For the longest time in my young life, I wanted to play piano. There was one at my Gram's house I wasn't allowed to play; the closest I was allowed to get to it was sitting on its bench at extended family holiday dinners. There was also a piano at my Grandma's house, but we … Continue reading Bl. Dina Belanger- September 4
St. Phoebe- deacon, friend of St. Paul, cool kid at Corinth
Ingrid caught my eye because she's sort of related to St. Bridget of Sweden, she was a widow and started a convent, and there was some hesitation in canonizing her. She is also purported to be a mystic, which always just fascinates me. Ordinary people participating in extraordinary things– this is what God invites us to … Continue reading St. Ingrid of Sweden- September 2
Not gonna lie, I first decided to look up this saint because she was listed as "St. Beatrix" on a calendar I found. What I found in her, though, was a patient woman, a good confidant, and a devotion to living in virtue. In Portuguese, her name is Beatriz de Meneses da Silva, which is … Continue reading St. Beatriz da Silva Meneses- September 1
A miracle involving Andrew the Scot also happened at Fiesole. The daughter of a nobleman was paralyzed and doctors were unable to help her. Her father asked Andrew to pray for her. Andrew went to the girl, knelt beside her couch, and told her to stand for Jesus had healed her. The girl did just … Continue reading St. Andrew the Scot
To attend seminary, Pius X was granted a scholarship. While there, he excelled at classics, philosophy, and theology. He was then ordained a priest and further studied St. Thomas Aquinas and canon law. He restored the church at Salzano and expanded the hospital by begging for the funds and also laboring to make the money. … Continue reading Pope St. Pius X
Bernard, what to say about him. My favorite thing about this great saint is that he composed my favorite prayer, the Memorare: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.Inspired by this confidence, I fly … Continue reading St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Emily refused her father's plans for her to marry, as she was certain her vocation laid elsewhere. She successfully convinced her father to build a convent for her, instead. This was the first of the Dominican regular tertiaries and Emily became abbess when she was only twenty years old. However, she was elected prioress against … Continue reading Bl. Emily Bicchieri
"I hold that every poor man, every vagrant, every beggar is Christ carrying his cross. And as Christ, we must love and help him. We must treat him as a brother, a human being like ourselves. If we were to start a campaign of love for the poor and homeless, we would, in a short time, do away with depressing scenes of begging, children sleeping in doorways and women with babies in their arms fainting in our streets." -St. Alberto Hurtado, S.J.
What Jeanne reminds us is that grace works in us over time. We might not have a great "St. Paul" conversion story but might labor little by little throughout our lives, gradually becoming closer to God, more open to grace, and holier. Like Jeanne, we should never become discouraged but rather trust in God and … Continue reading St. Jeanne Delanoue
