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The Causes of 2009

Being a Compendium of Brief Profiles of the Saints, Beati and


Venerables whose Causes for Canonization achieved
Recognition in 2009

This little book is a collection of short profiles forty-seven


Saints, Beati and Venerables of the Church whose Causes for
Canonization advanced to the point that they were canonized,
beatified or that a decree of martyrdom or heroic virtues was
promulgated for them during 2009. Articles are taken from the
web site http://saints.SQPN.com.

Expanded versions of these and thousands of similar profiles


of Christian saints with images, support documents, links to
other sites, liturgical calendar, ebooks and more are available
at the web site Saints.SQPN.com, and it's just a small part of
the SQPN - the Star Quest Production Network. SQPN is
leading the way in Catholic new media with audio and video,
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SQPN

Canonizations
Saint Arcangelo Tadini

Memorial

20 May

Profile

As a young adult, Arcangelo had an


accident that left him with a lifelong limp.
He entered the seminary in Brescia, Italy at
age 18. Ordained in 1870, but illness forced him
to spend his first year of priesthood with his
family. Curate in the mountain village of Lodrino
from 1871 to 1873. Curate at the Shrine of Santa
Maria della Noce near Brescia. Noted for his
attention to his parishioners, and his care for
refugees. Curate at Botticino Sera in 1885; parish
priest there in 1887, a post he held the rest of his
life. He revitalized his parish, involved the
parishioners, and made the church the center of
the community. He founded the Workers' Mutual
Aid Association, a form of social insurance for the
sick, injured and aged. He used his own
inheritance to build a modern spinning factory,
employing local women, and using the profits to
build a residence for them. He founded the
Congregation of Worker Sisters of the Holy
House of Nazareth who worked in factories with
other women, teaching them when they could,
and leading them by example. Father Arcangelo's
strength came from prayer, much of it spent in
front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Born

12 October 1846 at Verolanuova, Brescia, Italy

Died

20 May 1912 at Botticino Sera, Brescia, Italy of natural


causes

Venerated

21 December 1998 by Pope John Paul II

Beatified

3 October 1999 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

26 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Saint Bernardo Tolomei

Also known as

Bernard Tolomeo
Giovanni Tolomeo
Memorial

21 August

Profile

Giovannni early changed his name to Bernard


from admiration for Bernard of Clairvaux.
Educated by his Dominican uncle. His father
prevented Bernard from entering religious life.
Lawyer. Theologian. Soldier. Politician and
government official. Struck blind, Bernardo
recovered his sight through the intervention of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, after which he gave up
worldly life to become a hermit. Accused of
heresy, Bernard soon cleared his name. Priest.
Founder of the Benedictine Congregation of the
Blessed Virgin of Monte Oliveto (Olivetan
Congregation; Olivetans). During a bout of the
plague, Bernard and his monks cared for any who
needed it; none of the brothers became sick.

Born

10 May 1272 at Siena, Tuscany as Giovanni Tolomei

Died

20 August 1348 in Siena, Italy of natural causes

Beatified

24 November 1644 by Pope Innocent X (cultus


confirmed)

Canonized

26 April 2009 Pope Benedict XVI

Saint Caterina Volpicelli


Also known as

Katarina Volpicelli

Memorial

22 January

Profile

Born into an upper middle-class family, Caterina


was well educated at the Royal Educational
Institute of San Marcellino. Initially concerned
with making a name for herself in society, in her
teens Caterina felt drawn more and more to the
spiritual life. Friend and spiritual student of
Blessed Ludovico of Casoria, who led her to
become a Franciscan tertiary. On 28 May 1859
Caterina joined the Perpetual Adorers of the
Blessed Sacrament, but developed serious health
problems and left. Member of the Apostleship of
Prayer. Founded the Institute of Handmaidens of
the Sacred Heart on 1 July 1874, which received
the approval of Pope Leo XIII on 13 June 1890.
She opened the orphanage of the Margherites,
founded a lending library, and with the help of
Venerable Rosa Carafa Traetto, she set up the
Association of the Daughters of Mary.

Born

21 January 1839 in Naples, Italy

Died

28 December 1894 in Naples, Italy of natural causes

Venerated

25 March 1945 by Pope Pius XII (decree of heroic


virtues)
Beatified

29 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

26 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Readings

She also knew how to draw from the Eucharist


that missionary zeal that led her to express her
vocation in the Church, submitting with docility to
pastors, and [being] prophetically oriented to the
promotion of the laity and new forms of
consecrated life. Although not establishing
operational centers or giving life to specific
institutions, as she herself stated, she wanted to
find solitude in activity, and fruitful work in
solitude. - Pope John Paul II at the beatification
of Saint Caterina

Saint Francisco Coll Guitart


Also known as

Francis Coll Guitart


Frans Coll Guitart

Memorial

2 April

Profile

One of ten children. His father, Peter, died when


Francis was only four. Confirmed in 1818 at age
six. Entered the seminary at Vichy, France in
1822 at age ten. Student with Saint Anthony Mary
Claret. Even as a kid he taught grammar and
catechism to local children. Francisco joined the
Dominicans at Vichy in 1830 at age eighteen.
When monastic orders were suppressed by the
government, Francis continued to study covertly.
Ordained on 28 March 1836 at Vichy.

Parish priest of Arles, France. Re-assigned to


Moya in 1839, an area devastated by war, awash
with starving refugees. He established charitable
organizations to feed and house them, and he
worked with the poor and displaced for ten years.
Helped Saint Anthony Claret found the Apostolic
Fraternity in 1846. Director of the tertiaries in
Vichy. In 1850 he re-opened the suppressed
Dominican monastery, and began a program of
preaching throughout the Catalan region. Worked
with cholera victims during the epidemic that
struck in 1854.

Founded the Congregation of the Dominican


Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary (La Annunciata) in 1856, a teaching branch
of tertiaries; by his death the order had grown to
fifty houses, and today there are over 140 in
Europe and America. Struck blind during a homily
given at Sallent on 2 December 1869; his health
was never the same, but he refused to retire.
When the Dominicans were allowed to officially
return to the region in 1872, they found that
Francis has somehow maintained the primary
structures, physical and administrative, and
instead of starting all over, they reclaimed what
was theirs, and took up their work where they had
left off.

Born

18 May 1812 in Grombeny, Catalan Pyrenees, Spain

Died
2 April 1875 in Vic, Barcelona, Spain of natural causes
relics enshrined in the La Annunciata motherhouse

Venerated

4 May 1970 by Pope Paul VI (decree on heroic virtues)

Beatified

29 April 1979 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

11 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Prayers

God of all truth, you chose Blessed Francis to


make known the name of your Son and to instruct
Christian people in holiness. By the help of his
prayers may the true faith be continually
sustained and grow through the ministry of
preaching. We ask this through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. -
General Calendar of the Order of Preachers

Saint Gertrude Caterina Comensoli


Memorial

18 February

Profile

Founder of the Institute of Sisters of


the Blessed Sacrament.

