BIG C CATHOLICS

Memorial - August 1st Alphonsus Liguori earned a doctorate in both civil and canon law by the age of sixteen. This future Doctor of the Church was not, however, destined to remain in the secular legal profession. After the humiliating loss of a court case in his mid-twenties, he gave up law and dedicated his life to serving God and His Church. Alphonsus was born in Naples, Italy, in 1696 to a noble and pious family. Against the wishes of his father, who had encouraged his legal career, Alphonsus was ordained a priest in 1726 and soon became known as a particularly articulate preacher. His gentleness, especially in the confessional, was controversial in the eyes of some. At this time, the Catholic Church was struggling with the heresy of Jansenism. This teaching, which was actually a form of Calvinism, was strongly condemned by the Pope in 1713, but vestiges of its austerity and scrupulosity were still being felt in the actions of various religious orders and also confessors.

July 31st, is the memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest and founder of the Society of Jesus. Ignatius, was born of a noble family at Loyola, in Cantabria, Spain. He attended the court of the Catholic king before pursuing a military career. In 1521, while defending the town of Pamplona against French attack, Ignatius was struck by a cannonball in the legs. To save Ignatius' life doctors performed several surgeries. Despite their efforts, his condition deteriorated. On June 29, 1521, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Ignatius began to improve. As soon as he was healthy enough to bear it, part of one leg was amputated which while painful, sped his recovery. He chanced in his illness to read several pious books, which kindled in his soul a fervent desire to follow in the footsteps of Christ and the saints. Among his realizations, was that some thoughts brought him happiness and others sorrow. He recognized that evil caused unpleasantness while God was the source of tru

Optional Memorial – July 18th St. Camillus' mother was nearly sixty years old when he was born [in 1550]. As a youth, he gave himself to the sinful pleasures of this world. His conversion dates from the feast of the Purification, 1575. Two attempts to join the Capuchin Order were frustrated by an incurable sore on his leg. In Rome, Camillus was placed in a hospital for incurables; before long he was put in charge due to his ability and zeal for virtue. There, he provided the sick every kind of spiritual and bodily aid. At the age of thirty-two he began studying for Holy Orders and was not ashamed of being numbered with children. After ordination to the holy priesthood he founded a congregation of Regular Clerics, the "Ministers to the Sick." As a fourth vow the community assumed the duty of caring for the plague-ridden at the risk of their lives. With invincible patience Camillus persevered day and night in the service of the sick, performing the meanest and most

July 11th, is the Memorial of Saint Benedict of Nursia, the 6th-century abbot who established Christian monasticism in the West. In his capacity as the "Father of Western Monasticism," St. Benedict is co-patron of Europe (together with Saints Cyril and Methodius). Pope Benedict XVI named him the patron of his pontificate. Born in Nursia, Italy, he was educated in Rome, was repelled by the vices of the city and in about 500 fled to Enfide, thirty miles away. He decided to live the life of a hermit and settled at mountainous Subiaco, where he lived in a cave for three years, fed by a monk named Romanus. Despite Benedict's desire for solitude, his holiness and austerities became known and he was asked to be their abbot by a community of monks at Vicovaro. He accepted, but when the monks resisted his strict rule and tried to poison him, he returned to Subiaco and soon attracted great numbers of disciples. He organized them into twelve monasteries under individual prio

Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot, July 11, 2017 By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois Proverbs 2:1-9, Psalm 34, Matthew 19:27-29 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord; the   knowledge of God you will find . (Prv 2:5) [On July 11th, the Church celebrates] the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, the father of western monasticism. St. Benedict lived from 480-547, and wrote his Rule, which has governed monastic life ever since. Those who have given up everything and entered monastic life have done so in order to fulfill one goal: to seek God. Prayer, work, obedience, simplicity of life, and stability guide the daily living of monastic life and thus guide the monk in his solitary goal of life. Seeking God is not the activity only of monks and nuns in monasteries. Rather, it is the task given to all of the baptized. And while most of us will not enter monastic life, there is an “inner monk” within us that compels us to seek God in our individual vocations and lives, whether as a dio

