I posted this on another thread a while back: "One of the early videos I bought over thirty years ago in Veritas when I was starting to learn more about things I'd heard of when growing up but didn't know the background to...like the Miraculous Medal, Padre Pio and various Marian Apparitions. This wonderful story and the quiet and straightforward way it's told in this video always stayed with me. Enjoyed seeing it again when it came up on YouTube."
SAINT OF THE DAY FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER, 2026 SAINT JOHN OF CAPISTRANO CONFESSOR (24 June 1386 - 23 October 1456) St. John was born in 1386 at Capistrano in the Italian Province of the Abruzzi. His father was a German knight and died when he was still young. St. John became a lawyer and attained the position of governor of Perugia. When war broke out between Perugia and Malatesta in 1416, St. John tried to broker a peace. Unfortunately, his opponents ignored the truce and St. John became a prisoner of war. On the death of his wife he entered the order of Friars Minor, was ordained and began to lead a very penitential life. John became a disciple of Saint Bernadine of Siena and a noted preacher while still a deacon, beginning his work in 1420. The world at the time was in need of strong men to work for salvation of souls. Thirty percent of the population was killed by the Black Plague, the Church was split in schism and there were several men claiming to be pope. As an Itinerant priest throughout Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, St. John preached to tens of thousands and established communities of Franciscan renewal. He reportedly healed the sick by making the Sign of the Cross over them. He also wrote extensively, mainly against the heresies of the day. He was successful in reconciling heretics. After the fall of Constantinople, he preached a crusade against the Turks. At age 70 he was commissioned by Pope Callistus II to lead it, and marched off at the head of 70,000 Christian soldiers. He won the great battle of Belgrade in the summer of 1456. He died in the field a few months later, but his army delivered Europe from the Moors. PATRON: Chaplains; jurists; judges; military chaplains. PRAYER: O God, who raised up Saint John of Capistrano to comfort your faithful people in tribulation, place us, we pray, under your safe protection and keep your Church in everlasting peace. Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
In this age when we have a really nice touchy feely pink cloud Church of Nice it is lovely to remember a saint who was more than a little of a warrior and so saved Europe from Islam.
SAINT OF THE DAY SATURDAY, 24 OCTOBER, 2026 SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET BISHOP, CONFESSOR, PREACHER AND FOUNDER (23 December 1807 - 24 October 1870) CHILDHOOD St. Anthony Mary Claret was born in Catalonia, the northeastern corner of Spain, in a town called Sallent on December 23, 1807. He was the fifth son of Juan Claret and Josefa Clará's eleven children. His father owned a small textile factory, but was not rich. Anthony grew up in a Christian environment, and at a very early age had a strong sense of the eternal life that Christ wanted all men and women to enjoy. He wanted to spare sinners eternal unhappiness, and felt moved to work for their salvation. When he was about eleven years old, a bishop visited his school and asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Without hesitation he responded: "A Priest." WEAVER As soon as Anthony was old enough, he began working as an apprentice weaver. When he turned 17, his father sent him to Barcelona to study the latest techniques in textile manufacturing and to work in the large textile mills. He did so well in the textile design school that he began receiving offers from large textile companies. Even though he had the talent to succeed, he turned down the offers and returned home after experiencing the emptiness of worldly achievements. VOCATION The words of the Gospel kept resounding in his heart: " What good is it for man to win the world if he loses his soul?" He began to study Latin to prepare to enter the Seminary. He wanted to be a Carthusian Monk. His father was ready to accept the will of God, but preferred to see him become a diocesan priest. Anthony decided to enter the local diocesan seminary in the city of Vic. He was 21 years old. After a year of studies, he decided to pursue his monastic vocation and left for a nearby monastery. On the way there, he was caught in a big storm. He realized that his health was not the best, and withdrew from his decision to go to the monastery. He was ordained a priest at 27 years of age and was assigned to his hometown parish. The town soon became too small for his missionary zeal, and the political situation, hostile to the Church, limited his apostolic activity. He decided to go to Rome to offer himself to serve in foreign missions. Things did not work out as expected, and he decided to join the Jesuits to pursue his missionary dream. While in the Jesuit