Born

18 January 1847 in Biennio, Brescia, Italy


Died

18 February 1903 in Bergamo, Italy of natural causes

Venerated

26 April 1961 by Pope Blessed John XXIII (decree on


heroic virtues)

Beatified

1 October 1989 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

26 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Saint Jeanne Jugan


Also known as

Marie de la Croix
Marie of the Cross

Memorial

29 August

Profile

Born in a small, impoverished fishing village. Her


father was a fisherman named Joseph who was
gone to sea most of the time, and died when
Jeanne was 4 years old. Her mother was named
Marie, did farm work to support her family, and
raised the children in the Faith during the time of
the French Revolution when Christianity was
being suppressed.

At sixteen Jeanne got a job as a maid at the estate


of a Christian woman who often visited the sick
and poor, and took Jeanne along to help. This
experience, her employer's example, and Jeanne's
own relationship with God prompted her to
decline marriage proposals, and dedicate her life
to God.

At twenty-five Jeanne gave away most of her


meager possessions, and set out to serve the poor
of Saint Servan. She supported herself by working
in a hospital and caring for the sick and poor. Six
years of this left Jeanne exhausted. She left the
hospital, and returned to work as a domestic.

At age forty-five she began to work as a spinner,


and donated her excess money to the poor. After
two years, she set off to devote every aspect of
her life to the poor. She collected money door to
door, and began to especially care for poor
widows. Jeanne attracted followers to this work,
the Little Sisters of the Poor were founded under
her direction, and Jeanne served as superior.

Awarded by the French Academy in 1845 for her


work with the poor. Jeanne was eventally
removed from her position as superior by Father
La Pailleur, the Sisters's spiritual moderator. She
retired to the group's motherhouse in 1852 where
she lived her remaining years, a humble sister,
doing works of charity wherever she could.

Born

25 October 1792 at Les Petites-Croix, Cancale, Ille-et-


Vilaine, Brittany, France

Died

29 August 1879 at Pern, Ille-et-Vilaine, France of


natural causes

Venerated
13 July 1979 by Pope John Paul II

Beatified

3 October 1982 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

11 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Readings

Little Sisters, take good care for the aged, for in


them you are caring for Christ Himself. - Saint
Jeanne Jugan

Saint Joseph de Veuster

Also known as

Apostle to the Lepers


Damian de Veuster
Father Damien

Memorial

10 May

Profile

Son of a small farmer. Studied at the college at


Braine-le-Comte, Belgium. Joined the Picpus
Fathers on 7 October 1860, taking the name
Damien. Seminarian in Paris, France. Volunteered
for missionary work while still in seminary, and
was sent to Hawaii. Ordained in Honolulu on 24
May 1864. Missionary on islands where his single
parish was the size of all of his native Belgium.
Resident priest in the leper colony on Molokai
where for years he worked alone to minister to the
patients' spiritual and medical needs. His work
turned a wretched dump for the unwanted into a
real community with the best treatment of the
day, and patients who lived strong spiritual lives.
He contracted leprosy in 1885, and though
severely crippled by the disease, Father Damien
worked until the end.

Born

3 January 1840 on the family farm at Tremeloo, Belgium


as Joseph de Veuster

Died

15 April 1889 at Molokai, Hawaii from leprosy


buried next to Saint Philomena Church, Molokai,
Hawaii
interred in the cathedral at Antwerp, Belgium in 1936

Venerated

7 July 1977 by Pope Paul VI

Beatified

3 June 1995 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

11 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Patronage

against leprosy
lepers

Saint Nuño de Santa Maria Álvares Pereira


Also known as

Nuño of Saint Mary


Nonius Alvares Pereira
Nuno Álvares Pereira

Memorial

1 November

Profile

Cousin of the founder of the noble Braganza


family. Constable of the kingdom of Portugal, a
knight, and a prior in the Order of Saint John of
Jerusalem. Married. Career soldier, fighting for,
and a hero of Portuguese independence.
Widower. Lay-brother in the Order of Friars of
the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel at
Lisbon, Portugal in 1423, taking the name Nuño
of Saint Mary. Undertook the meanest duties in
the friary, begging alms from door to door.
Founded a monastery at Lisbon. Noted for a life
of prayer, penance, and devotion to Our Lady.

Born

24 June 1360 at Cernache do Bonjardim, Sertã, Castelo


Branco, Portgual

Died

1 November 1431 (Easter Sunday) at the Carmelite


monastery at Lisbon, Portugal of natural causes
tomb lost in the earthquake of 1755

Beatified

23 January 1918 by Pope Benedict XV (cultus


confirmation)

Canonized

26 April 2009 by Benedict XVI


Readings

O God, who called blessed Nonius to lay down


the weapons of this world and follow Christ under
the protection of the Blessed Virgin, grant through
the intercession of this former member of our
order that we too may deny ourselves and cling to
you with all our hearts. Through the same Jesus
Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen. - prayer from The Missal with Readings of
the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes,
and of Malta

Saint Rafael Arnáiz Barón


Also known as

María Rafael

Memorial

26 April

Profile

Oblate friar of the Order of Cistercians of the


Strict Observance (Trappist).

Born

9 April 1911 in Burgos, Spain

Died

26 April 1938 in Dueñas, Palencia, Spain

Venerated

7 September 1989 by Pope John Paul II (decree on


heroic virtues)
Beatified

27 September 1992 by Pope John Paul II

Canonized

11 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Saint Zygmunt Szcesny Felinski

Also known as

Sigimondo Felice Felinski


Sigismond Felix Felinski
Sigismondo Felice Felinski
Sigmund Felix Felinski
Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski
Zygmunt Szczêsny Feliñski

Memorial

17 September

Profile

Son of Gerard Felinski and Eva Wendorff, the


third of six childen in a proudly patriotic Polish
family. Two of his siblings died as children, and
his father died when Sigimondo was 11 years old.
His mother was arrested and exiled to Siberia in
1838 for her pro-Polish politics and for working to
improve the economic conditions of farmers.

Sigimondo studied mathematics at the University


of Moscow from 1840 to 1844, and French
literature at the Sorbonne and College de France
from 1847. There he became friends with Polish
emigres, writers and nationalists, and involved in
the failed revolt of Poznan in 1848. Tutor to the
Brzozowski family in Munich, Germany and
Paris, France from 1848 to 1850. Entered the
diocesan seminary of Zytomierz, Poland in 1851,
and then studied at the Catholic Academy of Saint
Petersburg. Ordained on 8 September 1855.
Assigned to the Dominican parish of Saint
Catherine of Siena in Saint Petersburg from 1855
to 1857. Spiritual director and professor of
philosophy of the Ecclesiastical Academy.
Founded the charitable group Recovery for the
Poor in 1856. Founded the Congregation of the
Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary in
1857.

