St. Gerard Majella

St. Gerard Majella - Patron of Childbirth - February 17th

As a young boy, Gerard showed his love for Jesus by doing all he could to help the poor. He went to work so that he would have money to buy them food and clothes. Once he gave a beggar a brand new suit he himself really needed.

Gerard dearly loved Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He wanted to become a religious to serve them all his life. But he had a very hard time trying to enter a religious life, because he was sickly. Besides that, his mother and his sisters absolutely did not want him to go. Still he kept trying. At last he was accepted as a brother in the Redemptorist Order.

“Let me do it! I am the youngest,” Brother Gerard would say whenever there was hard lowly work to be done. Everyone loved and admired this good, humble brother.

“I want only what God wants for me,” St. Gerard often exclaimed. And he was happy when he had something to suffer for Jesus.

Whoever is called to become a priest, a brother, or a sister should trust in God and follow his vocation, no matter how hard a time he has.

St. Onesimus

St. Onesimus - February 16th


St. Onesimus was a slave who robbed his master and ran away to Rome. In Rome he went to see the great Apostle St. Paul, who was a prisoner for his Faith. Paul received Onesimus with fatherly love, made him realize he had done wrong, and converted him to the Faith.


After Onesimus’ conversion, St. Paul sent him back to his master, Philemon, who was the Apostle’s friend. He sent Philemon a letter, in which he wrote: “I plead with you for my own son, for Onesimus…. I am sending him back to you. Welcome him as though he were my very heart.”


Onesimus returned home and was set free. Later, he went back to St. Paul and became his faithful helper.


St. Paul made Onesimus a priest and then Bishop of Ephesus. During the persecutions, he was brought in chains to Rome and there stoned to death.


If we ever should hurt anyone in any way, let us ask forgiveness right away. God will be pleased to see that we are sorry and He will bless us as He did Onesimus.

Sts. Faustinus and Jovita

Sts. Faustinus and Jovita - Patrons of the city of Brescia - February 15th

Sts. Faustinus and Jovita were brothers who lived in Brescia, Italy. From the time they were young, they were famous for their great love for their religion and their works of Christian charity. Never were there two brothers so closely united in zeal for doing good. The bishop of their city made them both priests, and they began to preach everywhere to both the rich and the poor. They spared themselves no sacrifice to bring many to God. They were not afraid of the soldiers, who were putting many Christians to death.

When the Emperor heard that Faustinus and Jovita were preaching openly, he sent them to prison and had them tortured greatly. Yet, no matter what the soldiers made them suffer, Faustinus and Jovita prayed and willingly suffered for the Lord. They would not give up their Faith.

How pleased God is to see brothers and sisters helping one another study their Catechism! May He be pleased with this sight in their home.

St. Valentine

St. Valentine - Patron of Lovers - February 14th


Valentine was a holy priest who lived in Rome. Along with St. Marius, he helped the martyrs to die a good and holy death. He gave them the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Extreme Unction to help them on their journey to Heaven.


While he was performing these holy deeds of charity, the Roman soldiers discovered him. But because St. Valentine was admired by all the people-and even by the Emperor-for his virtue and wisdom, he was not put to death at once. The Emperor himself sent for him and welcomed him kindly. He invited him to sit down beside him. Then he asked him, “Why did such a wise man as you lower yourself to join a religion that is against the gods of Rome?”


“Sir,” answered Valentine gently, “if you knew the God I adore, you would hate the religion that makes you worship devils. You would be proud to adore the only true God, the Creator of Heaven and earth. Only He can make you and all your people truly happy.”


The Emperor wanted to know more about the Christian religion, and St. Valentine answered all his questions with great wisdom. The people of the court became angry. They did not like to see their Emperor interested in the religion of the Christians. The Emperor saw that they were angry. He thought more about pleasing men than pleasing God. So he turned the Saint over to the governor to be judged. That is how St. Valentine, too, suffered martyrdom for his beloved Jesus. He was beaten with clubs and later beheaded.


St. Valentine was a man of great virtue because he knew his religion well. The more we learn about our Faith, the more we will want to grow in every virtue.

St. Catherine of Ricci

St. Catherine of Ricci - February 13th


Catherine was born of a famous family in Florence, Italy. At the age of thirteen, she entered the convent.


Even at that early age, Catherine had a deep love for the Passion of Jesus Christ. She used to think about Our Lord’s sufferings often, and Jesus gave her the great privilege of receiving in her own body the marks of His wounds. She was happy to accept all the sufferings of these wounds.


Catherine also felt very sorry for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. She prayed and did penance for them. Once God let her know that a certain man was in Purgatory. So great was her love that she offered to suffer for him. God listened to her prayer and she suffered greatly for forty days.


At the age of sixty-seven, after a very long and painful illness, St. Catherine joined Jesus, her Beloved Spouse in heaven.


Let us help the poor souls in Purgatory with our prayers, so that they may soon go to Heaven. When they are in Heaven, they will pray for us.

Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order

Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order - February 12th


These seven Saints were all young men who lived in Florence, Italy. They had joined a Confraternity in honor of the Blessed Virgin because of their great devotion to her.


On the feast of the Assumption, while they were all deep in prayer, the Blessed Mother appeared to them and inspired them to leave the world and to live alone with God.


