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Home › Today › The saints

The saints.

Martyrs and mystics, scholars and street priests, a slave girl from Darfur and a Lord Chancellor of England. Real people, in real places you can still visit, who took the Gospel at its word.

Their stories.

Patronages are shown only where we can cite a source for them; for the others we say how the Church remembers them.

The Monastery of St Anthony in the Egyptian desert: palm trees and pale buildings at the foot of bare red mountains.17 JanuarySt Anthony of EgyptFounderHe heard one line of the Gospel, and walked into the desert.The early Church · EgyptThe apse of Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura, Rome: a golden mosaic above the altar, framed by a great arch.21 JanuarySt AgnesMartyrA girl of twelve or thirteen whom the whole early Church honoured above all the virgin martyrs of Rome.The early Church · Rome, ItalyThe Basilica of the Visitation at Annecy: a pale stone church with a tall pointed spire against a blue sky.24 JanuarySt Francis de SalesDoctor of the ChurchA young lawyer volunteered for the hardest mission in Savoy, and won it with patience.Reformation and missions · Savoy and AnnecyThe palm-tree vault of the Jacobins church in Toulouse: ribs spread like fronds from a single slender column.28 JanuarySt Thomas AquinasPatron of Catholic universities and schoolsHis family locked him in a castle to stop him becoming a friar. He became the greatest theologian of the Middle Ages.The Middle Ages · Roccasecca, Italy, and Paris, FranceA photograph of Don Bosco in Turin in 1880: an elderly priest in a cassock, seated, with a gentle face.31 JanuarySt John BoscoFounderA ragged boy chased out of a sacristy, and the priest who called him back.The modern era · Becchi and Turin, ItalyThe Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument on Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki: a stone stairway and garden beneath the memorial.6 FebruarySts Paul Miki and CompanionsMartyrTwenty-six Christians on a hill above Nagasaki, and the joy that astonished the crowd.Reformation and missions · Nagasaki, JapanThe simple room of St Josephine Bakhita at Schio: a narrow bed with a blue cover, a chair and a crucifix.8 FebruarySt Josephine BakhitaReligiousKidnapped at nine, sold five times, she discovered a master who loved her.The modern era · Darfur, Sudan, and Schio, ItalyThe Abbey of Monte Cassino seen from below, across a green valley.10 FebruarySt ScholasticaFounderBenedict’s sister prayed for a storm, and won the argument.The early Church · Monte Cassino, ItalyThe ruins of the ancient agora of Smyrna in Izmir, Turkey: a row of standing columns and arches.23 FebruarySt PolycarpMartyrAn old bishop in a stadium, given one last chance to curse Christ.The early Church · Smyrna, Asia MinorA photograph of the monastery of Narek in 1911: old stone buildings and a domed church on a hillside.27 FebruarySt Gregory of NarekDoctor of the ChurchAn Armenian monk of the tenth century who gave words to the cry of a whole people.The Middle Ages · Narek, ArmeniaThe ruined amphitheatre of Carthage, Tunisia: grassy terraces and stone arches around an oval arena.7 MarchSts Perpetua and FelicityMartyrA young noblewoman and a slave, side by side in a Carthage prison. Perpetua wrote it all down.The early Church · Carthage, North AfricaThe bare, stony slope of Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain of County Mayo, Ireland, under a grey sky.17 MarchSt PatrickMissionaryKidnapped as a teenager, enslaved in Ireland, he escaped, and then went back.The early Church · Britain and IrelandThe tomb of St Catherine of Siena beneath the high altar of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, behind a gilded grille.29 AprilSt Catherine of SienaPatron of EuropeA dyer’s daughter who told the pope to go home, and he went.The Middle Ages · Siena and Rome, ItalyInside the Basilica of St John of Avila at Montilla: white walls, rows of pews and a gilded altarpiece.10 MaySt John of AvilaDoctor of the ChurchHe was waiting for a ship to the New World. The Archbishop of Seville kept him home.Reformation and missions · Andalusia, SpainThe Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs at Namugongo: a tall cone of steel struts, shaped like a traditional African hut.3 JuneSts Charles Lwanga and CompanionsMartyrYoung African converts who would not give up Christ, many of them very young.The modern era · Namugongo, UgandaThe Basilica of St Anthony in Padua: a brick façade crowned with domes and slender towers.13 JuneSt Anthony of PaduaDoctor of the ChurchA Portuguese friar no one knew could preach, until the day he was told to.The Middle Ages · Lisbon, Portugal, and Padua, ItalyHans Holbein the Younger’s portrait of Sir Thomas More, painted in 1527: a man in a dark fur-trimmed robe and the gold chain of royal service.22 JuneSts Thomas More and John FisherMartyrA Lord Chancellor and a bishop, both in the Tower, both refusing the same oath.Reformation and missions · London, EnglandThe Abbey of Monte Cassino on its mountain top, white against a blue sky.11 JulySt BenedictPatron of EuropeA student who ran from Rome to a cave, and wrote the rule that shaped Europe.The early Church · Nursia, Subiaco and Monte Cassino, ItalyThe Sanctuary of Loyola in the Basque Country: a domed baroque basilica with a broad stone stairway.31 JulySt Ignatius of LoyolaFounderA soldier, a cannonball, and a sickbed with nothing to read but the lives of the saints.Reformation and missions · Loyola, Spain, and Rome, ItalyThe Basilica of Ars-sur-Formans: a modern dome and an older bell tower above red tiled roofs.4 AugustSt John VianneyPastorHe nearly failed his way out of the seminary. Then all of France came to his confessional.The modern era · Dardilly and Ars, FranceThe Arca di San Domenico in Bologna: a white marble tomb carved with scenes from the saint’s life.8 AugustSt DominicFounderA Spanish canon who would not be a bishop, and sent a handful of friars out to win a continent.The Middle Ages · Caleruega, Spain, and Bologna, ItalyA photograph of Edith Stein as a Carmelite nun, about 1938: a woman in a dark veil and white wimple, looking calmly at the camera.9 