Archbishop of Warsaw, Poland on 6 January


1862, arriving there on 9 February 1862. The city
had been under a state of seige by the Russians
since 1861, and the churches had been closed for
months. On 13 February 1862 Sigismond
reconsecrated the cathedral of Warsaw, and on 16
February he re-opened all the city's churches.
Warsaw continued in upheaval with regular
clashes between Russian and Polish nationalist
forces. He reformed parish life in his see,
revitalized charities, revamped the seminary
teaching, worked to free imprisoned priests,
helped start parochial schools and an orphanage,
and though he worked for elimination of
government meddling in the Church, the Russians
circulated the rumour that Sigismondo was a spy,
undermining his authority.

Following the bloody repression by the Russians


of the January Revolt of 1863, Sigimond resigned
from the Council of State, wrote to Emperor
Alexander II urging an end to violence, and
protested against the hanging of the Capuchin
Father Agrypin Konarski, chaplain of the "rebels".
In return, he was deported to Jaroslavl, Siberia on
14 June 1863 where he spent 20 years in exile. In
the refugee camps, he worked to organize the
priests and charitable work among his fellow
prisoners, even building a church.

Lengthy negotiations between Moscow and the


Vatican resulted in Sigimondo being freed in 1883.
On 15 March 1883, Pope Leo XIII transferred
him to the titular see of Tarsus where he lived his
final 12 years in semi-exile in southeastern Galizia
at Dzwiniaczka ministering to Ukranian and Polish
peasants, building a church, parochial school, and
a convent for the Franciscan Sisters of the Family
of Mary.

Born

1 November 1822 in Voyutin (Wojutyn), Poland (in


modern Ukraine)

Died

17 September 1895 in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland of


natural causes
buried in Krakow on 20 September 1895
relocated to Dzwiniacza on 10 October 1895
remains translated to the crypt of the Cathedral of Saint
John, Warsaw, Poland on 14 April 1921

Venerated

24 April 2001 by Pope John Paul II (decree on heroic


virtues)

Beatified

18 August 2002 by Pope John Paul II at Krakow,


Poland

Canonized

11 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Works
Conferences on Vocation
Faith and Atheism in the Search for Happiness
Memories (three editions)
Social Commitments in view of Christian Wisdom and
Atheism
Spiritual Conferences
Under the Guidance of Providence

Readings

I am convinced that by keeping my heart


uncontaminated, living in faith and in fraternal
love towards my neighbour, I will not go off the
path. These are my only treasures and are without
price. - Saint Zygmunt

Beatifications
Blessed Carlo Gnocchi
Memorial

28 February

Profile

Priest in the archdiocese of Milan, Italy.


Founder of the Fondazione Pro Juventute.

Born

25 October 1902 at San Colombano al Lambro, Italy

Died

28 February 1956 at Milan, Italy of natural causes

Venerated

20 December 2002 by Pope John Paul II


Beatified

25 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI


beatification recognition celebrated in the Piazza del
Duomo, in Milan, Italy

Blessed Ciriaco María Sancha Hervás


Profile

Ordained on 27 June 1858. Auxiliary


Bishop of Toledo, Spain, and Titular
Bishop of Areopolis on 28 January
1876. Bishop of Avila, Spain on 27
March 1882. Bishop of Madrid, Spain
on 10 April 1886. Archbishop of
Valencia, Spain on 6 October 1892.
Elevated to Cardinal-Priest of San Pietro in
Montorio on 18 May 1894 by Pope Leo XIII.
Founded the Congregation of the Sisters of
Charity of Cardinal Sancha. Archbishop of
Toledo, Spain and Patriarch of the West Indies on
24 March 1898. Participated in the conclave of
1903 that elected Pope Saint Pius X.

Born

18 June 1833 in Quintana del Pidio, Burgos, Spain

Died

25 February 1909 in Toledo, Spain of natural causes

Venerated

28 April 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Beatified
18 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI
beatification recognition celebrated in the cathedral of
Toledo, Spain, Archbishop Angelo Amato chief
celebrant

Blessed Émilie de Villeneuve


Profile

Nun. Founder of the Sisters of the


Immaculate Conception of Castres.

Born

9 March 1811 in Toulouse, Haute-


Garonne, France

Died

2 October 1859 in Castres, Tarn, France of natural


causes

Venerated

6 July >1991 by Pope John Paul II (decree of heroic


virtues)

Beatified

5 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI

Blessed Jakov Varingez

Also known as

Giacomo de Bitetto
Giacomo of Bitetto
Giacomo Varingez
James of Dalmatia
James of Illyricum
James of Sclavonia
James of Zara
James the Illyrian
James the Slav

Memorial

27 April

Profile

Son of Leonardo and Beatrice Varingez. Jakov


re-located to Bari, Italy to escape Turkish
invaders. There he felt a call to religious life and
joined the Order of Friars Minor at the friary of
Bitetto, Italy; he lived there nearly all the rest of
his life. He served as cook, alms-beggar, gardener,
porter, and sacristan. Known for being continually
in prayer, he was given to ecstasies, noted as a
miracle worker and for the ability to levitate. In
his 80's he worked with victims of the plague of
1482.

Born

c.1400 in Zadar, Zadarska, Croatia

Died

27 April 1496 in Bitetto, Bari, Italy


body incorrupt

Beatified

29 December 1700 by Pope Clement XI (cultus


confirmation)
19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of
heroic virtues)

Patronage
Bitetto, Italy

Blessed Joseph Kugler

Also known as

Brother Eustachius

Profile

Religious brother in the Order of the


Hospitallers of Saint John of God.

Born

15 January 1867 in Neuhaus, Bavaria, Germany

Died

10 June 1946 in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany of


natural causes

Venerated

19 December 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Beatified

4 October 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI


recognition celebrated at the Cathedral of Regensburg,
Germany by Archbishop Angelo Amato

Blessed Louis Rafiringa

Also known as

Brother Raphaël

Profile
Religious brother of the Institute of the
Brothers of the Christian Schools (De
La Salle Brothers).

Born

3 November 1856 in Antananarivo, Madagascar

Died

19 May 1919 in Fianarantsoa, Madagascar of natural


causes

Venerated

17 December 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree on


heroic virtues)

Beatified

7 June 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI


recognition celebrated by Archbishop Angelo Amato at
Antananarivo, Madagascar

Blessed Zoltan Lajos Meszlényi


Memorial

11 June

Profile

Ordained on 28 October 1915. Auxiliary


Bishop of Esztergom, Hungary and
Titular Bishop of Sinope on 22
September 1937. Martyred in the anti-Christian
persecutions of the Communists.

