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St. Martin I became the 74th pope in 649, but he did not have imperial approval. During the Lateran Council, St. Martin I condemned Monothelitism, the belief that Christ had no human will. The emperor, who had ruled that no one talk about Christ’s will at all, had St. Martin I arrested and tortured. The pontiff died from injuries sustained in his imprisonment around the year 655. St. Martin I is considered the last martyred pope.

St. Julius I, the son of a Roman named Rusticus, became the 35th pope in the year 337. He built a number of churches in Rome. He supported St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, when the Arians tried to keep him out of Alexandria. St. Julius I confirmed the right of bishops to appeal to the Vatican to right of wrongs.

St. Stanislaus was born to noble parents in 1079 in Poland. After the death of his parents, he gave his inheritance to the poor. He became a priest and then vicar-general of the Krakow cathedral. He then became bishop of Krakow in 1072 and preached against sinful living. St. Stanislaus was murdered by King Boleslaus the Cruel after St. Stanislaus excommunicated him because of his war crimes and attempt to steal land from the church. The reaction of the people was so great that Boleslaus fled and, consumed by guilt, became a monk. St. Stanislaus is patron saint of Krakow, Poland.

St. Michael de Sanctis was born in Spanish Catalonia on September 29, 1591. At age 6, he decided he would become a monk. In 1607 at age 15, he took his vows at the monastery of St. Lambert at Zaragoza, Spain. Later drawn to the Discalced Trinitarians, St. Michael de Sanctis began his novitiate in Madrid, Spain, and took vows. St. Michael de Sanctis, who eventually became a priest, was elected superior of the monastery at Valladolid, Spain. He spent his much of his time in prayer and was very devout. St. Michael de Sanctis died April 10, 1625, in Valladolid.

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.