AugustSt Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)Patron of EuropeA brilliant Jewish philosopher went looking for the truth, and found that it had a name.The modern era · Breslau, Cologne and AuschwitzThe Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Rome: a simple portico of columns beneath a medieval bell tower.10 AugustSt LawrenceMartyrAsked for the treasures of the Church, the deacon brought the poor.The early Church · Rome, ItalyThe small stone church and convent of San Damiano near Assisi, with a brick arcade and a little bell tower.11 AugustSt Clare of AssisiFounderAn eighteen-year-old noblewoman slipped out of her house by night to follow Francis.The Middle Ages · Assisi, ItalyA photograph of Fr Maximilian Kolbe in 1936: a Franciscan priest with round glasses and a long beard.14 AugustSt Maximilian KolbeMartyrIn the worst place on earth, a priest stepped forward and asked to die in another man’s place.The modern era · Poland and AuschwitzThe Romanesque cloister of Fontenay Abbey in Burgundy: rounded arches and twin columns around a green garden.20 AugustSt Bernard of ClairvauxDoctor of the ChurchHe knocked on the door of a struggling monastery, with thirty young noblemen behind him.The Middle Ages · Burgundy and Clairvaux, FranceThe Church of Santa Rosa in Lima, Peru: a red and white façade between two bell towers, with palm trees.23 AugustSt Rose of LimaPatron of the AmericasA girl in a garden in Lima, and the first saint of the Americas.Reformation and missions · Lima, PeruThe chapel of St Monica in the church of Sant’Agostino, Rome: a marble altar beneath a painting, with her tomb below.27 AugustSt MonicaMotherA mother who prayed for her son through years of tears, and followed him across the sea.The early Church · Thagaste, North Africa, and Ostia, ItalyThe ruins of ancient Hippo Regius near Annaba, Algeria, among green trees, with the Basilica of St Augustine on the hill beyond.28 AugustSt Augustine of HippoDoctor of the ChurchA brilliant, restless man in a garden in Milan, and the grace that changed him.The early Church · Thagaste and Hippo, North AfricaThe Abbey of St Hildegard above Rüdesheim: a red sandstone church with two square towers over vineyards.17 SeptemberSt Hildegard of BingenDoctor of the Church · MysticA nun who saw visions from childhood, preached in cathedrals, and wrote music still sung today.The Middle Ages · Rhineland, GermanyA colour portrait of Padre Pio: an elderly Capuchin friar with a white beard and a warm, steady gaze.23 SeptemberSt Pio of PietrelcinaMysticA Capuchin friar in a remote friary, and the queues outside his confessional.The modern era · Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo, ItalyThe Chapel of St Vincent de Paul in Paris: a pale neoclassical façade with columns and a pediment on a city street.27 SeptemberSt Vincent de PaulFounderCaptured by pirates and sold as a slave, he gave the rest of his life to the poor.Reformation and missions · Gascony and Paris, FranceAn old Latin inscription cut into the rock at the grave of St Jerome, beneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.30 SeptemberSt JeromeDoctor of the ChurchThe scholar who went to live beside the cave of the Nativity, and gave the West its Bible.The early Church · Stridon, Rome and BethlehemThe chapel of the Carmel of Lisieux: a statue of St Thérèse lies in a shrine surrounded by flowers and candles.1 OctoberSt Thérèse of LisieuxPatron of the missionsShe never left her convent and died at twenty-four. She is a Doctor of the Church.The modern era · Lisieux, FranceThe Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, seen from the hillside: two stacked churches and a long arcade above the Umbrian plain.4 OctoberSt Francis of AssisiFounderA rich young man embraced a leper, heard a crucifix speak, and gave everything away.The Middle Ages · Assisi, ItalyA black and white photograph of Sr Faustina Kowalska in 1931, in the habit of her congregation.5 OctoberSt Faustina KowalskaMysticA humble Polish nun, a vision of rays of light, and a five-word prayer the world now knows.The modern era · Kraków, PolandThe medieval walls of Avila, Spain: golden stone ramparts with round towers under a blue sky.15 OctoberSt Teresa of AvilaDoctor of the Church · FounderA lively young woman who ran away to a convent, and later set Spain on fire.Reformation and missions · Avila, SpainThe interior of the Colosseum in Rome, its tiers of broken arches open to the sky.17 OctoberSt Ignatius of AntiochMartyrMarched in chains from Syria to Rome, he wrote seven letters on the way.The early Church · Antioch, Syria, and Rome, ItalyThe façade and courtyard of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, Rome, with a medieval bell tower.22 NovemberSt CeciliaPatron of church musicOne of the most venerated martyrs of Christian antiquity, and the patron of church music.The early Church · Rome, ItalyThe red laterite façade of the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, India.3 DecemberSt Francis XavierPatron of the missionsHe rang a bell through the streets of Goa, and died within sight of China.Reformation and missions · Navarre, Spain, to Goa, Japan and ChinaThe atrium of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan: a Romanesque brick courtyard with arcades and two bell towers.7 DecemberSt AmbroseDoctor of the ChurchThe governor came to keep order at an election. The crowd elected him.The early Church · Milan, ItalyThe main altar of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, with the image on the tilma framed in gold.9 DecemberSt Juan DiegoVisionaryA cloak full of roses in December, and an image that is still there.Reformation and missions · Tepeyac, MexicoThe church and arcaded buildings of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro in Syracuse, Sicily, under a blue sky.13 DecemberSt LucyMartyrShe gave her fortune to the poor, and they could not move her.The early Church · Syracuse, SicilyThe Carmelite friary of Segovia: a pale stone church façade behind tall cypress trees.14 DecemberSt John of the CrossDoctor of the ChurchLocked in a cell by his own brothers for nine months, he came out a master of the spiritual life.Reformation and missions · Fontiveros and Segovia, Spain