Born

2 January 1892 in Hatvan, Heves, Hungary


Died

11 June 1953 in Kistarcsa, Gödölloi, Hungary

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


martyrdom)

Beatified

1 November 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI


recognition Mass celebrated in the cathedral of
Esztergom, Hungary

Venerations
Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko
Memorial

19 October

Profile

Born to a farm family. Ordained on 28


May 1972 in the archdiocese of Warsaw,
Poland. Noted and vocal
anti-Communist preacher during the period of
Communist rule in Poland. Worked closely with
the anti-Communist Solidarity union movement.
When martial law was declared in Poland to
suppress opposition, the Church continued to
work against the Communists, and Father Jerzy's
sermons were broadcast on Radio Free Europe.
The secret police threatened and pressured him to
stop, but he ignored them. They trumped up
evidence and arrested him in 1983, but the
Church hierarchy indicated that they would fight
the charges; the false charges were dropped,
Father Jerzy was released, continued his work,
and was pardoned in a general amnesty of 22 July
1984. The Communists tried several times to kill
him and make it look like an accident or
anonymous attack, but they quit hiding their
intentions, and the secret police simply kidnapped
and killed Father Jerzy. Martyr.

Born

14 September 1947 in Okopy, Podlaskie, Poland

Died

kidnapped on 19 October 1984 by the Sluzba


Bezpieczenstwa (Security Service of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs), the Communist Polish secret police
beaten to death from 19 to 20 October 1984 near
Wloclawek, Pomorskie, Poland
body dumped in the Vistula Water Reservoir where it
was found on 30 October 1984
the murderers and their supervisor, Grzegorz Piotrowski,
Waldemar Chmielewski, Adam Pietruszka, and Leszek
Pêkala, were arrested, convicted of the crime, and
received light sentences
more than 250,000 attended Father Jerzy's funeral
buried at Saint Kostka's Church, Warsaw, Poland

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


martyrdom)

Beatified

6 June 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI


recognition celebrated at Pilsudski Square, Warsaw,
Poland, presided by Archbishop Angelo Amato
Blessed Josep Samsó y Elias

Memorial

1 September

Profile

Priest in the Archdiocese of Barcelona,


Spain. Archpriest of Santa Maria de
Mataro. Martyred in the persecution of
the Spanish Civil War.

Born

17 January 1887 in Castellbisball, Valles, Barcelona,


Spain

Died

martyred on 1 September 1936 in Mataró, Barcelona,


Spain

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


martyrdom)

Beatified

23 January 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI


recognition celebrated in the Basilica of Santa Maria in
Mataró, Barcelona, Spain, presided by Archbishop
Angelo Amato

Pope Venerable John Paul II

Also known as

Karol Wojtyla
Juan Pablo II
John Paul the Great

Profile

For many years Karol believed God was calling


him to the priesthood, and after surviving two
nearly fatal accidents, he responded to the call.
He studied secretly during the German occupation
of Poland, and was ordained on 1 November
1946. In these years he came to know and
practice the teachings of Saint Louis Marie
Montfort and Saint John of the Cross. Earned his
Doctorate in theology in 1948 at the Angelicum in
Rome, Italy.

Parish priest in the Krakow diocese from 1948 to


1951. Studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian
University at Krakow. Taught social ethics at the
Krakow Seminary from 1952 to 1958. In 1956 he
became a professor at the University of Lublin.
Venerable Pope Pius XII appointed Wojtyla an
auxiliary bishop in Krakow on 4 July 1958.
Servant of God, Pope Paul VI appointed him
Archbishop of Krakow on 30 December 1963.

Wojtyla proved himself a noble and trustworthy


pastor in the face of Communist persecution. A
member of the prepatory commission, he attended
all four sessions of Vatican II; is said to have
written Gaudium et spes, the document on the
Church in the Modern World. He also played a
prominent role in the formulation of the
Declaration on Religious Freedom. Following the
Council, Pope Paul VI, appointed Karol Wojtyla
cardinal on 26 June 1967.

In 1960 he published Love and Responsibility.


Pope Paul VI, delighted with its apologetical
defense of the traditional Catholic teaching of
marriage, relied extensively on Archbishop
Wojytla's counsel in writing Humanae Vitae. In
1976 he was invited by Pope Paul VI to preach
the lenten sermons to the members of the Papal
Household.

In 1978, Archbishop Wojtyla became the first


non-Italian pope since Adrian VI. He took the
name of his predecessors (John, Paul, John Paul)
to emphasize his desire to continue the reforms of
Vatican II.

John Paul II is the most traveled pope in history,


having visited nearly every country in the world
which would receive him. As the Vicar of Christ
he has consecrated each place that he has visited
to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On 13 May 1983 he
went to Fatima to consecrate the world to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. He later repeated the
consecration of the world to Mary in union with
all the Bishops of the Catholic Church, in
fulfillment of Our Lady's promises at Fatima.

In 1995, Pope John Paul II began a lengthy


catechisis on the Blessed Virgin Mary during his
weekly Angelus addresses, culminating with his
instruction on Our Lady's active participation in
the Sacrifice of Calvary. This active participation
of Our Lady at Calvary is called the
co-redemption. Already in 1982 and 1985 he had
used the term "corredemptrix" in reference to Our
Lady in public addresses. This is significant, for
he is the first Pope to do so since Pope Benedict
XV at whose prayer Our Lady came to Fatima to
reveal Her Immaculate Heart. Since the time of
Pope Benedict XV, this terminology was under
review by the Holy See; the present Pope's usage
is a confirmation of this traditional view of Mary's
role in salvation history.
Born

18 May 1920 as Karol Wojtyla at Wadowice, Poland

Papal Ascension

16 October 1978

Died

2 April 2005 at Rome, Italy of natural causes

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Readings

God is always on the side of the suffering. His


omnipotence is manifested precisely in the fact
that he freely accepted suffering. He could have
chosen not to do so. He could have chosen to
demonstrate his omnipotence even at the moment
of the Crucifixion. In fact, it was proposed to him:

"Let the Messiah, the King of Israel


come down now from the cross that
we may see and believe." (Mark
15.32)

But he did not accept that challenge. The fact that


he stayed on the Cross until the end, the fact that
on the Cross he could say, as do all who suffer,

"My God, my God, why have you


forsaken me?" (Mark 15.34)

If the agony on the Cross had not happened, the


truth that God is Love would have been
unfounded. Yes! God is Love and precisely for
this he gave his Son, to reveal himself completely
as Love. Christ is the One who "loved...to the
end." (John 13.1) "To the end" means to the last
breath. - Pope John Paul II from Crossing The
Threshold of Hope

