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St. Julia Billiart was born in 1751 in France. From a very young age, she loved religious studies. She dedicated her time to teaching the poor. When she was 22, someone shot at her father while she was sitting next to him. As a result of the shock, she was partially paralyzed. After having a vision, she founded the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur with another young woman. The order was devoted to Christian education for girls. In 1804, she was miraculously cured of her paralysis. She then made her final vows in 1805 and was elected mother general of the congregation. St. Julia Billiart is patron saint of sick people.

St. Sixtus I was pope for 10 years during the persecutions under a Roman emperor. St. Sixtus I was concerned with the liturgy, and he instituted elements which are still in use today. One element attributed to St. Sixtus I is how the priest sings the Sanctus with the people. St. Sixtus I died around the year 127.

As a teenager, St. Francis of Paola made a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. He became a hermit and began to attract followers. He formed a rule for his many followers and received approval from the church in 1474. His order was called Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi and was later renamed Franciscan Order of Minim Friars. St. Francis was a prophet and miracle worker. He also defended the poor and oppressed, and helped restore peace between France and Spain. He is patron saint of boatmen because he is said to have sailed across water by attaching his cloak to his staff.

St. Balbina was a nun and the daughter of St. Quirinus. St. Balbina and St. Quirinus were martyred around the year 130. St. Balbina’s relics are in a cathedral in Cologne, Germany. She is patron saint against Scrofula, a term which encompasses a variety of skin diseases including a form of tuberculosis.

St. Rupert was a bishop of Worms, Germany, and he was dedicated to converting Germans. Around 697, St. Rupert took over a deserted town which then became Salzburg, Austria. He founded a church, a monastery and a school. He invited groups of missionaries to the area, and he established a nunnery. St. Rupert is considered the apostle of Bavaria and Austria.

St. Margaret Clitherow was born in England in 1555. After becoming a Catholic, she began to help fugitive priests. She was condemned for this and was killed in 1586.

St. Dismas, known as the penitent thief, was one of the two thieves crucified with Jesus. St. Dismas rebuked the other thief being crucified who taunted Jesus, and he asked Jesus for his blessing. He is patron saint of prisoners on death row and reformed thieves.