Saints of the Day & More

Jean-Gabriel was born at Le Puech, Lot, France, one of eight children born to Pierre Perboyre and Marie Rigal. He entered the noviciate of the Congregation of the Mission, in the seminary of Montauban, December, 1818. On the feast of the Holy Innocents, 1820, he made the four vows of the Vincentians. He was raised to the priesthood, 23 September 1825, in the chapel of the Sisters of Charity, by Dubourg, Bishop of New Orleans, and on the following day he said his first Mass. Shortly after, he was sent to the seminary of Saint-Flour to teach dogmatic theology, and two years later, he was appointed superior of the preparatory seminary of Saint-Flour. His success induced his superiors, in 1832, to appoint him subdirector of the novitiate in Paris. He continued in this office until 1835, when he had permission to go to China. He left Le Havre on 21 March, and on 29 August 1835, arrived at Macau, where he spent some time studying the Chinese language. On 21 December 1835, he began his journe...

Peter Claver was born into a prosperous farming family in the Spanish village of Verdu, about 54 miles from Barcelona, in 1580, about 70 years after King Ferdinand of Spain had set in motion the brutal colonial slavery culture by authorizing the purchase of 250 African slaves in Lisbon for his territories in New Spain. His parents were devout Catholics and taught Peter from early childhood to let nothing come between him and the love of God. As a student at the University of Barcelona, Claver was noted for his piety as well as high intelligence. He was given permission to enter the Jesuit College at Palma, Majorca in 1602, and after two years of study there, he wrote these words in a notebook which he kept with him throughout his life, "I must dedicate myself to the service of God until death, on the understanding that I am like a slave." He was respected by his instructors for his, "humility and obedience, silence and reserve." Claver arrived in Cartagena in 1610. ...

“By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus. ”Small of stature, rocklike in faith, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was entrusted with the mission of proclaiming God’s thirsting love for humanity, especially for the poorest of the poor. “God still loves the world and He sends you and me to be His love and His compassion to the poor.” She was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him and burning with one desire: “to quench His thirst for love and for souls.” This luminous messenger of God’s love was born on 26 August 1910 in Skopje, a city situated at the crossroads of Balkan history. The youngest of the children born to Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu, she was baptised Gonxha Agnes, received her First Communion at the age of five and a half and was confirmed in November 1916. From the day of her First Holy Communion, a love for souls was wi...

Saint Kilian, also spelled Killian (or alternatively Irish: Cillian), was an Irish missionary bishop and the apostle of Franconia (nowadays the northern part of Bavaria), where he began his labours towards the end of the 7th century. There are several biographies of him. The oldest texts which refer to him are an 8th century necrology at Würzburg and the notice by Hrabanus Maurus in his martyrology. According to Maurus, Kilian was a native of Ireland, when with eleven companions he went to eastern Franconia and Thuringia. After having preached the Gospel in Würzburg, he succeeded in converting to Christianity the local lord, Duke Gozbert, and much of the population. Kilian eventually told the Duke that he was in violation of sacred scripture by being married to his brother's widow, Geilana. When Geilana (whom Kilian had failed to convert to Christianity) heard of Kilian's words against her marriage, she was so angry that she had her soldiers sent to the main square of Würzburg,...

Saint Francis was born in Grottaglie, near Taranto, on December 17, 1642. This eloquent Jesuit missionary, who was called "the apostle of Naples", distinguished himself by his boundless zeal for the conversion of sinners and his love for the poor, the sick and the oppressed. In 1666, before the age of 24 years, San Francisco was ordained a priest. During the next five years, he taught at the "Collegio dei Nobili" which the Jesuits had in Naples. At 28 he entered the Society of Jesus. From 1671-1674, he assisted in the missionary work to the famous preacher Agnello Bruno. After completing his studies in theology, he was named the top man of the Church of the Gesu Nuovo in Naples. It is said that made at least 400 per year sinners. The Holy visiting prisons, hospitals and did not hesitate to follow the sinners to the dens of vice, where sometimes he was brutally abused. St. Francis died on May 11, 1716 and was buried in the Church of the Jesuits in Naples. His canoniz...

This saint was born in 1556 in Leonessa in Umbria, and at the age of eighteen he made his profession as a Capuchin friar in his hometown, and took the name of Joseph Eufranio instead of its name. He was humble, obedient and heroic degree mortified, and three days a week, took no other sustenance than bread and water. Generally preached a crucifix in hand, and the fire of his words inflamed the hearts of her listeners. In 1587 he was sent to Turkey as a missionary among the Christians of Pera, a suburb of Constantinople. They cheered and served the Christian slaves in the galleys with wonderful devotion, especially during a malignant fever, which became infected, but later recovered his health. Converted many apostates, and was exposed to the stringency of the Turkish law when he preached the faith to Muslims. Joseph was jailed twice, and the second time he was sentenced to a cruel death. By sharp claws which crossed one of his hands and one foot was hanging from a gallows. However, aft...

Francis Xavier wasborn in the castle of Xavier in Spain on April 7 1506, corresponding to the expectations of his parents, graduated from the famous university of Paris. During these years he was fortunate to live side by side, sharing a room including the pension, with Peter Faber, who will be like a Jesuit and then blessed him, and with a strange student, quite late in life to sit on the benches of school, called Ignatius. Ignatius understood very well that soul: "A big heart and a soul so noble," he said "can not be satisfied with the ephemeral earthly honors. Your ambition should be the glory that shines forever. " The Feast of the Assumption, 1534, in the crypt of the church of Montmartre, Francis Xavier, Ignatius Loyola and five colleagues were consecrated to God by vow of absolute poverty, and decided to go to the Holy Land from there to begin his missionary work , putting the total dependence of the Pope. Ordained priests in Venice and abandoned the perspect...