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St. Albert of Pontida lived in the 11th century. He served as a soldier in the army of Bergamo, Italy. After being wounded in battle, he said he would start a religious life if he healed. When he did recover, he became a Benedictine monk. The saint founded the Abbey of St. James in Pontida and was its first abbot. He died in 1095.

Ss. Protus and Hyacinth were brothers and servants in the house of St. Eugenia in Rome. The brothers were arrested and burned alive for their faith, circa 257 in Rome. Pope Damasus wrote the brothers’ epitaph.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. St. John the Evangelist wrote in his Gospel that Mary was overwhelmed with grief as she stood at the foot of Jesus’ cross. There are traditionally seven sorrows of Mary: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the child Jesus for three days, meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, Jesus being taken down from the cross, and Jesus laid in the tomb.

St. Cornelius lived in the third century. After being elected the 21st pope, he worked for the unity of the church during a time when the anti-pope Novatian claimed he was the true pontiff. The Romans exiled St. Cornelius in an effort to punish Christians who they said brought plagues against Rome. A document by St. Cornelius shows that the church in Rome had approximately 46 priests and 50,000 Christians during his papacy. The saint died a martyr in 253. St. Cornelius is patron saint of cows and against earache.

St. Robert Bellarmine was born Oct. 4, 1621, in Italy. After a Jesuit education, he joined the Jesuits in September 1560 despite his father’s opposition. He taught theology at the University of Louvain and Collegio Romano. He wrote a paper to defend the Catholic Church against Protestant attacks. He wrote a catechism for children and one for teachers. He served as theologian to Pope Clement VIII for two years and was made a cardinal-priest in 1598. He was involved in the conclave of 1621 and served as theological advisor to Pope Paul V. He died in Rome in 1621. The saint was proclaimed a doctor of the church in 1931. St. Robert Bellarmine is patron saint of canon lawyers and catechists.

St. Joseph of Cupertino was born June 17, 1603, in Naples, Italy. When he was 17 years old, he tried to join the Friars Minor Conventuals but was refused because of his lacking education. He also tried to join the Capuchins. Finally, he was accepted as an oblate at a Franciscan convent close to Cupertino. He became a cleric at age 22 and a priest at age 25. The saint had a series of ecstasies throughout his life. They were triggered by the mention of God or a saint, or other people or things related to religion. The saint levitated and heard heavenly music. He died in 1663. St. Joseph of Cupertino is patron saint of air travelers, pilots and astronauts.

St. Matthew the Apostle was a Roman tax collector, a job considered to be working with the enemy by people who had to pay the taxes. When people were surprised to find Jesus with the “traitor,” Jesus said he had come to call the sinners. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. The saint preached to the Jewish people for 15 years. St. Matthew the Apostle is patron saint of tax collectors, bankers and money managers in general.

St. Cosmas and twin brother St. Damian were physicians who would not accept payment. Through their charity, many converted to Christianity. The brothers were tortured and beheaded for their faith circa 287-303. St. Cosmas and St. Damian are patron saints of apothecaries, barbers and physicians.

St. Vincent de Paul was born to a peasant family in 1581 in southwest France. He was educated by Franciscan friars before beginning studies at the University of Toulouse in 1596. He was ordained when he was 20 years old. Captured by pirates, St. Vincent de Paul was sold into slavery. He was only freed in 1607 after he converted his owner to Christianity. While serving as a parish priest in Paris, he formed groups to help the poor, the ill and the unemployed. With Louise de Marillac, he founded the Daughters of Charity. He also instituted the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (Lazarists). St. Vincent de Paul always worked for those in society who needed the most help: the poor, abandoned, ignored, sick, etc. He died in Paris in 1660, and his body was later found incorrupt. St. Vincent de Paul is patron saint of charities, St. Vincent de Paul societies, Vincentian Service Corps and volunteers.

St. Wenceslaus was born in Prague (in what was then Bohemia and is now the Czech Republic) in 907. The duke of Bohemia came to power after his father was killed in a time of backlash against Christianity. St. Wenceslaus fought the backlash through prayer. His brother, Boleslaus, killed him for political reasons Sept. 28, 929. However, St. Wenceslaus is considered a martyr since those reasons stemmed from his Christian faith. There have been miracles reported at his tomb. St. Wenceslaus is patron saint of Bohemia, the Czech Republic and Prague.

Today is the feast of guardian angels. The belief is that each soul has an angel who guides the soul through life and to God.

St. Bruno was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1030 and was ordained circa 1055. He taught theology, and one of his students became Pope Urban II. He presided at a school in Rheims between 1057 and 1075. He criticized worldliness among the members of the clergy. After having a vision, he moved to a mountain in 1084 to live a prayerful, quiet life dedicated to God. There he foundsed the first house of the Carthusians. They copied manuscripts to support themselves. Along with his friends, he built a hermitage in 1095 in Torre. He died in 1101. St. Bruno is patron saint of possessed people.