July 5th, is the optional memorial of Saint Anthony Zaccaria. He was born and came of age during a particularly turbulent period in the Church’s history — the time of the Protestant Reformation. By 1500, while it was apparent to many that reforms were indeed needed, saints like Anthony together with others worked within the Church to revitalize, re-energize and rejuvenate the practice of faith. Anthony was born in 1502, While still quite young, his father died, leaving his mother a widow at the age of 18. Devoted to her only child, she saw to his spiritual education, raising him to practice charity toward the poor and the sick. He received a medical doctorate at 22, but a short time later, he felt himself drawn to a religious vocation. Returning home, he realized God was calling him to the healing of souls rather than of bodies, and he immediately gave himself to sacred studies. The future saint was ordained to the priesthood at age 26. Known chiefly for his preaching and his

Optional Memorial - June 26th Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902, the second of six children. His parents, José Escrivá and María Albás, gave their children a devout Christian education. In 1915, when Jose Escriva's business failed, the family moved to Logrono. There, as a teenager, Josemaria initially sensed his religious vocation. Moved by the sight of footprints left in the snow by a barefoot friar, he believed that God was calling him. He entered the seminary and studied philosophy and theology, first in Logrono and later in Saragossa. He was ordained to the priesthood in Zaragoza, Spain on March 28, 1925. Then, on October 2, 1928, during a spiritual retreat, Fr. Josemaria saw what it was that God was asking of him: to found Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment of the Christian's ordinary duties. From that day forward, he carried out this task, while ministering especially among the

Saint Norbert was another saint whose life did not begin in the same spirit of holiness with which it ended. Born in the Rhineland in 1080, Norbert became almoner (one who distributed alms to the needy, especially on behalf of a church, monastery, or wealthy family) to Henry V, Emperor of Germany. Although his role entailed spiritual duties, he spent his time at court pursuing worldly pleasures. According to legend, one day while out riding, a sudden thunderstorm came up, during which a bolt of lightning frightened his horse. The animal reared, throwing Norbert to the ground. He lay in the rain for an hour, unconscious. When he awoke, his first utterance was, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" In his heart Norbert heard the words "Turn from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it." This the future saint did in earnest. He studied for holy orders and was ordained in 1115. Giving all his worldly possessions to the poor, he appealed to Rome for permission to

It would have been easy for St. Francis Caracciolo to be a name dropper; born at Naples into Italian nobility in 1563, he was related on his mother’s side to the great St. Thomas Aquinas. But the word that described him best was humility, for it was this virtue that guided him throughout his life. When he was 22, Francis developed a skin condition resembling leprosy; he vowed that, if he was cured, he would devote the rest of his life to God. When the condition disappeared, Francis made good on his promise; he sold everything he owned, gave the proceeds to the poor, and went to Naples to study for the priesthood. While there, he became cofounder of a religious order, the Congregation of the Minor Clerks Regular. Members of this new order took the usual three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, to which they added a fourth — that they would not actively seek positions of authority either within the Church or the order itself. Even though elected superior several times, Franc

Saint Teresa of Avila was reported to have said, “From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, Lord deliver us.” Though he probably never heard those words, one of her contemporaries, Saint Philip Neri, lived as if he had. This delightful man, known as “the cheerful saint,” believed that a life of humility and piety did not exclude a person from having a sense of lightheartedness. If anything, he had a profound appreciation of humor as a Godly gift, to be used for spiritual renewal. St. Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, in 1515. As a young man, he was sent away to live with an older cousin to learn the family business. It was soon evident that this was not the vocation God had in mind for him. Philip became a tutor, eking out a living while studying theology and philosophy. Three years later, he decided, out of humility, not to pursue ordination to the priesthood. Instead, he would spend the next thirteen years of his life actively engaged in contemplation, prayer and servic