Through the year.

Every Sunday, solemnity, feast and memorial in the General Roman Calendar for the next twelve months, with its liturgical colour. Movable feasts are worked out from the date of Easter. Open a day to read its story where we have one.

Short stories so far: 99, with words of 14 more saints quoted in the Catechism. Each one is drawn only from Scripture, the Catechism or a cited historical source. Weekdays without a celebration are left out. Your country’s calendar may add its own saints.

October 2026

  • Sun 427th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Francis of Assisi, not celebrated this year
    The Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, seen from the hillside: two stacked churches and a long arcade above the Umbrian plain.
    Timothy A. Gonsalves, 2023. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young man kneels in a crumbling chapel outside Assisi and hears a voice from the crucifix. Catholic Encyclopedia

    “Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.”

    Read the full story of St Francis of Assisi

    “May you be praised, O Lord, in all your creatures, especially brother sun, by whom you give us light for the day.”

    St Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Creatures, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 344
  • Mon 5Saint Faustina Kowalska, VirginOptional memorial
    A black and white photograph of Sr Faustina Kowalska in 1931, in the habit of her congregation.
    Unknown author, 1931. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    Hidden in a convent in Kraków, a young nun writes down what Jesus has told her. vatican.va

    She sees two rays of light shining from his heart, and he explains that they represent blood and water. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Faustina Kowalska

  • Tue 6Saint Bruno, PriestOptional memorial
  • Wed 7Our Lady of the RosaryMemorial
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    The Church honours Mary with special devotion, and counts the Rosary among the prayers that express it. CCC 971

  • Fri 9Saint Denis and Companions Martyrs/Saint John Leonardi, PriestOptional memorial
  • Sun 1128th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Pope Saint John XXIII, not celebrated this year
    A colour photograph of Pope St John XXIII smiling, in red mozzetta and stole.
    De Agostini Editore, 1958. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    After the death of Pius XII, the cardinals elect the 76-year-old patriarch of Venice, born near Bergamo. vatican.va

    Within three months, Angelo Roncalli announces an ecumenical council. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St John XXIII

  • Wed 14Saint Callistus I, Pope and MartyrOptional memorial
    The Crypt of the Popes in the Catacomb of St Callixtus, Rome: a vaulted chamber where third-century popes were buried.
    Dnalor 01, 2007. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    A slave named Callistus sees his master’s boat coming across the harbour and jumps into the sea. Catholic Encyclopedia

    He is pulled out, dragged ashore, and sent to the punishment kept for slaves: turning a hand-mill. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Callistus I

  • Thu 15Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and DoctorMemorial
    The medieval walls of Avila, Spain: golden stone ramparts with round towers under a blue sky.
    Carlos Delgado, 2011. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    A young woman leaves her father’s house without his knowledge. Catholic Encyclopedia

    She goes to the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation at Avila, which already counts 140 nuns. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Teresa of Avila

    “A close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.”

    St Teresa of Avila, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 2709
  • Fri 16Saint Hedwig, Religious/Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, VirginOptional memorial
  • Sat 17Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and MartyrMemorial
    The interior of the Colosseum in Rome, its tiers of broken arches open to the sky.
    Colin, 2012. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    The bishop of Antioch is being taken to Rome in chains, to be given to wild beasts as a spectacle for the people. Catholic Encyclopedia

    “From Syria even to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and by day, being bound amidst ten leopards, even a company of soldiers”

    Read the full story of St Ignatius of Antioch

    “I seek him who died for us; I desire him who rose for us.”

    St Ignatius of Antioch, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 2474
  • Sun 1829th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Luke the Evangelist, not celebrated this year
    Book of Kells, folio 27v: the four Gospel symbols, a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle, in a woven border.
    Book of Kells, folio 27v, the symbols of the four evangelists, c. 800. Trinity College Library, Dublin. Public domain, source.

    Paul calls Luke the most dear physician, and in a lonely moment writes that only Luke is with him. Colossians 4:14 2 Timothy 4:11 The Church receives the Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. CCC 120

    “It seemed good to me also, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mayest know the verity of those words in which thou hast been instructed.”

  • Mon 19Saints Jean de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests and Companions, Martyrs/Saint Paul of the Cross, PriestOptional memorial
  • Thu 22Pope Saint John Paul IIOptional memorial
    Pope St John Paul II in white vestments and mitre, arms raised in greeting at an outdoor Mass.
    Gregorini Demetrio, 1988. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    White smoke, and the first non-Italian pope in four and a half centuries steps onto the balcony. vatican.va

    Karol Wojtyła, archbishop of Kraków, is fifty-eight years old. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St John Paul II

  • Fri 23Saint John of Capistrano, PriestOptional memorial
  • Sat 24Saint Anthony Mary Claret, BishopOptional memorial
  • Sun 2530th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Wed 28Saints Simon and Jude, ApostlesFeast

    Simon, called the Zealot, and Jude, the brother of James, are named among the Twelve. Luke 6:15-16 At the Last Supper Jude asked Jesus why he would show himself to them and not to the world. John 14:22

    “Jesus answered and said to him: If any one love me, he will keep my word. And my Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him.”

November 2026

  • Sun 1All SaintsSolemnity

    In the Apocalypse, John sees a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation and people, standing before the throne. Revelation (Apocalypse) 7:9 The Church believes that the faithful on earth, those being purified, and the blessed in heaven form one communion. CCC 962

    “After this, I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”

  • Mon 2All SoulsFeast

    Today the Church prays for all who have died. CCC 1032 From the beginning the Church has honoured the memory of the dead and offered prayers for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice. CCC 1032

    “Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live:”

  • Tue 3Saint Martin de Porres, ReligiousOptional memorial
  • Wed 4Saint Charles Borromeo, BishopMemorial
  • Sun 832nd Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 9Dedication of the Lateran BasilicaFeast
  • Tue 10Saint Leo the Great, Pope and DoctorMemorial
    Alessandro Algardi’s marble relief in St Peter’s Basilica: Pope Leo meets Attila, with Peter and Paul in the sky above.
    Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, 2019. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    Attila’s army has torn through northern Italy, and Rome is next. Catholic Encyclopedia

    An unarmed bishop rides out to meet him by the river Mincio. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Leo I (the Great)

    “Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning.”

    St Leo the Great, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 1691
  • Wed 11Saint Martin of Tours, BishopMemorial
  • Thu 12Saint Josaphat, Bishop and MartyrMemorial
  • Sun 1533rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 16Saint Margaret of Scotland/Saint Gertrude the Great, VirginOptional memorial
  • Tue 17Saint Elizabeth of HungaryMemorial
  • Wed 18Dedication of the basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, ApostlesOptional memorial
  • Sat 21Presentation of The Blessed Virgin MaryMemorial
  • Sun 22Christ the KingSolemnity
    Christ Pantocrator, Byzantine icon: Christ blesses with his right hand and holds the Gospel book.
    Byzantine icon, Christ Pantocrator, encaustic, 6th century. Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai. Public domain, source.

