Catholic Saint of the Day

St. Edmund Campion was born in London, the son of Catholics who later became Protestants. Doubts about Protestantism increasingly beset him, and he returned to Catholicism. Campion was sentenced to death by the English Crown as a traitor and was hanged, drawn and quartered.

Saint Andrew was the first disciple of Jesus. He was the younger brother of Saint Peter and was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. The brothers were fishermen by trade. Jesus called them to be his disciples by saying that he would make them “fishers of men.”

Saint Saturninus was Bishop of Touloise in the 3rd century. St. Saturninus went from Rome by the direction of Pope Fabian, about the year 245, to preach the faith in Gaul He was martyred by being tied to a bull and dragged through the city.

St. Catherine Laboure at an early age entered the community of the Daughters of Charity, in Paris, France. On November 27, 1830 the lady showed St. Catherine the medal of the Immaculate Conception, now universally known as the "Miraculous Medal."

St. James Intercisus was a Persian who lived in the fifth century. He was executed by having his body cut apart into 28 pieces, beginning with his fingers (hence his surname "Intercisus" - meaning "cut to pieces"), and then beheaded. All the while, he kept declaring his faith that his body would one day rise in glory.

St. John Berchmans was born at Diest in Brabant (Modern Belgium), on March 13, 1599; died at Rome, August 13, 1621. He is the patron saint of Altar Boys His parents watched with the greatest solicitude over the formation of his character. He was naturally kind, gentle, and affectionate towards them, a favourite with his playmates, brave and open, attractive in manner, and with a bright, joyful disposition. Yet he was also, by natural disposition, impetuous and fickle.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr whose feast day is November 25th. She is one of the 14 Holy Helpers and the patroness of philosophers, preachers, nurses, mechanics, craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters, spinners, etc.), archivists, dying people, educators, girls, jurists, lawyers, librarians, libraries, maidens, millers, hat-makers, nurses, philosophers, preachers, scholars, schoolchildren, scribes, secretaries, and unmarried girls.

Several groups of martyrs were slain for the faith in Vietnam from 1798 until 1861. Between 1798 and 1853, sixty-four were martyred, receiving beatification in 1900. Those who died in a second group, between 1859 and 1861, were beatified in 1909. There were twenty-eight courageous men and women who died for the faith during a long period of persecution.

Little is known of this apostolic father beyond a few facts. He was a disciple of S. Peter, and perhaps of S. Paul. It is thought that the Clement whom S. Paul praises as a faithful fellow- worker, whose name is written in the Book of Life [Philippians 4:3], was Clement, afterwards bishop of Rome. But there is great difficulty in admitting this supposition. It is certain that Clement, the idol of the Petrine party in the Primitive Church, about whom their myths and traditions circled lovingly, was quite removed in feeling from the Pauline party.

Saint Cecilia, the patron of music, is said to have heard heavenly music inside her heart when she was forced to marry the pagan, Valerian. A wealth of music, art and festivals in honor of St. Cecilia has grown from this little bit of information from her biography. She is the acclaimed patron saint of music, especially church music, as well as that of musicians, composers, instrument makers and poets. The name Cecilia means blind and so, although we don't know if she herself couldn't see, she is also the Catholic patron saint of the blind.