Lives Of The Saints

Pope St. Martin I (Reigned from 649-655) Born at Todi in Umbria, Martin attempted at the beginning of his pontificate to recall Paul of Constantinople, a heretic, to the Catholic faith by sending letters and legates. But Paul, supported by the emperor Constans, banished the legates of the Apostolic See to various islands. The Pope, aroused by this crime, gathered at Rome a council of one hundred and five bishops, who condemned Paul. During the council, the emperor sent the exarch Olympius to Italy to depose the Pope. But Olympius soon died a miserable death, after failing to harm Pope Martin [...]

St. Martin of Tours is known as the glory of Gaul and the light of the Western Church in the 4th century. [Note: Listen to a sermon on St. Martin by Fr. Rodríguez.] Martin was born around 316 AD in Lower Hungary, near the border of modern day Austria. His father was an officer in the Imperial Army and they moved to Italy where he was raised and educated. Even though his parents were pagan, Martin was infused with a special grace. At age ten, against their permission and wishes, he began to attend a Catholic Church and enrolled himself as [...]

St. Andrew Avellino (1521- 10 Nov 1608) was a religious in the Order of Theatines St. Andrew Avellino, previously called Lancelot, was born at Castro Nuovo, a village in Lucania. He learned jurisprudence at Naples, was ordained priest, and began to practice law, though only in ecclesiastical courts. But once, when he was presenting a case, he let slip a small lie, and then happened upon the words of Scripture: “A lying mouth slays the soul”. He was seized with remorse and sorrow, abandoned the practice of law, and begged to be admitted among the Clerks Regular. Successful in this petition, [...]

Two sets of Four Martyrs (c. 305 A.D.) On November 8th, Holy Mother Church commemorates the Four Holy Crowned Martyrs. There were actually two sets of four martyrs who are grouped together, all of whom refused to worship false idols, both groups being martyred by approximately 305 A.D, though in different places. For some time the names of these martyrs were not known, and so they were collectively referred to as the "crowned martyrs." (Sadly, their feast day was stripped from the calendar during the liturgical revolution of the 1960s that devastated the Traditional Latin Mass.) The second group was martyred [...]

St. Willibrord, Confessor, First Bishop of Utrecht and Apostle to the Friesians (658-738 A.D.) Saint Willibrord is the patron saint of The Netherlands. He was also a Benedictine monk and bishop. One biographer describes him as “comely of face, cheerful in spirit, wise in counsel, pleasing in speech, grave in character and energetic in everything he undertook for God.” Willibrord’s apostolate was one of zealous preaching shaped by the psalmody of the Divine Office and by the meditation practice of lectio divina. MONASTIC TRAINING Willibrord was born in Northumberland (England) and placed by his pious parents in the monastery of Ripon. [...]

St. Leonard of Noblac, Abbot, Hermit and Confessor (+599 A.D.) St. Leonard was one of the founding fathers of Catholic France. He was a nobleman turned hermit, then abbot and great miracle worker. Numerous cities in Europe are named after him and entrusted to his patronage. CONVERSION St. Leonard was a member of the barbaric tribe of Franks and a great nobleman at the court of the king. Following the decisive and famous Battle of Tolbic, he along with the king and many other noblemen converted to Catholicism. They were baptized by the great St. Remigius. Leonard however surpassed the other [...]

St. Alphonsus Rodríguez, Jesuit Lay Brother (25 July 1532 - 31 Oct 1617) A LIFE FILLED WITH TRAJEDY This Spanish Saint, a native of Segovia, came from a good Catholic family. When he was quite young, Fr. Peter Faber (one of the original Jesuits) visited and preached in his hometown. His family provided hospitality and Fr. Faber prepared young Alphonsus for his First Holy Communion. Surely, this was a great grace that impacted him all his life. He was only 14 when his father died and he left school in order to help his mother run the business. He then completely [...]

St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870) was arguably the greatest bishop of the 19th century. He had a fervent devotion to both the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady. He founded a religious order and tirelessly defended the Catholic Church. HEARING THE CALL St. Anthony was born in Catalonia (Spain). From his childhood he struggled with the thought of eternity (siempre! siempre!). He often lay in bed without being able to sleep considering the reality that he would live forever, be it in heaven or hell. He contemplated the predestined blessed and the lot of the dammed, “Yes, Forever and ever they will [...]

St. Hedwig (1174-1243) St. Hedwig is the patroness of all mothers. She was of the royal house of Poland and founded many monasteries. She is also the aunt of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. This past century, we have been inundated with propaganda regarding an anti-Christian women's liberation movement, commonly referred to as feminism. As many of you know, this modern feminist movement is born from the bowels of communistic and free masonic thinking. It does not liberate, but only enslaves our society - especially women and families - further into the mire of sin. In fact, the attack upon the family [...]

St. Edward of England, King and Confessor (~1004-1066) King St. Edward was the best loved of all the English kings. He was a tall, well-built man, but he was never too healthy. Nevertheless he was able to rule his country and well and keep peace most of the time because he trusted God and held firm when necessary. He was a gentle, kind man who never spoke excessively, or with an unnecessary harshness, even to the meanest of persons. To poor people and foreigners alike, he showed special charity, and he helped monks in every way he could. It was his [...]