BIG C CATHOLICS

August 1st is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori. He was born in 1696 near Naples, Italy, the son of a captain in the Royal Navy and a devoted mother from a noble family. His parents provided him with an exceptional education in philosophy, literature, and the arts. He was 16 when he was awarded doctorates of civil and canon law. When he was 18, like many nobles, he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy with whom he cared for the sick at the hospital for "incurables," washing afflicted bodies, feeding the helpless, changing bedclothes and devoting himself to works of mercy. Following his father's will he became a lawyer and before he was 20, he was regarded as one of the most gifted lawyers working in the kingdom of Naples. Christ's claim on Alphonsus' heart was absolute. Alphonsus left the law to enter the priesthood, much to the disappointment of his father. He was ordained in 1726. His charity and apostolic spirit led him to found the Co

God is love, and all his operations proceed from love. Once he wills to manifest that goodness by sharing his love outside himself, then the Incarnation becomes the supreme manifestation of his goodness and love and glory. So, Christ was intended before all other creatures and for his own sake. For him all things were created and to him all things must be subject, and God loves all creatures in and because of Christ. Christ is the first-born of every creature, and the whole of humanity as well as the created world finds its foundation and meaning in him. Moreover, this would have been the case even if Adam had not sinned. — St. Lawrence of Brindisi St. Lawrence believed that God, even more than being a Creator, the source of Almighty Power, or a Judge, is first and foremost a Lover. He taught that, even if Adam had remained sinless, God would still have sent Jesus to humanity to share God's love.

Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, a Capuchin Franciscan priest and Doctor of the Universal Church, was born on July 22, 1559 in Brindisi, Italy. He is considered the greatest linguist among the Doctors. In addition to his native Italian, Lawrence could read and speak fluently Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish and French. He labored in many fields, serving as an army chaplain, diplomat, leader of the Counter-Reformation in Austria and Bohemia, teacher of Scripture, exegete and mariologist. Unusual for a scholar, Lawrence was acutely sensitive to the needs of others. At age 31, he was elected Major Superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany. He combined brilliance, compassion and administrative skill to carry out his duties. In 1602, he was elected Minister General of the Capuchins. Under his guidance, the Order grew both geographically and in numbers. St. Lawrence is a tremendous model for priests in their studies and preaching. He died exactly sixty years to th

On July 15th, the Church commemorates the Feast of Saint Bonaventure. The Seraphic Doctor was born at Tuscany, Italy in 1221. At 22, he joined the Franciscan Order and went to Paris where he excelled in his theological studies. Fifteen years later, he was made General of his Order restoring calm at a time of enormous turmoil and internal dissent. Bonaventure is credited with the Franciscan's resurgence for his work consolidating an institution that was as yet ill defined in nature. Under his guidance, the Franciscans became the most prominent order in the Catholic Church until the coming of the Jesuits. Bonaventure was renowned for the force of his preaching, writing and scholarship. His Life of St. Francis was one of the most popular works of the Middle Ages. He died at Lyons in 1274 while assisting at the Second Council of Lyons, to reunite the Eastern church with the West. Bonaventure was so revered that Dante had already included him among the inhabitants of his literary &

June 28th is the Feast of Saint Irenaeus. He was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor around the year 120. It is unknown when he came to Gaul. It is thought that as a resident of Smyrna, he listened to the preaching of Saint Polycarp. Irenaeus was a priest in the Church of Lyons during the persecution of 177 when Saint Pothinus, the first bishop of the city was martyred. Irenaeus succeeded him as bishop. Twenty-five years later, Irenaeus himself would be martyred. The writings of St. Irenaeus give him an honored place among the Fathers of the Church. Irenaeus' best-known book, Adversus Haereses , (Against Heresies) is a detailed attack on Gnosticism. At a time when Gnostic sects threatened to undermine Christianity, he vigorously defended all heresies, safeguarding unity of belief. He was instrumental in laying down the foundations for the doctrinal tradition of the Church. According to popular piety, Irenaeus received the crown of martyrdom during a wave of persecution under the Emperor

Only if it is one and the same Christ who is consubstantial with the Father and with men can he save us, for the meeting ground between God and man is the flesh of Christ. Only if this is God's own flesh can man come into contact with Christ's divinity through his humanity. Because of our kinship with the Word made flesh we are sons of God. The Eucharist consummates our kinship with the word, our communion with the Father, our sharing in the divine nature—there is very real contact between our body and that of the Word. — St. Cyril of Alexandria

Saint Anthony of Padua, also known as Anthony of Lisbon, was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Originally named Fernando Martins, he was born to a wealthy family at Lisbon. At the age of fifteen he asked to be sent to the Abbey of Santa Cruz where he learned theology and Latin. Following his ordination, Fernando was placed in charge of the abbey's hospitality. When Franciscan friars established a hermitage outside Coimbra, Fernando felt compelled to join them. He was granted permission to do so, and upon entering the Franciscan Order, changed his name to Anthony. As a popular preacher and teacher of theology Anthony fought tirelessly against heresy. His homilies were inspired by the love of God and of souls and are remarkable for their insights. Pope Gregory IX, who heard Anthony preach, called him during his lifetime the Arca Testamenti , meaning "the living repository of the Holy Scriptures". Pope Pius XII, in proclaiming him a Doctor o

