Cristy Li

Mariana de Paredes y Flores
Image: Brothers and Sisters of Penance of St. Francis

(Franciscan Media) Mariana (Mary Ann of Jesus of Paredes) born in Ecuador Quito, the daughter of Don Girolamo Flores Zenel de Paredes and Dona Mariana Cranobles de Xaramilo, was the youngest of 8 children–Orphaned very young according to SQPN.com she was raised by her older sister and her husband.

From her earliest of years in Ecuador, Mary Ann ‘had in her soul all of the sweetness of that climate, all the brightness of that sky, all the grace of its palm trees and its flowers,’ writes The Brothers and Sisters of Penance of St. Francis, her devotion was amazing, her soul precociously mature.

At the age of 10, Mary Ann took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Initially wanting to be a Dominican Nun, she later joined the Secular Franciscans and at the age of 12 and received her habit of the ‘Third Order of the Franciscans’ and vowed herself to lead a life of prayer, devotion and penance at home, only leaving to go to Church and perform work of charity.

Despite Sister Mary Ann’s limited education, she managed to found the the first organized Catholic Action, the first free clinic in Quito, together with a Kindergarten for Indian Children–there she fed, clothed and bathed them, tending to them with medicines and while under her supervision, the children learned how to read, write, sing, play the flute and prayer.

Earthquakes, pestilence, a measles outbreak and diphtheria ravaged Quito in 1645, Sister Mary Ann cared for the ill and dying until she became sick and died at the age of 26–Following her death, a beautiful Lilly sprouted from her grave and she became known as the ‘Lily of Quito’ the Republic of Ecuador declared Sister Mary Ann a national heroine.

Sister Mary Ann of Jesus of Paredes was Beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1853 and Canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII

St. John Joseph of the Cross (1654-1734)
Image Courtesy: Catholic Online

(Franciscan Media) John Joseph born into a noble family in Southern Italy on the Island of Ischia and from his earliest of years according to EWTN he was given to prayer and virtue.

At the age of 16, John Joseph entered the Order of the Franciscans in Naples and was one of the first to follow the reform movement of St. Peter Alcantara which had been instituted in Spain–Throughout his life he was given to the greatest austerity, fasting frequently, never drinking wine and only sleeping 3 hours a night.

With a reputation of holiness, this prompted John Joseph’s Superiors before he was even Ordained to be in charge of establishing a new community of Friars in 1674 at in Afilia and assisting in the construction–much against his will, John Joseph was Ordained into the Priesthood.

Obedience moved Fr. John Joseph to accept appointments as Guardian and later Provincial, his years of self-denial and charity enabled him to offer these attributes to the Friars with great benevolence–As Guardian, Fr. John Joseph always insisted upon performing the lowliest duties and was not above working in the kitchen, carrying wood or water to the Friars.

Fr. John Joseph passed away on this date in 1734 at the age of 80 he was Beatified in 1789 by Pope Pius IV and Canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI

Saint Katharine Drexel (1858-1955)
Image: Franciscan Spiritual Center

(EWTN) Born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Katharine was the second daughter of Francis Anthony Drexel, a wealthy banker, philanthropist and devout Catholic.

Katharine’s biological mother passed away 1 mo after she was born–her father remarried, his second wife Emma Bouvier, was a devoted mother not only to her own daughter Louisa but also to Katharine and her sister–the Drexel family instilled in their children by word and example that their wealth was simply loaned to them by God and was to be shared with others.

During Katharine’s school age years, she and her sisters were educated at home, traveling widely throughout the United States and Europe. According to Saint Katharine Drexel Mission in Virginia, the children were encouraged to conduct Sunday School for the children of the families employees at their Summer homes.

Early in her life, Katharine became aware of the plight of the Native & African-Americans and resolved one day to help those less fortunate than her.

In 1885 after Katharine inherited $20 Million from her father and step mother, she and her sisters traveled to the Western U.S. visiting Indian reservations. Having seen first hand the poverty and suffering there, Katharine began to build schools, paid the teachers salaries, together with supplying food and clothing to those in need–later Katharine was able to find Priests to serve the spiritual needs of the people. In 1887, Katharine established her first boarding school, St. Catherine’s Indian School in Santa Fe, NM.

That same year, Katharine visited Rome to request Pope Leo XIII, provide missionaries to staff the schools she was funding. The Holy Father responded by suggesting that Katharine become a missionary herself and on the 12 November, 1891 in an arrangement with Bishop James O’Connor, Katharine became a Novitiate and the name Sister Mary Katharine with the Sisters of Mercy in Pittsburgh, with the understanding that in 2 years she would found her own Order–the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament she vowed that she would.

Thirteen companions joined Sister Mary Katharine as the first Sisters of the new Order–the Motherhouse of the new Order was established at St. Elizabeth’s Convent in Cornwells Height, PA

Mother Katharine as she was now called, founded and staffed schools throughout the country. In 1894 she purchased 1,600 acres in Rock Castle Virginia on which she constructed a boarding school for African-American girls, the school opened in 1899 as St. Francis de Sales School.

Nearby was St. Emma’s for African-American boys built in 1895 by her sister Louisa–Both schools concentrated on vocational arts in the belief that this was the best way at the time to provide training for young African-American children to become economically independent.

Soon thereafter a school for Pueblo children was established in New Mexico, Mother Katharine made it a priority to visit all the schools that she financially helped. During her lifetime, Mother Katharine established 40 mission centers and 23 rural schools in 13 states.

In 1935 Mother Katharine suffered a heart attack and subsequently was primarily confined to a wheelchair, for the next 20 yrs she lived her life in prayerful retirement at St. Elizabeth’s Convent where she died on this date in 1955 at the age of 96–At the time of her death, 501 members of her Order were teaching in 63 schools and missions in 21 states.

On the 20 November, 1988 she was Beatified and on the 01 October, 2000 was  Canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II

More here from Franciscan Media

Related: Katharine Drexel and Elizabeth Ann Seton, Sister Saint’s who Changed Education in the U.S. Forever

St. Oswald of Worcester -Image: St. Paul Street Evangelization

(Franciscan Media) Born in England into a military family during the 10th century (Oswald’s parents immigrated from Denmark according to SQPN before his birth) Oswald was raised and educated by his uncle the Archbishop of Canterbury (would be Canonized and known as St. Odo the Good -Feast Day: 04 July) Oswald continued his education in France where he would later become a Benedictine Monk.

In 962 Oswald was appointed Bishop of England Worcester (later Archbishop of York) working with St. Dunstan and St. Ethelwold to revive monastic and ecclesiastical discipline in England — Archbishop Oswald founded the Abbey at Ramsey and the Monastery at Winchester and supported and improved scholarships at the Abbey, together with inviting leading educators in such fields as mathematics and astronomy to lecture. 

Archbishop Oswald became widely known for his sanctity and especially his love for those less fortunate. — The final Winter of his life was spent at the Cathedral in Worcester that he so loved. At the beginning of Lent in February 992, Archbishop Oswald resumed the practice of washing the feet of 12 poor Men each day.

On this leap year day in 992, Archbishop Oswald died after he washed the feet of the twelfth Man, kissing his feet and giving a blessing.

More here from Catholic News Agency