Saint of the day

Saint of the day

January 3: Saint Geneviève

The Patron Saint of Paris

At the beginning of the fifth century, in the territory that would become the heart of future Paris, a woman was born who was destined to exercise a singular influence on the city’s religious and civic life. Geneviève grew up in a humble environment, yet from childhood she displayed an early inclination toward a consecrated life. While still a child, she was recognized as belonging to God and, once she reached maturity, she chose to live as a consecrated virgin without withdrawing into a monastery. Fully integrated into the urban and social fabric, she devoted her life to prayer, penance, and service to those in need.

January 2: Saint Basil the Great

Father of many monks

In the fourth century, in a Cappadocia marked by deep doctrinal and political tensions, the figure of Basil emerged, destined to leave a lasting imprint on the life of the Church. Born in 329 in Caesarea into a cultured and profoundly Christian environment, since childhood he received an education in which faith and classical culture did not appear as opposing realities, but as complementary instruments at the service of truth. His family, marked by extraordinary spiritual intensity, was the first ground in which his vocation matured.

January 1: Mary Most Holy, Mother of God

Icon of the Church

The solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, placed at the heart of the Octave of Christmas and at the beginning of the year, introduces the contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation from the perspective of the one in whom the Word assumed flesh.

31 December: Saint Sylvester, Pope

When Rome Became Christian

We possess no certain information about Saint Sylvester prior to his election to the Chair of Peter in 314, the year in which he succeeded Pope Miltiades. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was the son of a Roman named Rufinus. Some traditions hold that he openly professed the faith already under Emperor Diocletian, a circumstance that may have favored his choice as leader of the Christian community.

December 30: Saint Felix I, Pope

Defender of the Faith in the Trinity

Felix I, a native of Rome and the son of a man named Constantius, led the Church as Bishop of Rome from 269 to 274. He is known for promoting the celebration of the Eucharist at the sites where the relics of Christian martyrs rested, and for firmly defending faith in the Trinity and in the Incarnation of Christ.

December 29: Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth

A model of life for all believers

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is celebrated on the Sunday following Christmas. The reason is simple. Whereas at Christmas we contemplate the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem, surrounded by Mary and Joseph, on this feast day, the Church celebrates the daily life of the family in Nazareth.