Although there is some question about his early life, it seems that St. Arsenius was born in Rome around the year 354, became a deacon, and later tutor to the sons of the Emperor Theodosius I of Constantinople. He lived…

St. Frederick, grandson of King Radbon of the Frisians, was educated by the clergy of the church of Utrecht, and later became a priest known for his great piety and learning. He was placed in charge of instructing catechumens and…

In September of 1792, by decree of the French Revolution’s National Assembly, the Carmelites of Compiègne, France, had been cast out of their convent and forced to live as private citizens. Though they had been required to give up their…

John Gualbert (or Gualberto) was born in Florence around the year 993. Born into a noble family, John lived a life of leisure and amusement while he trained to be a soldier. Tragedy struck while he was still a young…

Antony and his successor, Theodosius, are credited with being the founders of Russian monasticism. The monastery they founded in Kiev was not the first monastery in Russia, but it was the first established by Russians for Russians.

Saint Antony, born in…

On July 9, 1572, nineteen priests and religious were put to death by hanging at Briel, the Netherlands. They had been captured in Gorkum on June 26 by a band of Calvinist pirates called the Watergeuzen (sea-beggars) who were opposed…

These two men lived in England at a time when the practice of one’s Catholic faith meant imprisonment and possible execution. Ralph Milner was an elderly, illiterate farmer, the father of eight children, from Flacstead, Hampshire. He was brought up…

Bernardino Realino was born into a noble family of Capri, Italy, in 1530. After an excellent Christian education received at home from his mother, he went on to study medicine and law at the University of Bologna, receiving his doctorate…

Miguel José Serra was born November 24, 1713 on the Spanish island of Majorca. At 17, he joined the Franciscans and took the name Junípero after St. Francis’ much-loved friend. He was ordained a priest in 1737 and became a…

Josemaría Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902. At a young age, he felt a calling to the priesthood and to some other unknown work that the Lord had planned for him. After his ordination in 1925,…

Born in Vercelli, Italy in 1085, William was orphaned at an early age and raised by relatives. At the age of 14 or 15, he went on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. After his return, he decided to…

The feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is one of the oldest feasts in the liturgy of the Church. Unlike other saints whose feast days are usually celebrated on the anniversary of their deaths — considered the…

Most of our information on Joseph Cafasso comes from his protégé, Don Bosco, who wrote the saint’s biography. Joseph had served as Don Bosco’s teacher, advisor, spiritual director, and faithful friend since they met in 1827 when Don Bosco was…

The fifth century bishop and poet St. Paulinus of Nola (354?-431) was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul (modern-day France). His family’s wealth insured his rapid rise in Roman society; Paulinus became a distinguished lawyer and held several…

Born in Frosinone, Campania, Italy, Silverius was a subdeacon, when, on the death of Pope St. Agapetus, he was named pope in 536 by Ostrogoth King Theodehad of Italy. By the time he was consecrated, he had been formally accepted…

Emily, born in Gaillac, France, in 1797, was the daughter of Baron James de Vialar and Antoinette de Portal. She was educated in Paris, but returned home when she was 15 after the death of her mother. Life with her…

Gregory was born in Venice to a noble family on September 16, 1625. At the age of 23, he accompanied the Venetian ambassador to Munster for the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia, ending the Thirty Years’ War. While there,…

Born in Fontcouverte, France, on January 31, 1597, John was the son of a rich merchant. He studied at the Jesuit college of Béziers, joined the order in 1615, and was ordained in 1631. He was assigned to missionary work…

St. Norbert (1080?-1134) was born of a noble Rhineland family, and until about age thirty-five led the life of a courtier at various princely courts. Then, following a narrow escape from death, he underwent a conversion and dedicated his life…

On January 6, 1412, Joan of Arc (or Jeanne d’Arc, as she is known in France) was born to pious parents of the French peasant class, at the obscure village of Domrémy, near the province of Lorraine. Joan seems to…

Margaret Plantagenet, daughter of the Duke of Clarence and niece of King Edward IV and Richard III of England, was born in 1471 at Farley Castle near Bath, England. When she was about 20 years old, she married Sir Richard…

Donatian and Rogatian were brothers of a notable Roman-Gallo family living in Nantes, Brittany. Donatian had become a convert to Christianity and led such an edifying life that his brother Rogatian was eventually moved to desire the sacrament of baptism.…

St. John was born in Voltaggio, Italy, in 1698, one of four children. When he was young, a nobleman and his wife who spent their summers in Voltaggio took him back to Genoa to be trained in their home. He…

In 1381, St. Rita was born in Spoleto, Italy, to elderly parents who were such examples of Christian charity that they were known as “Peacemakers of Jesus Christ.” As devout as they were, however, they seem to have been somewhat…

Peter was born in 1210 in Isernia in the Abruzzi, Italy, the eleventh of twelve children of peasant parents. At the age of 20, he became a hermit on Monte Morrone in the Abruzzi hills. He left his hermitage to…

St. Pascal Baylon was born in Spain in May of 1540. His parents, who were virtuous peasants, named him Pascal because he was born on the Feast of Pentecost, which in Spain is called "the Pasch of the Holy Ghost."

In…

Born John Wölflein or Welflin, in Nepomuk, Bohemia, in 1340, Saint John used the name of his native town for his surname instead of his family name. He studied theology and law at the University of Prague and was eventually…

Born in France, Peter joined the Cistercian order at the age of 20 and also persuaded his father and two brothers to join him in the monastery at Bonnevaux. By the time he was 30, he had been chosen abbot of a new Cistercian house in the Tarentaise mountains, overlooking the pass which was the chief route from Geneva to Savoy, and there he built a hospice for travelers and the sick. Peter enjoyed humbly serving and conversing with the strangers who sought the hospitality of the monks.

In 1142, he was elected Archbishop of Tarentaise, which was very much against his wishes. Reluctantly Peter set about the renovation of the diocese, which was in complete disorder from his incompetent predecessor. He replaced the corrupt cathedral clergy with canons regular of the Order of Saint Augustine, helped the poor, arranged for the education of the young, and was known for his miracles, which included physical healings and the multiplication of provisions during famines.

At the beginning of the Moslem rule in Cordova, Spain, during the 8th century, Christians were allowed to practice their Faith; later, however, when the domination became complete, the Mohammedan leaders began a systematic persecution of the Christians. One of…

Francis was born near Taranto, Italy in 1642, the oldest of 11 children. At the age of 12, he was accepted for education by a group of secular priests living in community. Recognizing his intelligence, the fathers promoted him to…

Although St. Anthony is usually considered the founder of Christian monasticism, it was really St. Pachomius who began monasticism as we know it today. He was the first monk to organize hermits into groups and provide them with a written…

Born in France, Peter joined the Cistercian order at the age of 20 and also persuaded his father and two brothers to join him in the monastery at Bonnevaux. By the time he was 30, he had been chosen abbot…

John was born in the 7th century in Harpham, Yorkshire, England. As a young man he studied for the priesthood and monastic life under Saints Adrian and Theodore in Kent. On his return to Yorkshire, he became a monk at…

In 1381, St. Rita was born in Spoleto, Italy, to elderly parents who were such examples of Christian charity that they were known as “Peacemakers of Jesus Christ.” As devout as they were, however, they seem to have been somewhat…

The son of a notary, Antoninus was born in Florence, Italy, in 1389. Very little is known about his early life, except that he was a frail and lovable child and that he was always drawn to God and to…