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St. Jerome was born in 347 to a rich, non-Christian family. He studied in Rome to become a lawyer. He was baptized in 365, and began to study theology after he truly converted. Becoming a monk, he lived as a hermit in the desert. He became a priest and then secretary to Pope Damasus I, who had him revise the Latin text of the Bible. He died in 419. This saint is a doctor of the church and a father of the church. St. Jerome is patron saint of librarians, students and translators.

St. Michael the Archangel was the leader of God’s army during Lucifer’s uprising. His name means “Who is like God?” This was the battle cry of the forces in heaven during the uprising. He is patron saint of battle, bakers, bankers, dying people, knights, mariners, police officers, and many other places and people.

St. Firminus of Amiens was born circa 272 in Pamplona, Spain. This son of a Roman senator was converted to Christianity by St. Saturninus. He was then ordained in Toulouse, France, by St. Honestus. He became a missionary in France and first bishop of Amiens when he was just 24 years old. The martyr was beheaded circa 303. St. Firminus is patron saint of Amiens, France.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, which commemorates her apparition. She also is known as Our Lady of Ransom. When she appeared, she carried two bags of coins, which she used to ransom Christians whom the Moors had imprisoned. The Mercedarian Order was founded in Barcelona, Spain, on Aug. 10, 1218, after the appearance, and the order was approved by Pope Gregory IX Jan. 17, 1235. Our Lady of Mercy is patron saint of Barcelona and people named Mercy, Mercedes or Clemency.

St. Linus, born in the Tuscany area of Italy, became the second pope in the year 67. In the Canon of the Mass, he is mentioned in the prayer “Communicantes.” Any ancient documents about him have been proven to be inaccurate, so nothing else is known about this saint.

St. Maurice, who lived in the third century, was an officer in a legion of Christian soldiers from Upper Egypt. When St. Maurice and the Christian soldiers, as many as 6,600 men, refused to be involved in pagan sacrifices before battle, they were killed by their fellow soldiers. The saint was martyred circa 287 in what is now Switzerland. St. Maurice is patron saint of alpine troops.

Today is the feast of St. Andrew Kim Taegon and the Martyrs of Korea. St. Andrew’s parents were converts and his father was a martyr. St. Andrew converted at age 15 and became the first native priest of Korea. Additionally, he was the first priest martyred in Korea; he was tortured and beheaded in Seoul in 1846. St. Andrew is the leader of the Martyrs of Korea, a group including about 103 priests, missionaries and laypeople who were martyred when the church was just starting in Korea.

St. Januarius served as bishop of Benevento, Italy, during the persecutions under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. St. Januarius was arrested while spending time with imprisoned deacons. The saint and the deacons were all martyred circa 304. St. Januarius was thrown to wild beasts, but he was beheaded after the animals would not attack him. The saint’s blood was preserved and dried. Since 1389, his blood liquefies on his feast day and on the Saturday before the first Sunday in May. St. Januarius is patron saint of blood banks.

Today is the feast of the Holy Cross. Celebrated in Rome before the end of the seventh century, the feast celebrated the recovering of the portion of the holy cross which had fallen into the control of the Persians after it was preserved in Jerusalem. The portion of the cross was returned to Jerusalem in 629.

St. John Chrysostom was born circa 347 in Antioch. He served as a monk and priest in Syria for more than 10 years. The saint’s sermons clearly explained the Scriptures and earned him the title Chrysostom, which means golden-mouthed. He became bishop of Constantinople in 398 and later became archbishop and finally patriarch. The saint died in 407. He is a Greek father of the church and was proclaimed a doctor of the church in 451. St. John Chrysostom is patron saint of Constantinople.

Today is the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ.

St. Nicholas of Tolentino was born in the diocese of Fermo in 1245 to parents who had been childless until visiting the shrine of original St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas of Tolentino became an Augustinian friar when he was 18 years old, later became a monk and finally was ordained at age 25. After having a vision of angels mentioning Tolentino, he moved to that city in 1274 to become a peacemaker. He preached, healed and visited prisoners. It is said that the saint had visions of purgatory and made a special effort to pray for all of the souls there. He died in Tolentino in 1305. St. Nicholas of Tolentino is patron saint of souls in purgatory.