Bartholomew is one of the twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus to continue His mission and proclaim the Gospel to all nations. He is mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles. Christian tradition also identifies him with the Apostle Nathanael, mentioned in the Gospel of John, although this identification is debated by some contemporary scholars.
He is known as a just and prudent king, so much so that he earned the nickname prud’homme (“wise man”). He was also a reformer of institutions and often acted as a mediator in international conflicts. This is Louis IX, King of France. He was born on April 25, 1214, and became king at only twelve years old.
According to the Acts of his martyrdom, Alexander was a Roman imperial centurion commander belonging to the Theban Legion, a military unit composed of Christian soldiers. When the legion was transferred to the West to face incursions by the Germanic tribes of the Quadi and Marcomanni, during the crossing of the Valais region, they received orders to persecute Christians, against whom a new wave of persecutions had broken out. The Christian soldiers, refusing to obey, were massacred. Alexander was one of the few survivors and managed to flee to Italy.
In the history of the Church, the name of Saint Monica is closely linked to that of her son, Saint Augustine, for whom she prayed and sacrificed herself in order to obtain his conversion from God. Her life, marked by steadfast faith and constant perseverance under God’s guidance, demonstrates how essential prayer and living in God’s grace truly are.
In the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine, there is an episode testifying to the numerous conversions brought about by Saint Augustine and his decisive victory against heresy. According to the account, some Christians invited him to publicly debate matters of faith with a Manichaean priest named Fortunatus, who at that time was preaching in Hippo.
The memorial of Saint John the Baptist in the Latin Church has very ancient origins. Evidence of it can already be found in fifth century France and sixth century Rome, and is connected to the dedication of a church built in Sebaste, in Samaria, on the site believed to be the tomb of the Forerunner of Jesus.The feast is observed on August 29 and, according to the Roman Martyrology, this date corresponds to the second discovery of the head of Saint John the Baptist, which was later brought to Rome.
Lydia is a saint whose name does not appear in any official martyrology, yet she is mentioned in a well-known passage from the Acts of the Apostles, written by the evangelist Luke.
A contemplative at the service of the ecclesial community, committed to promoting reforms and pastoral initiatives, faithful to the Benedictine Rule and to Ora et labora. This was Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster, born Alfredo Schuster in Rome on January 18, 1880, into a family of Bavarian origin.
He feared neither threats nor torture in his mission to ransom imprisoned Christians who risked losing their faith. Saint Raymond, known as “Nonnatus” (meaning “not born”), was a courageous friar of the Order of Mercy who lived in 13th century Spain. He received this nickname because he was delivered by Caesarean section after his mother’s death.
A humble parish priest who, relying solely on God, managed to awaken his parishioners from spiritual indifference and tepid belief bringing about a revival of faith. His life as a priest dedicated to the Lord and the salvation of souls, as a dispenser of Christ’s mercy, made him a point of reference for the needy, sinners, and those in search of peace.
According to an ancient tradition, during the pontificate of Pope Liberius (352–366), a Roman nobleman named John and his wife, who were childless, decided to donate their wealth to the Virgin Mary for the construction of a church in her honor.
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord commemorates the episode in which Jesus, on Mount Tabor, was transfigured before the Apostles Peter, James, and John, revealing his divine glory as the beloved Son of the Father. On that occasion, Moses and Elijah appeared beside him—symbols of the Law and the Prophets—confirming his salvific mission.
He is invoked as the Saint of Divine Providence for his unwavering trust in God. He turned to the Lord in all his endeavors, and even when needs seemed insurmountable, he always managed to find the resources to help the poor and the needy.
A life wholly dedicated to preaching and proclaiming salvation to all people, in truth and in poverty, he united contemplation and action in service to the Church and the Kingdom of God.
A refined intellectual whose tireless search for truth culminated in the discovery of Christ and His Cross. Born Jewish, a renowned philosopher and writer, Edith Stein converted to the Catholic faith and chose to consecrate her life to God among the Discalced Carmelites.
Saint Damasus, born around 305, led the Church as Bishop of Rome from October 1, 366, until his death on December 11, 384. He succeeded Pope Liberius, with whom he had shared a period of exile, and he found a community troubled by the presence of numerous heretical groups—Arians, Novatians, Donatists, and Luciferians—who were very active in the capital.
Queen and Empress, she remains to this day one of the brightest figures of the Christian Middle Ages: a strong, generous woman, capable of governing with a degree of competence rarely found even among the chroniclers of her time.
He was one of the earliest pioneers of the faith in Gaul, a remote foundation of the Christian tradition throughout the region. Gaziano or Graziano—known in ancient sources as Catianus, Gatianus, or Gratianus, and in France as Gatien de Tours—is remembered as the first enduring preacher of the Gospel in the city of Tours and as the founder of its diocese. Information about him is scarce and comes chiefly through the work of Gregory of Tours, the great sixth-century historian, who gathered oral traditions and popular accounts preserved in the Christian memory of Gaul.
One of the earliest documentary traces of the story of Saint Bibiana appears in the Liber Pontificalis, where it is recalled that Pope Simplicius had a basilica erected in honor of the young martyr, located near the Palatium Lucianum and intended to house her relics. This church still stands in Rome today, not far from Termini Station.
Saint Dominic Manso, known as de Silos because of his long residence in the monastery that later took his name, was born around the year 1000 in the small Riojan village of Cañas, in Spain. His childhood was spent among pastures and flocks, yet while tending his family’s sheep he began to develop a deep inner attraction to the sacred life. He was welcomed by the local priest, who took him under his care and gradually shaped his formation. At the age of twenty-six, the Bishop of Nájera ordained him to the priesthood.
Page 9 sur 18