Novitiate, he developed a strange illness, which led his superiors to think that God might have other plans for him. Once again, he had to return home to keep searching for God's will in his life. APOSTOLIC MISSIONARY" IN CATALONIA AND CANARY ISLANDS Back in a parish of Catalonia, Claret began preaching popular missions all over. He traveled on foot, attracting large crowds with his sermons. Some days he preached up to seven sermons in a day and spent 10 hours listening to confessions. He dedicated to Mary all his apostolic efforts. He felt forged as an apostle and sent to preach by Mary. The secret of his missionary success was LOVE. In his words: "Love is the most necessary of all virtues. Love in the person who preaches the word of God is like fire in a musket. If a person were to throw a bullet with his hands, he would hardly make a dent in anything; but if the person takes the same bullet and ignites some gunpowder behind it, it can kill. It is much the same with the word of God. If it is spoken by someone who is filled with the fire of charity- the fire of love of God and neighbor - it will work wonders." (Autobiography #438-439). His popularity spread; people sought him for spiritual and physical healing. By the end of 1842, the Pope gave him the title of "apostolic missionary." Aware of the power of the press, in 1847, he organized with other priests a Religious Press. Claret began writing books and pamphlets, making the message of God accessible to all social groups. The increasing political restlessness in Spain continued to endanger his life and curtail his apostolic activities. So, he accepted an offer to preach in the Canary Islands, where he spent 14 months. In spite of his great success there too, he decided to return to Spain to carry out one of his dreams: the organization of an order of missionaries to share in his work. FOUNDER AND ARCHBISHOP OF CUBA On July 16, 1849, he gathered a group of priests who shared his dream. This is the beginning of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, today also known as Claretian Fathers and Brothers. Days later, he received a new assignment: he was named Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. He was forced to leave the newly founded community to respond to the call of God in the New World. After two months of travel, he reached the Island of Cuba and began his episcopal ministry by dedicating it to Mary. He visited the church where the image of Our Lady of Charity, patroness of Cuba was venerated. Soon he realized the urgent need for human and Christian formation, specially among the poor. He called Antonia Paris to begin there the religious community they had agreed to found back in Spain. He was concerned for all aspects of human development and applied his great creativity to improve the conditions of the people under his pastoral care.Among his great initiatives were: trade or vocational schools for disadvantaged children and credit unions for the use of the poor. He wrote books about rural spirituality and agricultural methods, which he himself tested first. He visited jails and hospitals, defended the oppressed and denounced racism. The expected reaction came soon. He began to experience persecution, and finally when preaching in the city of Holguín, a man stabbed him on the cheek in an attempt to kill him. For Claret this was a great cause of joy. He writes in his Autobiography: "I can´t describe the pleasure, delight, and joy I felt in my soul on realizing that I had reached the long desired goal of shedding my blood for the love of Jesus and Mary and of sealing the truths of the gospel with the very blood of my veins." (Aut. # 577). During his 6 years in Cuba he visited the extensive Archdiocese three times...town by town. In the first years, records show, he confirmed 100,000 people and performed 9,000 sacramental marriages. CONFESSOR TO THE QUEEN OF SPAIN Claret was called back to Spain in 1857 to serve as confessor to the Queen of Spain, Isabella II. He had a natural dislike for aristocratic life. He loved poverty and the simplest lifestyle. He accepted in obedience, but requested to be allowed to continue some missionary work. Whenever he had to travel with the Queen, he used the opportunity to preach in different towns throughout Spain. In a time where the Queens and Kings chose the bishops for vacant dioceses, Claret played an important role in the selection of holy and dedicated bishops for Spain and its colonies. The eleven years he spent as confessor to the Queen of Spain were particularly painful, because the enemies of the Church directed toward him all kinds of slanders and personal ridicule. In 1868 a new revolution dethroned the Queen and sent her with her family into exile. Claret's life was also in danger, so he accompanied her to France. This gave him the opportunity to preach the Gospel in Paris. He stayed with them for a while, then went to Rome where he was received by Pope Pius IX in a private audience. FIRST VATICAN COUNCIL On December 8, 1869, seven hundred bishops from