers, watching and discipline, knowing that her protection must be from God alone.

Catherine’s parents found her inclination to solitude as unsuitable to the life for which they designed for her–they endeavored to divert her from it and began to prevent her devotions, depriving her in this view of the little chamber they had until then permitted. They loaded Catherine with the most distracting jobs and laid on her, all of the drudgery of the house as if she was nothing more than a servant girl. The hardest labor, humiliations, contempt and insults from her sisters were to Catherine a subject of joy and as such was her enthusiastic love of Crosses, that she embraced them in all shapes with a holy eagerness and received all ridicule with admirable sweetness and heroic patience.

If anything grieved Catherine the most, it was the loss of her dear solitude but the Holy Spirit, that interior faithful master to whom she had listened, taught her to make another solitude in her heart–where amidst all of her jobs, she considered herself always alone with God to whose presence she kept herself no less attentive, then if she had no menial jobs to perform that would distract her. In that admirable work of God’s Providence which she wrote:

“That our Lord hath taught her to build in her soul a private closet, strongly vaulted with the Divine Providence and to keep herself always close and retired there. He (God) assured her that by this means she should find peace and perpetual repose in her soul, which no storm or tribulation could disturb or interrupt.”

Catherine’s sisters and other friends attempted to persuade her to join with them in the diversions the world offered, claiming that virtue was not  an enemy to neatness in dress or to cheerfulness under which soft names they endeavored to recommend the dangerous liberties of worldly past-times and vanities.

When Catherine was 18 she entered the ‘Dominican Third Order’ according to Franciscan Media and spent the next 3 yrs in seclusion, prayer and austerity (self-discipline) — Gradually a group of followers (Priests, Lay Men and Women) an active public apostolate grew out of her contemplative life.

Catherine’s letters, mostly for spiritual instruction and encouragement of others, began to take more-and-more note of public affairs. Opposition and slander resulted from her mixing fearlessly with the world, speaking with candor and authority of one completely committed to Jesus Christ–Catherine was cleared of all the allegations at the Dominican General Chapter of 1374

Subsequently Catherine’s influenced reached great heights because of her evident holiness, her membership in the ‘Dominican Third Order’ and the deep impression that she made on the Pope. Catherine worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Italy Florence and the Pope.

In 1378 the ‘Great Schism’ began splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three Pope’s and putting even Saints on opposing sides.

Catherine spent the final two years of her life in Rome, in prayer and pleading on behalf of the cause of Urban VI and the unity of the Church, offering herself as a victim of the Church in its agony. Catherine passed away at the age of 33  and was Canonized in 1461 by Pope Pius II

More here from Franciscan Media

Saint Peter Chanel (1803-1841)
Image: Catholic Online

(EWTN) Born in France Cuet near Belley, as a young boy Peter worked as a Shepherd until the local Parish Priest recognizing something unusually special in him convinced his parents to let Peter study in a school that he had started. From there, Peter went on to the seminary where it was said of him:

“He had a heart of gold with the simple faith of a child and he led the life of an angel.”

Peter was Ordained a Priest and assigned to a parish at Crozet in SE France, in just three yrs, Fr. Peter had transformed the Parish.

In 1831 Fr. Peter joined the the newly founded ‘Society of Mary’ since he had long dreamed of becoming a missionary but for 5 yrs he was assigned to teach at the seminary in his hometown of Belley. Finally in 1836 Fr. Peter’s dream was realized and he was sent with other Marists (members of the ‘Society of Mary’) to the islands of the Pacific.

Fr. Peter endured great hardships, disappointments, frustrations and almost complete failure as well as the opposition of the Futuna tribe leader (Chieftain) Niuluki — Fr. Peter’s worked seemed hopeless, only a few had been Baptized and the local Chieftain continued to be suspicious and hostile. When the Chieftain Niuluki own son asked for Baptism, Niuluki became so angry that he sent his warriors to kill Fr. Peter, he was killed without uttering a word of complaint.

Martyr for Jesus Christ: Fr. Peter’s violent death on this date in 1841 at the age of 38 brought about the conversion to Christianity many of the people of Futuna living there and many remain Catholic to this day.

Fr. Peter Chanel was Beatified in 1889 by Pope Leo XIII and Canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII

Thought of the Day: Success or failure is often not completely in our hands and sometimes we have to face what seems almost certain failure but success is not required of us only fidelity. St. Peter Chanel’s work ended in his own death in the face of what seemed total failure. Out of that failure, God brought about the success that Fr. Peter was seeking.

More here from Franciscan Media

Related: For Today’s Holy Scripture Readings for the Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Visit: -USCCB

Saint Louis Mary Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)
Image Courtesy: Pinterest

(Franciscan Media) Born in France at La-Cane Montfort, Louis from his childhood according to EWTN was tenaciously devoted to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament–When he was 12 Louis was sent as a day pupil to the Jesuit college at Rennes, he never failed to visit the Church before and after class.