    When Pilate asked Jesus whether he was a king, Jesus answered that his kingdom is not of this world. John 18:33 John 18:36 On the last Sunday of the Church’s year, Christians honour him as King. Revelation (Apocalypse) 19:16

    “Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

  • Mon 23Saint Clement I, Pope and Martyr/Saint Columban, ReligiousOptional memorial
    The apse mosaic of the Basilica of San Clemente, Rome: a golden vine spreads from the cross across the vault.
    Jastrow, 2006. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    In Corinth, a few young members of the church have pushed out their own presbyters. Catholic Encyclopedia

    A letter arrives from the church of Rome, and it does not ask politely. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Clement I

  • Tue 24Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions, MartyrsMemorial
  • Wed 25Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Sun 291st Sunday of AdventSunday
  • Mon 30Saint Andrew the ApostleFeast

    Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, had followed John the Baptist; after meeting Jesus, the first thing he did was find his brother. John 1:40-41 He told Simon they had found the Messias, and brought him to Jesus. John 1:41-42

    “He findeth first his brother Simon and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”

December 2026

  • Thu 3Saint Francis Xavier, PriestMemorial
    The red laterite façade of the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, India.
    iMahesh, 2024. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    After a long and dangerous voyage, a Spanish priest lands at Goa. Catholic Encyclopedia

    He goes through the streets ringing a little bell, inviting the children to come and hear the word of God. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Francis Xavier

  • Fri 4Saint John Damascene, Priest and DoctorOptional memorial

    “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”

    St John Damascene, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 2559
  • Sun 62nd Sunday of AdventSunday
  • Mon 7Saint Ambrose, Bishop and DoctorMemorial
    The atrium of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio in Milan: a Romanesque brick courtyard with arcades and two bell towers.
    Óðinn, 2015. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca.

    The clergy and people of Milan are bitterly divided over who will be their bishop. Catholic Encyclopedia

    The consular governor of the province, a young lawyer named Ambrose, comes to the basilica and begins a speech appealing for peace and moderation. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Ambrose

  • Tue 8Immaculate ConceptionSolemnity
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    The Church believes that Mary, full of grace, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. CCC 491 Pope Pius IX proclaimed this in 1854 as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. CCC 491

    “And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”

  • Wed 9Saint Juan Diego CuauhtlatoatzinOptional memorial
    The main altar of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, with the image on the tilma framed in gold.
    José Luiz, 2024. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A fifty-five-year-old convert is hurrying down Tepeyac hill to hear Mass in Mexico City. Catholic Encyclopedia

    The Blessed Virgin appears to him and sends him to the bishop, asking for a church where she stands. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Juan Diego

  • Thu 10Our Lady of LoretoOptional memorial
  • Fri 11Saint Damasus I, PopeOptional memorial
    An eleventh-century manuscript painting of Pope Damasus enthroned, holding a book.
    Unknown author. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    Damasus is elected pope by a large majority, but a rival faction consecrates a deacon named Ursinus instead. Catholic Encyclopedia

    The rivals turn to violence and bloodshed in the streets of Rome. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Damasus I

  • Sat 12Our Lady of GuadalupeOptional memorial
  • Sun 133rd Sunday of AdventSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Lucy of Syracuse, Virgin and Martyr, not celebrated this year
    The church and arcaded buildings of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro in Syracuse, Sicily, under a blue sky.
    Effems, 2019. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young woman of Syracuse has persuaded her mother to give a great part of their riches to the poor. Catholic Encyclopedia

    The young man to whom she was unwillingly betrothed denounces her to the governor of Sicily. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Lucy

  • Mon 14Saint John of the Cross, Priest and DoctorMemorial
    The Carmelite friary of Segovia: a pale stone church façade behind tall cypress trees.
    Zarateman, 2009. Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

    On the night of 3 December 1577, friars of his own order take John prisoner and carry him off to Toledo. Catholic Encyclopedia

    For more than nine months he is kept in a narrow, stifling cell. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St John of the Cross

    “At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.”

    St John of the Cross, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 1022
  • Sun 204th Sunday of AdventSunday
  • Mon 21Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and DoctorOptional memorial
  • Wed 23Saint John of Kenty, PriestOptional memorial
  • Fri 25ChristmasSolemnity

    In Bethlehem, Mary gives birth to her son, wraps him in swaddling clothes and lays him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 That night angels bring the news to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. Luke 2:8-11

    “For, this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.”

  • Sat 26Saint Stephen, The First MartyrFeast

    Stephen was one of seven men chosen to serve the community in Jerusalem, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. Acts 6:5 Put on trial for his faith, he knelt as he died and prayed for those who were killing him. Acts 7:59

    “And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death.”

  • Sun 27Holy FamilyFeast

    Jesus grew up in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, and was subject to them. Luke 2:51 The Church calls the Christian family home a domestic church, a community of grace and prayer. CCC 1666

    “And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace with God and men.”

  • Mon 28Holy Innocents, MartyrsFeast

    When the wise men did not return to him, King Herod ordered that the boys of Bethlehem aged two and under be killed. Matthew 2:16 The Church remembers these children today. Matthew 2:18

    “A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”

  • Tue 29Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Thu 31Saint Sylvester I, PopeOptional memorial
    An early medieval fresco of a pope in white robes with a halo, holding a book.
    Sailko, 2016. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

    A few years earlier Christians were being hunted in Rome. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Now the emperor Constantine favours the Church, and a priest named Sylvester becomes bishop of the city. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Sylvester I

January 2027

  • Fri 1Mary, Mother of GodSolemnity
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    On the eighth day of Christmas the Church honours Mary as the Mother of God. CCC 495 The title is really about Jesus: the one she conceived and bore is truly God, so the Church calls her Theotokos, Mother of God. CCC 495

    “And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

  • Sat 2Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and DoctorsMemorial

    As a very young priest, St Gregory of Nazianzus felt an urgent call to conversion before the greatness of the priesthood. CCC 1589

    “We must begin by purifying ourselves before purifying others.”

    St Gregory of Nazianzus, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 1589
  • Sun 3EpiphanySolemnity

    Wise men from the East follow a star to Bethlehem, find the child with Mary his mother, and kneel to worship him. Matthew 2:1-2 Matthew 2:11 The Church sees in them the nations coming to Christ for the first time. CCC 528

    “Saying: Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to adore him.”

