Saints of the Day & More

St. Dominic Savio was born in Italy in 1842. One day when he was just four, he disappeared and his good mother went looking for him. She found the little fellow in a corner praying with his hands joined and his head bowed. He already knew all his prayers by heart! At five, he was an altar boy. When he was seven, he received his First Holy Communion. On that solemn day, he chose a motto: "Death, but not sin!" and he kept it always. "A teenager such as Dominic, who bravely struggled to keep his innocence from Baptism to the end of his life, is really a saint," said Pope St. Pius X. Yes, Dominic was an ordinary boy with an extraordinary love for God. At the age of twelve, Dominic entered the school run by John Bosco. Everyone in the school saw from the way he prayed that this boy was different. He greatly loved all the boys, and even though he was younger, he used to worry about them. He was afraid that they would lose the grace of God by sinning. One day, a fellow bro...

The only historical source on the life of St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, is Chapters 33 and 34 of the second book of the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great. The news, which added legendary enrich some simple and intense image of the saint. But Gregory was not interested in presenting a story full biography of St. Scholastica, but completing the internal profile of the father of Western monasticism. It seems that the birth year of the two holy matches: 480. Therefore, Benedict and Scholastica were probably twins, and if it were anagrafica, yes they were spiritually, since their lives were parallel to the death, in 547, 40 days away. Scholastica was born in Nursia very young and devoted himself to God, then followed his brother to San Benito Subiaco and Monte Cassino. In Piumarola, at the foot of the mountain, he established his monastery, as if humbly wanted to stop at the foot of the mountain, whose summit's brother had set his room. But despite being so close in place an...

The Nativity of Our Lord is one of the world's most celebrated Christian Traditions. Christ was born in the manger in the town of Bethlehem. The Nativity was announced at the Annunciation and ended at the Nativity. Before that was the birth of Saint John the Baptist. While the Virgin Mary was pregnant Saint Joseph took her on a donkey to Bethlehem so the Child Jesus could be born among us. While Christ was being born the Three Wise Men went to King Herod's temple. They thought that the new born king was in the temple. They asked Herod where the new born King Of The Jews was. Herod got worried that Jesus was going to throw him of his throne. Herod told them when they found Jesus to tell him where he was so he could pay his salutations to Christ. The Three Wise Men followed a star to get to Jesus. While Mary and Joseph were looking for some place to stay they saw an inn but it was full. They went to the manger where people put their donkeys,horses,cows,and pigs. Once they went in...

Prosdocimus of Padua is venerated as the first bishop of Padua. Of Greek origin, tradition holds that he was sent from Antioch by Saint Peter the Apostle. Thus, he is often depicted in art with this Apostle. The cathedral at Feltre is dedicated to him and Saint Peter the Apostle, and the artist Il Pordenone created a work depicting Prosdocimus with Peter. He evangelized the region and is said to have founded the parish church at Isola Vicentina. He was the first bishop of Padua and survived the persecutions of Emperor Nero. His tomb is situated at the basilica of Santa Giustina at Padua. The chapel dedicated to him there was built over his tomb outside the walls of Padua. The church also once contained the relics of Prosdocimus's deacon, Saint Daniel, though these were moved to the Paduan church of Santa Sofia in the 11th century. Prayer Lord you led your servant Prosdocimus of Padua, to evangelize the nation Italy and Northern Europe, let us be guided by the Spirit and proclaim yo...

Charles was born in Arona, Italy in 1538. He came from a very renowned family the Borromeo Family, his father was the count of the region and his mother was the sister of Pope Pius IV, meaning he was the nephew of the Pope. When Borromeo was about twelve years old, his uncle Giulio Cesare Borromeo, resigned to him an abbacy, during this time he studied the charity towards the poor. He studied the civil and canon law at Pavia. In 1554 his father died, and although he had an elder brother, Count Federigo, he was requested by the family to take the management of their domestic affairs. After a time, he resumed his studies, and in 1559 he took his doctoral degree. In 1560 his uncle, Cardinal Angelo de' Medici, was raised to the pontificate as Pope Pius IV. Pope Pius IV then named Borromeo to the post of Cardinal of Romagna and the March of Ancona, and supervisor of the Franciscans, Carmelites and Knights of Malta. Borromeo declined the proposal. He worked even harder for the welfare of...

All Souls day is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful which at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial sins, or have not fully been purged from attachment to mortal sins, cannot attain the beatific vision in heaven yet, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass. November 2nd was chosen by St. Odilo of Cluny at his grave, his decree was printed on the Acta Sanctorum . From Cluny it spread all across Europe and was finally accepted by Rome in the 14th Century. During the whole month of November the names of the deceased loved ones would be prayed for during mass and offered special prayer so that the Lord may have mercy on their souls. A legend became associated with the institution of the celebration. According to Jesse Voyles in his Life of St Odilo , a pilgrim returning from the Holy Land was cast by a storm on a desolate island. A hermit living there told him that amid the rocks was a chasm communic...