BIG C CATHOLICS

August 12th, is the optional memorial of Saint Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal, the foundress of the Order of the Visitation of Mary. She was born in 1572 and came from a noble family, her father gave her in marriage to the Baron von Chantal in 1592. As mother she most zealously instructed the children in the ways of virtue and piety and in the observance of every divine precept. With great generosity, she supported the poor and took special joy in seeing how divine Providence often blesses and increases the smallest larder. Therefore, she made a vow never to refuse anyone who asked for alms in the Name of Christ. The death of her husband, who was accidentally shot while on the chase (1601), she bore with Christ-like composure and with all her heart forgave the person who had killed him; then she acted as sponsor for one of his children in order to show her forgiveness openly. There was a holy friendship between her and her spiritual guide, Saint Francis de Sales. With his approva

Memorial - August 11th As a young girl, Saint Clare, in defiance of her parent’s wishes, escaped from her home one night, intent on meeting up with a group of friars. They conducted her by torch-light to a small chapel where Saint Francis of Assisi gave her a rough brown habit in place of her fine dress. She surrendered her jeweled belt for a knotted rope, which she fastened around her waist. In a final act of devotion, she permitted St. Francis to cut her long hair, in order that she might take the veil. A beautiful young Italian noblewoman, Clare was so moved by the preaching of Saint Francis of Assisi that she defied every convention of her privileged life to live the Gospel of Christ. One of St. Francis’ first and most ardent followers, she would become the foundress of the group of nuns known as the Second Order of St. Francis, more popularly, the Poor Clares. She did so despite great opposition. Her parents tried everything in their power to dissuade Clare from her vocat

Optional Memorial - March 3rd Our Lord said that it is "...easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:24).  Though such a thing is difficult, it is, however, not impossible, especially if the rich person, in this case, rich woman, sees their wealth as a gift from God, given to help bring about His kingdom on earth. For them, affluence is an opportunity. Such was the story of Saint Katharine Drexel. Born in Philadelphia into a family of wealth and privilege in 1858, Katharine had advantages that many people then, and even now, could only dream of. Her family’s fortune was made in banking. Her uncle Anthony founded Drexel University in Philadelphia. On her stepmother’s side, Katharine was a distant cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She received an excellent education, traveled widely in the United States and Europe, and, like other young women in her social class, made a grand debut i

Optional Memorial - January 27th  Saint Angela Merici was a 16th century Italian religious educator and foundress. She established the Company of Saint Ursula in 1535 at Brescia, in which women dedicated their lives to the service of the Church through the education of girls. From this organization came the monastic Order of Ursulines. Angela's sisters founded schools of prayer and learning throughout Europe, and later, the world. Angela was born in Northern Italy in the diocese of Verona in the year 1474. She lived on Lake Garda together with her parents and sister in relative comfort. Early in life, she dedicated herself to Christ. At age 15, she and her older sister were left orphans. A short time later, her sister would die without receiving Last Rites. This disturbed Angela greatly, and she prayed fervently for her sister’s soul. By God's grace, Angela would have a vision confirming that her sister was in heaven. The future saint became increasingly devout. She

Optional Memorial - January 23rd  St. Marianne Cope was a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis and is recognized as an extraordinary woman of the 1800's and early 1900's. Her call to labor as a servant of God and the Franciscan spirit she embraced, provided a foundation of values that gave her the courage and compassion to accept difficult challenges with diplomacy and grace. She is a model of humility amid suffering. As a leader in her community, Mother Marianne was instrumental in opening two of the first Catholic Hospitals in Central New York: St. Elizabeth in Utica and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse. Recognizing the need for basic health care in a city of immigrants, she and a small group of women defied convention by purchasing a saloon in Syracuse, New York and transforming it into a hospital to serve the needs of a diverse community. Here they welcomed everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or means. They pioneered rules of patient’s righ

