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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.

St. John the Baptist’s birth was announced by a heavenly messenger. The Angel Gabriel told St. John the Baptist’s father that his wife, Elizabeth the relative of the Virgin Mary, would have a child despite her old age. St. John the Baptist lived as a hermit until around the year 27. He began to preach at age 30 and later baptized Jesus, whom he called the Lamb of God. The saint, who had many followers, encouraged people to follow Jesus. St. John the Baptist was beheaded.

St. William of Vercelli was born to a noble family in 1085 in Vercelli, Italy. After making a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, when he was 14, he decided to devote his life to God. He attracted many followers while living as a hermit in Monte Vergine. He formed the Hermits of Monte Vergine (Williamites) with a Benedictine-based rule, in 1119. He served as an advisor to King Roger I of Naples and founded monasteries in that region. St. William of Vercelli died in 1142 of natural causes.

St. Cyril was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 376. This monk and priest became bishop of Alexandria in 412 and later became patriarch of the city. He worked at the Council of Ephesus to fight the heretic Nestorius who said that within Christ there were two persons. St. Cyril also wrote a book against Julian the Apostate, a Roman emperor who worked against Christianity. St. Cyril, a doctor of the church, died in 444. He is patron saint of Alexandria.

St. Irenaeus of Lyons was born circa 130 in Asia Minor. This disciple of St. Polycarp of Smyrna became a priest in 177 and later became bishop of Lyons. He wrote against Gnosticism and was a great Western ecclesiastical writer. A father of the church, he emphasized the fact that Christ had a divine and human nature. He died for his faith in Lyons, France, in 202.