July Saints

The Feast of St. Junípero Serra

​​​​​​​St. Junípero Serra was a Franciscan monk from the 18th-century. Despite having a very successful academic career, he left his career and his home to become a missionary in the New World.

Padre Serra began his missionary work in Mexico. He learned the language of the Pame Indians, translated the catechism for them and taught them the faith. He gained a reputation for his devotion to penance and mortification. He was known to pound his chest with a stone or hold a torch to his bare skin. He established several missions in what is now modern-day California, from San Diego to San Francisco. At his funeral in 1784, many natives wept sorrowfully – a testament to his remarkable ministry in the California region.

St. Junípero Serra, pray for us! 

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The Feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle

Most commonly known for his initial doubt of Christ's resurrection, St. Thomas can teach us about believing without seeing.

When hearing of Christ's resurrection, he said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" (Jn 20:25). Christ appeared to him and said, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." When Thomas did so he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:27-28)

In spite of his struggles, Thomas was dedicated to following the Lord. Upon hearing that Jesus was returning to Judea, an area that was becoming increasingly dangerous for Jesus and his followers, he immediately said to the other apostles, "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John 11: 16).

Pope Benedict XVI encouraged us to learn from the doubts of St. Thomas: "First, because it comforts us in our insecurity; second, because it shows us that every doubt can lead to an outcome brighter than any uncertainty; and, lastly, because the words that Jesus addressed to him remind us of the true meaning of mature faith and encourage us to persevere, despite the difficulty, along our journey of adhesion to him."

St. Thomas the Apostle, pray for us! 

The Feast of Sts. Anthony Maria Zaccaria and Elizabeth of Portugal

St. Anthony, a renowned preacher and promoter of Eucharistic adoration, is also known as the founder of the order of priests now known as the Barnabites. Pope Benedict XVI praised St. Anthony as "one of the great figures of Catholic reform in the 1500s,” who was a major contributor “in the renewal of Christian life in an era of profound crisis.”

From a young age, St. Anthony displayed an intense devotion to God and a generosity to the poor. Despite his success as a young medical doctor, he discerned a calling to the priesthood. His teaching and reform efforts had significant lasting impact, even beyond his death at the age of 36 due to illness.

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, named for her great-aunt St. Elizabeth of Hungary, was queen consort of Portugal, and was known for her care for the poor and her efforts to protect her country from war during the 13th and 14th centuries. In spite of the immorality of the members of the King's court, St. Elizabeth remained intent on doing God's will with a humble and charitable attitude. Rather than using her royalty status for her own gain, she sought to advance Christ's reign on earth.

She had a custom of secretly inviting in lepers, whom she would bathe and clothe, even though the law of the land barred them from approaching the castle. Following King Diniz's death in 1325, Elizabeth became a Franciscan of the Third Order. Many testimonies arose of miracles accomplished through her intercession.

Sts. Anthony Zaccaria and Elizabeth of Portugal, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Maria Goretti

St. Maria Goretti was known for her commitment to purity and the courageous defense of her faith at the young age of eleven. Her life threatened, she declared that she would rather die than submit to the sin of her attacker. She is also remarkable for the forgiveness she willingly granted her attacker as she lay on her deathbed.

St. Maria's father, a farmer, died of malaria when she was very young. Her mother worked to support her six children, and Maria took care of the younger children. A neighboring farmhand, Alessandro Serenelli, harassed Maria with sexual advances, all of which she vehemently rejected.

On July 5, 1902, Alessandro locked Maria into a room and tried to force himself on her. She fought him off, shouting, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" and warning him that this was the path towards hell. Angrily, he stabbed her 14 times with an awl. Doctors tried to save her, but her wounds were too severe. On her deathbed, she forgave Alessandro, saying, "For the love of Jesus I forgive him... and I want him to be with me in Paradise."

St. Maria Goretti, thank you for the example of your incredible forgiveness. Please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and companions

The Church honors St. Augustine Zhao Rong and companions, a group of martyrs from the 17th to the 20th-century. During this period, 87 Chinese Catholics and 33 Western missionaries were martyred because of their ministry and for their refusal to renounce their faith.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong was the first Chinese priest to become a martyr. As a Chinese soldier, he escorted Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse to his martyrdom in Beijing. Moved by the bishop's witness, Augustine sought baptism and was soon ordained a priest. He was martyred in 1815.

Other well-known martyrs from this time period include Ann Wang, a 14-year-old Chinese girl who refused to deny her faith. She bravely resisted the threats of her torturers, and just before her death, she shouted, "The door of heaven is open to all! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!"

18-year-old Chi Zhuzi refused an order to worship idols. He resisted the cruel torture of his captors and fearlessly proclaimed before his death, "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."

During their canonization Mass, Pope John Paul II thanked God for the heroic witness of these martyrs, “an example of courage and consistency to us all.”