April 28th, is the optional memorial of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion De Montfort (1673 – 1716). De Montfort's life is inseparable from his prodigious efforts to promote genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church. " Totus tuus" (completely yours) was De Montfort's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes (France), as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. Educated by both the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion

April 7th, is the optional memorial for Saint John Baptist de la Salle. He was born at Rheims, France in 1651, became a member of the cathedral chapter at Rheims when he was sixteen, and was ordained a priest in 1678. Soon after ordination he was put in charge of a girls' school, and in 1679 he met Adrian Nyel, a layman who wanted to open a school for boys. Two schools were started, and Canon de la Salle became dedicated to the field of education. He took an interest in the teachers, eventually invited them to live in his own house, and tried to train them in the educational system that was forming in his mind. This group ultimately left, unable to grasp what the saint had in mind; others, however, joined him, and the beginnings of the Brothers of the Christian Schools was well underway Seeing a unique opportunity for good, Canon de la Salle resigned his canonry, gave his inheritance to the poor, and began to organize his teachers into a religious congregation. Soon, boys from

Detail, St. John of God  saving the Patients of the Royal Hospital from a Fire , Gómez Moreno, 1880, in the Museo de Bellas Artes, Granada, Spain. March 8th, is the optional memorial of Saint John of God. If the character of St. John of God were to be condensed into just two words, those words would be “impulsive” and “humble.” While the first sometimes led him into trouble before taking him in a better direction, the second guided him into only one path — the way that led directly to God. The first years of John’s life were quite literally all over the map. Born in Portugal in March 1495, John would remain at home with his parents until he was eight. In the year 1503, John chanced to hear the sermon of a traveling priest, who spoke about the wonderful adventures awaiting anyone who went to the New World, which Portuguese exploration was just beginning to open up. His impulsive nature afire, John ran away from home that night to follow the priest, with whom he traveled (though no

The following seven saints Buonfiglio dei Monaldi (Bonfilius), Alexis Falconieri, John Bonagiunta, Benedict dell'Antella, Bartholomew Amidei, Gerard Sostegni, and Ricoverus Uguccione were the founders of the Servite Order, a religious community dedicated explicitly to helping foster the practice of reparation and contemplating the Passion of our Lord and the Blessed Mother's Seven Sorrows. The Servites accomplishments are not widely known, due to the spirit of humility cherished by its members. Their work in home missions promoting reverence for Christ’s suffering on Calvary and inspiring devotion to the Mother of Sorrows has benefited innumerable souls. Their divine ministry began in a period of turmoil. When Florence and all Italy was beset by civil strife, during the 13th century, God called seven men from the nobility of Florence. In 1233, they met together and prayed for guidance. The Blessed Mother appeared to each of them individually and extolled them to pursue liv

February 8th, is the optional memorial of Saint Jerome Emiliani (1486 - 1537), the 16th century Italian priest who founded the Congregation of Regular Clerics for the care and education of indigent youth. He was born into a noble family, the son of Angelo Emiliani and Eleonore Mauroceni of Venice, Italy. At 15, he joined the army following the death of his father. A careless and irreligious soldier, he was placed in command of Castelnuovo, a fortress high in the Italian Alps. While defending the outpost from an invasion, he was captured and incarcerated. In prison, Jerome reflected on the immoral choices he had made in his life. He regretted his dissolute youth and thinking so little about God. Jerome began to pray, and promised the Blessed Mother that he would devote himself to imitating Christ in all things if she would help him escape. His prayers were answered and he fled to safety. In gratitude, Jerome immediately went to the church in Trevisio where he laid his prison chains