To save means to liberate from evil. This does not


refer only to social evils, such as injustice,
coercion, exploitation. Nor does it refer only to
disease, catasrophes, natural cataclysms, and
everything that has been considered disaster in the
history of humanity. To save means to liberate
from radical, ultimate evil. Death itself is no
longer that kind of evil, if followed by the
Resurrection. And the Resurrection comes about
through the work of Christ. Through the work of
the Reddemer death ceases to be an ultimate evil;
it becomes subject to the power of life. The world
does no have such power. The world, which is
capable of perfecting therapeutic techniques in
various fields, does not have the power to liberate
man from death. And therefore the world cannot
be a source of salvation for man. Only God saves,
and He saves the whole of humanity in Christ. -
Pope John Paul II, from Cross the Threshold of
Hope

The essential usefulness of faith consists in the


fact that, through faith, man achieves the good of
his rational nature. And he achieves it by giving
his response to God, as is his duty - a duty not
only to God, but to himself. Christ did everything
in order to convince us of the importance of this
response. Man is called upon to give this response
with inner freedom so that it will radiate that
veritatis splendor (splendor of truth) so essential
to human dignity. Christ wants to awaken faith in
human hearts. He wants them to respond to the
word of the Father, but he wants this in full
respect for human dignity. In the very search for
faith an implicit faith is already present, and
therefore the necessary condition for salvation is
already satisfied. - Pope John Paul II, from
Crossing the Threshold of Hope

What emanates from the figure of Saint Joseph is


faith...Joseph of Nazareth is a "just man" because
he totally "lives by faith." He is holy because his
faith is truly heroic. Sacred Scripture says little of
him. It does not record even one word spoken
by Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth. And yet,
even without words, he shows the depth of his
faith, his greatness. Saint Joseph is a man of great
spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks
his own words, but above all because he listens to
the words of the Living God. He listens in silence.
And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the
readiness to accept the Truth contained in the
word of the Living God. We see how the word of
the Living God penetrates deeply into the sould of
that man, that just man. And we, do we know how
to listen to the word of God? Do we know how to
absorb it into the depths of our human
personalities? Do we open our conscience in the
presend of this word? - Pope John Paul II from
Daily Meditations

On my pastoral journeys around the world I


always try to meet representatives of the Jewish
community. But a truly exceptional experience
for me was cartainly my visit to the synagogue of
Rome. The history of the Jews in Rome is a
unique chapter in the history of the Jewish people,
a chapter closely linked for that matter to The
Acts of the Apostles. During that memorable visit,
I spoke of the Jews as our elder brothers in the
faith. These words were an expression both of the
Vatican Council's teaching and a profound
conviction of the part of the Church.... The New
Convent has its roots in the old. The time when
the people of the Old Covenant will be able to see
themselves as part of the New is a question to be
left to the Holy Spirit. We, as human beings, try
only not to put obstacles in the way. Forgive us,
Lord, when we fail to foster genuine
understanding between Christians and Jews. -
Pope John Paul II from Crossing the Threshold
of Hope

Many people today are disoriented and lost in


search of genuine fellowship. Often their lives are
either too superficial or shattered by brokenness.
Their work often is dehumanizing. They long for
an experience of genuine encounter with others,
for true fellowship. Well, is this not precisely the
vocation of a parish? Are we not called to be a
warm, brotherly family together? Are we not
people united together in the household of God
through our common life? Your parish is not
mainly a structure, a geographical area or a
building. The parish is first and foremost a
community of the faithful. This is the task of a
parish today: to be a community, to rediscover its
identity as a community. You are not a Christian
all by yourself. To be a Christian means to believe
and to live one's faith together with others. For we
are all members of the body of Christ.... For
fellowship to grow, the priest's role is not enough,
even though he plays an essential role. The
commitment of all parishioners is needed. Each of
their contributions is vital. - Pope John Paul II
from Draw Near to God

Pope Venerable Pius XII


Also known as

Eugenio Pacelli

Profile
Studied at the Pontifical Gregorian
University in Rome. Ordained on 2
April 1899. Staff member of the
Sacred Congregation of Extraordinary
Ecclesiastical Affairs from 1901 to 1911. From
1904 to 1916 he assisted Cardinal Gasparri in his
work to codify canon law. Undersecretary of the
Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical
Affairs on 7 March 1911; secretary on 1 February
1914. Appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Bavaria and
titular archbishop of Sardes by Pope Benedict XV
on 20 April 1917 Apostolic Nuncio in Germany
on 22 June 1920. Created cardinal-priest on 16
December 1929 by Pope Pius XI. Appointed
Secretary of State for Vatican City on 9 February
1930. Archpriest of Saint Peter's basilica on 25
March 1930. Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical
Institute of Christian Archeology on 10 March
1932. Papal legate to the 32nd International
Eucharistic Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina
on 16 September 1934. Camerlengo of the Holy
Roman Church on 1 April 1935. Papal legate to
the 34th International Eucharistic Congress in
Budapest, Hungary on 12 May 1938. During the
years that preceeded the Second World War, he
arranged concordants with Bavaria, Prussia,
Austria and Germany, and made diplomatic visits
throughout Europe and the Americas, including an
extensive visit to the United States in 1936. On 2
March 1939, Eugenio Pacelli was chosen the
260th pope, the first Secretary of State to be
elected since Clement IX in 1667.

Worked for peace both before and throughout


World War II. On 24 December 1942 and 2 June
1943, he forcefully denounced the extermination
of peoples on account of race. Through the
Pontifical Aid Commission, Pius XII operated a
vast program of relief to the victims of the war on
both sides, but especially to the Jewish people.
When Hitler occupied Rome on 10 September
1943, after the fall of the Italian government, the
Pope opened Vatican City to Jewish refugees. It is
estimated that Pius XII aided more than 1,500,000
refugees, including Jews, throughout the war,
especially by granting them Vatican citizenship.
Under his encouragement, a vast underground of
priests, religious, and laity throughout Italy,
served as a pipeline to save Jews and non-Jews
alike from the Nazi government. His efforts were
so sucessful that the leader of the Jewish
community in Rome praised him, and after the
war himself converted to Roman Catholicism.

Well-known for his writings, and for beginning the


theological preparations for Vatican II almost a
decade before it was convened under his sucessor,
Blessed Pope John XXIII. An ardent devotee of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary, he consecrated
the world to the Immaculate Heart in 1942, at the
request of Our Lady of Fatima. Established the
Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1945.
Promoted the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of
Mount Carmel and the Apostleship of Prayer.