all over the world gathered in Rome for the First Vatican Council. Claret was one of the Council Fathers. His presence became noticeable when the subject of papal infallibility was discussed, which Claret defended vehemently. This teaching became a dogma of faith for all Catholics at this Council. The Italian revolution interrupted the process of the Council, which was never concluded. Claret's health deteriorated, so he returned to France accompanied by the Superior General of the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, his congregation. LAST DAYS IN EXILE In France, Claret joined his missionaries who were also in exile. Soon he found out, that there was a warrant for his arrest. He decided to go into hiding in a Cistercian Monastery in the French southern town of Fontfroide. There he died on October 24, 1870 at the age of 62. As his last request, he dictated to his missionaries the words that are to appear on his tombstone: "I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile." His remains are venerated in Vic. Claret was beatified in 1934 and in 1950 canonized by Pope Pius XII. PATRON: Catholic press; Claretians; Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; weavers; savings banks; foundations. PRAYER: O God, who for the evangelization of peoples strengthened the Bishop Saint Anthony Mary Claret with admirable charity and long-suffering, grant, through his intercession, that, seeking the things that are yours, we may earnestly devote ourselves to winning our brothers and sisters for Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reading the life of this saint makes me think of a human dynamo and makes me wonder if he ever had time to sleep? St Anthony used to say that the most important thing is love. It is because he loved a lot he worked a lot. A big turn around from his original purpose of being a Carthusian monk. It reminds me how God Governs our lives and He certainly governed St Anthony's, we can see Him active again and again pushing the saint to certain places and in certain directions. I am more than a little jealous of these active apostolic Saints. When Jesus asked them what they got up to while on Earth at the Last Judgement this saints hands will be full. A million wonderful things to show Our Lord. This reminds me of the new young priest in our Parish. So active he never stops! Lovely to see this. It reminds of the first Apostles.
SAINTS OF THE DAY SUNDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2026 FORTY MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES (1535 - 1679) These forty men and women of England and Wales, martyred between 1535 and 1679, were canonised in Rome by Pope Paul VI on 25th October 1970. Each has their feast day but they are remembered as a group on 25th October. When King Henry VIII, after his break with Rome, proclaimed himself supreme head of the Church in England and Wales, Catholics felt that he had usurped a supremacy in spiritual matters that belonged only to the Pope. While they wished to remain loyal subjects of the Crown as the legitimately constituted authority, they refused for reasons of conscience to recognise the “spiritual supremacy” of the King. When the Act of Supremacy was passed in 1534, it quickly led many having to face a serious dilemma and even death rather than act against their conscience and deny their Catholic faith. FOUR DISTINCT WAVES OF PERSECUTION AGAINST CATHOLICS The First Wave - followed the passing of the First Act of Supremacy (November 1534) when Henry VIII broke with Rome and suppressed the monasteries. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and Henry's former chancellor, Sir Thomas More, were executed in 1535 along with a number of religious. The Second Wave - came after 1570 when Pope Pius V, believing that Queen Elizabeth I as the daughter of Anne Boleyn was illegitimate and had no right to the throne of England, issued a papal bull Regnans in excelsis excommunicating her and absolving all her subjects from allegiance to her and her laws. The numbers of Jesuits coming in from the continent were seen as a real threat to the Queen and the realm. In 1581 an Act was passed that made it treason to withdraw English subjects from allegiance to the Queen or her Church and in 1585 the entrance of Jesuits into the country was prohibited by law. A number of Jesuits, secular priests and lay men and women were executed at this time. The Third Wave - of persecution followed the failed Gunpowder Plot in 1605. This was a somewhat unwise attempt by some to kill James I in a single attack by blowing up the House of Parliament during the ceremony of the State opening. The Fourth Wave - came in 1678 following the so-called “Popish Plot” created by the infamous Titus Oates. Oates had been twice expelled from Jesuit colleges on the continent and was refused admission as a novice. He spread the rumour that the Jesuits in collusion with the Pope were plotting to overthrow King Charles II and make England a Catholic country again. The very rumour of a plot was enough