Benedict was born to a noble family in Nursia, Italy, about 480 AD. When he grew up, he studied in Rome. Then, wanting to pray alone, Benedict lived for three years in a cave near Subiaco.
We hear the story of Veronica when we pray the Stations of the Cross. At the Sixth Station, Jesus stopped to allow Veronica to wipe the blood, sweat, and dirt from his face. This simple act of kindness is all we know about Veronica, a woman in Jerusalem. She is not mentioned in the Gospels, but Jesus’ followers must have shared the story of her loving care for the Lord so often that it has become part of our tradition.
When Francis was ordained, he thought he would spend his life as an ordinary priest in his Spanish homeland. He did not know that his desire to follow Jesus would take him to foreign lands to share the Word of God.
More than 300 years ago, around 1656, Kateri lived in what is now the state of New York. Her mother was a Catholic and a member of the Algonquin tribe, and her father was a Mohawk warrior. At the time, this Native American nation did not believe in the Christian God.
“O buona ventura!” If your Italian is a little rusty, in English it means, “Oh, good fortune!” or “What good luck!” Legend claims that these are the words exclaimed by Francis of Assisi when he prayed over the four-year-old Giovanno di Fidanza in 1225. The name “Bonaventure” stuck.
Justa and Rufina were sisters who lived in Seville, Spain, about 200 years after Jesus’ life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven. We believe that they became Christians after hearing missionaries preach about Christ. They were devout members of the Church and tried to live as faithful disciples of Jesus.
Tradition tells us that St. Apollinaris, who lived in the first and second centuries, was born in what was then Antioch in today's country of Turkey. He was made Bishop of Ravenna in Italy by St. Peter himself and was known as a great preacher and evangelizer of people.
Mary was not a quitter. The other disciples ran away afraid, but Mary stayed with some other women at the foot of the cross until Jesus died. She would not leave her friend in the terrible last moments of his earthly life.
Bridget was the daughter of a wealthy governor who used his riches generously. He donated money for good causes and helped the poor. He worked for the just and fair treatment of all the people. Bridget, who was born in 1303, learned these lessons early in her life.
Youssef (Joseph) Makhlouf was a shepherd in a small Lebanese village. He was raised by an uncle after his father died in 1831 when Youssef was just 3.