After several years of living by themselves, they went to the Bishop to ask for a rule of life. The Bishop told them that the matter was one which needed much prayer. The monks then went back to pray and ask Our Lady to let them know what to do. Mary appeared to them carrying a black habit. At her side was an angel bearing a scroll with the words “Servants of Mary” written on it. In the vision, the Blessed Mother said that she had chosen then to be her servants and to wear the black habit.


These seven wonderful men helped each other to love and serve God better. Together they became great Saints.


Many young men came to join these holy Founders. They were known as Servants of Mary, or Servites.


Like these seven Saints, let us love our Blessed Mother and ask her to help us in every need.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of Lourdes - February 11th


It was on February 11, 1858, that the Blessed Mother first appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a young girl of Lourdes, France. Bernadette was a sickly, little girl, whose family was so poor they lived in a cellar that had once been a jail. Even though she was fourteen years old, Bernadette could not read or write. She never could remember her catechism lessons, but she was a good girl who loved God very much. And even if her memory was bad, she kept trying hard to learn all she could about God. She was pure and obedient, too. It was to this young girl that our Blessed Mother appeared. The beautiful Lady Bernadette saw wore a white dress with a light blue sash. A white veil covered her head and fell over her shoulders to the ground. On her feet were two lovely golden roses. Her hands were joined and a Rosary hung from her right arm. Its chain and cross shone like gold. The lovely Lady encouraged Bernadette to say the Rosary.


The Blessed Mother appeared eighteen times to St. Bernadette and told her to tell the people to pray, to do penance and often to recite the Rosary for sinners. During the last apparition, Bernadette asked the beautiful Lady who she was. The Lady replied, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”


At Lourdes, miracles take place. Many people are cured of sicknesses. Crippled people walk again. Blind people see again. There, where she once appeared to St. Bernadette, Our Lady still shows her love for us.


Let us try to say the Rosary to our Blessed Mother every day. Through this prayer, we receive al the graces we need for ourselves and for those we love.

St. Scholastica

St. Scholastica - Patroness against Convulsions in Children - February 10th


Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict. For many years, her parents had begged God to send them children. When at last Benedict and Scholastica were born, their good mother did all she could to make them Saints.


Scholastica was a friendly, intelligent girl who promised herself to Jesus when she was still very young. Her parents died, she went to visit her holy brother. He had built a big monastery and was the leader of many good monks.


St. Benedict was very good to his holy sister. When he found out that she and other young women wanted to become religious, he helped her start her convent.


Once a year, St. Benedict came to visit her for one day. On one of his visits, when he was ready to leave the convent, Scholastica begged him to stay longer. Benedict said he could not, but Scholastica knew that soon she would die. So she bowed her head and prayed with all her heart. No sooner had she lifted her head than such a storm arose that Benedict was unable to leave. He stayed and they talked all through the night about the goodness of God and the happiness of the Saints in Heaven. Three days later, when St. Benedict was praying in his monastery, he saw the beautiful soul of his sister Scholastica going up to Heaven in the form of a dove.


Like this saintly brother and sister, let us love one another at home and be of good example to each other.

St. Apollonia and the Martyrs of Alexandria

St. Apollonia and the Martyrs of Alexandria - St. Apollonia, Patroness of Dentists - February 9th


In Alexandria, Egypt, during the reign of the Emperor Decius, there lived a holy virgin named Apollonia.


Apollonia had spent her whole life serving God. Now that she was growing old, she did not take time to rest. She bravely risked her life to comfort the Christians in prison when a persecution began.


“Remember that the suffering will not last long,” she would say. “But the joys of Heaven will last forever.”


At last Apollonia, too, was captured. When the judge asked her name, she courageously said, “I am a Christian and I love and serve the true God.”


Apollonia was made to suffer greatly because she would not give up her Faith. First, all her teeth were smashed and then pulled out. That is why we pray to St. Apollonia when we have a toothache. The Saint was then told that if she did not deny Christ, she would be thrown into the fire.


Apollonia was not afraid. She chose to die rather than sin.


When the pagans saw her heroic action, many of them were converted.


The martyrs greatly desired to shed their blood for Christ. And what do we do for Him? Are we strong enough to stand a little suffering for His love?

St. John of Matha

St. John of Matha - February 8th

St. John of Matha was born in France. He was a happy, pure boy, who loved God and His Blesses Mother very much. His father sent him to school, and John did well in his studies. As he grew older, many people began coming to him for advice and counsel, and he decided to become a priest so that he could help them more.

When St. John said his first Mass, God showed him that he was to spend his life working to free Christians held as slaves by the Moslems. He founded an Order of priests called Trinitarians to help him in this mission.

St. John’s work was blessed by God, and many Christians were freed. Their Moslem owners were very angry with John. But he was not afraid. In fact, he would have liked nothing better that to die a martyr.

Once, when he was going to Africa to Rome, the Moslems tried to sink the ship on which he was traveling. Holding a Crucifix in his hands, John knelt on the deck and began to pray. Soon the ship reached Rome, unharmed!

St. John died two years later.

By often thinking of the great charity of St. John and his priests, we will find it much easier to do good deeds to our neighbor.