Born

2 March 1876 in Rome, Italy as Eugenio Pacelli

Papal Ascension

elected 2 March 1939


crowned on 12 March 1939

Died

9 October 1958 at Castelgandolfo, Vatican City of


natural causes
buried in the grotto of Saint Peter's basilica

Venerated
19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of
heroic virtues)

Readings

Inspired by the grace of God, we join the saints in


honouring the holy virgin Frances Xavier Cabrini.
She was a humble woman who became
outstanding not because she was famous or rich or
powerful, but because she lived a virtuous life.
From the tender years of her youth, she kept her
innocence as white as a lily and preserved it
carefully with the thorns of penitence; as the
years progressed, she was moved by a certain
instinct and supernatural zeal to dedicate her
whole life to the service and greater glory of God.
She welcomed delinquent youths into safe homes,
and taught them to live upright and holy lives. She
consoled those who were in prison, and recalled
to them the hope of eternal life. She encouraged
prisoners to reform themselves, and to live honest
lives. She comforted the sick and the infirm in the
hospitals, and diligently cared for them. She
extended a friendly and helping hand especially to
immigrants, and offered them necessary shelter
and relief, for having left their homeland behind,
they were wandering about in a foreign land with
no place to turn for help. Because of their
condition, she saw that they were in danger of
deserting the practice of Christian virtues and
their Catholic faith. Undoubtedly she
accomplished all this through the faith which was
always so vibrant and alive in her heart; through
the divine love which burned within her; and
finally, through constant prayer by which she was
so closely united with God from whom she
humbly asked and obtained whatever her human
weakness could not obtain. - from a homily at the
Canonization of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini by
Pope Pius XII
It is well known how this young girl had to face a
bitter struggle with no way to defend herself.
Without warning a vicious stranger burst upon
her, bent on raping her and destrying her childlike
purity. In that moment of crisis she could have
spoken to her Redeemer in the words of that
classic, The Imitation of Christ: "Though tested
and plagued by a host of misfortunes, I have no
fear so long as your grace is with me. It is my
strength, stronger than any adversary; it helps me
and give me guidance." With splendid courage she
surrendered herself to God and his grace and so
gave her life to protect her virginity. The life of a
simple girl - I shall concern myself only with
highlights - we can see as worthy of heaven. Even
today people can look upon it with admiration and
respect. Parents can learn from her story how to
raise their God-given children in virtue, courage,
and holiness; they can learn to train them in the
Catholic faith so that, when put to the test, God's
grace will support them and they will come
through undefeated, unscathed, and untarnished.
From Maria's story carefree children and young
people with their zest for life can learn not to be
led astray by attractive pleasures which are not
only ephemeral and empty but also sinful. Instead
they can fix their sights on achieving Christian
moral perfection, however difficult that course
may prove. With determination and god's help all
of us can attain that goal by persistent effort and
prayer. Not all of us are expected to die a martyr's
death, but we are all called to the pursuit of
Christian virtue. So let us all, with God's grace,
strive to reach the goal that the example of the
virgin martyr, Saint Maria Goretti, sets before us.
Through her prayers to the Redeemer may all of
us, each in his own way, joyfully try to follow the
inspiring example of Maria Goretti who now
enjoys eternal happiness in heaven. - from a
homily by Pope Pius XII at the canonization of
Saint Maria Goretti

Venerable Anna Maria Janer Anglarill

Profile

Founded the Institute of Sisters of the


Holy Family of Urgell.

Born

18 December 1800 in Cervera, Lleida,


Spain

Died

11 January 1885 in Talarn, Lleida, Spain

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Venerable Antonia Maria Verna


Profile

Antonia early felt a call to religious life,


and as a teenager began caring for and
catechising children in her village.
Attended the Institute in San Giorgio
Canavese, simultaneously a student and a
teacher. In 1806, she and several
companions formed a group that would
become the Institute of the Sisters of Charity of
the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea, dedicated to
teaching and catechising children, and home care
for the sick; in 1819 they opened their first home,
on 7 March 1828 King Charles Felix gave secular
approval, and on 10 June 1828 her bishop gave
his approval. Antonio spent the rest of her life,
and ruined her health, in leading, promoting and
expanding the Institute.

Born

12 June 1773 in Pasquaro di Rivarolo Canavese, Turin,


Italy

Died

25 December 1838 in Pasquaro di Rivarolo Canavese,


Turin, Italy of natural causes
interred in the basement of her parish church

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Benoîte Rencurel


Profile

Lay woman of the diocese of Gap,


France. Member of the Lay
Dominicans.

Born

September 1647 in Saint-Étienne-


du-Laus, Hautes-Alpes, France

Died

28 December 1718 in Saint-Étienne-du-Laus, Hautes-


Alpes, France of natural causes

Venerated
3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic
virtues)

Venerable Carolina Beltrami

Profile

Founder of the Institute of the


Immaculatine Sisters of Alessandria.

Born

4 August 1869 in Alessandria, Italy

Died

8 April 1932 in Alessandria, Italy of natural causes

Venerated

17 January 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Engelmar Unzeitig


Also known as

Angel of Dachau
Hubert Unzeitig

Profile

Professed priest in the Congregation of


Missionaries of Mariannhill, ordained
in 1939 and taking the name Engelmar. Parish
priest in Glöckelberg, Czech Republic. Arrested
by the Nazi Gestapo on 21 April 1941 for the
crime of being a priest, he was sent to the Dachau
concentration camp where he ministered to other
prisoners. He learned Russian so he could minister
to prisoners from Eastern Europe. He volunteered
to tend to prisoners suffering from typhoid and
died of the disease himself.

Born

1 March 1911 in Czech Republic as Hubert Unzeitig

Died

2 March 1945 in Dachau, Oberbayern, Germany of


typhoid fever

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Readings

Whatever we do, whatever we want, is surely


simply the grace that carries us and guides us.
God’s almighty grace helps us overcome
obstacles.

Love doubles our strength, makes us inventive,


makes us feel content and inwardly free. If people
would only realise what God has in store for those
who love him!

Even behind the hardest sacrifices and worst


suffering stands God with his Fatherly love, who
is satisfied with the good will of his children and
gives them and others happiness.’

- from letters written from the Dachau


concentration camp by Father Engelmar to his
sister
Venerable Francesca Farolfi

Also known as

Maria Chiara Serafina of Jesus

Profile

Daughter of Uttilia Santandrea and Frederick


Farolfi. Educated in Borgo Tossignano, Italy and
Ravenna, Italy. Worked as a teacher. Drawn to
the religious life, on 28 October 1875 she made
her vows, taking the name Maria Chiara Serafina
of Jesus. Founder of the Missionary Franciscan
Clarists of the Blessed Sacrament on 1 May
1898.