St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Benedict of Nursia

St. Benedict of Nursia was a sixth-century abbot who laid a lasting foundation for Christian monasticism in Western Europe. Also called the “Father of Western Monasticism,” St. Benedict is also a co-patron saint of Europe.

As a student in Rome, Benedict became disgusted with the immoral culture of his fellow students. He withdrew from his studies to live with a group of monks, later transitioning to hermetic isolation. After years of prayer and asceticism, Benedict emerged to establish several monastic communities. Many of these communities became centers of education for children.

Later St. Benedict drew up his famous rule of life, the "Rule of St. Benedict," which emphasized prayer, work, simplicity and hospitality. His life was marked with miraculous events, including a profound mystical vision of God and the whole of creation that he saw in his final years.

St. Benedict, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Henry

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Henry II, a German king who defended Europe's Holy Roman Empire in the 11th-century.

From a young age, St. Henry received his education and spiritual guidance from St. Wolfgang, the bishop of Regensburg. He was a bright and devout student and was even considered for the priesthood for a time.

St. Henry carried his foundation of piety and charity into the political realm, first becoming the Duke of Bavaria and then ascending to the throne as the King of Germany. As king, St. Henry was known for his support of Church reform. He peacefully resolved an uprising in his territory and also donated large sums of his wealth to churches, monasteries and the poor.

In 1014, Pope Benedict VIII crowned him as head of the Holy Roman Empire, and St. Henry responded by affirming Pope Benedict VIII's authority over the city of Rome. In the last years of his life, St. Henry suffered from illness. He devoted much of his time to prayer and even considered resigning his leadership to become a monk. Many mourned St. Henry at his death, praising his responsible leadership and focus on the Kingdom of God.

St. Henry, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint

Kateri converted to Catholicism at age 19 and took a vow of chastity, refusing to marry. "Kateri" is the Mohawk form of the name Catherine, from St. Catherine of Siena. She is patroness of Native Americans and those in exile.

St. Kateri, please pray for us! 

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The Feast of St. Bonaventure, the "Seraphic Doctor" of the Church

He is known for his leadership of the Franciscans and his contributions to theology and philosophy.

Sources say that in his youth, St. Bonaventure was healed from a serious illness by the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi. He joined the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor in 1243. While completing his studies in Paris, he befriended St. Thomas Aquinas and also St. Louis, King of France.

St. Bonaventure served as the superior of the Friars Minor for 17 years, bringing peace and order in a time of growth and expansion. His influence was so great that he is often referred to as the second founder of the Franciscans. He also compiled documents and testimonies for the official biography of St. Francis of Assisi. Not long before his death, he was appointed by Pope Gregory X as Cardinal and Bishop of Albano.

"Let meditation of Christ's life be your one and only aim, your rest, your food, your desire, your study." ~ St. Bonaventure

St. Bonaventure, pray for us! 

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

In the 12th-century, hermits lived on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, near the fountain of Elijah. It was here that the prophet Elijah challenged the priests of Baal and defended the power of the one true God.

On Mount Carmel, the hermits who later became known as the "Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel" constructed a chapel in honor of Our Lady. Here they celebrated a special Mass and Office in honor of Mary.

In 1726, it became a celebration of the universal Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. For centuries the Carmelites have seen themselves as specially related to Mary.

Many great saints and theologians have promoted devotion to her and often championed the mystery of her Immaculate Conception.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Camillus de Lellis

St. Camillus de Lellis was a former soldier and gambler from the 16th-century who became the founder of an order dedicated to caring for the sick.

Orphaned at a young age, St. Camillus pursued a military career like his late father. His severe gambling problem left him desperate, and he found himself doing menial work for a group of Franciscans. He resolved to change his life and sought to join the order.

Due to a debilitating wound in his leg, St. Camillus was not received into the order. He instead traveled to Rome to work in a hospice. Under the spiritual direction of St. Philip Neri, St. Camillus studied for the priesthood and was ordained in 1584. He formed an order, originally called the “Fathers of a Good Death,” whose members worked in hospitals and prisons to improve the spiritual and physical care of the sick.

"Commitment is doing what you said you would do, after the feeling you said it in has passed." — St. Camillus

Thank you St. Camillus de Lellis for your dedication to serving the sick. Please, pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Apollinaris, one of the first great martyrs of the Church

St. Peter appointed him as the Bishop of Ravenna. There he worked many miracles and won many converts to the faith with his preaching.

Unfortunately, the success of his ministry was met with the fury of the pagan people who attacked and beat Apollinaris on several occasions. They cut him with knives, poured scalding hot water over his wounds, and then put him on a ship headed to Greece.

His miraculous ministry continued in Greece until he was attacked again by the pagans there and sent back to Italy. He later died from wounds received during another savage beating at Classis, a suburb of Ravenna. A beautiful basilica honoring him was built there in the sixth century.

St. Apollinaris, thank you for your boldness to spread the gospel in the face of constant persecution. Please, pray for us!