St. John of Matha receiving the approved Order from Pope Innocent II. According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, February 8th is the feast of St. John of Matha, priest and founder. Saint John of Matha (1160 - 1213), the founder of the Trinitarian Order, was born at Faucon, on the borders of Provence, in France. He was trained as a young noble in horsemanship and the use of arms, decided to study for the priesthood, and was ordained in Paris. After some years in solitude, he conceived the idea of founding an order to ransom Christian captives from the Muslims and journeyed to Rome to obtain the blessing of Pope Innocent III. Houses of the order were established at Cerfroid and Rome and in Spain. He was very successful in the work of ransoming captives and his order spread. Very little is known for certain about his life, and in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, to bolster his reputation, certain members of his order fabricated

January 31st, is the memorial of Saint John Bosco (1815 – 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco, the 19th century Italian priest, founder, educator and writer, who, as the “Apostle of Youth”, reached out to the marginalized young in establishing religious orders, such as the Salesian Congregation. The Salesians are a community of consecrated brothers and priests that evangelize and educate youth, especially those who are poor and at risk. Don Bosco’s instructional methods departed from the standard of his day in stressing love, kindness, persuasion and authentic religiosity, not strictness and corporal punishments. From an early age, John Bosco knew he was called to the priesthood. When he was 9 years old, he received a series of dreams in which he was told, "You will win friends with kindness and gentleness. You must show people that sin is ugly and goodness beautiful." He once dreamt about stopping a fight between two boys. When separating them didn't work, he used h

October 20th, is the optional memorial of Saint Paul of the Cross, (1694-1775) the 18th century priest and mystic, best known for his special devotion to the Passion of Christ, who founded the Passionist Order. Born Paolo Francesco Danei, in the town of Ovada, Genoa, (present day Italy) he was the oldest of sixteen children. His parents, Luke Danei and Ann Marie Massari, were devout, but impoverished. (Although of noble lineage, by the time of Paul's birth his family were merchant traders.) From the very beginning it was clear that Paul possessed a preternatural spiritually ability. From his mother, he received a deep reverence for the sufferings of Jesus crucified. Whenever he whined or complained, she would would show him a crucifix to remind him that our Savior had endured far worse. From his father, Paul received his first catechesis in learning about the lives of the saints and their courageous sacrifices and great devotion serving in imitation of Christ. At 15, upon liste

October 6th, is the optional memorial of Saint Bruno, (1030 – 1101) the founder of the Carthusian Order, who emphasized prayer, meditation and contemplation in loving God. He was born in Cologne about the year 1030. His family belonged to the principle families of the city. At a young age, he was sent to the episcopal school at Reims to complete his education. Bruno studied Sacred Scripture and the Fathers and perfected himself in both the human and divine sciences. Finally, he returned to Cologne to serve in the canonry. In 1056, the Bishop of Reims, Bishop Gervais, asked him to lead the episcopal school. Entering religious life, Bruno fulfilled this task from 1057 – 1075. Bruno’s extraordinary teaching ability is evidenced by the fact that many of his former students became great and consequential figures. When in 1075, Bruno was appointed chancellor, the pious Bishop Gervais was succeeded by Manasses de Gournai, a violent and impious man. Due to grievances, Bruno demanded the su

Vision of Saint Francis of Assisi , Jusepe de Ribera, 1638. October 4th, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, (1182-1226) the 13th century Italian friar, preacher, mystic, and founder of the Franciscan Order, who is among the most venerated religious figures in history. He was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, in Assisi, Umbria, Italy, one of seven children, to parents Pietro and Pica Bernardone. His father, a wealthy merchant, called his son Francis (Italian: Francesco) in homage to the nation of France where Pietro had commercial success. Francis enjoyed a youth of luxury and license. He himself acknowledged living in sin during this time. The future saint yearned for worldly glory. At 19, he joined a military campaign against a rival Italian city-state and was captured and imprisoned. During his yearlong captivity, God spoke to Francis, telling him to return home. Chastened, Francis obeyed. Later, on a pilgrimage to Rome, he joined the poor begging