At a time when most children did not go to school, Catherine was privately tutored because she came from a wealthy family; her parents were said to be the pagan king and queen of Alexandria, in Egypt. She was a gifted student and especially loved science and debating. Tradition tells us that she learned about Jesus through her studies and that she made the decision to become a Christian because of everything she learned.
Leonard was born in 1676 in Port Maurice, on the cost of northern Italy. His father was a ship captain. Because he was a gifted student, he was sent to Rome when he was 13 to live with his uncle while attending the Jesuits’ Roman College. His family wanted him to become a doctor, but after completing his studies, Leonard decided to become a Franciscan friar. He hoped he could become a missionary to China.
Tradition tells us that at the moment Zoe Laboure was born in France in 1806, church bells rang to remind everyone in the village to stop their work and pray the Angelus. The Angelus is a prayer to our Blessed Mother. It begins with the words, “The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.” The ringing of the Angelus bells was a sign of the special role Mary would play in Zoe’s life.
There are people all around us every day who live saintly lives. Some of them may even be called “saint” in the future by the Church. Dorothy Day was a woman who, much like Saint Teresa of Calcutta, was sometimes called a saint in her work.
Andrew was a fisherman. But he was searching for something more important than life on the sea could give him. Like many faithful Jews of his time, Andrew was waiting for God to send the Savior he had promised.