Cristy Li

Saint Theophilus of Corte (1676-1740)
Image Courtesy: Roman Catholic Saints

(Franciscan Media) Born at Corte in France Corsica and named Biagio Arrighi, according to SQPN into a noble and wealthy family, we don’t know much about his early life.

Biagio Arrighi joined the Franciscans at the age of 17 taking the name “Theophilus’ (Friend of God) and soon showed contentment in solitude and prayer. After admirable completing his studies, Theophilus was Ordained a Priest and assigned to a retreat house in Italy Subiaco.

Inspired by the austere life of the Franciscans, Fr, Theophilus founded other such houses in France Corsica and Italy Tuscany. As time past, he would likewise became famous as an Evangelist and his missionary work.

Fr. Theophilus generously served the needs of Christians in the confessional, sickrooms and hospitals, together at the graveside.

Worn out by his labors, Fr. Theophilus passed away in 1740, he was was Canonized in 1930 by Pope Pius XI

Pope Saint John I (470-526)
Image Courtesy: Saint Mary’s Press

(Franciscan Media) Born in Italy Tuscany, we don’t know much about Pope Saint John I earliest days, we do know according to EWTN that he occupied the Apostolic See for just a little more than 2.50 yrs during the period of the Arian heresy–denied the divinity of Christ.

When the Eastern Emperor began imposing sever measures on the Arians of his area, the Western Emperor forced Pope John I, to head a delegation to the East to soften the measures of the heretics. Little is known of the manner or outcome of the negotiations, designed to secure continued toleration of the Catholics in the West.

On Pope John I way home, he was imprisoned in Italy Ravenna and deprived of food because the Emperor suspected a conspiracy of his throne, shortly thereafter he died on this date in 526

Saint Paschal Baylon (1540-1592)
Image: Saint Louis Catholic

(EWTN) Born in Spain Torrehermosa, Paschal’s parents were day-laborers and very virtuous and to their example, Saint Paschal Baylon is greatly indebted for their spirit of Christian devotion.

Their financial circumstances were too narrow for them to send Paschal to school but their devout son out of an earnest desire of attaining instruction, carried a book with him into the fields as he watched the lambs and desired those that he met to teach him the letters and thus in a short time being yet very young he learned to read. This advantage he made use of only to improve his soul in devotion and zeal for books about the lives of Saints and meditation on the life of Jesus Christ were his chiefest delights.

Paschal was able to pray while Shepherding the lambs and was especially attentive to the Church bell according to Franciscan Media which rang at the during the celebration of Mass — Paschal had a very honest streak in him and once offered to pay owners of crops for any damage that his lambs may have caused.

At the age of about 20 he left his family and friends to go to a solemn convent of Franciscans which stood in solitude, joining them, he entered into service, giving himself wholeheartedly to a life of penance and sacrifice. Though Paschal was urged to study for the Priesthood, he chose instead to remain a Lay Brother–at various times he served as a Porter, Cook, Gardener and would seek charity for the Franciscans.

Paschal was careful to observe his vows of poverty, he would never waste any food or anything given for use of the Franciscans. When Paschal would work as a Porter and would take care of the poor coming to the door, he developed a reputation of great generosity–the Friars sometimes attempted to moderate his liberality to the poor.

Spending his spare moments in prayer, the Holy sacrament of the alter and the Passion of our Divine Redeemer were Paschal’s most tender devotion. At the waning days of his life, Paschal spent a considerable part of the night at the foot of the alter on his knees in prayer.

Paschal died in Spain Villareal on this date in 1592 and was Beatified in 1618 by Pope Paul V and Canonized in 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII

St. Margaret of Cortona (1247-1297)
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

(Franciscan Media) Born in Italy Tuscany into a working farming family, Margaret was a beautiful child and in her parents devotion to her for she was their only one according to EWTN they could barely help but spoil her.

While Margaret was still very young her Mother died, a traumatic event to most children of any age but even more for a very young child. Margaret’s journal (records) disclose that her Mother taught her a prayer that she never forgot:

“O Lord Jesus, I beseech Thee, grant salvation to all those for whom Thou wouldst have me pray.”