  • Thu 7Saint Raymond of Penyafort, PriestOptional memorial
  • Sun 10Baptism of the LordFeast

    Jesus comes to the river Jordan and asks John to baptize him. Matthew 3:13 As he comes up from the water, the Spirit of God descends like a dove, and a voice speaks from heaven. Matthew 3:16-17

    “And behold a voice from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

  • Wed 13Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and DoctorOptional memorial
  • Sun 172nd Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Anthony of Egypt, Abbot, not celebrated this year
    The Monastery of St Anthony in the Egyptian desert: palm trees and pale buildings at the foot of bare red mountains.
    Tentoila, 2006. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    A young Egyptian is standing in church when the Gospel is read: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all thou hast”. Catholic Encyclopedia

    He receives the words as spoken to himself, gives away all his property, and devotes himself to prayer. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Anthony of Egypt

  • Wed 20Saints Fabian, Pope, and Sebastian, MartyrsOptional memorial
  • Thu 21Saint Agnes, Virgin and MartyrMemorial
    The apse of Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura, Rome: a golden mosaic above the altar, framed by a great arch.
    José Luiz, 2016. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    On the road out of Rome called the Via Nomentana lies the grave of a girl the whole city will remember. Catholic Encyclopedia

    St Ambrose gives her age as twelve, St Augustine as thirteen. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Agnes

  • Fri 22Saint Vincent, Deacon and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Sun 243rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor, not celebrated this year
    The Basilica of the Visitation at Annecy: a pale stone church with a tall pointed spire against a blue sky.
    Medium69 (William Crochot), 2015. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    The territory of Le Chablais, south of Lake Geneva, has had the Reformed faith imposed on it by Geneva. Catholic Encyclopedia

    A young priest with a doctorate in law volunteers to go there. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Francis de Sales

  • Mon 25Conversion of Saint Paul, ApostleFeast
    The Apostle Paul, by Rembrandt: an old man with a white beard beside an open book.
    Rembrandt, The Apostle Paul, c. 1657. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Public domain, source.

    Saul is on the road to Damascus to arrest Christians when a light from heaven throws him to the ground. Acts 9:1-4 He hears Jesus ask why he is persecuting him, and the persecutor becomes the apostle of the nations. Acts 9:4-5 Acts 9:15

    “Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.”

  • Tue 26Saints Timothy and Titus, BishopsMemorial
    Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, by Valentin de Boulogne: the apostle in red, pen in hand.
    Valentin de Boulogne, Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, c. 1618–1620. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Public domain, source.

    Timothy and Titus were co-workers of St Paul, who left them to care for the churches at Ephesus and in Crete. 1 Timothy 1:3 Titus 1:5 Two of his letters in the New Testament are written to Timothy, and one to Titus. 2 Timothy 1:2 Titus 1:4

    “Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the faithful, in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity.”

  • Wed 27Saint Angela Merici, VirginOptional memorial
  • Thu 28Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and DoctorMemorial
    The palm-tree vault of the Jacobins church in Toulouse: ribs spread like fronds from a single slender column.
    Frédéric Neupont, 2014. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young nobleman has joined the friars of St Dominic, and his family is furious. Catholic Encyclopedia

    His brothers, soldiers of the Emperor, seize him on the road near Aquapendente and lock him in the family fortress at Roccasecca. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Thomas Aquinas

  • Sun 314th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint John Bosco, Priest, not celebrated this year
    A photograph of Don Bosco in Turin in 1880: an elderly priest in a cassock, seated, with a gentle face.
    Attributed to Carlo Felice Deasti, 1880. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    It is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and a young priest is vesting for Mass. Catholic Encyclopedia

    The sacristan is driving a ragged boy out of the church because he refuses to serve Mass. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St John Bosco

February 2027

  • Tue 2Presentation of the LordFeast

    When the days of purification are over, Mary and Joseph bring the child Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. Luke 2:22 An old man named Simeon, promised that he would see the Christ before he died, takes the child in his arms and blesses God. Luke 2:26-28

    “Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace: Because my eyes have seen thy salvation,”

  • Wed 3Saint Blase, Bishop Martyr and Saint Ansgar, BishopOptional memorial
  • Fri 5Saint Agatha, Virgin and MartyrMemorial
  • Sat 6Saint Paul Miki and Companions, MartyrsMemorial
    The Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument on Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki: a stone stairway and garden beneath the memorial.
    Nesnad, 2022. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

    The first bloody persecution of Christians in Japan begins in 1597. Catholic Encyclopedia

    On 5 February, twenty-six Christians, six of them Franciscan missionaries, are crucified at Nagasaki. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of Sts Paul Miki and Companions

  • Sun 75th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 8Saint Jerome Emiliani and Saint Josephine Bakhita, VirginOptional memorial
    The simple room of St Josephine Bakhita at Schio: a narrow bed with a blue cover, a chair and a crucifix.
    Xavier Hemmer, 2022. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A little girl in Darfur, about nine years old, is seized by slave traders. vatican.va

    She is sold five times in the slave markets of Sudan, and will carry the scars of her beatings all her life. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Josephine Bakhita

  • Wed 10Ash WednesdayWeekdayAlso the usual day of Saint Scholastica, Virgin, not celebrated this year
    The Abbey of Monte Cassino seen from below, across a green valley.
    Ludmiła Pilecka, 2007. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

    Once a year, Benedict comes down from his monastery to visit his sister Scholastica. Gregory, Dialogues II

    This evening she begs him to stay and talk through the night, and he refuses. Gregory, Dialogues II

    Read the full story of St Scholastica

  • Thu 11Our Lady of LourdesCommemoration
  • Sun 141st Sunday of LentSunday
  • Wed 17Seven Holy Founders of the Servite OrderCommemoration
  • Sun 212nd Sunday of LentSunday
  • Mon 22Chair of Saint Peter, ApostleCommemoration
    The Niche of the Pallia in the Vatican Grottoes, directly above the place venerated as Peter’s grave: a gold mosaic of Christ behind a bronze grille.
    Dnalor 01, 2015. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 at.

    Jesus asks his friends a dangerous question: who do you say that I am? Matthew 16:15

    A fisherman named Simon answers first, and Jesus gives him a new name, Peter, the rock. Matthew 16:16-18

    Read the full story of St Peter

    “Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.”

  • Tue 23Saint Polycarp, Bishop and MartyrCommemoration
    The ruins of the ancient agora of Smyrna in Izmir, Turkey: a row of standing columns and arches.
    31774, 2012. Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

    An old bishop walks into the stadium at Smyrna, where a great crowd is waiting. Catholic Encyclopedia

    “Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man”

    Read the full story of St Polycarp

    “You have kept your promise, God of faithfulness and truth.”