On January 12th the Catholic Church in Canada celebrates the memorial of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, a 17th century French missionary who came to the New World in order to serve the poor. She founded the Congregation of Notre-Dame in Montreal dedicated to teaching, evangelization and works of charity, a hospital and schools. Beloved by Quebecois, she was called "the Mother of the Colony". She was born on Good Friday 1620, in Troyes, France, the sixth of twelve children to Abraham Bourgeoys and Guillemette Gamier, and baptized the same day. Her middle-class family was deeply religious. Her father died when she was young. At 19, Marguerite’s mother died. The following year, on October 7, 1640, during a procession in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, while looking at a statue of Mary, Marguerite had a divine vision that would change her life. She later recounted: "We passed again in front of the portal of Notre-Dame, where there was a stone image [of our Lady] above t

Memorial - January 4th  If you ever had an opportunity to attend Catholic school in the United States, you have Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton to thank for it. After her husband’s death, she founded the first American religious community for women the Sisters of Charity, the first American parish school, and the first American Catholic orphanage, all while raising her five children. A daughter of the American Revolution, she was born in August of 1774, two years before the Declaration of Independence. Her mother, a staunch Episcopalian, taught her the value of prayer and Scripture. At the age of 19, Elizabeth married the love of her life, a handsome wealthy businessman named William Seton. Following the birth of their fifth child, he lost his business, filed for bankruptcy and became deathly ill with tuberculosis. In a final attempt to save her husband's health, the Setons sailed for Italy where William had business friends who could help care for him. During her husband's f

Memorial - November 13th  Sometimes the things we believe we are supposed to do in life are merely a variation on what God actually has in mind for us. Such was the case with a young Italian girl named Frances Xavier Cabrini. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a missionary in China. But Pope Leo XIII would one day suggest that her missionary efforts were destined to be carried out in a very different part of the world; it wasn’t China, but it was precisely where God desired her to be. Frances Xavier Cabrini was born on a farm in Lombardi, Italy in 1850, one of 13 children.  She was trained as a teacher in a nearby convent school and, when she reached the age of 18, she sought to join the Order that had educated her. Her health, however, was so frail that they denied her request and Frances instead returned to the family farm, where she cared for her parents until their death. Shortly afterward, at the request of a priest, Frances began working at the House of Providence Orph

October 16th, the Church in Canada observes the optional memorial of Saint Marguerite d'Youville, the first native Canadian to be elevated to sainthood. She was born October 15, 1701 at Varennes, Quebec, the eldest child to Christophe Dufrost de Lajemmerais and Marie-Renée Gaultier. Her father died when she was 7 years old leaving her family in tremendous poverty. She studied for two years at the Ursulines in Quebec. Upon her return home, she became an invaluable support to her mother and undertook the education of her brothers and sisters. She married François d'Youville in 1722, and the young couple made their home with his mother who made life miserable for her daughter-in-law. She soon came to realize that her husband had no interest in making a home life. His frequent absences and illegal liquor trading with the Indians caused her great suffering. She was pregnant with her sixth child when François became seriously ill. She faithfully cared for him until his death in

Optional Memorial - October 16th Saint Hedwig, the aunt of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, was married at an early age and raised seven children. When her husband died in 1238, she took the habit of the Cistercian nuns at Trebnitz (where one of her daughters was the abbess), but retained her property so that she could give relief to the suffering. Hedwig was born in 1174 in Bavaria, the daughter of the Duke of Croatia. She was the maternal aunt of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and married Henry, Duke of Silesia. After their six children were born, they both strove to advance in sanctity and to enrich Silesia and Poland with monasteries, hospitals, and leper asylums.  She outlived all but one of her children, Gertrude. Hedwig persuaded her husband to use her dowry to found a Cisterian monastery for nuns at Trebnitz, that would be a center of prayer. Their daughter Gertrude became abbess of the monastery. Hedwig led a life of piety and solicitude for the sick and poor, includ