Margaret’s father remarried, her stepmother was a difficult woman resulting in an open and continued conflict–Margaret moved out and accepted a position for a certain nobleman named Arsenio who couldn’t help but take notice of the pretty young maiden who went about his mansion. Soon Margaret became his mistress, while her suitor on occasion promised her that one day they’d be married and a son was born to the couple, they never did get married.

One day as Margaret waited for the father of her baby Arsenio to return, she was instead met by his dog which led her into the forest and she discovered him to have been murdered–this crime, shocked Margaret into repentance and a life of penance.

Margaret soon thereafter returned with her child to her father’s home, where she was not well received by her stepmother and eventually was driven from the home. Margaret was now homeless with a child–she remembered at Cortona, was a Monastery of Franciscans, it was famous all over the countryside and she thought she may go to them, perhaps they would have pity on her and find her shelter but she was uncertain.

With no place left to go, Margaret knocked on the door of the Monastery, the Friars did not turn her away and they found her a home. Under their roof, Margaret began in earnest her life of penance and in 1277 became a Franciscan Tertiary.

Under the direction of her Confessor who sometimes had to order that Margaret moderate her self-denial–Margaret’s life became one of a wonderful record of the way God deals with his penitents.

Margaret learned the skills of nursing, subsequently established a hospital and founded a Congregation of Tertiary Sisters who devoted themselves in service to the poor and suffering.

Like Saint Catherine of Siena (Feast Day: 29 April) after her, Margaret became a wonderful example of Mysticism combined with her soul for action, through contemplation and love.

Margaret passed away in 1297 being just 50 yrs of age, her Confessor and first biographer recalled that one day shortly before Margaret’s death, she had a vision of Saint Mary Magdalene (Feast Day: 22 July) “most faithful of Christ’s apostles, clothed in a white robe as it were of silver and crowned with a crown of precious gems, surrounded by the Holy Angels.” While Margaret was in this state of jubilation, Christ spoke to her saying: “My Eternal Father said of Me to the Baptist: This is My beloved Son, so do as I say to thee of Magdalene: This is My beloved daughter.”

On another occasion we’re told that “she (Margaret) was taken in spirit to the feet of Christ, which she washed with her tears as did Magdalene of old and as she wiped His feet, she desired greatly to behold His face and prayed to the Lord to grant her this favor.” To the end, we see that Margaret was the same and yet the difference.

Margaret was buried in the Church of St. Basil in Cortona. Around her body and later at her tomb, her Confessor reported that so many miracles, physical and spiritual were worked, that he could fill a volume with the record of those which he personally knew alone.

On this date in 1728 Margaret was Canonized by Pope Benedict XIII

Saint Isidore the Farmer (1070-1130)
Image: Pinterest

Born in Spain Madrid to poor parents, Isidore was named after Saint Isidore of Seville (Feast Day: 04 April) and while his parents could not afford to provide their son with a formal education, they instilled in him a love of prayer and an hatred of sin at an early age.

When Isidore was barely old enough to wield a hoe, he took employment for Juan de Vergas, according to Franciscan Media a wealthy landowner from Madrid, working faithfully on his estate outside the city for his entire life.

As the years past and Isidore reached the age of marriage in his day, he met a young woman Maria de la Cabeza (Feast Day: 09 September) who shared his Christian values and later they were married–subsequently they had one son who died as a child. Following his death, they agreed to serve God together and had no other children.

Isidore became a model of how to unite prayer and work in the Christian life. Every morning he would arise early to celebrate Mass and all day long as he toiled in the fields, he would be praying to God, the Saints and/or to his Guardian Angel. Isidore would spend many holidays making pilgrimages to visit Churches of Madrid and surrounding areas.

One day, Isidore’s envious co-workers complained to Juan de Vergas that Isidore had been arriving late for work for he lingered in Church too long following Mass. When de Vergas went to investigate, he saw Angels plowing the field in Isidore’s place; Another time, de Vergas saw two Angels working alongside of Isidore, so that he would accomplish 3 times as much as his fellow co-workers.

Isidore became well known for his love and generosity for the poor, miraculously supplying them with food, together with his kindness to animals–Isidore reportedly worked many miracles throughout his life and was already considered to be a Saint among men before his death on this date in 1130

On the 12 March, 1622 Isidore was Canonized by Pope Gregory XV

It is said that in the year 1212 that Saint Isidore appeared to King Alfonso VIII (1155-1214) who at the time was engaged in war with the Moors (Islamic Jihadists at Las Navas de Tolosa) to show him a way to surprise the enemy.

