And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Lives Of Saints
November 11 : Saint Martin of Tours
On Nov. 11, the Catholic Church honors St. Martin of Tours, who left his post in the Roman army to become a “soldier of Christ” as a monk and later bishop. Martin was born around the year 316 in modern-day Hungary. His family left that region for Italy when his father, a military official of... Read More
November 12 : Saint Josaphat
In 1595, the Orthodox bishop of Brest-Litovsk in present-day Belarus and five other bishops representing millions of Ruthenians, sought reunion with Rome. John Kunsevich—who took the name Josaphat in religious life—was to dedicate his life, and die for the same cause. Born in what is now Ukraine, he went to work in Wilno and was... Read More
November 13 : Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
Frances Cabrini was born in Italy in 1850, one of thirteen children. When she was eighteen years old, poor health kept her from becoming a Sister. She helped her mother and father until their death, and then worked on a farm with her brother and sister. A priest asked her to teach in a school... Read More
November 14 : Saint Gertrude the Great
Gertrude was raised in the Benedictine abbey of Saint Mary of Helfta, Eisleben, Saxony from age five. An extremely bright and dedicated student, she excelled in literature and philosophy, and when she was old enough, became a Benedictine nun. At age 26, when she had become too enamoured of philosophy, she received a vision of... Read More
November 15 : Saint Albert the Great
Albert the Great was a 13th-century German Dominican who decisively influenced the Church’s stance toward Aristotelian philosophy brought to Europe by the spread of Islam. Students of philosophy know him as the master of Thomas Aquinas. Albert’s attempt to understand Aristotle’s writings established the climate in which Thomas Aquinas developed his synthesis of Greek wisdom... Read More
November 16 : Saint Margaret of Scotland
Matron, Queen of Scotland, born c.1045; died 1093. She was the daughter of King Edward the Exile of England. After her father’s death she and her mother fled from England; they were received by Malcolm III, of Scotland, who later, c.1070, married Margaret. As queen, Margaret used her influence in the interests of the faith;... Read More
November 17 : Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Saint Elizabeth, called by her people “the dear Saint Elizabeth,” was the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and the beloved spouse of the landgrave Louis of Thuringia. She was the good angel of the landgrave’s court; but her heroic virtues were often a reproach to others less holy, and she was tried by... Read More
November 18 : Dedication of Churches of Saints Peter and Paul
This feast celebrates the dedications of two of the four major basilicas of Rome. Saint Peter’s Basilica was originally built in 323 by the emperor Constantine. The basilica was constructed over the tomb of Peter the Apostle, the Church’s first Pope. After standing for more than a thousand years, Pope Julius II ordered the building... Read More
November 19 : Saint Agnes of Assisi
Born Caterina Offreducia, Agnes was the younger sister of Saint Clare, and her first follower. When Caterina left home two weeks after Clare’s departure, their family attempted to bring her back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but her body suddenly became so heavy that several knights could not budge... Read More
November 20 : Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
St. Rose was born into a family with wealth and political connections on August 29, 1769 in Grenoble, France. From the young age of eight, St. Rose had a desire to evangelize in the Americas, sparked by hearing a Jesuit missionary speak of his work there. She received a basic education at home from tutors,... Read More