SAINT OF THE DAY SATURDAY, 14 JUNE, 2025 SAINT METHODIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND CONFESSOR (born 788/800 - died June 14, 847) He was born in Syracuse, Sicily. Forsaking the world, he built a monastery in the island of Chio, but was afterwards called to Constantinople by the patriarch St. Nicephorus, whom he accompanied in his two banishments, under the Iconoclast emperor, Leo the Armenian. In 817 he was sent by that patriarch Apocrisiarius or Nuncio to Rome. Upon the news of the death of St. Nicephorus, he returned to Constantinople; but was thrown into prison by the heretical emperor Michael the Stammerer, where he remained till the end of his reign. In 830 he was released by the Catholic empress Theodora, but soon after banished by her impious husband Theophilus. That prince dying in 842, Theodora became regent for her son Michael III., and placed Methodius in the patriarchal chair of Constantinople. He purged that church of heresy, and instituted an annual feast of thanksgiving, called the Festival of Orthodoxy. Having filled that See for four years, he died of a dropsy on the 14th of June, 847. His immediate successor, St. Ignatius, celebrated his festival yearly, and it is kept both by the Latin and Greek churches. Having had his jaw broken in the persecution, he wore a bandage under his chin to support it. The works of St. Methodius consist of penitential canons, certain sermons, and an encomium of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, in which some think he made use of the works of Hilduin, which he probably saw at Rome. PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Methodius as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. Amen.
June 14 – Saint Davnet (6th century) 14 June, 2012 Summary: St Davnet of Sliabh Beagh in Co Monaghan is popularly identified with Saint Dympna, whose relics are found in the Belgian town of Gheel. Such identifications, which historians say cannot be sustained, are quite common in the veneration of the saints. As Patrick Duffy points out in this piece, every narrative has its own dynamic. The Parish of Tydavnet, Co Monaghan Saint Davnet (in Gaelic Damhnat) lived and died at Sliabh Beagh in the parish of Tydavnet (Tigh Damhnait = “house of Davnet”), Co. Monaghan. Tradition speaks of her as a virgin who in the sixth century founded a church or monastery in the area (generally considered to have been located in the graveyard of the current village Catholic church). A 10th century ornamental pilgrim’s staff, the bachall Damhnait (“staff of Davnet”), said to have been hers is on display in the National Museum. In the past it was kept for generations in the parish and was often used as a test of truth. Her feast day is today, the 14th June. Link with St Dympna, Patron of the Mentally iIl? At Caldavnet at the northern end of the parish is well dedicated to St. Dympna, still a major place of pilgrimage. The local school is called St Dympna’s as is the major psychiatric hospital (built 1869-71) in nearby Monaghan town. Also there is a link between the village of Tydavnet and the town of Gheel 25 miles east of Antwerp in Belgium. The body of St Dympna, the patron saint of the mentally ill, is displayed in a silver reliquary in a church in Gheel named in her honour. She has her own feast on May 15th. T The Life of Saint Dympna The story of Dympna, the patron of the mentally ill comes from a 13th century Life of the saint, written by Pierre, a canon of St Aubert at Cambrai in the time of Bishop Guy I of Cambrai (1238-47). He tells that for many years she had been venerated at a church in Gheel dedicated to her. He says he has drawn his biography from oral tradition. The Legend According to the story, Dympna, the daughter of a pagan king of Ireland, became a Christian and was secretly baptised. After the death of her mother, a woman of extraordinary beauty, her own father wanted to marry her, his own daughter, who was just as beautiful. Dympna fled with the priest Gerebernus and landed at Antwerp, from where they went on to Gheel. Here they lived beside a chapel of St. Martin. The father discovered their whereabouts and came to renew his offer. But seeing that all was in vain, he told his servants to kill the priest, while he himself cut off the head of his daughter. The corpses were put in sarcophagi in a cave where they were later found. The body of St. Dympna was buried in the church of Gheel, and the bones of St. Gerebernus were transferred to Kanten. Fragments and Relics There are at Gheel fragments of two simple ancient sarcophagi in which tradition says the bodies of Dympna and Gerebernus were found. There is also a quadrangular brick, said to have been found in one of the sarcophagi, bearing two lines of letters read as DYMPNA. And the discovery of this sarcophagus with the corpse and the brick was perhaps the origin of the veneration. After the finding of the tombs, it is said that a number of epileptics, insane