    St Polycarp, praying at his martyrdom, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 2474
  • Sat 27Saturday of the 2nd week of LentWeekdayAlso the usual day of Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, not celebrated this year
    A photograph of the monastery of Narek in 1911: old stone buildings and a domed church on a hillside.
    Eruand Lalayean (died 1931), 1911. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    In a monastery in Armenia, a monk of the tenth century is writing prayers. vatican.va

    Pope Francis said he knew how to express the sentiments of his people more than anyone. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Gregory of Narek

  • Sun 283rd Sunday of LentSunday

March 2027

  • Thu 4Saint CasimirCommemoration
  • Sun 74th Sunday of LentSundayAlso the usual day of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs, not celebrated this year
    The ruined amphitheatre of Carthage, Tunisia: grassy terraces and stone arches around an oval arena.
    Neil Rickards, 2003. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

    The prison is dark, and the air is hard to breathe. Catholic Encyclopedia

    A young mother named Perpetua is terrified, above all for her baby son. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of Sts Perpetua and Felicity

  • Mon 8Saint John of God, ReligiousCommemoration
  • Tue 9Saint Frances of Rome, ReligiousCommemoration
  • Sun 145th Sunday of LentSunday
  • Wed 17Saint Patrick, BishopCommemoration
    The bare, stony slope of Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain of County Mayo, Ireland, under a grey sky.
    Dale Simonson, 2010. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

    A sixteen-year-old boy from Britain is seized by raiders and carried off to Ireland as a slave. Catholic Encyclopedia

    For six years he tends flocks on a lonely hillside, and there he learns to pray. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Patrick

  • Thu 18Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and DoctorCommemoration
  • Fri 19Joseph, Husband of MarySolemnity

    Joseph was a just man, betrothed to Mary. Matthew 1:18-19 When an angel told him in a dream not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, he did as the angel commanded. Matthew 1:20 Matthew 1:24 Later, warned in another dream, he took the child and his mother by night into Egypt to keep them safe. Matthew 2:13-14

  • Sun 21Palm SundaySunday
  • Thu 25Holy ThursdayPaschal Triduum
    The Last Supper, by Juan de Juanes: Christ raises the Host among the apostles.
    Juan de Juanes, The Last Supper, c. 1562. Museo del Prado, Madrid. Public domain, source.

    On the night before he died, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. John 13:5 He took bread and the chalice and gave them to his disciples as his body and his blood. Luke 22:19-20

    “A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

  • Fri 26Good FridayPaschal Triduum

    Jesus carries his cross to Calvary, is crucified there between two others, and dies. John 19:17-18 John 19:30

    “And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But they, dividing his garments, cast lots.”

  • Sat 27Holy Saturday/Easter VigilPaschal Triduum
  • Sun 28Easter SundaySolemnity
    Supper at Emmaus, by Caravaggio: the risen Christ blesses bread as two disciples recognize him.
    Caravaggio, Supper at Emmaus, 1601. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    Early on the first day of the week, the women come to the tomb and find it empty. Luke 24:1-3 That evening the risen Jesus stands among his disciples. Luke 24:36 The Resurrection is the crowning truth of the Christian faith. CCC 638

    “Saying: The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon.”

  • Mon 29Easter MondaySolemnity
  • Tue 30Easter TuesdaySolemnity
  • Wed 31Easter WednesdaySolemnity

April 2027

  • Thu 1Easter ThursdaySolemnity
  • Fri 2Easter FridaySolemnity
  • Sat 3Easter SaturdaySolemnity
  • Sun 4Divine Mercy SundaySolemnity

    On Easter evening Jesus comes to his frightened disciples, says Peace be to you, breathes on them, and gives them power to forgive sins. John 20:19-23 Eight days later he comes again, with Thomas present. John 20:26

    “When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

  • Mon 5AnnunciationSolemnity
    The Annunciation, by Fra Angelico: the angel Gabriel bows before the Virgin Mary under a blue loggia.
    Fra Angelico, The Annunciation, 1425–1426 (main panel). Museo del Prado, Madrid. Public domain, source.

    The angel Gabriel is sent to a young woman in Nazareth named Mary, and tells her she will bear a son and call him Jesus. Luke 1:26-27 Luke 1:31 She asks how this can be, and then she gives her answer. Luke 1:34 Luke 1:38

    “And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

  • Wed 7Saint John Baptist de la Salle, PriestMemorial
  • Sun 113rd Sunday of EasterSunday
  • Tue 13Saint Martin I, Pope and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Sun 184th Sunday of EasterSunday
  • Wed 21Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop and Doctor of the ChurchOptional memorial

    “Faith seeks understanding.”

    St Anselm, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 158
  • Fri 23Saint George, Martyr/Saint Adalbert, Bishop and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Sat 24Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Sun 255th Sunday of EasterSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Mark the Evangelist, not celebrated this year
    Book of Kells, folio 27v: the four Gospel symbols, a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle, in a woven border.
    Book of Kells, folio 27v, the symbols of the four evangelists, c. 800. Trinity College Library, Dublin. Public domain, source.

    John, surnamed Mark, appears in the Acts of the Apostles travelling with Barnabas and Saul. Acts 12:25 Paul later asked for him by name as useful for the ministry, and Peter called him his son. 2 Timothy 4:11 1 Peter 5:13 The Church receives the Gospel according to Mark among the four Gospels. CCC 120

    “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

    The opening of Mark’s Gospel. Mark 1:1
  • Wed 28Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr/Saint Louis Grignon de Montfort, PriestOptional memorial
  • Thu 29Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of The Church, Patron of EuropeMemorial
    The tomb of St Catherine of Siena beneath the high altar of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, behind a gilded grille.
    Lovio, 2009. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    A young woman from Siena arrives at the papal court in Avignon. Catholic Encyclopedia

    She has been imploring the pope to leave Avignon, reform the clergy and return to Rome. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Catherine of Siena

    “Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind.”

    St Catherine of Siena, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 313
  • Fri 30Saint Pius V, PopeOptional memorial
    The marble monument of Pope St Pius V in the Sistine Chapel of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome: a seated statue of the pope blessing.
    Joseolgon, 2024. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

    The new pope is a Dominican friar who has spent his life in poverty and prayer. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Michele Ghislieri, now Pius V, has inherited the work of the Council of Trent and means to carry it out. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Pius V

May 2027

  • Sat 1Saint Joseph the WorkerOptional memorial
  • Sun 26th Sunday of EasterSunday
  • Mon 3Saints Philip and James, ApostlesFeast

    Philip was from Bethsaida, and when Jesus called him he went straight to find his friend Nathanael. John 1:43-45 At the Last Supper Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father. John 14:8 James, the son of Alpheus, is named among the Twelve. Matthew 10:3

    “Jesus saith to him: Have I been so long a time with you and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou: Shew us the Father?”