to stir a new persecution of Catholics. THE FORTY MARTYRS INCLUDE: St. John Houghton, St. Robert Lawrence and St. Augustine Webster, the first martyrs (1535), all priors of different Charter houses (houses of the Carthusian Order, including the one in London) who, by virtue of the Carthusian vow of silence, refused to speak in their own defense. St. Cuthbert Mayne, a Devonian, who was the first martyr not to be a member of a religious order. He was ordained priest at the then newly established English College at Douai in Northern France and was put to death at Launceston in 1577. St. Edmund Campion, the famous Jesuit missionary and theologian who published secretly from Stonor Park, the ancient Catholic country house near Henley-on-Thames, who died in 1581 on the same day as St. Ralph Sherwin, the first martyr to have been trained at the English College in Rome. St. Richard Gwyn, the first of the Welsh martyrs, a schoolteacher from Llanidloes in Mid-Wales who died at Wrexham in 1584. St. Margaret Clitherow, the wife of a butcher with a shop in the famous Shambles in York, who allowed her house to be used as a Mass centre, who was sentenced to be crushed to death under a large stone at the Ouse Bridge Tollbooth in the city. St. Swithun Wells, a teacher from Brambridge in the county of Hampshire who owned a London house at Grays Inn Fields which was also a secret Mass centre (1591). St. Philip Howard, eldest son of the fourth Duke of Norfolk (himself executed for treason in 1572) who led a dissolute existence and left behind an unhappy wife in Arundel Castle until he was converted by the preaching of St. Edmund Campion, and died in the Tower in 1595. St. Nicholas Owen, Jesuit lay brother and master carpenter, who constructed many priests' hiding-holes in houses throughout the country, some of them so cunningly concealed they were not discovered until centuries later (1606). Under James I and Charles I the purge died down, but did not entirely cease. St. John Southworth, missionary in London, was put to death under Cromwell and is venerated in Westminster Cathedral, and the final martyrs died in the aftermath of the Titus Oates plot in 1679. [St. John Fisher & St. Thomas More are not included in this list for they had been canonised in 1935]. PRAYER: To you, Holy Martyrs of England and Wales, we commend our prayers and our needs in these difficult times. As you laid down your lives for Christ and His Church, we ask that we may emulate your sacrifice in our daily lives, living as true and humble disciples of Christ. May His Gospel so penetrate our minds and hearts that we may become what He urges us to be: salt of the earth and light of the world, making Him present through holy lives to the men and women of our time. Sustain us with your loving presence, be our companions on our earthly journey. Defend us in moments of trial, console us in sorrows and remind us of that joy which Christ implants into the souls of His devoted servants. Intercede that we may truly be servants of mercy and reconciliation. Watch over us and guide us in our Christian lives so one day we may merit to be with you in the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father. Amen. All you Holy Martyrs of England and Wales, pray for us. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!
When Protestantism was established in England and Wales and Scotland pretty well everyone Apostasied right away ..and I include the Clergy, the Bishops in this. Why was this? Because the Church was rotten and at the first storm it fell apart like a House of Cards. Some Catholics, a Faithful Remnant stayed Faithful and it was thanks to these, many of whom gave their all, that the Church was reborn. It is the same today I think. At the first whiff of persecution I think things will fall again like a rotten house of cards. Tried in the furnace of affliction like gold only a Faithful Remnant will remain. It is good to ask the question that if the time comes and we are put to the test will we remain Faithful? Only if we have a good prayer and sacramental life. Among the very first to die where 18 Carthusian Monks who were hung, drawn and Quartered in London. What is very striking about them is that they went of joyfully to their deaths. A witness commented that they looked like they were going to a wedding Feast. https://ewtn.co.uk/article-english-carthusian-martyrs/ English Carthusian Martyrs Feast Day: May 4 – CNA These 18 Carthusian monks were put to death in England under King Henry VIII between 1535-1540 for maintaining their allegiance to the Pope. The Carthusians, founded by St. Bruno in 1054, are the strictest and most austere monastic order in the western Church. They live an austere hermitic life, their ‘monastery’ actually being a number of hermitages built next to each other. When Henry VIII issued his “Act of Supremacy” declaring that all who refused to take an oath recognizing him as head of the Church of England committed an act of high treason, these 18 Carthusians refused and were sentenced to death. The first to die were the Carthusian prior of London, John Houghton, and two of his brothers, Robert Lawrence and Augustine Webster, who were hanged, drawn and quartered, on May 4, 1535. The prior is said to have declared his fidelity to the Catholic Church and forgiven his executioners before dying. The Carthusians were the first martyrs to die under the reign of Henry VIII. Two more were killed on June 19 of that year and by August 4, 1540, all 18 had been tortured and killed for refusing to place their allegiance to the king before their allegiance to the Pope. They were beatified in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII, and John Houghton, Robert Lawrence, and Augustine Webster, were canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
