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“Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! […]

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“And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!… He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; […]

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife.” (Mt 1:24)

— Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the highest order of liturgical feast. St. Joseph, so just and humble, was completely obedient to God. As protector of Jesus and Mary, he played an exceptional role in God’s plan of salvation. Saint Joseph is commemorated in the Roman […]

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— Although exact dates of the events in St. Patrick’s life are uncertain, early tradition credits the popular saint with converting a largely pagan society in Ireland to Christianity during the fifth century. Born in Roman Britain, when he was about 16, St. Patrick was captured by pirates and brought to Ireland. He would spend […]

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— Perpetua, a young mother of Carthaginian nobility, and Felicity, a slave woman imprisoned with her and pregnant at the time, were martyred during the persecution of Emperor Severus in 203. Along with their Christian companions, they were sent to the public games in the Carthage arena. Although details of early martyrs are often unclear, […]

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— St. Katharine was the founder of the congregation of missionary nuns, dedicated to the welfare of American Indians and African Americans, now named Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Born into a wealthy family in 1858, St. Katharine was influenced by seeing her parents practice charity from their own home; distributing food, clothing, and money […]

* * *** And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:59-60)

— St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr and one of the seven deacons who helped the Apostles. His name is included in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

* * *** St. John of Kanty, also known as John Cantius, was born in Cracow, Poland. He taught at the Jagiellonian University for most of his life and was noted for his piety and the humble, unassuming spirit of charity that pervaded his professional life.

— Patron of St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, where both the extraordinary and ordinary forms of the Latin Rite are celebrated.

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— St. John was persuaded by St. Teresa of Avila to join her in reforming the Carmelites, and as a result he suffered many tribulations, including imprisonment. During his incarceration he wrote “Dark Night of the Soul,” a profound work of mysticism and study on the development of the soul. St. John’s writings are considered […]

* * *** “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Rev 12:1, Entrance Antiphon, Daily Roman Missal)

— The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the tilma of St. Juan Diego is kept, miraculously preserved, in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, in Mexico City. (Proper of Saints, Daily Roman Missal)

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