King Alfonso was successful in his military campaign against the Moors and Almohads (Islamic Caliphate) in a decisive Christian victory that helped turn the tide of the ‘Reconquista’ recapturing territory seized by Muslims, according to Encyclopedia Britannica that had occupied most of the Iberian Peninsula.

More here from EWTN

Publishers Note: Pope Pius V (Feast Day 30 April) is remembered as a defender of Catholic doctrine and Christian civilization for implementing steps in his time to stop the spread of militant Islam, bringing together both Spanish and Italian naval forces–realizing a dramatic and decisive battle against the Muslim’s, destroying their entire naval fleet in 1571

Saint Matthias, Apostle
Image: Catholic Online

(EWTN) The Greek ‘Matthias’ was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus and had been with him from His baptism by John to the Ascension —Acts 1:21-22 It is related Acts 1:15-26 that in the days following the Ascension, Peter proposed to the assembled Brethren–that they choose one to fill the place of the traitor Judas in the Apostolate. Two disciples Joseph called Barsabas and Matthias were selected and lots were were drawn, with the result in favor of Matthias, who became associated with the 11 Apostles.

All further information concerning the life and death of Matthias is vague and contradictory, according to Franciscan Media Matthias is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the New Testament.

Related: For Today’s Most Holy Scripture Readings and More, Visit: -USCCB

Saints Nereus & Achilleus
Image: Catholic Online

Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers of the Praetorian Guard (the Emperor’s security detail) it is said, they were Baptized by St. Peter himself and were martyred for Jesus Christ at the end of the First Century.

When Nereus and Achilleus became Christians, they gave up their posts which they seen as immoral, they were subsequently exiled and killed during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98 to 117 AD)

An epitaph written by Pope Damasus says the following: “Nereus and Achilleus the Martyrs that joined the army and carried out the cruel orders of the tyrant, obeying his will continually out of fear. Then came a miracle of faith. They suddenly gave up their savagery, they were converted, they fled the camp of their evil leader, throwing away their shields, armor and bloody spears. Professing the Faith of Christ, they are happy to witness to its triumph. From these words of Damasus, understand what great deeds can be brought about by God’s glory.”

Some five centuries after the deaths of Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs for Christ, Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) delivered his 28th Homily on the occasion of their feast: “These Saints, before whose tomb we are assembled despised the world and trampled it under their feet when peace, riches and gave it charms.”

More here from Bartleby.com and here from SQPN

Saint Ignatius of Laconi (1701-1781)
Image: SS_Reliquiis_Custos@Flickr

Born the second of seven children in a poor farming family in Italy Laconi, Francis Ignatius Vincent Peis, was named because of his safe delivery through a difficult pregnancy was achieved through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi (Feast Day 04 October) Francis’ Mother promised the Saint, that she would name her unborn baby ‘Francis’ and that he would join the Capuchin Friars as an adult.

From his early childhood, Francis demonstrated a capacity of hard work in the fields and a strong devotion to Jesus Christ. He would often be seen in prayer and was known to wait at the Church doors every day in prayer, waiting patiently to celebrate Mass until they were opened.

Francis wanted to join the Capuchin Friars as a teenager but his father would not permit it because the family depended on his labor in order to survive however, on surviving a riding accident through God’s intervention at the age of 20, Francis decided to enter the Capuchin Monastery at once, taking his vows a year later–Francis at that time took his second name ‘Ignatius’ as his religious name.

Ignatius spent his 15 years as a Capuchin Friar, doing various menial jobs around the Monastery, for the last 40 years of his life, he was appointed ‘Questor’ (person that sought alms or charity) for the Monastery–Ignatius would travel around the town, collecting food and donations for the Capuchin Friars.

Loved by the poor and the area children, Ignatius was often given alms by those who barely had anything to give themselves–Ignatius refused to accept anything from the very poor, saying that it was better for them to keep it for themselves.

Ignatius tended to the sick and to the street children daily on his rounds throughout the town, many miracles of healing were said to have occurred through his intercession.

On this date at the age of 81, Ignatius went home to be with the Lord — Ignatius was Beatified in 1940 and Canonized in 1951 by Pope Pius XII 

More here from Capuchin Franciscans and here from Franciscan Media