11/2/2021 – St. Marcian
Marcian was born in Cyrrhus, of a noble family. He left his position at the emperor’s court and a military career to become a hermit at Chalcis, the desert near Antioch. There he attracted many disciples and began a monastic group.
11/1/2021 – St. Mary the Martyr
Mary was slave to Tertullus, a Roman senator, a Christian from her cradle, though the only person in that great family who was favored with that grace. She prayed much and fasted frequently, especially on all the idolatrous festivals. This devotion displeased her superstitious mistress; but her fidelity, diligence, and approved probity endeared her to […]
10/31/2021 – St. Foillan
Foillan was one of the numerous Irish travelers who in the course of the seventh century evangelized Belgium, bringing thither the liturgy and sacred vessels, founding prosperous monasteries, and sharing considerably in the propagation of the Faith in these countries.
10/30/2021 – St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
St. Alphonsus (also known as Alonso) was born in Spain in 1532. He married when he was 26, and worked as a cloth merchant. After a series of personal tragedies — his wife and two of their children had died by the time he was 31, his last child died after he embraced a life […]
10/29/2021 – St. Narcissus
St. Narcissus was born towards the end of the first century in AD 99. He was almost 80-years-old when he was placed at the head of the church of Jerusalem, making him the 30th bishop of that see. In 195, he and Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, presided together in a council of the […]
10/28/2021 – Saints Simon and Jude
Jude is so named by Luke and Acts. Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus. He is not mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels, except of course where all the apostles are mentioned. Scholars hold that he is not the author of the Letter of Jude. Actually, Jude had the same name as Judas Iscariot. Evidently because […]