Saint Teresa of Ávila, the 16th century Carmelite nun, mystic, reformer and doctor, was graced with spiritual insights into prayer, the soul and the ineffable love of God. With the blessing of Pope Pius IV, she departed her cloister at Avila, and together with Saint John of the Cross, set up a reformed Carmelite Order in Spain and Portugal. Throughout her life, she endured great suffering with joy and equanimity. Among her literary works, her autobiography ( The Life of Teresa of Jesus ) is a testament to the power of faith and living in imitation of Jesus Christ. Born in 1891, Edith Stein grew up in a devout Jewish family, but would espouse atheism as an aspiring academic and activist. A young woman with immense intellectual gifts, she dedicated herself to the search for truth. After extensive studies at major German universities, Edith became an influential philosopher in her own right, and a renowned speaker on feminism. In 1913, she enrolled in Gottingen University, to study u

October 6th, the Church observes the optional memorial of Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, (1811-1849) the 19th century Canadian religious, who founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. She was born, Eulalie Mélanie Durocher in the village of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, the tenth of eleven children to Olivier and Geneviève Durocher, devout farmers. Four of her siblings were called to religious life. Her brothers Flavien, Théophile, and Eusèbe became priests. Her sister Séraphine entered the Congregation of Notre Dame. Eulalie aspired to follow her sister and join the Congregation of Notre Dame. She was home-schooled by her paternal grandfather and attending various boarding schools. In 1827, she enrolled in the school of the Congregation of Notre Dame in Montreal, with the intention of entering the novitiate, but was turned away due to poor health. In 1830, Eulalie's mother Geneviève died. The next year, her brother, Father Théophile, who was curate of Sain

September 5th, is the feast of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, (1910-1997) the Catholic religious, missionary and foundress of the Missionaries of Charity who experienced a “call within a call” to devote herself to caring for the sick and the poor. She was born, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, in the Ottoman Empire (now the Republic of Macedonia), in the city of Skopje. By the age of 12 she resolved to commit herself to a religious life and to go to India to care of the poverty-stricken. At 18, Agnes left home to enter the Sisters of Loreto Abbey in Ireland as a missionary. She took her first religious vows on May 24, 1931. Six years later, she took her solemn vows on May 14, 1937, while serving as a teacher at the Loreto convent school in Calcutta. Teresa would serve there for almost twenty years. On September 10, 1946, Teresa experienced what she later described as "the call within the call" to help the suffering and the marginalized. From her Vatican biography: "On that day, i

August 12th, is the optional memorial of Saint Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal, the foundress of the Order of the Visitation of Mary. She was born in 1572 and came from a noble family, her father gave her in marriage to the Baron von Chantal in 1592. As mother she most zealously instructed the children in the ways of virtue and piety and in the observance of every divine precept. With great generosity, she supported the poor and took special joy in seeing how divine Providence often blesses and increases the smallest larder. Therefore, she made a vow never to refuse anyone who asked for alms in the Name of Christ. The death of her husband, who was accidentally shot while on the chase (1601), she bore with Christ-like composure and with all her heart forgave the person who had killed him; then she acted as sponsor for one of his children in order to show her forgiveness openly. There was a holy friendship between her and her spiritual guide, Saint Francis de Sales. With his approva

Memorial - August 11th As a young girl, Saint Clare, in defiance of her parent’s wishes, escaped from her home one night, intent on meeting up with a group of friars. They conducted her by torch-light to a small chapel where Saint Francis of Assisi gave her a rough brown habit in place of her fine dress. She surrendered her jeweled belt for a knotted rope, which she fastened around her waist. In a final act of devotion, she permitted St. Francis to cut her long hair, in order that she might take the veil. A beautiful young Italian noblewoman, Clare was so moved by the preaching of Saint Francis of Assisi that she defied every convention of her privileged life to live the Gospel of Christ. One of St. Francis’ first and most ardent followers, she would become the foundress of the group of nuns known as the Second Order of St. Francis, more popularly, the Poor Clares. She did so despite great opposition. Her parents tried everything in their power to dissuade Clare from her vocat