When Louis was just 19 yrs old he walked 130 miles to Paris to study theology and gave everything that he had to the poor that he met along the way and made a vow to only live on alms. While Louis was in school, he joined a society of young men who ministered to the poor and sick on school holiday’s.

By the time Louis was just 27 he was Ordained a Priest and soon began ministering in parish missions throughout Western France and as a hospital Chaplain.

In 1705 Fr. Louis found his true calling and thereafter devoted himself with Evangelism. Fr. Louis’ ministry attracted thousands of people back to Christianity but he did meet some resistance, especially from the ‘Jansenists’ (a heretical movement) within the Church that believed in absolute predestination, in which only a chosen few are saved and the rest damned. Much of France was influenced by ‘Jansenism’ including many Bishop’s who forbid Fr. Louis from ministering in their dioceses–Fr. Louis was even poisoned by the ‘Jamsenists’ in La Rochelle but survived, though he suffered ill-health after that.

While Fr. Louis was recuperating from the effects of the poisoning, he wrote the masterpiece ‘True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin’ (available on Amazon) which he became a classic explanation of Maria devotion.

Fr. Louis founded the ‘Missionaries of the Company of Mary’ (for Priests and Brothers) and the ‘Daughters of Wisdom’ who cared especially for the sick.

In 1716 Fr. Louis died at the age of 43  in France at Saint Lauent-sur-Sevre, he was Beatified in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII and Canonized in 1946 by Pope Pius XII

St. Pedro de San Jose Betancur (1626-1667)
Image: Santos y Beatos

(Vatican) Pedro (aka St. Peter de Betancurt) was born in 1626 on the Canary Islands, his family were very poor and he started work as a shepherd of the small family stock. Pedro’s family raised him soundly in the faith and as a young boy, he learned to see God in everything around him.

When Pedro learned about the miserable living conditions of the people of the ‘West Indies’ he felt called by God to take the Christian message there–In 1650 when he was just 23 yrs old, Pedro left for Guatemala where a relative had already gone to become Secy of the Governor-General unfortunately Pedro’s funds ran out in, Havana, so Pedro had to pay for his passage from that point on by working on a ship which docked at Honduras from where he walked to Guatemala City.

Pedro was now so poor that he had to stand in a bread line at the Franciscan Friary and it was there he met Fernando Espino, a famous missionary that befriended him and remained his life long counselor. Fernando found Pedro a job in a local textile factory.

In 1653 Pedro realized his ambition to enter the local Jesuit college in the hope of becoming a Priest. Pedro however showed little aptitude for study which led him to withdraw from school but here Providence once more helped him as he met Fr. Manuel Lobo, who had become Pedro’s confessor.

Fernando invited Pedro to join the Franciscan Order as a Lay Brother but Pedro however felt that God wanted him elsewhere, subsequently in 1655 Pedro joined the ‘Third Order of St. Francis’ and from then on, he dedicated himself to alleviating sufferings of those less fortunate.

Pedro became the Apostle to African-American slaves the Indios subjected to inhuman labor. In 1658 Pedro was given a hut that he converted into a hospital “Our Lady of Bethlehem’ for the poor who had been discharged from the local hospital but still required  convalescence. Pedro later founded a hostel for the homeless, a school for poor and abandoned children and a Chapel.

Receiving financial help for these foundations from both civil and religious authorities, Pedro sought charity to endow the Masses celebrated by area Priests, which allowed Masses to be celebrated in the early morning hours so the poor may not miss daily Mass.

Pedro had small chapels constructed with the poor areas where children came also for instruction–Every year, Pedro would gather the children and sing the ‘Seven Joys of the Franciscan Rosary’ in honor of our Blessed Mother, a custom still continued today in Guatemala.

Joined by Men and Women who became the ‘Bethlehemite Brothers’ and the ‘Bethlehemite Sisters’ Pedro formulated a Rule that included the active apostolate of working with the poor, sick and the less fortunate, based upon a life of rich in prayer, fasting and penance–the Bethlehemite Congregation was thus established.

Pedro died at the age of 41 yrs old, throughout his life Jesus Christ was the focus of Pedro’s spiritual meditation, he was always able to see in the poor the face of ‘the Child Jesus’ and to serve them devoutly and became known as the ‘St. Francis of the Americas.’

Calling St. Pedro de San Jose Betancur, Pope Saint John Paul II noted at his Canonization  that Pedro was an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy and practicing it “heroically  with the lowliest and most deprived,” adding:

“Let us think of the children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an education, abandoned Women with their many needs and the hordes of social outcasts who live in the cities. Of the victims of organized crime, of prostitution or drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly that live in loneliness.”

Pedro very much wanted to become a Priest but God had other plans for him. As individuals, we often pride ourselves in our ability to reason but as Saint Pedro de San Jose Betancur life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity, than a clever mind, compassion, imagination and love.

Unable to master his studies for the Priesthood despite his efforts, Saint Pedro responded to the needs of the homeless and the sick, he provided education to the poor and Salvation through God to the wealthy.