people, and some said to be under diabolical influence were cured by the relics of Dympna. Ever since, she has been invoked on behalf of such people. Gheel itself built an infirmary for the mentally ill, and today it boasts a flourishing state sanitarium that has advanced types of care for its patients. Most of them are able to board with neighbourhood farmers, who become like “foster families” for them, while they help with the household chores as much as they are able. On St Dympna’s feast day 15th May many people, both healthy and mentally ill, still come to the tomb of St Dympna. Is it True? This story is probably a variation of the motif frequent in popular legends of a king who wants to marry his own daughter and the terrible consequences. It might be rash to claim that the legend is absolutely true or that Dympna and Davnet are the same person. But it might also be equally rash totally to discount the value of these stories and the links between Tydavnet and Gheel. As the Italians say: Se non è vero, è ben trovato. (“If it’s not true, it’s still a good story”). Every narrative has its own dynamic. ____________________________ ****************************** Memorable Prayer for the mentally ill Today We beg you, Lord, to hear the prayers of St. Dymphna on our behalf. Grant all those for whom we pray patience in their sufferings and resignation to your divine will. Please fill them with hope, and grant them the relief and cure they so much desire. ~ A humble patient ~ ****************************** CatholicIreland.net © 2026. All Rights Reserved.
SAINT OF THE DAY MONDAY, 15 JUNE, 2026 SAINT GERMAINE COUSIN (1579 - 1601) Germaine was born in 1579 to Laurent Cousin, a farm worker, and Marie Laroche. Her mother died while Germaine was an infant. A sickly child, Germaine suffered from scrofula, and her right hand was deformed. She was constantly ignored by her father. Her step-family abused her regularly. She was often forced to sleep in the stable or in a cupboard under the stairs, was fed on scraps, beaten or scalded with hot water for misdeeds, real or imagined. When she was 9 years old, Germaine was made to work as a shepherdess. When at work, she spent much of her time praying. She sometimes using a rosary she made from a knotted string. She went for Mass regularly, and if she heard the bell announcing services, she set her crook and her distaff in the ground, declared her flock to be under the care of her guardian angel, and went to church; her sheep were unharmed during her absences. It is reported that once she crossed the raging Courbet River by walking over the waters so she could get to church. Germaine was so poor that it is hard to imagine that she could help others, but she was always ready to try, especially children whom she gathered in the fields to teach a simple catechism and share the little food she had. The locals laughed at her religious devotion, and called her ‘the little bigot'. Once in winter, her stepmother, Hortense, accused her of stealing bread by hiding it in her apron, and threatened to beat her with a stick. Germaine opened her apron, and summer flowers tumbled out. Her parents and neighbors were awed by the obvious miracle, and began to treat her as a holy person. Her parents invited her to rejoin the household, but Germaine chose to live as she had. In 1601 she was found dead on her straw pallet under the stairs, and she was buried in the Church of Pibrac opposite the pulpit. When accidentally exhumed in 1644 during a renovation, her body was found incorrupt. In 1793 the casket was desecrated by an anti-Catholic tinsmith named Toulza, who with three accomplices took out the remains and buried them in the sacristy, throwing quick-lime and water on them. After the French Revolution, her body was found to be still intact save where the quick-lime had done its work. There are more than 400 miracles or extraordinary graces which are documented, that were received through the intervention of Saint Germaine. They include cures of every kind (of blindness, both congenital and resulting from disease, of hip and of spinal disease), and the multiplication of food for the distressed community of the Good Shepherd at Bourges, France in 1845. PATRONAGES: abandoned people, abuse victims, child abuse victims, against poverty, disabled and handicapped, people, girls from rural areas, illness, impoverishment, loss of parents, shepherdesses, people disfigured by disease, physical therapists. PRAYER: O Saint Germaine, look down from Heaven and intercede for the many abused children in our world. Help them to sanctify these sufferings. Strengthen children who suffer the effects of living in broken families. Protect those children who have been abandoned by their parents and live in the streets. Beg God's mercy on the parents who abuse their children. Intercede for handicapped children and their parents. Saint Germaine, you who suffered neglect and abuse so patiently, pray for us. Amen.
