January Saints

The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

"When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb." ~ Luke 2:21 

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The Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was an early 19th-century educator and the foundress of the first Sisters of Charity in the United States.

In 1774, Elizabeth was born to Episcopalian parents in New York City high society. She was married on January 25, 1794, in St. Paul's Episcopalian Church to William Magee Seton. After her husband's death to tuberculosis, Elizabeth began to befriend many from the Catholic Church in Italy. She was received into the Church on Ash Wednesday, 1805.

In spite of the backlash she received from many for converting to Catholicism, Elizabeth took vows before Archbishop Carroll and was elected superior of the Sisters of Charity. In 1821, she succumbed to a pulmonary infection and died in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

On September 14, 1975, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first person born in the United States to be canonized as a saint.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, please pray for us!

The Feast of St. John Neumann

Born in what is now the Czech Republic, St. John moved to New York at the age of 25 and was ordained a priest. He was responsible for improving school systems and organizing teaching communities for religious brothers and sisters. St. John took it to heart when Jesus said, "go and teach all nations."

St. John Neumann, pray for us! 

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The Feast of St. Raymond of Penyafort

St. Raymond of Penyafort was born in Catalonia, Spain. He was already an accomplished academic and preacher when he joined the Dominicans in 1222.

Called to Rome as papal confessor in 1230, he collected conciliar and papal degrees in a standard work used by canon lawyers for nearly 700 years.

Returning to Spain in 1236, he devoted himself to converting Muslims and Jews, establishing schools to teach Arabic and Hebrew, and launching the Inquisition in Catalonia. He was Dominican master general for two years.

St. Raymond of Penyafort, please pray for us! 

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The Feast of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

Growing up in Troyes, France, Marguerite formed a special relationship with Our Lady. She was turned away by two religious communities but met the founder of Montreal, Canada, when he returned to France to visit his sister. He invited Marguerite to open a school in the New World. She went, despite misgivings, after praying to Mary.

From that first school in an abandoned stable, her ministry grew to include teaching women crafts and founding the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. She managed to keep her sisters uncloistered, despite opposition from the bishop, and served as superior for many years. When Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1982, she became Canada’s first woman saint.

Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Hilary of Poitiers, bishop and doctor of the church

He was an avid defender of the divinity of Christ, combated Arian heretics and authored several great theological works on the Trinity.

St. Hilary of Poitiers, pray for us!

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The Feast of St. Anthony of Egypt

St. Anthony of Egypt was a 3rd-century abbot and Desert Father, also known as the Father of All Monks.

Anthony was born around 251 to wealthy parents who owned land near Cairo. In 270, both of his parents died, and he inherited their fortune. In church, he heard Jesus' exhortation to the rich young man in Mark 10:21, "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." He would later explain that it was as if Christ was speaking directly to him.

He then sold everything he owned and donated the proceeds, setting aside a portion to provide for his sister. Devoting himself to God, he pursued the ascetic life among the hermits of the Egyptian desert for over a decade.

Weary from the spiritual battle that often accompanies this lifestyle, Anthony was found in serious condition and taken to a local church to recover. When recovered, he traveled to a mountain on the east bank of the Nile river, continuing his ascetic calling in an abandoned fort. Over time, inquirers sought to follow after his example, and a community formed under his leadership. This marked the beginning of monasticism as we know it today.

St. Anthony's radical approach to discipleship permanently impacted the Church. He is recognized as a spiritual father to many monastic communities that have existed throughout the history of the Church.

St. Anthony, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Agnes, the patron of girls

Agnes may have been only 12 or 13 when she died a martyr’s death in Rome. According to tradition, she refused to marry, thus breaking her maidenhood to God. She would always say “Jesus Christ is my only spouse” when a man wished to marry her.

It is unknown how she died, but what we do know is she fled her home after persecution and offered herself for martyrdom.

She was buried in a cemetery in the Via No mentana. In the year 350, a church honoring her was built.

St. Agnes, please pray for us! 

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The Feast of St. Francis de Sales, the official patron for authors and journalists

Francis was born to nobility on August 21, 1567, in Thorens of the Savoy region of France. He was the son of François de Sales, Lord of Boisy, Sales and Novel, and Françoise de Sionnaz, a noblewoman.

The eldest of six sons, Francis was expected by his family to become a magistrate; however, he wished to enter the priesthood after receiving his doctorate. He went on to become ordained and elected provost of the diocese of Geneva. Francis then became bishop of Geneva at the age of 35.

Francis authored two well-known books, "An Introduction to the Devout Life" and "A Treatise on the Love of God." For his writings, he was named patron of the Catholic Press.

St. Francis of de Sales, pray for us!

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The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

The great apostle Paul, formerly called Saul, was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin. He excelled above others in zeal for the Jewish law and tradition. He became one of the fiercest persecutors of Christianity and was present for the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

God had other plans for his life. Saul was traveling to Damascus, and he and his company were surrounded by a great light from heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a voice speak to him.

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:4-6).

Saul was blinded, but through his obedience to Christ, his sight was restored by Ananias. He was baptized and immediately began to proclaim the truth of Jesus. Thus, a blasphemer and an enemy of the Church was transformed into an apostle. He was chosen by God to serve as a principal instrument in the spread of the gospel.

St. Paul the apostle, please pray for us! 

The Feast of Sts. Timothy and Titus, loyal companions of Saint Paul the Apostle

Timothy and Titus both preached the gospel and suffered for it. Timothy, a convert of Paul, was often sent on challenging missions, often to settle disturbances within the churches. He was later appointed as Paul's representative at the Church of Ephesus.

Titus was the bearer of Paul's severe letter to the Corinthians when issues arose with the community. A known peacemaker, Titus was installed by Paul as the administrator of the Christian community on the island of Crete.

Both Titus and Timothy were unwavering in their dedication to the faith and to Saint Paul. We can learn much about true friendship from the lives of these loyal bishops.

Saints Timothy and Titus, pray for us!

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The Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas

Thomas so shocked his noble Italian family when he entered the Dominicans about 1244 that his brothers imprisoned him for a year. But he would not yield, and studied under St. Albert the Great, becoming a master of theology in 1256. For the rest of his brief life, the “dumb ox,” as he was dubbed, taught, preached and wrote, produced the monumental “Summa Theologica.” His thinking became enormously influential in later centuries and he was named a Doctor of the Church in 1567.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco, also called Don Bosco, was a 19th-century Italian priest, educator and author.

Born in August of 1815 into a family of peasant farmers, John lost his father at two years old. He was strengthened by his mother's faith and her lessons on the importance of charity.

At age nine, John had a prophetic dream. In his dream, a group of rowdy young boys were speaking blasphemous words. Jesus and the Virgin Mary appeared in the dream, saying to John that he would bring such youths to God through his example of humility and charity.

In 1841, John was ordained a priest. He began ministering to youth who lived on the streets, most lacking education and jobs. The Industrial Revolution created a harsh environment in the streets with many just trying to find work to survive.

St. John established the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, becoming a spiritual father to young men in need, offering religious instruction, lodging, education and work opportunities. He also assisted St. Mary Dominic Mazzarello in forming a similar group for girls.

By the end of John's life, 130,000 children in 250 houses were given hope for their future. “I have done nothing by myself,” he stated. Through her intercession, John credits “our Lady who has done everything.”

John died on January 31, 1888. “Tell the boys that I shall be waiting for them all in Paradise.”

St. John Bosco, please pray for us!