Born

7 October 1853 in Borgo Tossignano, Bologna, Italy as


Francesca Farolfi

Died

18 June 1917 in Bertinoro, Forlì, Italy

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Franz Joseph Rudigier


Also known as

Franz Joseph Rudiger

Profile

Ordained in the diocese of Bressanone,


Italy on 12 April 1835. Bishop of the
diocese of Linz, Austria on 19 December 1852; he
served for over 31 years.

Born

7 April 1811 in Partenen, Vorarlberg, Austria

Died

29 November 1884 in Linz, Oberösterreich, Austria of


natural causes

Venerated

3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Venerable Georg Häfner


Profile

Priest in the diocese of Würzburg,


Germany. Arrested by the Nazis and
sent to die in the concentration camps
for his faith. Martyr.

Born

19 October 1900 in Würzburg, Germany

Died

20 August 1942 in Dachau, Oberbayern, Germany

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


martyrdom)
Venerable Giacomo Gaglione

Profile

Lifelong lay man in the diocese of


Caserta, Italy. Member of the Secular
Franciscans. Founder of the
Association of the Apostolate of
Suffering.

Born

20 July 1896 in Marcianise, Caserta, Italy

Died

28 May 1962 in Capodrise, Caserta, Italy

Venerated

3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Venerable Giunio Tinarelli


Also known as

Apostle of the Sick


Junius Tinarelli

Profile

Son of Alfredo and Maria Giorgini


Tinarelli. Giunio was a religious boy,
which put him in conflict with his irreligious
father; Giunio had to be baptized in secret
because of his father's opposition to the Church.
The boy worked in a printing plant at age 12, a
lock and key factory at age 14, a steel mill at age
16, and then as a locomotive mechanic. At the age
of 25, however, he began to suffer from severe
rheumatoid arthritis and spondylitis deformans; he
was forced him to quit work, was soon
bed-ridden, and by age 28 he was paralyzed. His
marriage plans ended, Giunio found himself
completely helpless, he began to despair, and
suffered a crisis of faith. However, with the help
of his friends in the local Oratory of Saint
Gabriel, Giunio soon recovered his faith and
began looking for a way to serve from his bed.
Pilgrim to Lourdes, France in 1948. Member of
the Pious Union of the Silent Workers of the
Cross and worked with the Volunteer Center of
Suffering. He worked spiritual retreats for other
people with severe illnesses, and in 1953 was
appointed lay director of the men of the Silent
Workers of the Cross. Crippled as he was, Giunio
still found a way to be Church and bring the
Church to others.

Born

27 May 1912 in Terni, Italy

Died

14 January 1956 in Terni, Italy

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Giuseppe Marcinò

Also known as

Innocenzo of Caltagirone

Profile
Capuchin priest.

Born

24 October 1589 in Caltagirone, Catania, Sicily, Italy

Died

16 November 1655 in Caltagirone, Catania, Sicily, Italy


of natural causes

Venerated

3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Venerable Giuseppe Quadrio

Also known as

Joseph Quadrio

Profile

Born to a poor but pious peasant family, the son


of Augustine and Jacqueline Robustelli; at age 8
he developed his own rule for life which included
the phrase, I" will try to become a saint."Studied at
the Institute of Ivrea. Entered the Salesian
Society of Saint John Bosco in 1937, having
developed a great admiration for Saint John Bosco
after having read a biography of him. Studied
philosophy at the Gregorian University in Rome,
Italy. Taught seminarians in Foglizzo, Italy.
Though he tried to work behind the scenes,
Giuseppe developed a reputation for personal
holiness. He worked to obtain care for children
orphaned by World War II. Ordained in 1947.
Awarded a degree in theology in 1949. Taught at
the Pontifical Salesian University in Turin, Italy.
Dean of the theology faculty in 1954. In 1960 he
was diagnosed with malignant lymphogranuloma.
He worked as long as he could and fought the
disease as long as he could, and became known
for the support and comfort he gave to other
patients and to hospital staff.

Born

28 November 1921 at Vervio, Sondrio, Italy

Died

23 October 1963 in Turin, Italy of complications from


malignant lymphogranuloma

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Jane Ward


Also known as

Mary Ward

Profile

Mary was raised in a pious family, and


early felt drawn to the religious life. In
1606 she entered the Poor Clare convent
at Saint-Omer, France as a lay sister. Founded a
Poor Clare house for English sisters in Gravelines,
France in 1607. However, feeling drawn to an
active rather than contemplative life, she and
several like-minded women founded a religious
community and a school for girls in Saint-Omer in
1609. She wanted to form a women's equivalent
of the Jesuits, but the idea of non-cloistered nuns
was a radical one at the time, and though her
school was a success, the combination of active
nuns, English women in France, and a
congregation modelled on the Jesuits led to
suspicion and opposition, both in the laity and the
Church hierarchy. She had many powerful
supporters, including Pope Paul V, Pope Gregory
XV, and Pope Urban VIII, and in 1629 she spoke
to the college of cardinals in support of her
community and her ideal of an active religious life
for women. Her community was suppressed in
1630. However, Pope Urban VIII invited her to
Rome, Italy where she gathered a group of her
like-minded sisters under the protection of the
pope. In 1639 she returned to London, England,
and 1642 moved north to found a convent in
Hewarth, Yorkshire, England. Her original
institute was eventually revived and received
papal approval of its rule by Pope Clement XI in
1703, and as an institute by Pope Pius IX in 1877.
Founder of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin
Mary (Loreto Sisters) and Congregatio Iesu.

Born

23 January 1585 in Mulwith, Yorkshire, England

Died

30 January 1645 in Hewarth, Yorkshire, England

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Johann Evangelist Wagner


Profile
Priest of the diocese of Augsburg,
Germany.

Born

5 December 1807 in Dattenhausen bei


Dillingen, Schwaben, Germany

Died

10 October 1886 in Dillingen, Schwaben, Germany

Venerated

3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Venerable Juan de Palafox Mendoza


Profile

Ordained in 1629. Bishop of Tlaxcala,


México on 3 October 1639. Bishop of
Osma, Spain on 24 November 1653.

Born

24 June 1600 in Fitero, Navarra, Spain

Died

1 October 1659 in Osma, Soria, Spain

Venerated

17 January 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Lliberada Ferrarons-Vivés


Profile

Lay woman in the diocese of Girona,


Spain. Member of the Lay Carmelites.