Pedro became holy–as fully human as any of us can ever be.

More here from Franciscan Media

Saint Mark
Image Courtesy: Catholic Online

(Franciscan Media) Most of what we know of Mark comes directly from the scriptures, he is usually identified with the ‘Mark’ of Acts 12:6-12 Paul and Barnabas (Mark’s cousin) took him along on their first missionary trip through Cyprus–Mark is credited with founding the Church in Alexandria and with writing the second Gospel in Greek for the Gentile converts to Christianity after the death of Peter and Paul between AD 60-70

(According to EWTN Papias and St. Clement also report that Mark wrote his Gospel at the request of the Romans, who as they relate desired to have that committed to writing which St. Peter had taught them by his words. Mark did accordingly set himself to record what had been a long conversation learned from St. Peter)

The Gospel of Mark, the oldest and shortest of the four Gospels emphasizes Jesus’ rejection by humanity while being God’s triumphant envoy.

Evidently a friend of Mark ‘the Evangelist’ Peter referred to him as ‘My Son’ —1 Peter 5:13 most evidently showing the strong bond between them.

As with the Gospel writer Luke, Mark was not one of the twelve apostles and one can not be certain if he even knew Jesus personally. Some scholars believe that ‘Mark the Evangelist’ is speaking of himself when speaking about the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane:

“Now a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body and they seized him but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” —Mark 14:51-52

The exact date of Mark’s martyrdom is uncertain, according to EWTN it is thought to be on this date in 62 or 63  or in the 8th year of Nero according to Saint Jerome who lived some 265 to 270 years after Mark’s death.

More here from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577-1622)
Image: All Saints & Martyrs

(EWTN) Born in Germany Sigmaringen and christened ‘Mark’ he went to the university in Switzerland studying philosophy and law. Fidelis was a good, decent and respected lawyer, according to Franciscan Media accepting cases to help the poor and oppressed, becoming known as ‘The Poor Mans Lawyer.’

Justice and his faith directed Fidelis actions and he would become disgusted with the corruption and injustice he found among his colleagues which resulted in him abandoning his law practice to become a Priest and entering the Capuchin Friars in Firbourg he subsequently would dispose of his possessions, dividing them between the impoverished Seminarians and the poor.

After completing studies in theology, Fidelis received his Holy Orders and said his first Mass in the Convent at Firbourg on the ‘Feast of St. Francis’ in 1612 and he would subsequently consecrate himself to God by taking the habit. From that moment forward, implicit obedience, humility and charity were his delight.

Fr. Fidelis received orders from his superiors and was sent to the Convent at  Weltkirchen (present day Austria) where many converted because of his zealous work–Later, the Congregation For the Doctrine of the Faith commissioned Fr. Fidelis to go and minister at ‘Grisons’ (Graununden region of Switzerland) he was the first missionary that was sent there since the residents had embraced Calvinism–Eight other Priests from Fr. Fidelis order worked along side of him as his assistants.

Some of the Calvinists became angered at Fr. Fidelis work and success at converting their brethren and threatened his life.

On this date in 1622 Fr. Fidelis made his confession to his assistant’s Priests, celebrated Mass and delivered a sermon at Grusch, following which he stood silent with his eyes fixed on heaven in joy–Later Fr. Fidelis foretold of his death to several persons in the clearest of terms and executed his last letters, ‘P. Fidelis, prope diem esca vermium’ (Fr. Fidelis, who will be shortly the food of worms) subsequently traveling to Sevis (Seewis im Prattigau) to celebrate Mass and delivering a sermon with great energy urging the Christians to be strong.

Following Mass in Sevis on the road back to Grusch, Fr, Fidelis met twenty Calvinists with a minister leading them, they called Fr. Fidelis a ‘false prophet’ and urged him to deny his faith and embrace their heresy.

Fr. Fidelis replied to them saying: “I am sent to you to confute (or refute) not to embrace your heresy. The Catholic religion is the faith of all ages, I fear not death.”

Subsequently one of the Calvinists beat him to the ground by striking him in the head with his sword, Fr. Fidelis rose and on his knees, stretched out his arms in the form of a Cross and said in a feeble voice towards heaven:

“Pardon my enemies O Lord, blinded by passion they know not what they do. Lord Jesus have pity on me, Mary Mother of Jesus assist me.”

A second strike against Fr. Fidelis head would result in him falling to the ground laying in a pool of his own blood. Not satisfied with Fr. Fidelis lay dying, some of the Calvinists would repeatedly stab him and would desecrate his body as they would say to punish him for his many journeys into communities to minister to them.

Following the savage attack on Fr. Fidelis by the Calvinists and their departure as he lay dying on the road, a Catholic Woman that was hidden as she watched what occurred, found Fr. Fidelis eyes open and fixed on heaven. 

Fr. Fidelis was Beatified in 1729 by Pope Benedict XIII and Canonized in 1746 by Pope Benedict XIV