Saint Ephrem the Syrian, called "the Harp of the Holy Spirit," was a prolific hymnographer and theologian of the 4th century. He was born into a Christian family about 306 AD in Nusaybin, Turkey. As deacon at Edessa, he opposed the heresies of his day. To that end, Ephrem composed hundreds of hymns and poems on the mysteries of God, the Incarnation, the Blessed Virgin and the saints. His spiritual insights and counsel were sought after. Ephrem was especially devoted to Our Lady. As a Scripture scholar, he gave the Church a wealth of commentaries and sermons which were translated into various Eastern languages as well as Greek and Latin. His works are esteemed by Christians throughout the world, and both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches venerate him as a saint. Ephrem died in 373. Pope Benedict XV named him a Doctor of the Church in 1920. He is the patron saint of spiritual directors. Read Benedict XV's Encyclical on St. Ephrem, Principi Apostolorum Petro . The L

Saint Bede was born in Wearmouth-Jarrow, England in 735 AD. He was sent to St. Peter and St. Paul Benedictine monastery when he was three and educated by Abbots Benedict Biscop and Ceolfrid. He became a monk, was ordained at thirty, and except for a few brief visits elsewhere, spent his entire life at the monastery, devoting himself to the study of Scripture and to teaching and writing. Bede was one of the most learned men of his time whose influence on English literature continues today. His enduring work, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People garnered him the title "The Father of English History". His writings were so revered for their sound doctrine that he was called "Venerable" while still alive. In 1899, St. Bede was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII; he is the only native of Great Britain to be so designated. As a skilled linguist and translator, Bede's work made the Latin and Greek writings of the Church Fathers much more acces

April 29th is the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and Doctor of the Church. She was born Catherine Benincasa, on March 25, 1347, in Siena, Italy, during an outbreak of the plague. Her large family was poor. At age seven, Catherine began to be favored by God with mystical visions. When Catherine was 21, she experience what she later referred to as a "mystical marriage to Christ." Among her many concerns was ministering to the poor and sick. Her activities attracted followers who assisted her. In her travels, she called for reform of the Church and for people to confess their sins and love God totally. She was instrumental in persuading the Avignon pope, Gregory XI, to return to Rome. Catherine established a monastery for women in 1377 outside of Siena. She composed over 400 letters, her Dialogue , which is her definitive literary work. God graced Catherine with the stigmata, which like her ring, was visible only to her. Her efforts for peace and reform of

Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591) was born and died in Spain. His parents were destitute and could not afford to give him training in any profession. Hence, John became the servant of the sick in the hospital of Medina. In 1563, he entered the Carmelite friars as a lay brother. Perceiving his unusual talents, the friars ordained him a priest. John was about to join the more severe Carthusians Order when the saintly Teresa [of Avila] persuaded him to remain and assist her in reforming the Carmelites. The reform caused John much suffering and brought him many trials. These difficulties served to detach him from creature comforts. John had a great devotion to Our Lord's Passion and voluntarily sought out humiliations. When Our Lord asked him what reward he desired for his labors, John answered: "To suffer and to be despised for Thee." He died embracing the crucifix. Because of St. John's profound writings on mystical theology, Pope Pius XI proclaimed him a Doctor of

St. Ambrose (340-397) was born in Gaul, a territory that included modern France, Britain, Spain, and part of Africa. He studied in Rome and later became governor of Liguria and Aemelia. While supervising the election of a new bishop of Milan in 374, Ambrose  himself was suddenly acclaimed the bishop [despite being only a catechumen at the time]. Ambrose was ordained a priest and consecrated a bishop on Dec. 7. He wrote extensively on the Scriptures and Fathers, preached a homily every Sunday, resisted the interference of the secular powers with the rights of the Church, opposed heretics and was instrumental in bringing about the conversion of St. Augustine. Ambrose composed numerous hymns, promoted sacred chant and took a great interest in the Liturgy. [Video below.] [Picture: Detail, Altarpiece of St Ambrose , Alvise Vivarini, c. 1503.] The Life of St. Ambrose Around the year 333 Ambrose was born in Trier, Gaul, the child of a noble Roman family. After his father's death

This list is by no means definitive. It is impossible to give an exact number of saints. The majority are known only to God. The Virgin Mary has been omitted out of respect. The Mother of the Savior has a significant place in the divine economy of salvation. Contrary to popular imagination, the saints lived lives remarkably similar to our own. Living ordinary lives in extraordinary ways they were able to achieve heroic virtue. Such a life is possible for us today, with grace, unrelenting prayer, the sacraments and the saints as our guides. The number next to some saints is not intended as a rank. We have tried to include individuals who reflect the depth and scope of a universal Church that spans two millennia. 1. St. Peter - first pope, apostle, martyr 2. St. Paul of Tarsus -  missionary, author of scripture, martyr 3. St. John - apostle, evangelist, bishop 4. St. Thomas - apostle, missionary, martyr 5. St. Andrew - apostle, missionary, martyr 6. St. James the Greater

The Catholic Church bestows the title “Doctor of the Church,” to persons of "eminent learning" and "great sanctity," whose writings have benefited the whole Church as affirmed by a papal proclamation or an ecumenical council. This honor is given posthumously, after canonization. No ecumenical council has proclaimed a Doctor of the Church, only popes. The original Doctors of the Church; Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, and Pope Gregory I. were named in 1298. They are known as the Great Doctors of the Western Church. In 1568 Pope St. Pius V recognized the four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Athanasius of Alexandria. To date, thirty-three men and women have been designated doctors of the Church. St. Theresa of Lisieux (1873-1897), pictured right, is a Doctor of the Church.