St Germaine reminds me of St Charbel in this; they were both people who should have been buried and forgotten but the finger of God pointed down from heaven with miracles and indicated that they were saints. I have hardly read a saint anywhere who was so burdened with huge, huge Crosses right from her being a little baby. Anyone who ever felt sorry for themselves should look to little Germaine. She took her huge Crosses and ran with them.
Another Saint for today Saint Luigi Maria Palazzolo, 1827–1886 Connection to the date: Death anniversary and feast day, June 15, 1886. Canonized May 15, 2022, by Pope Francis. Patronage: Diocese of Bergamo; the poor; abandoned girls; orphans; Sisters of the Poor. Life: Born December 10, 1827, in Bergamo, Italy, as the youngest of nine sons. Father died when Luigi was age 10; mother Theresa raised him in faith and virtue. Ordained priest in 1850. Began teaching catechism to children, visiting prisoners, and dedicating himself to the poor and marginalized. In 1869, with Venerable Maria Teresa Gabrieli, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor (Poverelle Sisters) to care for and educate neglected, vulnerable girls. Established an orphanage in Traona, Italy (1872). The Sisters received papal approval from Pope Pius X in 1912. Suffered respiratory problems in his final years; died June 15, 1886, at age 58. Beatified March 19, 1963, by Pope John XXIII. ◾Canonization Miracle: Sister Gianmarisa Perani, professed member of the Poverelle Sisters since 1950, was rushed to hospital in November 2015 in severe condition. She underwent emergency surgery but developed serious complications and fell into a coma. Two months later, in January 2016, her condition worsened and her physician ordered her treatment stopped, declaring her terminal. The Sisters and medical staff prayed for Luigi's intercession. While a nurse was checking on her, Sister Gianmarisa suddenly awoke from her coma. She recovered rapidly and completely. Medical diagnosis confirmed: acinetobacter baumannii meningitis with cerebral hemorrhage from high-flow arteriovenous malformation rupture and acute hydrocephalus. Vatican Medical Commission found her recovery medically inexplicable (approved November 28, 2019). Prayer: Saint Luigi Maria Palazzolo, healer of the abandoned and forgotten, intercede for all who labor among the poor and destitute.
SAINT OF THE DAY TUESDAY, 16 JUNE, 2026 SAINT JOHN FRANCIS REGIS (1597 - 1640) Son of a wealthy merchant. Educated at the Jesuit college at Beziers, and at Cahors, Le Puy, Auch, and Tournon. Joined the Jesuits at age 18. A Preacher, Catechist who was so good that children he taught helped bring their parents back to the Church. Ordained at age 34. Worked with plague victims in Toulouse, France. Taught at Pamiers. His skill at preaching caused him to be sent as evangelist to provinces that had fallen to the Huguenots following the Edict of Nantes, places where many had abandoned the Church. Not known for a polished style or appearance, his simple method of preaching the Truth, and his willingness to work for the poor, converted crowds of farmers, workers, and country folk. When pressed about his image he replied, “The rich never lack confessors.” He lived off apples, black bread, and whatever came to hand, preferring to spend his time preaching, teaching, and hearing confessions. Established hostels for prostitutes, whom he called “Daughters of Refuge”, who wished to leave the business. He was often assaulted for his trouble. Helped a group of country girls stay away from the cities by establishing them in the lacemaking and embroidery trade, an area of which he a patron saint. Established the Confraternities of the Blessed Sacrament; to the society women he offered the “gift” of a few hungry mouths to feed, while to others he sent notes like, “Sir, you will provide food for the poor people who names are listed below, and you will give them six sous for their lodging. If you are unable to provide them with food, you will give them a further six sous so that they may buy it themselves.” They did, Established a granary for the poor which sometimes miraculously refilled, demanded (and received) treatment for them by doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. Known for miraculous healing, but said that “every time God converts a hardened sinner, He is working a far greater miracle.” At one point there was a movement against him by some of his fellow Jesuits who felt his zealous “signs of simplicity and indiscretion” did not best showcase their order nor follow its teachings. Regis' bishop, however, recognized there was more jealousy than theology in the complaint, and ignored it. Regis asked for transfer to Canada where he could preach without worries about the politics of the Order, but he was ordered to continue his good works in the French countryside. At age 43 Regis had a premonition of his death. He spent three days in retreat, made a general confession, and resumed his mission in mountain villages. Bad weather set in, he spent his days preaching, his nights in poor shelter, developed pleurisy and then pneumonia. His last words were “Jesus, my Savior, I recommend my soul to You.” PATRON: lacemakers, medical social workers, and illegitimate children. PRAYER OF ST. JOHN FRANCIS REGIS FOR PURITY TO OUR BLESSED LADY: My Queen and my Mother! to thee I offer myself without any reserve: and to give thee a mark of my devotion, I consecrate to thee during this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, and my whole person: Since I belong to thee, O my good Mother! preserve and defend me as thy property and possession. Amen.