Optional Memorial of St. Joachina de Vedruna, June 10th  St. Joachina de Vedruna de Mas was born on April 16, 1783 in Barcelona, Spain, on the verge of a period of war and unrest. A loving and generous daughter, she exhibited the deep piety that would mark her life's work and vocation. At age 12, Joachina asked to enter the cloistered Carmelite convent, only to be turned away. Her parents hoped this childhood aspiration would pass. And for a time it did. She married Theodore de Mas in 1799, a kind and devout officer many years her senior, but was widowed in 1816. Their family was forcibly made to flee when Napoleon invaded Spain. Theodore remained to fight the French invaders, dying shortly thereafter. Joachina brought up their nine children with care. One by one, her children began to get married and leave home. Joachina weighted the future. After much reflection and prayer, she resolved to do works of mercy for others In 1826, guided by the Holy Spirit, she founded the

Optional Memorial, May 29th  St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (1779 – 1865) was born a child of privilege in Joigny, France. She received an exemplary education, then went to Paris in 1795, at the height of the French Revolution, to enter the Carmelite Order. Her experience of Revolutionary violence in Joigny and Paris, however, caused a change of heart. In 1800, she founded the Society of the Sacred Heart whose mission was to make known the love of God revealed in the Heart of Christ, and to restore Catholicism in France through the education and catechesis of young women of every class. Madeleine was baptized on the Feast of Saint Lucia (whose name means light), on December 13th, 1779. Her godfather was her older brother Louis. According to her family, she had been born prematurely when her mother was frightened by a fire. Subsequently, when asked as a little girl what it was that brought her into the world, the future saint and foundress would invariably answer: "Fire."

( In 2017, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy. ) May 7th, the Church celebrates the optional memorial of Saint Rose Venerini (or Rosa), the 18th century Italian educator and foundress who greatly advanced the education and catechesis of girls and women, despite tremendous opposition. Sometimes it turns out that the things we think we are called to do in life are not precisely what God has in mind for us. As St. Rose Venerini discovered, it was an innate talent, given to her by the grace of God and pointed out to her by another, that ultimately guided her toward the vocation she was meant to live. Rose, the daughter of a doctor, was born in Viterbo, Italy, in 1636. As a young woman, she was engaged to be married, but her fiancé died before the wedding could take place. Shortly afterward, thinking that she was instead called to the contemplative life, she entered a convent, only to be recalled home a few months later following the death of her father. She formed a

April 8th is the optional memorial of Saint Julie Billiart. For the little girl who loved to play “school” as a child, founding a religious order dedicated to the education of the young was something that God apparently had in mind for her all along. Although her own formal education was very rudimentary, St. Julie Billiart was very well versed in the teachings of the Catholic faith, and she dedicated her life to passing them on to the generations that came after her. Marie Rose Julie Billiart was born into a family of relatively prosperous farmers in Cuvilly, France in 1751. She was the sixth of seven children and showed a great interest in things religious. By the age of 7, she had virtually memorized the catechism; one story recounts how she used to gather her playmates around her to hear their recitations, after which she would explain to them what the lessons meant. She was so gifted with spiritual understanding that her parish priest allowed her to receive her First Communio

Paris in the early 1600’s was not the pleasant tourist attraction that it is today, and no one would become more conscious of this than Louise de Marillac. Disease and famine were common occurrences, wiping out nearly fourteen percent of the population; torture was often used against those accused of crimes, claiming many lives very cruelly and unnecessarily, and children by the hundreds were often abandoned at birth. It was this world that Louise would eventually enter as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, but she would not do so quite as soon as she had originally wanted. Though inspired to join a religious community at the age of 16, it was not until she was 33 that the one God intended her to work with would enter her life. Born into wealth near Meux, France, in 1591, she suffered the first in a series of tragedies when her mother died while she was still a young child. Her father followed her mother in death when Louise was just 15. Although her education at the h