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: Blessed Claudio Granzotto | photo by Infovalli It | flickr Saint of the Day for September 6 (August 23, 1900 – August 15, 1947) Blessed Claudio Granzotto’s Story Born in Santa Lucia del Piave near Venice, Claudio was the youngest of nine children and was accustomed to hard work in the fields....
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: Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, St Magn Basilica, Füssen, Germany | photo by Myke Rosenthal Saint of the Day for October 12 (January 11, 1819 – October 4, 1867) Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos’ Story Zeal as a preacher and a confessor led Father Seelos to works of compassion as well. B...
Image: Blessed Frédéric Ozanam. Frontispiece from Complete Works of Frederic Ozanam, Lecoffre editions, Paris , 1862 ( second edition). Saint of the Day for September 7 (April 23, 1813 – September 8, 1853) Blessed Frédéric Ozanam’s Story A man convinced of the inestimable worth of each human being,...
Image: Massacre à la Salpêtrière, 3 septembre 1792 | Blessed John Francis Burté and Companions | anonymous (Unrelated, but similar incident during the French Revolution.) Saints of the Day for September 2 (d. September 2, 1792 and January 21, 1794) Blessed John Francis Burté’s and Companions’ Storie...
Image: Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher | Achona, The Online Newspaper of Academy of the Holy Names, Tampa | photo by Keri Kelly/Achona Online Saint of the Day for October 13 (October 6, 1811 – October 6, 1849) Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher’s Story Canada was one diocese from coast to coast during the firs...
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: The Exaltation of the True Cross | anonymous Russian icon painter Saint of the Day for September 14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross The Story of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Early in the fourth century, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the...
Image: The Guardian Angel | Marcantonio Franceschini Saint of the Day for October 2 The Story of the Feast of the Guardian Angels Perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet angels are not...
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: Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist | Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio Saint of the Day for August 29 (1st. century) The Story of the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist The drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honor, a seductive dance and the hateful heart of a queen co...
Image: The Virgin and Child (The Madonna of the Rose) | Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio Saint of the Day for September 12 Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Story of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; both have the...
Image: The Birth of the Virgin | fresco by Giotto Saint of the Day for September 8 The Story of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Church has celebrated Mary’s birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with Septemb...
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...