So many of these wonderful Jesuit saints at that period, a whole army of them. May God grant us whole armies of Marian saints in these terrible times.
Documented Miracle: A parishioner suffered a fractured leg. After extended prayer to John Francis Regis, the parishioner remained seated in the church. Upon examination of the leg, the fracture was found to be miraculously healed. Documented in early hagiographic sources and canonization processes. PRE-CONSULTA MEDICA CAVEAT: Canonized 1737; miracle examined through early Church procedures predating modern medical verification. Specific clinical timeline not documented in accessible sources.
SAINT OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE, 2026 SAINT EMILY DE VIALAR RELIGIOUS FOUNDRESS (1797–1856) Anne Marguerite Adelaide Emily de Villar was born to an aristocratic family, the eldest of three children, and only daughter of Baron James Augustine and Antoinette de Vialar. Because of the anti-Church sentiment of the years following the French Revolution, Emily was baptized in secret, and was taught religion at home by her mother. Sent at age 7 to Paris, France for her education. Her mother died when Emily was 15, and the girl returned home. She managed her father‘s house until she was 35 years old, privately devoting herself to a life of celibacy and prayer, and occasionally arguing with her father over her desire to enter religious life. Upon receiving a large inheritance from her grandfather, Emily and three other women founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition on Christmas Day in 1832; the Apparition refers to the appearance of Gabriel to Joseph, telling him to flee to Egypt. In 1835, Emily and several of the Sisters arrived in Algeria to help the sick during a cholera epidemic, and begin her dream of missionary work. Beginning in 1840 she tried to obtain papal approval of the Sisters, but secular politics between France and Algeria, and Church politics involving Bishop Dupuch of Alger prevented the recognition until 31 March 1862, several years after Emilie's death. During the next few years Emily established 14 new houses, travelled extensively, and sent missionaries anywhere that would accept them. This put a heavy strain on her inheritence, which had been mismanaged by her financial advisor. By 1851 she was bankrupt. Because of the money trouble, the reputation of Emily and of the Sisters suffered, and they were so poor that they sometimes ate in soup kitchens run by other Congregations. Emily finally moved them all, establishing the mother-house of the Sisters in Marseilles, France where, with the help of the bishop, Saint Eugene de Mazenod, she began to build up her congregation again. From her youth she was troubled by hernia, contracted characteristically in doing a deed of charity. From 1850 this became more and more serious, and it hastened her end, which came on August 24, 1856. The burden of her last testament to her daughters was "Love one another". Her canonization took place in 1951; her feast is June 17th. In the years until her death, she established 40 houses in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the Sisters continue their good work all over the world today. PATRON: single women. PRAYER: O St. Emily, you who in the church, wanted to continue to manifest the Father's love, as realised through the Incarnation of the Son, grant us your docility to the Spirit, your audacity and your apostolic courage. Amen.
After the French Revolution there were thousands of Catholics who were slaughtered simply for their Faith. But God raised up a whole crop of saints who risked their very lives to keep the flame burning. A huge cause of hope.