  • Thu 6Ascension of the LordSolemnity

    For forty days after his passion the risen Jesus showed himself to the apostles. Acts 1:3 Then, as they watched, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1:9

    “Who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven.”

  • Sun 97th Sunday of EasterSunday
  • Mon 10Saint John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the ChurchOptional memorial
    Inside the Basilica of St John of Avila at Montilla: white walls, rows of pews and a gilded altarpiece.
    Tyk, 2025. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young Spanish priest is in Seville, waiting for a ship to the New World. vatican.va

    A celebrated catechist, impressed by his preaching, persuades the Archbishop of Seville to keep him in Andalusia. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St John of Avila

  • Wed 12Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs/Saint Pancras, MartyrOptional memorial
  • Thu 13Our Lady of FatimaOptional memorial
  • Fri 14Saint Matthias the ApostleFeast

    After Judas died, the apostles looked for someone who had been with them from the baptism of John until the Ascension. Acts 1:21-22 They prayed and cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, who was counted with the eleven. Acts 1:24-26

    “And praying, they said: Thou, Lord, who knowest the heart of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,”

  • Sun 16Pentecost SundaySolemnity

    When the day of Pentecost came, the disciples were together in one place. Acts 2:1 A sound like a mighty wind filled the house, tongues as of fire rested on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:2-4

    “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.”

  • Mon 17Mary, Mother of The ChurchMemorial
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    From the cross Jesus gave his mother to the disciple he loved. John 19:26-27 The Church honours Mary as the mother of the members of Christ. CCC 963

    “After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.”

  • Tue 18Saint John I, Pope and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Thu 20Saint Bernardine of Siena, PriestOptional memorial
  • Fri 21Saint Christopher Magallanes and Companions, MartyrsOptional memorial
  • Sat 22Saint Rita of CasciaOptional memorial
  • Sun 23Trinity SundaySolemnity
    The Trinity, icon by Andrei Rublev: three angels sit in peace around a table with a chalice.
    Andrei Rublev, The Trinity, early 15th century. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Public domain, source.

    Jesus sent his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19 The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. CCC 234

    “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the charity of God and the communication of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.”

  • Tue 25Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor/Saint Gregory VII, Pope/Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, VirginOptional memorial
  • Wed 26Saint Philip Neri, PriestMemorial
  • Thu 27Saint Augustine of Canterbury, BishopOptional memorial
  • Sat 29Saturday of the 8th week in Ordinary TimeWeekdayAlso the usual day of Saint Paul VI, Pope, not celebrated this year
    A colour portrait of Pope St Paul VI in 1969, in red mozzetta and embroidered stole.
    Fotografia Felici, 1969. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    Giovanni Battista Montini is elected pope in the middle of the council his predecessor began. vatican.va

    He takes the name Paul, after the apostle who travelled the world. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Paul VI

  • Sun 30Corpus ChristiSolemnity
    The Last Supper, by Juan de Juanes: Christ raises the Host among the apostles.
    Juan de Juanes, The Last Supper, c. 1562. Museo del Prado, Madrid. Public domain, source.

    At the Last Supper Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and gave it to his disciples, saying that it was his body. Luke 22:19 The Church believes that in the Eucharist the body and blood of Christ, with his soul and divinity, are truly, really and substantially present. CCC 1374

    “I am the living bread which came down from heaven.”

  • Mon 31Visitation of the Blessed Virgin MaryFeast
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    Mary, newly with child, hurries into the hill country to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Luke 1:36 Luke 1:39-40 At her greeting the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaps, and Mary sings her song of praise. Luke 1:41 Luke 1:46-47

    “And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

June 2027

  • Tue 1Saint Justin MartyrMemorial

    Around the year 155, St Justin wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius, explaining what Christians did when they gathered. CCC 1345 His account of the Eucharist gives the basic order that the Mass still follows. CCC 1345

  • Wed 2Saints Marcellinus and Peter, MartyrsOptional memorial
  • Thu 3Saints Charles Lwanga and Companions, MartyrsMemorial
    The Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs at Namugongo: a tall cone of steel struts, shaped like a traditional African hut.
    Lebu Ayiga, 2024. Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

    In Uganda, young Christians gave their lives rather than give up Christ. vatican.va

    Pope Francis, at their shrine in 2015, said they gave testimony of their faith even at the cost of their lives, many at such a young age. vatican.va

    Read the full story of Sts Charles Lwanga and Companions

  • Fri 4Sacred Heart of JesusSolemnity

    Jesus knew and loved each one of us during his life and his Passion. CCC 478 He has loved us all with a human heart, and so his Sacred Heart is honoured as the sign of that love. CCC 478

    “Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls.”

  • Sat 5Immaculate Heart of MaryFeast
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    After the shepherds came to the manger, Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19 She did the same after finding the boy Jesus in the Temple. Luke 2:51

    “But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.”

  • Sun 610th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Wed 9Saint Ephrem, Deacon and DoctorOptional memorial
  • Fri 11Saint Barnabas the ApostleMemorial

    Barnabas, whose name means son of consolation, sold his land and laid the money at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:36-37 When the disciples in Jerusalem were afraid of the newly converted Saul, Barnabas took him and vouched for him. Acts 9:26-27

    “For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.”

    The Acts of the Apostles, describing Barnabas. Acts 11:24
  • Sun 1311th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor, not celebrated this year
    The Basilica of St Anthony in Padua: a brick façade crowned with domes and slender towers.
    Didier Descouens, 2016. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    At an ordination in Forlì, no one has been chosen to preach. Catholic Encyclopedia

    A quiet Portuguese friar is ordered to speak; he begins slowly and timidly, then opens the Scriptures with such learning that all are struck with astonishment. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Anthony of Padua

  • Sat 19Saint Romuald, AbbotOptional memorial
  • Sun 2012th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 21Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, ReligiousMemorial
  • Tue 22Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop/Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Thomas More, MartyrsOptional memorial
    Hans Holbein the Younger’s portrait of Sir Thomas More, painted in 1527: a man in a dark fur-trimmed robe and the gold chain of royal service.
    Hans Holbein the Younger, 1527. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    In 1534 Parliament passes the Act of Succession, and everyone called upon must swear the oath. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Bishop John Fisher of Rochester refuses and is sent to the Tower on 26 April. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of Sts Thomas More and John Fisher

    “Nothing can come but that that God wills.”

