Cristy Li

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

Saint Adalbert (956-997)

(EWTN) Born Wojtech in Bohemia Cidilnou into a noble family, Wojtech was ordained a Priest when he was 27 changing his name to ‘Adalbert’ when he was chosen as Archbishop of Prague–Those who resisted his program of standing up against the pagan practices of Central Europe according to Franciscan Media forced him into exile–where he went to Rome and released of his episcopal obligations by Pope John XV

Adalbert withdrew to a Monastery and occupied himself in the most humble duties of the house.

In time, the people of Prague requested that Bishop Adalbert return and he was received with great demonstrations of joy but within a short time again, he was expelled a second time and returned to Rome after excommunicating those who had violated the right of the sanctuary by dragging a Woman accused of adultery from the Church and murdering her.

The people of Hungary were just then turning to Christianity, Bishop Adalbert went there to work as a missionary, after a short stay, he left to minister and evangelize in Poland and was made Archbishop of Gensen but again, he relinquished his position and set out to minister and evangelize the idolatrous inhabitants of the Kingdom of Prussia.

Bishop Adalbert at first saw success however his authoritative manner in telling the people to abandon their paganism irritated them and he was killed together with two of his companions by pagan priests in 997 near Konigsberg–the city was renamed Kaliningard, now part of Russia.

In 999 Bishop Adalbert was Canonized and is the Patron Saint of the Czech Republic of Bohemia and Poland.

Saint Anselm (1033-1109)
Image: The Beauty and Mystery of Life & Faith

(EWTN) Born in Italy at Aosta in part of the Piedmont region, Anselm’s father provided little in the way of moral or religious influence to his son–Anslem’s mother on the other hand was a very devout Woman and chose to send Anselm to school run by the Benedictine Order.

Anselm felt a profound religious calling during those years, spurred in-part by a dream in which he met and conversed with God. — Anselm’s father forbid him to become a Monk, this disappointment was followed by a period of severe illness and the early death of his beloved mother.

Unable to join the Monks and tired of the mistreatment by his father, Anselm left home and wandered throughout parts of France and Italy for 3 yrs, his life regained direction in Normandy where he met the Benedictine Prior Lanfranc of Pavia (1005-1089) becoming his disciple/student.

Lanfranc recognized his his pupil Anselm intellectual gifts and encouraged his vocation into a religious life. Accepted into the Monastery of Bec in Normandy, according to Franciscan Media Anselm was Ordained a Priest at the age of 27 and succeeded his teacher Lanfranc in 1063 when he was called to become Abbot of a different monastery.

Considered to be an original and independent thinker, Fr. Anselm was admired for his patience, gentleness and teaching skills. Under his leadership, the Abbey of Bec became a monastic school, influential in philosophical and theological studies.

During these years at the community’s request, Fr. Anselm began writing and publishing his theological works, comparable to those of Saint Augustine (Feast Day: 28 Aug) Fr. Anselm best known work is: Cur Deus Homo (‘Why God Became Man’)

At the age of 60 Fr. Anselm reluctantly accepted the position of Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093 his appointment was initially opposed by King William Rufus but later accepted.

For a three year period Fr. Anselm’s insistence on self-government of the Church against the claims of the state to its administration and property, caused him to be exiled from England but Fr. Anselm was successful in his struggle and returned to his Diocese in 1106

In the remaining years of Fr. Anselm’s life, he worked to reform the Church and continued with his theological research–following the motto: ‘Faith Seeking Understanding.’

Fr. Anselm passed away on this date in 1109 in England Canterbury, he was Canonized in 1492 by Pope Alexander IV — In 1720 Saint Anselm was named ‘Doctor of the Church’ by Pope Clement XI

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