Communion of Saints
The great cloud of witnesses — explore the lives, feast days, and patronages of holy men and women who shaped the Church throughout history.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…" Hebrews 12:1
Image: Detail | Ceiling of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Santa Maria Immacolata a via Veneto, Rome | photo by Livioandronico Saint of the Day for August 15 (1st. century) The Story of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption o...
Image: Stained glass window in St. Peter Church | Jaffa | photo by yiftah-s Saints of the Day for July 7 (1804 – 1860) Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions’ Story Not much is known of the early life of Emmanuel Ruiz, but details of his heroic death in defense of the faith have come down to us. Born...
Image: CNS-McGivney beatification Saint of the Day for August 13 (August 12, 1852 – August 14, 1890) Blessed Michael McGivney’s Story The eldest son of an immigrant Irish family in Connecticut, young Michael left school at 13 to work in a brass factory making spoons. At 16 Michael J. McGivney began...
Image: Blessed Solanus Casey Shrine | Saint Mary Magdalen Church, Brighton, Michigan | photo by Nheyob Saint of the Day for July 30 (November 25, 1875 – July 31, 1957) Blessed Solanus Casey’s Story Barney Casey became one of Detroit’s best-known priests even though he was not allowed to preach forma...
Image: Blessed Stanley Rother | CNS photo/Charlene Scott Saint of the Day for July 28 (March 27, 1935 – July 28, 1981) Blessed Stanley Rother’s Story On May 25, 1963, Stanley Francis Rother, a farmer’s son from Okarche, Oklahoma, was ordained for his home diocese of Oklahoma City-Tulsa. Having flunk...
Image: Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome | photo by Gary Ullah from UK Saint of the Day for August 5 (Completed in 1743) The Story of the Dedication of Saint Mary Major Basilica First raised at the order of Pope Liberius in the mid-fourth century, the Liberian basilica was rebuilt by Pope Sixtus III shortl...
Image: Christian heroes and martyrs | William A. Foster | The Library of Congress Saint of the Day for June 30 (d. 64) First Martyrs of the Church of Rome’s Story There were Christians in Rome within a dozen or so years after the death of Jesus, though they were not the converts of the “Apostle of t...
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 window of Saint Alphonse Liguori | Carlow Cathedral | Franz Mayer & Co. (Mayer & Co. of Munich) Saint of the Day for August 1 (September 27, 1696 – August 1, 1787) Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s Story Moral theology, Vatican II said, should be more thoroughly nourished by Scripture,...
Image: Sculpture of Saint Anthony Zaccaria, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican | Cesare Aureli Saint of the Day for July 5 (1502 – July 5, 1539) Saint Anthony Zaccaria’s Story At the same time that Martin Luther was attacking abuses in the Church, a reformation within the Church was already being atte...
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: Stained glass window of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and companions | The Hong Kong Catholic Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception | photo by hugo poon Saints of the Day for July 9 (d. 1648 – 1930) Saint Augustine Zhao Rong’s and Companions’ Stories Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria...
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...
Image: Stained glass representing St. Bernard of Clairvaux | photo by Jastrow (2006) Saint of the Day for August 20 (1090 – August 20, 1153) Saint Bernard of Clairvaux’s Story Man of the century! Woman of the century! You see such terms applied to so many today—“golfer of the century,” “composer of...
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...
Born c.610 in East Anglia (part of modern England) Died • 17 June 680 of natural causes following a lengthy illness • he died while being carried to chapel for compline services • buried at Ikanhoe
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: Saint Cajetan sculptor: Pedro Alonso de los Ríos Saint of the Day for August 7 (October 1, 1480 – August 7, 1547) Saint Cajetan’s Story Like most of us, Saint Cajetan seemed headed for an “ordinary” life—first as a lawyer, then as a priest engaged in the work of the Roman Curia. Saint Cajetan...