The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, one of the most prominent women in the New Testament

Her name comes from the town of Magdala in Galilee, where she was born. Scripture describes Mary as a woman “who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out” (Luke 8:2).

Some scholars identify Mary Magdalene with the sinful woman who anointed the feet of Christ (Luke 7:36-50). Other scholars associate her with Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42, John 11). Some scholars believe the three figures to be one person, while others believe them to be three distinct individuals.

What we know for certain about Mary Magdalene is that she was a devout follower of Christ who accompanied and ministered to him (Luke 8:2-3). She was one of the women present at Christ's crucifixion and also the first recorded witness of the Resurrection. She wept at His empty tomb until Jesus approached her and asked, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" (John 20:15). She mistook him for the gardener until he called her by name.

"Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbouni,' which means Teacher" (John 20:16).

St. Mary Magdalene, thank you for your dedication and devotion to our Lord. Please, pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Bridget of Sweden

Bridget received visions of Christ’s suffering several times throughout her life, and she went on to found the order of the Most Holy Savior.
Even as a young child, she was greatly devoted to the passion of Jesus. When she was only ten years old, it is recorded that she had a vision of Jesus on the cross and heard him say, “Look at me, my daughter."

"Who has treated you like this?" asked Bridget. Jesus answered, "Those who despise me and refuse my love for them.” From that point on, she made every effort to prevent offense to the Lord. She later married, had eight children and served in the court of the King and Queen of Sweden.

She continued to receive marvelous visions and special messages from God, which she humbly passed on to many rulers and Church leaders. After the death of her husband, St. Bridget began the order of the Most Holy Savior, also known as Bridgettines.

St. Bridget of Sweden, please pray for us! 

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The Feast of St. James the Apostle

St. James, the brother of John the Evangelist, was the first Apostle to be martyred. Herod of Agrippa ordered his beheading. The Gospels tell us that the two brothers left their father Zebedee to follow Jesus as soon as He called out to them. Jesus later gave this dynamic duo the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17).

James was one of the three Apostles who were particularly close to the Lord. He was there with the Lord, his brother John and Peter at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. He is known as James "the Greater," as he is older than the other Apostle James.

St. James, please pray for us! 

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The Feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne

The Church commemorates the parents of the Virgin Mary, Saints Joachim and Anne. Their faith and perseverance brought them through the sorrow of childlessness to the joy of conceiving and raising the Blessed Mother of Christ.

The New Testament contains no specific information about the lives of Mary's parents, but other documents outside of the Biblical canon do provide some details. Although these writings are not considered authoritative in the same manner as the Bible, they outline some of the Church's traditional beliefs about Joachim and Anne.

In the Protoevangelium of James, a document likely completed in the early second century, Mary's father Joachim is described as a wealthy member of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. He was deeply grieved, along with his wife Anne, by their childlessness. “He called to mind Abraham... that in the last day God gave him a son Isaac.”

Joachim and Anne devoted themselves to prayer and fasting, until an angel appeared to Anne. The angel said, "The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world."

Sts. Joachim and Anne, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Martha

St. Martha was the sister to Mary and Lazarus of Bethany and a close friend of the Lord Jesus.

In the gospel of Luke, Martha welcomes Jesus into her home and becomes preoccupied with serving Him. She complains that her sister is not helping her serve, and Jesus replies, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her" (Luke 10:41-42).

Yet, St. Martha is the one who receives this revelation from the Lord: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God..." (John 11:25-27)

St. Martha, thank you for your great faith and devotion to our Lord. Please, pray for us!

The Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus

The Church celebrates St. Peter Chrysologus, a fifth-century Italian bishop known for courageously proclaiming Christ's full humanity and divinity during a period of doctrinal confusion.

His title, Chrysologus, means “golden-tongued” in Greek. A Doctor of the Church, he is uniquely distinguished as the “Doctor of Homilies” for his succinct but theologically rich reflections he delivered during his time as the Bishop of Ravenna.

His surviving works contribute to the Church's traditional beliefs about Mary's perpetual virginity, the penitential value of Lent, Christ's Eucharistic presence and the primacy of St. Peter and his successors in the Church.

St. Peter Chrysologus, please pray for us! 

The Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola was known for founding the Society of Jesus (also known as the Jesuits). He also created the “Spiritual Exercises” that are still used for retreats and individual discernment today.

St. Ignatius was born into a noble Spanish family in 1491. He served as a page in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. He became a soldier in the Spanish army and received a serious wound in his leg. During his recovery, he read “Lives of the Saints,” which inspired him to dedicate himself to the Catholic faith.

After making a general confession in a monastery in Montserrat, he spent almost a year in solitude. He wrote “Spiritual Exercises” and then made a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land, where he worked to convert Muslims. Later, he returned to complete his theological studies in Spain and then France.

His wisdom and virtue attracted followers, and the Society of Jesus was born. The Jesuits remain active today, especially in universities and colleges worldwide.

St. Ignatius, please pray for us!