.... another Saint for today Saint Albert Chmielowski, 1845–1916 Connection to the date: Feast day June 17 (assigned by beatification decree; death anniversary December 25 falls on Christmas). Canonized November 12, 1989, by Pope John Paul II. Patronage: Painters; servants of the poor; volunteers; soldiers; travelers; disabled persons; Kraków; Diocese of Sosnowiec. Life: Born Adam Hilary Bernard Chmielowski, August 20, 1845, in Igołomia, Congress Poland. Studied at Cadet Academy in Saint Petersburg; became acclaimed landscape painter. During Polish Uprising of 1863, suffered severe leg wound; after capture, left leg amputated without anesthesia. Endured excruciating pain in silence; escaped hospital hidden in coffin; fitted with wooden prosthesis. Gradually abandoned painting and wealth to serve the poorest of the poor. Became Franciscan tertiary. Founded Albertine Sisters (Sisters Servants of the Poor) and established shelters, soup kitchens, hostels for homeless, sick, marginalized throughout Kraków. Died December 25, 1916, age 71. ◾Canonization Miracle: Patient with intestinal fistula (pus and feces-containing), presumed caused by appendectomy, complicated by intestinal tuberculosis and advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. All five Consulta Medica experts unanimously declared prognosis "very reserved for cure and for life"; no medical therapy available or indicated. Healing declared unanimously by Consulta Medica (5/5): sudden, complete, lasting, medically inexplicable. Approved November 23, 1988. Saint Albert Chmielowski, pray for us
SAINT OF THE DAY THURSDAY, 18 JUNE, 2026 SAINT GREGORY BARBARIGO BISHOP AND CONFESSOR (16 September 1625 - 18 June 1697) St. Gregory was born on September 16, 1625, and he died in 1697. His family lived in Venice and were held in high repute by the people there. He was the fourth son. He excelled in his studies at an early age and became interested in diplomacy and statesmanship. He knew Contarine, the Venetian ambassador, and went with him on at least one ambassadorial mission. After he was ordained a priest in 1655, he organized care for the plague-stricken people of Rome. In 1657, Pope Alexander VII made him the first Bishop of Bergamo. He was a leader in promoting the reforms of the Council of Trent. He visited parishes, organizing the teaching of Christian doctrine and also worked with seminarians and clergy to raise their standards. His work was so respected that in 1660, he was made the Cardinal of Padua. St. Gregory was extremely interested in higher education and worked for the development of seminaries and libraries. He established a printing press that printed pamphlets for Christians under Moslem rule. He was active in laboring to bring about a reunion with the Greek Church. St. Gregory took part in five papal Conclaves (for the election of the Pope) and was a candidate in three of them. It is recorded that his congregation thought him to be a man filled with wisdom. He strove to model himself on St. Charles Borromeo. It was his life-long endeavour to extirpate vices and cultivate virtues in obedience to the warnings and decrees of the sacred synod of Trent. In both dioceses he enlarged the seminaries. He strenuously fostered catechetical instruction, and zealously travelled to every village of the diocese to teach and preach. He was distinguished for his works of charity and the holiness of his life. So generous was he to the needy and poor that he even gave away his household goods, his clothes and his bed to help them. Finally, after a brief illness, he fell asleep peacefully in the Lord on June 18, 1697. Renowned for his merits and his virtues, he was inscribed among the Blessed by Clement XIII and among the Saints by John XXIII. He was beatified on 6 July 1761, and canonized nearly 189 years later on 26 May 1960. He was the first saint canonized by Pope John XXIII. ATTRIBUTES: Cardinal's attire Crucifix PATRONAGE: Diocese of Bergamo Diocese of Padua. PRAYER: St. Gregory Barbarigo you had all the skills for a successful life in politics, but instead dedicated yourself to serving the Church. Because of the valuable skills that you were blessed with, soon you were named a Bishop, and then Cardinal. You were given responsibility for the diocese in Padua, Italy,and you led the Church there with wisdom. You reorganized and enlarged the seminaries in that region, adding a library and a printing press, working hard to carry out the reforms that the Church was encouraging at the time. Dear St Gregory, you guided your diocese with wisdom and prudence. Help me to temper my enthusiasm with God's guidance. Amen.