Born

19 April 1803 in Olot, Girona, Spain

Died

21 June 1842 in Olot, Girona, Spain of natural causes

Venerated

17 January 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Louis Alexander Alphonse Brisson


Also known as

Alois Brisson

Profile

The only child of Toussaint and Savine


Brisson. Educated by a local priest who had
a large library; Louis read everything, but
was especially interested in science. Seminarian in
Troyes, France. Ordained on 19 December 1840.
Teacher at the Visitation school in Troyes.
Chaplain to the Visitation Sisters in Troyes.
Confessor, spiritual director and eventual
biographer of Mother Marie Therese de Sales
Chappuis, superior of the Visitation house. With
her help, and that of Saint Francisca Salesia, he
founded the Oblate Sisters of Saint Francis de
Sales in 1859 to minister to girls working in textile
factories. Established Saint Bernard's College in
Troyes in 1869. On 27 August 1876, Louis and
five other priests formed the Oblates of Saint
Francis de Sales. Late in his life, the French
government closed all religious houses, and the
Oblates transferred their General House to Rome,
Italy; being too elderly and frail to travel so far,
Father Louis saw them off and then retired to
spend his remaining days at his family home in
Plancy, France.

Born

23 June 1817 in Plancy-l'Abbaye, Aube, France

Died

2 February 1908 in Plancy-l'Abbaye, Aube, France

Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Readings

Lord, please visit and protect the family of the


Oblate Sisters and of the Oblates of Saint Francis
de Sales, which is the vine your powerful hand
has planted through the work of your servant,
Louis Brisson, OSFS. For the glory of your Name,
make this family grow in your love, and grant to
it, for the joy of the whole Church, the recognition
of the untiring zeal of its Founder for the Gospel
and of his heroic courage in the midst of trials. We
ask through through our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen. - Prayer
for the Beatification of Father Louis Brisson,
OSFS

Hold the child in high esteem and instead of


frustrating, lend a hand to the work grace
accomplishes in these young souls. - Venerable
Louis to the members of the Oblates of Saint
Francis

Venerable Manuela de Jesús Arias Espinosa


Also known as

Sister María Inés Teresa of the Blessed


Sacrament

Profile

Founder of the Congregations of the


Poor Clare Missionary Sisters of the
Blessed Sacrament. Founder of the Missionaries
of Christ for the Universal Church.

Born

7 July 1904 in Ixtlán del Rio, Nayarit, Mexico

Died

22 July 1981 in Rome, Italy

Venerated

3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Venerable Maria Angela Alfieri


Also known as

Angel of San Vittore


Mother of San Vittore
Sister Enrichetta
Sister Henrietta

Profile

Nun, entering the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joan


Antida Thouret on 20 December 1911, taking the
name Enrichetta. She taught kindergarten in
Vercelli, Italy for several years, but in 1917 she
contracted Pott's disease, a form of tuberculosis of
the spine, and she was forced to stop working. A
pilgrimage to Lourdes, France did nothing for her,
but she was healed on 25 February 1923 through
the intercession of Mary Immaculate. She
recovered so completely that on 24 May 1923 she
began prison ministry at San Vittore Prison in
Milan, Italy. Her work with the prisoners was a
great success, and she became known as the
Mother and Angel of San Vittore.

When World War II broke out, San Vittore prison


became an SS headquarters and holding area for
Jews being sent to the concentration camps. Sister
Enrichetta did what she could to help those
prisoners, as well. When she tried to send
messages between prisoners planning an escape,
she was caught, imprisoned for several weeks, and
sentenced to death. She was released through the
intervention of Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso
Schuster, Archbishop of Milan. Sister Enrichetta
was transferred to the provincial house in Brescia,
Italy, where she wrote an account of her
imprisonment.

Born

23 February 1891 at Borgo Vercelli, Vercelli, Italy

Died

23 November 1951 in Milan, Italy of natural causes


Venerated

19 December 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable María Isabel Salvat Romero


Also known as

María de la Purísima of the Cross

Profile

Nun in the Institute of the Sisters of the


Company of the Cross. Superior general
of her Order.

Born

20 February 1926 in Madrid, Spain

Died

31 October 1998 in Seville, Spain of natural causes

Venerated

17 January 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Maria Rita Lópes Pontes de Souza


Brito
Also known as

Sister Dulce

Profile

Nun in the Congregation of the


Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate
Conception.

Born

26 May 1914 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Died

13 March 1992 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil of natural


causes

Venerated

3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Venerable Maria Serafina of the Sacred Heart


Also known as

Clotilde Micheli
Maria Serafina del Sacro Cuore di Gesu
Micheli
Seraphina Micheli

Profile

Founder the Institute of the Sisters of the Angels


on 28 June 1891 devoted to adoration of the Holy
Trinity, similar to the life of the angels. There
were 15 houses founded during her lifetime, and
today they work in Italy, Brazil, Indonesia, Benin
and the Philippines.

Born

11 September 1849 in Imér, Trent, Italy

Died
24 March 1911 in Faicchio, Benevento, Italy

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)

Beatified

on 1 July 2010 Pope Benedict XVI approved the


promulgation of a decree of a miracle attributed to the
intercession of Venerable Serafina

Venerable Robert Spiske


Profile

Priest in the diocese of Wroclaw,


Poland. Founder of the Congregation
of the Sisters of Saint Hedwig.

Born

29 January 1821 in Lesnica


(Leschnitz), Opolskie (Poland)

Died

5 March 1888 in Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland of


natural causes

Venerated

17 January 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


heroic virtues)

Venerable Teofilo Fernández de Legaria Goñi


Also known as
Benjamín Fernández de Legaria Goñi

Profile

Professed priest in the Congregation of the


Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Martyred in
the persecutions of the Spanish Civil War.

Born

5 July 1898 in Torralba de Río, Navarra, Spain

Died

11 August 1936 in El Escorial, Madrid, Spain

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of


martyrdom)

Venerable Teresa Candamo Álvarez-Calderon


Also known as

Sister Teresa of the Cross

Profile

Founder of the Canonesses of the


Cross.

Born

19 August 1875 in Lima, Peru

Died

24 August 1953 in Lima, Peru of natural causes

Venerated
3 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic
virtues)

Blessed Teresa Manganiello

Memorial

3 November

Also known as

Maria Luisa Manganiello

Profile

Born to a farm family. Lifelong lay woman in the


Diocese of Benevento, Italy. She was strongly
drawn to the religious life, and became a Secular
Franciscan Tertiary. Having received the blessing
of Pope Blessed Pius IX for her project, Teresa
was in the process of forming a new congregation
when she died of a sudden illness. However, her
work led to the creation of the Franciscan
Immaculatine Sisters by Father Lodovico
Acernese, and Teresa is considered the spiritual
cornerstone of the congregation.

Born

1 January 1849 in Montefusco, Avellino, Italy

Died

3 November 1876 in Montefusco, Avellino, Italy of


natural causes

Venerated

3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of heroic


virtues)
Beatified

22 May 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI


beatification recognition celebrated at the Square of the
Basilica of Madonna delle Grazie, Benevento, Italy,
presided by Archbishop Angelo Amato

About This eBook


The articles for this little book were taken from the saint
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are available at Saints.SQPN.com, and it's just a small part of
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