SAINT OF THE DAY MONDAY, 26 OCTOBER, 2026 SAINT EVARISTUS POPE AND MARTYR (44 - 107) Today, October 26, we celebrate the feast day of Pope Saint Evaristus (died 107), fourth successor of Saint Peter. While little is known about this fifth pope, we do know that Saint Evaristus governed the Church for nine years, during which time he laid the groundwork for future Church policy. Saint Evaristus was profoundly committed to the expansion of vocations in the Church. The institution of cardinal priests is ascribed to him, as he is the pope who first divided Rome into several titles or parishes, assigning a priest to each. He also appointed seven deacons to attend the bishop and conferred holy orders three times in the month of December which was quite unusual, given that these ceremonies were generally reserved for seasons of fasting and prayer. Saint Evaristus lived in the second century. He was originally from a Jewish family in Bethlehem. He is often depicted in art accompanied by a crib, reflecting his close ties to Christ, due to the place of his birth. Saint Evaristus' parents immigrated to Greece while he was very young, and the future pope was brought up in the Jewish faith. Pious, knowledgeable, and virtuous, Evaristus received the best education of the time. As he grew, he was more and more drawn to Christianity, and eventually he became a priest, traveling to Rome, and engaging in ministry there despite the growing threat and persecution of Christians. He was much admired for his devotion to the Lord, service to others, and commitment to the teachings of Christ. So loved was he that when Pope Anancletus (who had elevated him to bishop) was martyred, Saint Evaristus was selected to replace him. For his part, Evaristus proclaimed his belief that he was unworthy to take the throne of Peter, but the Lord saw to his ascension. Pope Saint Evaristus led the Church for approximately eight years, during which time he organized the Roman See, instructed and encouraged the clergy, and prepared the faithful for the persecution that was imminent. He wrote several letters, each reinforcing the teachings of the Church. In his first epistle, addressed to the bishops of Africa, Evaristus decreed that seven deacons were to monitor a bishop's preaching, to ensure that he did not lapse from the true teachings. Evaristus did not wish to see undue accusations aimed at his bishops, yet reserved solely to the See of Rome the power to terminate any bishop as a result of this indiscretion. His second epistle drew a comparison between the lasting bond of husband and wife and that of a bishop and his diocese. During Pope Saint Evaristus' leadership, the clergy were strengthened and the Catholic believers grew at an astounding rate—chiefly due to his love and zeal for the truth of Christ. However, at that time of Church formation, Evaristus was eventually arrested during the reign of Emperor Domitian, and sentenced to death for being a Christian. As he was taken to prison, his jailers were amazed to see the joy on his face, as he thought himself privileged to have been found worthy to suffer and die for Jesus. He was martyred by decapitation, and his remains were buried in the Vatican near the tomb of Saint Peter. While little is known about the life of the fifth pope, we can feel certain of his commitment to, and love of, the Lord. Pope Saint Evaristus inherited a difficult task—to assume the leadership of a Church beset by persecution and suffering. Rather than turning outward, this great leader looked within the Church, strengthening the roles of bishops and clergy, preparing the faithful to survive and thrive during their suffering, as Jesus did. His simple faith, love, and courage helped prepare the Church to weather the immense persecution! PRAYER: Dear Lord, you gave your servant, Pope Evaristus, the gifts of wisdom and humility to guide your Church on earth. By his loyalty in shepherding the flock, may he continue to guide those on earth who seek his intercession. Amen.
It is so strange to think of there being a Jewish Pope. After St Peter I though all this had gone. Lovely to think of a Jewish Pope so late on. Imagine back then to be Elected Pope was a virtual death sentence. How pure the Church must have been back then in the face of such persecution.
