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Ss. Peter and Paul are early leaders of the church. St. Peter, born with the name Simon, was a fisherman and an Apostle of Christ. Jesus named him Peter, which means rock, because Peter would be the foundation or “rock” of the church. St. Peter was a miracle worker who became the first pope. He was martyred circa 64; the saint was crucified with his head downward because he said he wasn’t worthy of dying the way Christ died. St. Peter is patron saint of fishermen, Rome and the papacy. St. Paul was born with the name Saul. He was a pharisee who persecuted Christians until he fell to the ground on the way to Damascus. He received a message saying he was persecuting Christ by persecuting Christians. After that, he converted to Christianity, changed his name to Paul and began to preach in various places. He was martyred for his faith circa 65. St. Paul is patron saint of writers, evangelists and missionary bishops.

Blessed Junipero Serra was born in 1713 in Spanish Majorca. He joined the Franciscans when he was 17 and was ordained in 1737. He became a missionary in western North America in 1749. He took over missions in Mexican provinces in 1768. Blessed Junipero Serra is credited with spreading the faith on the West Coast of the United States. He began 21 missions and converted and trained thousands of people. He died of tuberculosis in 1784 in California, and he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988. The Serra Club, a Catholic organization which promotes vocations, gets its name from Blessed Junipero Serra.

Ss. Processus and Martinian worked as guards at a prison in Rome. They guarded Ss. Peter and Paul, Apostles, while they were in prison in Rome. Ss. Peter and Paul converted and baptized Ss. Processus and Martinian. The newly converted Christians were martyred in Rome. Ss. Processus and Martinian are mentioned in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, a list of martyrs thought to be compiled in the sixth century.

St. Thomas, also known as Doubting Thomas, was an Apostle. He doubted that Christ was truly resurrected until he was able to touch Christ’s wounds. The saint preached in Persia and India. He helped start the church in various places by forming many parishes and building churches as he traveled. He was killed in India circa 72. St. Thomas is patron saint against doubt. He is also patron saint of stone masons because he is said to have built a palace for a king of India.

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, a princess, was born in 1271 in Aragon, Spain. She was the daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon and the great-niece of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. She received excellent religious instruction as a child and married the king of Portugal when she was 12. In 1323 her husband and her son, Prince Affonso, began a civil war. St. Elizabeth of Portugal rode onto the battlefield and succeeded in reconciling the two. After her husband died in 1325, she gave her property to the poor and retired to a Poor Clares monastery in Coimbra which she had founded. She died of a fever in 1336, and it is said there were miracles at her tomb. St. Elizabeth of Portugal is patron saint of peace.

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria was born in Italy in 1502. After working with the poor, he felt he had a calling to a religious life. He gave his mother his inheritance and was ordained when he was 26. He established two congregations while in Milan: the Society of Clerics of St. Paul (the Barnabites) for men religious, and the Angelics of St. Paul for nuns. This saint also helped bring about the Forty Hours’ Devotion. St. Anthony fell ill and died in 1539. It is said that he had a vision of St. Paul just before he died.

Blessed Pope Benedict XI was born in Italy in 1240. He joined the Dominicans and became the ninth master-general of the order in 1296. He defended Pope Boniface VIII against William of Nogaret, who worked for King Philip IV of France. He became the 194th pope on Oct. 22, 1303. He wrote sermons on the Gospel of Matthew, the Book of Job and Psalms. Benedict XI wasn’t pope for long; he died July 7, 1304. Some believe he was poisoned by William of Nogaret. He was beatified in 1773.

St. Henry II was born in Bavaria in 972. He became duke of Bavaria in 995 and king of Pavia in 1004. He married St. Cunegunda but never had children. Pope Benedict VII crowned St. Henry as Holy Roman Emperor in 1014. He helped start missions and began construction of a cathedral in Basel, Switzerland. He also was generous to the poor until he died in Saxony in 1024. St. Henry II is patron saint of kings and childless people.

St. Camillus of Lellis was born in Italy in 1550. After an idle youth, he was converted by the Capuchins while doing construction work for them. He tried to enter the order, but a leg injury stopped him each time. St. Camillus later became an administrator of a hospital and a priest. The saint founded the Congregation of the Servants of the Sick (the Camellians) who care for the sick in their homes and in the hospital. St. Camillus, who died in 1614, is patron saint of sick people, hospitals and those who work at hospitals.

St. Bonaventure was born in Tuscany in 1221. He joined the Franciscans when he was 22 years old. After taking his vows, he studied in Paris where he befriended St. Thomas Aquinas. When he was 35 he became the general of his order. He helped restore peace in his order and also composed “The Life of St. Francis.” While helping at the Second Council of Lyons on July 15, 1274, the saint died. St. Bonaventure is a doctor of the church.

St. Marcellina was born in Gaul (what would now be Germany) circa 330. She is the sister of St. Ambrose of Milan and St. Satyrus. She moved to Rome as a young child and was raised by her older brothers. St. Marcellina became a consecrated virgin, and Pope Liberius gave her the veil on Christmas in 353. After her brother, St. Ambrose, became a bishop, she worked with him. She lived a very austere life and died in 398.

St. Emilian lived in the fourth century. He was a martyr of Sillistria, which is located in Bulgaria. He died for his faith while Julian the Apostate was emperor.