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St. John of Avila was born Jan. 6, 1499, to a wealthy family in Toledo, Spain. Having studied law and theology, he became a lawyer and a priest. The saint gave most of his fortune to the poor after his parents died. A man of faith, he spread the word of God and the influence of the Jesuits in Spain. St. John of Avila was spiritual director to St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis Borgia, St. John of God and St. Louis of Granada. He died May 10, 1758. St. John of Avila is patron saint of Spanish secular clergy.

St. Anthimus was a parish priest in Rome. He converted people, including a Roman prefect. However, in retaliation for converting the prefect, Roman officials condemned St. Anthimus to death by drowning. When the saint was thrown into the water, it is said he was rescued by an angel. St. Anthimus continued to preach his faith and convert others until he was later recaptured and martyred for his faith around 303.

Ss. Nereus and Achilleus were brothers who lived in the first century. They were soldiers in the Roman army. The brothers were converted to Christianity and were baptized by St. Peter. They were exiled because of their faith. Around the year 98, Ss. Nereus and Achilleus were martyred.

St. Andrew Fournet was born in France in 1752. His mother was very strong in her faith and urged her son to become a priest. St. Andrew resisted and began to lead a wild life. His mother eventually convinced him to stay with his uncle who was a priest. It was at this time that St. Andrew changed his wild ways, went back to school and realized his vocation to the priesthood. He became a parish priest in Maille, France. St. Andrew refused to take an oath denouncing his faith during the French Revolution. Along with St. Jeanne Elizabeth Bichier des Ages, he founded the Daughters of the Cross of St. Andrew. St. Andrew Fournet died May 13, 1834.

St. Matthias the Apostle replaced Judas Iscariot. For more than three decades, he preached the Gospel in Egypt, Judea and Ethiopia. St. Matthias preached about the necessity of mortification of the flesh regarding its desires. Around the year 80, he was stoned to death for his faith. St. Matthias is patron saint of reformed alcoholics.

St. Torquatus lived in the first century. Along with Ss. Ctesiphon, Caccilius, Secundus, Euphrasius, Indaletius and Hesychius, St. Torquatus was a Christian missionary in Spain and a disciple of Ss. Peter and Paul. St. Torquatus concentrated his missionary work in the Granada area. Most of these saints were martyred and share a feast day.

St. Pascal Baylon was born on May 24, 1540, in Spain. He was devoted to the Eucharist as a child, and he eventually became a Franciscan lay brother, usually serving as a cook. A man of great humility, St. Pascal Baylon was very charitable toward the poor. In France he defended the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist against the Huguenots, who nearly killed him. St. Pascal Baylon, who died in 1592, is patron saint of cooks.

St. John I was born in Italy and became the 53rd pope in 523. He was the first pope to go to Constantinople when he traveled there to speak to and crown Emperor Justin I. When St. John returned to home, the Italy’s ruler, Theodoric, thought the pope had plotted against him with the emperor. Theodoric put the pope in prison, where St. John I died May 18, 526.

St. Eugene de Mazenod was born in Aix-en-Provence in France on Aug. 1, 1782. There was constant fighting in his family and interference from relatives when St. Eugene was a child. His parents eventually divorced. In 1790, St. Eugene had to flee with his family to escape the French Revolution. He spent the next 11 years in Italy. St. Eugene became a parish priest in 1811, ministering to the poor, the sick, the young and the imprisoned. St. Eugene formed the Oblates of Mary Immaculate with approval from Pope Leo XII. He became a bishop, founded many parishes and restored many churches. He doubled the number of priests in his diocese and eventually became archbishop of Marseille. He died May 21, 1861. St. Eugene de Mazenod is patron saint of dysfunctional families.

St. John Baptist Rossi was born in the diocese of Genoa, Italy, in 1698. He studied under the Jesuits and the Dominicans and was ordained in March 1721. He helped begin a hospice for homeless women in Rome. Additionally, he was a catechist to farmers, the homeless, the sick, beggars, prisoners and many others. Although he avoided hearing confessions for a number of years because he had epilepsy, he eventually changed his mind and became a popular confessor in Rome. He also worked miracles. St. John Baptist Rossi died May 23, 1764.

St. Simeon Stylites the Younger was born in Antioch around in 521. When St. Simeon was 5 years old his father died, and a monk nearby undertook his care. At age 7, St. Simeon and the monk began to live solitary lives on top of platforms. The saint attracted a number of followers and eventually built a monastery for them. He built a pillar for himself in the monastery. When he was ordained the age 35, the bishop had to climb onto the pillar to ordain the saint. St. Simeon was a healer and miracle worker who spent most of his life on pillars. He died around 597.

St. Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, on July 22, 1515. He studied under the Dominicans until he had a vision, one of many he would receive, which told him he needed to go to Rome. St. Philip Neri took care of the sick and the poor in Rome. He became a priest in 1551 and worked with children, ensuring their safety. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a group dedicated to preaching, in 1575. He died in 1595. St. Philip Neri is patron saint of Rome and the United States Army Special Forces.