These Apostolic saints worked so hard it is exhausting just to read about them. I suspect some of them must not have slept at night It reminds me of the Last Judgement when we will have to give an account of our deeds and in my case my hands are pretty empty. The only real apostolic work I have really done was to have the Mother of God Forum really. But at the end of the day we shall be judged on love. Each of us is called to be a different ricer of love running down to the sea of Eternity. Mine was to be a river of prayer. Speaking about Judgement I was reading about a chief exorcist of Sicily's mother who was a very devout daily mass goer and accepted all her Crosses including her last illness with great Christian resignation. She was an exemplary Catholic and after her death her priestly son said many masses and prayers for her and asked others to do the same. Still two years later his mother appeared to him and reproached him that she was still in purgatory and needed prayers. One last mass. After he said it she visited him once again from heaven. So it is good to not get too comfortable with the notion that we or anyone else is going straight to heaven when we die. On the other hand as St Therese of Liseaux warns we should not insult the mercy and love of God by being in a constant fear of purgatory. There is a proper fear of God and an improper fear. We are God's children, not his slaves. https://contemplativehomeschool.com/2014/08/22/st-thereses-daring-teaching-purgatory/ 'As far as little ones are concerned, they will be judged with great gentleness… ‘At the end, the Lord will rise up to save the gentle and the humble of the earth.’ It doesn’t say ‘to judge’; but ‘to save.'” (Last Conversations, 67)' “My sister, if you desire God’s justice, you will have God’s justice. The soul receives exactly what she looks for from God.” (NPPA of Sr. Marie of the Angels, my translation)
SAINTS OF THE DAY FRIDAY, 19 JUNE, 2026 1) SAINT ROMUALD OF RAVENNA 2) SAINT JULIANA OF FALCONIERI 1) SAINT ROMUALD OF RAVENNA ABBOT (c. 950 – June 19, 1027) Romuald's father was a member of the Onesti ducal family. Romuald grew up in a luxurious and worldly environment, where he learned little in the way of self-restraint or religious devotion. Yet he also felt an unusual attraction toward the simplicity of monastic life, prompted by the beauty of nature and the experience of solitude . It was not beauty or tranquility, but a shocking tragedy that spurred him to act on this desire. When Romuald was 20 years old, he saw his father Sergius kill one of his relatives in a dispute over some property. Disgusted by the crime he had witnessed, the young man went to the Monastery of St. Apollinaris to do 40 days of penance for his father. These 40 days confirmed Romuald's monastic calling, as they became the foundation for an entire life of penance. But this would not be lived out at St. Apollinaris, where Romuald's strict asceticism brought him into conflict with some of the other monks. He left the area near Ravenna and went to Venice, where he became the disciple of the hermit Marinus. Both men went on to encourage the monastic vocation of Peter Urseolus, a Venetian political leader who would later be canonized as a saint. When Peter joined a French Benedictine monastery, Romuald followed him and lived for five years in a nearby hermitage. In the meantime, Romuald's father Sergius had followed his son's course, repenting of his sins and becoming a monk himself. Romuald returned to Italy to help his father, after learning that Sergius was struggling in his vocation. Through his son's guidance, Sergius found the strength to persist in religious life. After guiding his penitent father in the way of salvation, Romuald traveled throughout Italy serving the Church. Romuald spent 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages. He longed to give his life to Christ in martyrdom, and got the pope's permission to preach the gospel in Hungary. But he was struck with illness as soon as he arrived, and the illness recurred as often as he tried to proceed. During another period of his life, Romuald suffered great spiritual dryness. One day as he was praying Psalm 31 (“I will give you understanding and I will instruct you”), he was given an extraordinary light and spirit which never left him. At the next monastery where he stayed, Romuald was accused of a scandalous crime by a young nobleman he had rebuked for a dissolute life. Amazingly, his fellow monks believed the accusation. He was given a severe penance, forbidden from offering Mass, and excommunicated—an unjust sentence that he endured in silence for six months. By 1012 he had helped to establish or reform almost 100 hermitages and monasteries, though these were not connected to one another in the manner of a distinct religious order. The foundations of the Camaldolese order were not laid until 1012 – when a piece of land called the ”Camaldoli,” located in the Diocese of Arezzo, was granted to Romuald. It became the site of five hermits' quarters, and a full monastery soon after. This combination of hermits' cells and community life, together with other distinctive features, gave this monastery and its later affiliates a distinct identity and charism. Romuald's approach to the contemplative life, reminiscent of the early Desert Fathers, can be seen in the short piece of writing known as his “Brief Rule.” It reads as follows: “Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms – never leave it.” “If you have just come to the monastery, and in spite of your good will you cannot accomplish what you want, take every opportunity you can to sing the Psalms in your heart and to understand them with your mind. And if your mind