Saints & Feast Days

Image: Saint Bridget of Sweden | Line engraving | Wellcome Images Saint of the Day for July 23 (c. 1303 – July 23, 1373) Saint Bridget of Sweden’s Story From age 7 on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity rather th...

Image: Statue of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi on the church at the Capuchin Friary and Seminary | photo by threecharlie Saint of the Day for July 21 (July 22, 1559 – July 22, 1619) Saint Lawrence of Brindisi’s Story At first glance, perhaps the most remarkable quality of Lawrence of Brindisi is his ou...

Image: Saint Camillus de Lellis in facade of church Santa Maria Maddalena | photo by Livioandronico2013 Saint of the Day for July 18 (1550 – July 14, 1614) Saint Camillus de Lellis’ Story Humanly speaking, Camillus was not a likely candidate for sainthood. His mother died when he was a child, his fa...

Image: Stained glass window at Saint Mary MacKillop shrine, Penola South Australia | photo by Pru.mitchell Saint of the Day for July 19 (January 15, 1842 – August 8, 1909) Saint Mary MacKillop’s Story If Saint Mary MacKillop were alive today, she would be a household name. It’s not that she sought t...

Image: Statue of Saint Apollinaris in Santa Maria del Suffragio, Ravenna | José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro Saint of the Day for July 20 (d. c. 79) Saint Apollinaris’ Story According to tradition, Saint Peter sent Saint Apollinaris to Ravenna, Italy, as its first bishop. His preaching of the Good News wa...

Image: Saint Francis Solanus statue at Howard University School of Divinity | photo by Jim McIntosh Saint of the Day for July 17 (March 10, 1549 – July 14, 1610) Saint Francis Solano’s Story Francis came from a leading family in Andalusia, Spain. Perhaps it was his popularity as a student that enabl...

Image: The Virgin of the Carmelitas | unknown Saint of the Day for July 16 Our Lady of Mount Carmel The Story of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Hermits lived on Mount Carmel near the Fountain of Elijah in northern Israel in the 12th century. They had a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. By the 13th century the...

Image: Stained glass of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha | Saint Stephen Catholic Church, Chesapeake, Virginia | photo by Nheyob Saint of the Day for July 14 (1656 – April 17, 1680) Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s Story The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and Jean...

Image: The Prayer of St. Bonaventura about the Selection of the New Pope | Francisco de Zurbarán Saint of the Day for July 15 (1221 – July 15, 1274) Saint Bonaventure’s Story Perhaps not a household name for most people, Saint Bonaventure, nevertheless, played an important role in both the medieval...

Image: Stained glass window of Saint Henry | photo by Lawrence, OP | flicker Saint of the Day for July 13 (May 6, 972 – July 13, 1024) Saint Henry’s Story As German king and Holy Roman Emperor, Saint Henry was a practical man of affairs. He was energetic in consolidating his rule. He crushed rebelli...

Image: Forty Martyrs of England and Wales commissioned by the General Postulation of the Society of Jesus | Daphne Pollen Saints of the Day for July 12 Saint John Jones (c.1530 – 1598) and Saint John Wall (1620 – 1679) Saint John Jones’ and Saint John Wall’s stories These two friars were martyred in...

Image: Patriarch of Western Monks | Saint Benedict | photo by Lawrence, OP Saint of the Day for July 11 (c. 480 – c. 547) Saint Benedict’s Story It is unfortunate that no contemporary biography was written of a man who has exercised the greatest influence on monasticism in the West. Benedict is well...