Learning by the Crucifix
She was skating on ice when, after a bad fall, was left permanently paralyzed. Lidwina was 15 years old in 1395 when, because of this accident, she was forced to remain bedridden and immobile for 38 years. She had been born on March 18, 1380, in Schiedam, in the Netherlands, into a modest family. Her father was a night watchman.
From dark blindness to the light of Christ
She was born blind and deformed, yet she became a radiant beacon, spreading the charity of Christ to all who came into contact with her. This is Margaret of Castello who, abandoned by human beings, found complete trust in Divine Providence the strength to endure adversity and glorify the Lord.
The Medical Profession as a Mission of Charity
"Let those who have, give; let those who don’t, take": so read a sign placed on an open hat in a very special doctor’s office. This was the clinic where Saint Giuseppe Moscati practiced medicine. The poor were never charged for their visits—in fact, they often left with gifts of food and medicine.
Daughter of Our Lord’s Passion
“Suffering teaches us to love,” wrote Gemma Galgani. Her short life was marked by suffering and poverty. In the Lord’s Passion she found the path to holiness and, united with the Crucified, she offered herself completely as a pleasing sacrifice to God for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls.
Renunció a los honores nobiliarios para entregarse a los pobres
La familia Canossa era una familia de gran prestigio. La célebre Matilde de Canossa desempeñó un papel destacado en enero de 1077, mediando entre Enrique IV y Gregorio VII, quien había excomulgado al emperador.
A noblewoman consecrated to God
Saint Waltrude (Waudru) of Mons was born around 612 in Cousolre, in northern France, into a noble Frankish family. Her father, Saint Walbert, was an official at the court of Clotaire II of the Merovingians, and her mother, Saint Bertilla of Thuringia, was the daughter of a king.
Educating young people for a better future
Marie-Rose Julie Billiart was born on July 12, 1751, in Cuvilly, north of Paris, France. She was the seventh of nine children, many of whom died at a young age. From childhood, she felt called by the Lord to follow him. One event marked her for life: in 1774, her father survived an attempted murder. This was followed, in 1782, by a medical error that caused paralysis in her legs.
The Patron Saint of Teachers
In 17th century France, schooling was no longer in step with the times. Teaching was dispersive and far from the social needs of a changing society. Culture was reserved for an elite and primary school was still based on the private individual method. A young priest had the courage to transform schooling, making it a place for anyone to prepare for life, become educated and acquire knowledge.
Apostolic missionary in the fight against heresy
Peter Rosini was born in Verona around 1205 into a well-to-do family. It is possible that some of his relatives had embraced the Cathar heresy, which was widespread at the time. His father sent him to study at the University of Bologna, where he came into contact with the environment of the Domenican Friars of the Order of Preachers. He personally met Saint Dominic, who, in 1221, admitted him into his Order.
The Angel of the Apocalypse
He was called the Angel of the Apocalypse for his fiery sermons on the end times and the eternal destiny that awaits humanity. Recalling his contemporaries to coherence in life via the professed faith and announcing the Gospel with vigor and courage, he did not fear the powerful of his time. He is Saint Vincent Ferrer, born on January 23, 1350, in Valencia, Spain, to Don Guillermo Ferrer and Lady Costanza Miguel.