wanders as you read, do not give up; hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more.” “Realize above all that you are in God's presence, and stand there with the attitude of one who stands before the emperor. Empty yourself completely and sit waiting, content with the grace of God, like the chick who tastes nothing and eats nothing but what his mother brings him.” St. Romuald had prophesied his death. St. Romuald of Ravenna died in his monastic cell alone on June 19, 1027. Many miracles were wrought at his tomb, over which an altar was allowed to be erected in 1032. In 1466 his body was found still incorrupt; it was translated to Fabriano in 1481. Pope Gregory XIII canonized him in 1582. PATRON: Suwalki, Poland. PRAYER: St. Romuald, by your intense example of prayer, penance, and solitude, assist all the faithful to put God above all things, to conquer themselves before any other mountain, and so come to know themselves, and their Maker, more deeply. Amen. 2) SAINT JULIANA OF FALCONIERI FOUNDRESS OF THE SERVITE NUNS (1270 - 1341) Juliana Falconieri grew up among saints. Her uncle, St. Alexis Falconieri, was one of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. The priest who taught Juliana as a child and deepened her love of God as she developed into a young woman was St. Philip Benizi, one of the early superiors of the Servites. Juliana's parents are not canonized saints, but they were devout people: her father built the Servites' first church in Florence, Santissima Annunziata (Most Holy Annunciation); and Juliana's mother spent the last 20 years of her life living an austere, quiet life of prayer and good works. Inspired by the holiness she saw around her, Juliana decided to affiliate herself with the Servites as a nun. Her friend and spiritual director, St. Philip Benizi, heard her vows and gave her the habit of a Servite sister. Through what we would call parish missions, the Servite priests and brothers sought to promote devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to encourage Catholics to repent their sins and increase their commitment to the faith. Juliana added works of charity to the Servite way of life by going out into the streets of Florence to help the sick, the helpless, and the abandoned. It was hard, often dirty work; to keep their hands and arms unencumbered Juliana and the women who joined her modified their habit by shortening the sleeves. For the first 20 years or so after she took her vows, Juliana lived and worked out of her parents' house. This was not unusual in the Middle Ages. Most orders of nuns lived a cloistered life within a convent, but religious women who wanted an active life nursing, teaching or doing some other form of good work, had the option of living in their own homes or living with other like-minded women as a community. While Julaina remained at home with her elderly mother, the women of Florence who became Servite sisters moved into a large house near the church of the Most Holy Annunciation. After her mother died, Juliana joined them. During Juliana's life Florence was being torn apart by two political parties with odd names - the Ghibellines wanted the Holy Roman Emperor to be the dominant power in Europe, while the Guelphs believed that the ultimate authority was the pope. To gain the upper hand both parties resorted to bloody skirmishes in the streets, assassinations, even civil war. We don't know if Juliana took sides in this squabble. We do know that by acting as a mediator she reconciled several bitter enemies and restored some degree of peace to her hometown. St. Juliana is the patron of people who suffer from any type of chronic illness because during the last years of her life she was plagued by an undiagnosed stomach ailment. She never knew when an attack of nausea or severe cramps would strike and incapacitate her. Eventually the illness proved fatal. As she was dying she was seized by such a severe bout of vomiting that the priest who came to anoint her felt she could not receive Holy Communion. Instead, at Juliana's request, he covered her chest with a corporal and laid the host over her heart. According to the story, a few moments later the host vanished, and soon after that Juliana died. When the nuns washed her body they found the imprint of a cross directly over St. Juliana's heart. ATTRIBUTES: represented in the religious habit of her Order with a Eucharistic host upon her breast. PATRONAGE: bodily ills, sick people, sickness. PRAYER: O God, you gave to your virgin blessed Juliana wondrous solace in her last illness through the precious Body of your divine Son; grant that through her intercession, we too may be strengthened and comforted in the hour of our death and brought safely to our heavenly home. Through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I sometimes wonder what it would like to be rich. Another World. But in thinking about it in relationship with the Spiritual Life I am so glad I never was. Money sticks. It would have dragged me down. I would never have been able to detach myself of it. In the lives of the saints we can see a kind of astonishment in the minds of their contemporaries when they gave up their dough. Everyone else spends their lives trying to get money so that they could be happy. Yet here are these people who were born having it made and they dump it all. No wonder everyone was amazed. I remember one time an Abbot said to me that the people he felt most sorry for in the Whole World was the British Royal Family. He said that everyone else thought when they got rich and famous they would be happy. However the Royals were born rich and famous and are not happy so what can they hope and strive for to make themselves happy?
