Home Page

St. Norbert was born circa 1080 in Xanten, Germany. He joined the Benedictines as a career move while working for Emperor Henry V. However, he started taking his vows seriously after a near-death experience. Later, he began a religious order which later became known as the Norbertines. St. Norbert reformed members of the clergy in his area, and he helped heal the schism in the church. He died in 1134 in Germany. St. Norbert is patron saint of peace.

St. Anthony Gianelli was born into a poor but religious family in Cerreto, Italy, in April 1789. He was ordained in May 1812 with a special dispensation because of his young age, and he became a parish priest. In 1827 he founded the Missionaries of St. Alphonsus, but the group only existed until 1848. He also founded the Sisters of Our Lady of the Garden, an order of women religious dedicated to working with the sick and teaching, in 1829. St. Anthony Gianelli died in 1846 and was canonized in 1951.

St. Barnabas the Apostle converted to Christianity soon after Pentecost. He is often mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles although he is not one of the original twelve. St. Barnabas worked with St. Paul in Cyprus and Asia, and he evangelized the people in Cyprus with St. Mark. Additionally, he founded the church in Antioch. He died for his faith around the year 61. St. Barnabas is patron saint of Antioch, Cyprus and against hailstorms.

St. Anthony of Padua was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. He became a priest and a Franciscan. He later joined the Friars Minor so that he could travel to Morocco to evangelize. When he was shipwrecked in Sicily, he went to Portiuncula and lived in a cave, leaving only to go to Mass. He eventually began traveling through Italy and France to preach, teach and evangelize. This doctor of the church drew a large crowd wherever he spoke. The saint who died in 1231 was also a wonder worker. St. Anthony of Padua is patron saint against shipwrecks.

St. Methodius of Constantinople was born in Sicily in the eighth century. He built a monastery on an island named Chinos. The saint then worked with the patriarch of Constantinople to help oversee the diocese. Together, the two men worked against the iconoclasts, who did not believe in the use of images in worship. St. Methodius went to Rome to ask for the pope’s aid in the struggle with the iconoclasts. During his trip, he was exiled. He was only able to return about seven years later, in 842, at which time he became the patriarch of Constantinople. St. Methodius worked to unify the church until he died in 847.

St. Vito was born to a pagan senator, but his tutor (St. Modestus) and his nurse (St. Crescentia) converted St. Vito to Christianity when he was 12 years old. Angered, St. Vito’s father had the three arrested and imprisoned, but the saints were released by angels. After helping the emperor’s son, St. Vito refused to join in the un-Christian celebrations and he was therefore imprisoned and condemned to death. At the moment the saint died for his faith in 303, a storm blew over and destroyed some pagan temples. St. Vito therefore is patron saint against storms.

St. John Regis was born in January 1597 in France. When he was 18 years old, he became a Jesuit. Also a preacher and catechist, St. John Regis was great with children and helped bring their parents back to the church. He also evangelized in areas where the Huguenots had prevailed and people had left the church. The Jesuit found great success in converting farmers and others from the country. Additionally, St. John Regis helped girls who wished to stay out of the city learn lace making as a trade. Therefore, he is patron saint of lace makers. St. John Regis died in 1640 at age 43.

St. Botulph was born circa 610 in East Anglia (which is a part of present-day England). He became a Benedictine monk in what is present-day France and then established the Benedictine Order in the British Isles in 647. He founded the Ikanhoe monastery in East Anglia. The area around the monastery required the religious men to do plenty of work to be able to farm the land. The saint also served as a traveling missionary throughout the area. St. Botulph died in 680 and is patron saint of agricultural workers.

Ss. Mark and Marcellian were twin brothers and deacons who lived in the third century. The two men were arrested because they would not make sacrifices to the Roman gods. Although they converted their captors and escaped, the deacons were recaptured soon afterwards. They died for their faith in Rome.

St. Romuald was born to a noble family in Ravenna, Italy, circa 951. After seeing his father kill a man in a duel, he became a Benedictine monk in Classe, Italy. From 996 to 999 he served as abbot. St. Romuald traveled and started monasteries throughout Italy. He also founded the Camaldolese Benedictines and was a spiritual teacher of St. Wolfgang. He died in 1027 in Italy and his body was later found incorrupt. St. Romuald was canonized by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.

St. Silverio was born in what is now Italy in 480. His father, Pope Hormisdas, only entered the religious life after having a family. St. Silverio became pope on June 8, 536. However, he was caught in the middle of political troubles and was kidnapped, falsely convicted of treason and then exiled to Ponza, Italy. He died for his faith by starvation in 537. St. Silverio is patron saint of Ponza.

St. Thomas More was born in London in 1478. A lawyer, he eventually became the Lord Chancellor of England, which was the most powerful position in England after the king. In addition to working with King Henry VIII, he was also friends with the king. However, the friendship ended when the king demanded a divorce. St. Thomas More refused to swear an oath which declared King Henry VIII to be the head of the church in England. The saint resigned the chancellorship and was imprisoned. He died for his faith in 1535. St. Thomas More is patron saint of lawyers.