St. Anthony & Our Lady of Fatima

St. Joseph of Cupertino Feast date: Sep 18 On September 18, the Church celebrates the life of St. Joseph of Cupertino, a mystic who was perhaps most famous for his ability to fly.  His father, a poor carpenter, died before his birth and his mother, who was unable to pay the debts, lost her home and gave birth to Joseph in a stable at Cupertino, Italy on June 17, 1603. Joseph began having mystical visions when he was seven, and was often so lost to the world around him that the other children made fun of him giving him the…

St. Robert Bellarmine Feast date: Sep 17 On Sept. 17, the Catholic Church celebrates the Italian cardinal and theologian St. Robert Bellarmine. One of the great saints of the Jesuit order, St. Robert has also been declared a Doctor of the Church and the patron of catechists. Robert Bellarmine was born on October 4, 1542 in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano. His uncle was a cardinal who later became Pope Marcellus II. As a young man, Robert received his education from the Jesuit order, which had received written papal approval only two years before his birth. In September of 1560,…

St. Cornelius, Pope, Martyr and St. Cyprian, Bishop, Martyr Feast date: Sep 16 Saint Cornelius was elected Pope in 251 during the persecutions of the Emperor Decius. His first challenge, besides the ever present threat of the Roman authorities, was to bring an end to the schism brought on by his rival, the first anti-pope Novatian. He convened a synod of bishops to confirm him as the rightful successor of Peter.   The great controversy that arose as a result of the Decian persecution was whether or not the Church could pardon and receive back into the Church those who…

Our Lady of Sorrows Feast date: Sep 15 The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the seven great sorrows which Mary lived in relation to Her Son, as they are recorded in the Gospels or through Tradition. Today we are invited to reflect on Mary’s deep suffering: 1. At the prophecy of Simeon: “You yourself shall be pierced with a sword – so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare.” (Luke 2:35).2. At the flight into Egypt; “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt.” (Mt 2:13).3. Having lost the Holy Child…

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Feast date: Sep 14 The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrates two historical events: the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, in 320 under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem, and the dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which mark the site of the Crucifixion.   The basilica, named the Martyrium, and the shrine, named the Calvarium, were destroyed by the Persians in 614. The Church of the Holy sepulcher which now stands on the site…

St. John Chrysostom Feast date: Sep 13 “If the Lord should give you power to raise the dead, He would give much less than He does when he bestows suffering. By miracles you would make yourself debtor to Him, while by suffering He may become debtor to you. And even if sufferings had no other reward than being able to bear something for that God who loves you, is not this a great reward and a sufficient remuneration? Whoever loves, understands what I say.” -St. John Chrysostom Born in Antioch, c. 347, Saint John Chrysostom (Golden-mouthed) was perhaps the greatest…

Blessed Apollinaris Franco Feast date: Sep 12 Blessed Apollinaris was born in Old Castile, Spain where he joined the Franciscan order.  He was sent to Japan to head the Japanese Franciscan mission in 1614, the year that the new Japanese shogun had instituted a nationwide ban on Christianity and declared being a Christian a capital offense.Friar Apollinaris Franco evangelized covertly until he was arrested in 1617 and thrown into prison in Nagasaki along with other priests and laymen, for five years to await his execution. The conditions in the prison were exceedingly harsh in an attempt to force the prisoners…

Saint Jean Gabriel Perboyre Feast date: Sep 11 St. Jean Gabriel was born in Puech, France, on January 6th, 1802, to a pious family of eight children. Including Jean Gabriel, five of the Perboyer children became consecrated religious – three priests and two nuns. Accompanying his younger brother Louis while he was entering the seminary, Jean-Gabriel discovered his calling and entered the Congregation of the Mission, founded by St. Vincent de Paul, at the age of 16. He was ordained at age 23 and taught theology at the seminary before being appointed rector, and later master of novices in Paris – on…

St. Nicholas of Tolentino Feast date: Sep 10 Born in 1246 in Sant’ Angelo, Italy, Nicholas became an Augustinian friar at the age of 18 after hearing an Augustinian hermit preach. He was ordained seven years later and quickly gained a reputation as a great preacher and confessor.He practiced severe mortifications and fasted strictly. He was known for obtaining healings for many of the sick who lived in Tolentino, where he spent the last 30 years of his life. St. Nicholas’ bread, a roll of dough with a cross in the center, has its origin in the bread he used…

St. Peter Claver Feast date: Sep 09 On Sept. 9, the Catholic Church celebrates St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit missionary who spent his life in the service of African slaves brought against their will to South America during the 17th century. Peter Claver was born into a farming family in the Spanish region of Catalonia during 1581. He studied at the University of Barcelona as a young man, and joined the Jesuits as a novice at the age of 20. While studying philosophy in Tarragona, Peter developed a friendship with an older Jesuit lay brother, Alphonsus Rodriguez. Although Alphonsus spent…