SAINT OF THE DAY SATURDAY, 20 JUNE, 2026 SAINT SILVERIUS POPE AND MARTYR (480 - 2 December 537 AD) When news of Agapitus' death reached Rome, King Theodahad, fearing the imminent Eastern invasion, was determined to have a pro-Gothic ally on the throne of Peter. Silverius, son of the glorified Pope Hormisdas, was his candidate. The clergy reluctantly submitted to the will of their king and elected the subdeacon, accepting him only for the sake of unity. The destiny of this pope, however, would not follow the same glorious path as that of his father. While Silverius was being consecrated in Rome, the emperor's wife Theodora was making her own plans to reinstate the Monophysite, Anthimus, as patriarch of Constantinople. Striking a bargain with the chosen successor of Boniface II, Vigilius (who had been serving as nuncio to Constantinople), the empress packed him off to Rome, promising him the papacy in exchange for the heretic's rehabilitation. But by the time Vigilius reached his destination, Silverius was already tending to the needs of the Apostolic See. The emperor's general Belisarius now marched on Rome. As the Eastern army drew near, the Romans looked to their pope for advice. Silverius, realizing that resistance would be fruitless, recommended surrender. In early December of 536, as a triumphant army occupied Rome, Belisarius summoned the pope to his quarters. Theodora had been adamant with the general—the pope must submit to her wishes or face dire consequences. The general's first tacti with Silverius failed. Using forged letters, Belisarius had accused the pope of treason on the grounds that he had allowed the city's gates to be opened for the retaliating Goths, now led by King Witiges. The general ordered Silverius to concede to the empress by reinstating Anthimus as patriarch and giving in to the Monophysite doctrine. Silverius adamantly refused. Belisarius took no chances the second time; he seized the pope and, stripping him of his pallium, deposed the protesting Silverius, now clothed only in a monk's habit. The clergy was then notified by a subdeacon of the pope's terrible treatment and sentence of banishment. When the general ordered the election of a new pope, the ambitious Vigilius was well prepared. Through coercion Belisarius and Vigilius successfully accomplished the nomination and election of the latter by the clergy. Silverius had been deported to Patara, a seaport in Lycia. The local bishop was so distressed that he personally went to Constantinople to plead with Justinian, telling him that Silverius had been unjustly accused and, more, unjustly exiled. The emperor believed there might be some merit to this and ordered Silverius back to Rome to face a fair trial. Moreover, he ordered that, if found innocent, Silverius was to be given back his throne. Vigilius panicked, and as soon as Silverius reached Rome, the new pope ordered his removal to Palmaria, an island in the Gulf of Gaeta. It was on this island that Silverius was forced to submit his abdication. After suffering torture and starvation, Silverius died, a martyr for his Church. Silverius was buried on the same island of his exile, his grave becoming the center of miraculous healings. PATRONAGE: Island of Ponza. PRAYER: Almighty God, help us to bear worldly adversities with an unconquerable spirit. For You did not let St. Silverius, Your Pope and Martyr, be terrified by threats or conquered by pains. Amen.
another Saint for today Blessed Salvador Valera Parra, 1816–1889 Connection to the date: Miracle approved June 20, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV. Beatified February 7, 2026. Known as "The Spanish Cure d'Ars" (after St. John Vianney). Patronage: Parish priests; diocesan clergy; Huércal-Overa, Spain; Almería region. Life: Born February 27, 1816, Huércal-Overa, Almería, Spain, to farmer family. Ordained priest 1838 at age 22. Spent entire ministry in home region of Almería serving poor and marginalized. Distinguished himself during cholera outbreaks and earthquakes, providing spiritual and social relief. Known for humility, simplicity, generosity, and pastoral care. Died 1889. Declared Venerable March 18, 2021, by Pope Francis. ◾Beatification Miracle: Newborn Tyquan Hall, born premature via emergency caesarean section January 14, 2007, at Memorial Hospital, Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Pale, lifeless, with slow weak pulse and no breathing. After one hour of neonatal recovery protocol showed no improvement; nurse lost pulse. Physician Dr. Juan Sánchez-Esteban (Spanish, devotee of Valera) worked 65 minutes with no success; child expected to die or suffer severe neurological damage. Dr. Sánchez-Esteban prayed for Valera's intercession. Child's heartbeat stabilized spontaneously within minutes with no medical intervention. Complete recovery; normal developmental milestones achieved. Consulta Medica declared medically inexplicable. Pope Leo XIV approved miracle June 20, 2025. Blessed Salvador Valera Parra, pray for us.