    St Thomas More, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 313
  • Thu 24Birth of John the BaptistSolemnity

    John was born to Elizabeth and Zachary in their old age. Luke 1:7 Luke 1:57 The neighbours expected him to be named after his father, but Zachary, still unable to speak, wrote that his name was John. Luke 1:59-63

    “He must increase: but I must decrease.”

    John the Baptist, speaking of Jesus. John 3:30
  • Sun 2713th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 28Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and MartyrMemorial

    “The glory of God is man fully alive.”

    St Irenaeus of Lyons, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 294
  • Tue 29Saints Peter and Paul, ApostlesSolemnity
    The Niche of the Pallia in the Vatican Grottoes, directly above the place venerated as Peter’s grave: a gold mosaic of Christ behind a bronze grille.
    Dnalor 01, 2015. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 at.

    Jesus asks his friends a dangerous question: who do you say that I am? Matthew 16:15

    A fisherman named Simon answers first, and Jesus gives him a new name, Peter, the rock. Matthew 16:16-18

    Read the full story of St Peter

    “I have fought a good fight: I have finished my course: I have kept the faith.”

  • Wed 30First Martyrs of the Church of RomeOptional memorial

July 2027

  • Sat 3Saint Thomas the ApostleFeast

    Thomas was not with the others when the risen Jesus first came, and he said he would not believe unless he touched the wounds. John 20:24-25 Eight days later Jesus came again and invited him to touch. John 20:26-27

    “Thomas answered and said to him: My Lord and my God.”

  • Sun 414th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 5Saint Anthony Zaccaria, PriestOptional memorial
  • Tue 6Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Fri 9Saints Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, MartyrsOptional memorial
  • Sun 1115th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Benedict of Nursia, Abbot, Patron of Europe, not celebrated this year
    The Abbey of Monte Cassino on its mountain top, white against a blue sky.
    ThePhotografer, 2022. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young man leaves Rome in secret for a wild place called Subiaco, almost forty miles away. Gregory, Dialogues II

    He lives in a narrow cave, and for three years no one knows he is there except a monk named Romanus. Gregory, Dialogues II

    Read the full story of St Benedict

  • Tue 13Saint Henry, Bishop and MartyrOptional memorial
  • Wed 14Saint Camillus de Lellis, PriestOptional memorial
  • Thu 15Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and DoctorMemorial

    “not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it”

    St Bonaventure, on why God created all things, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 293
  • Fri 16Our Lady of Mount CarmelOptional memorial
  • Sun 1816th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Tue 20Saint ApollinarisOptional memorial
  • Wed 21Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and DoctorOptional memorial
  • Thu 22Saint Mary MagdaleneFeast

    Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had cast seven devils, followed him and stood by his cross. Luke 8:2 John 19:25 On Easter morning the risen Lord appeared first to her, and sent her to tell the disciples. Mark 16:9 John 20:17-18

    “Mary Magdalen cometh and telleth the disciples: I have seen the Lord; and these things he said to me.”

  • Fri 23Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious, Patron of EuropeFeast
  • Sat 24Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest and HermitOptional memorial
  • Sun 2517th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint James, Apostle, not celebrated this year

    James and his brother John were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending nets, when Jesus called them, and they left the boat and followed him. Matthew 4:21-22 James was with Jesus on the mountain of the Transfiguration, and he was later put to death by King Herod. Matthew 17:1 Acts 12:1-2

  • Mon 26Saints Joachim and AnneMemorial
  • Thu 29Saints Martha, Mary and LazarusMemorial

    Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus lived in Bethany, and Jesus loved them. John 11:1 John 11:5 Martha welcomed him into her house while Mary sat at his feet and listened. Luke 10:38-39 When Lazarus died, Jesus wept, and then called him out of the tomb alive. John 11:35 John 11:43-44 Since 2021 the three are remembered together on this day. Decree of 26 January 2021

    “She saith to him: Yea, Lord, I have believed that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, who art come into this world.”

  • Fri 30Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and DoctorOptional memorial
  • Sat 31Saint Ignatius of Loyola, PriestMemorial
    The Sanctuary of Loyola in the Basque Country: a domed baroque basilica with a broad stone stairway.
    Jose Luis Filpo Cabana, 2013. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

    The French are besieging the citadel of Pamplona. Catholic Encyclopedia

    A cannonball passes between the legs of a young Basque officer, wounding one leg and breaking the other. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Ignatius of Loyola

August 2027

  • Sun 118th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 2Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop/Saint Peter Julian Eymard, PriestOptional memorial
  • Wed 4Saint Jean Vianney (the Cure of Ars), PriestMemorial
    The Basilica of Ars-sur-Formans: a modern dome and an older bell tower above red tiled roofs.
    Zairon, 2020. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young man from Dardilly, near Lyons, is struggling at the seminary. Catholic Encyclopedia

    He is so deficient in Latin that he has to follow the philosophy course in French. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St John Vianney

    “I love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life.”

    St John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 2658
  • Thu 5Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary MajorOptional memorial
  • Fri 6TransfigurationFeast

    Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a high mountain, and there he is transfigured: his face shines like the sun. Matthew 17:1-2 Moses and Elias appear talking with him, and a voice from a bright cloud tells the disciples to hear him. Matthew 17:3 Matthew 17:5

    “And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.”

  • Sat 7Saint Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs/Saint Cajetan, PriestOptional memorial
  • Sun 819th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Saint Dominic, Priest, not celebrated this year
    The Arca di San Domenico in Bologna: a white marble tomb carved with scenes from the saint’s life.
    Palickap, 2016. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Two Spanish churchmen, a bishop named Diego and his prior Dominic, are riding through Toulouse. Catholic Encyclopedia

    They behold with amazement and sorrow the spiritual ruin wrought by the Albigensian heresy. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Dominic

  • Mon 9Saint Teresa Benedicta of The Cross (Edith Stein), Virgin and Martyr, Patron of EuropeOptional memorial
    A photograph of Edith Stein as a Carmelite nun, about 1938: a woman in a dark veil and white wimple, looking calmly at the camera.
    Unknown author, 1938. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    A young Jewish woman from Breslau is studying philosophy with passionate enthusiasm. vatican.va

    She is in search of the truth, and she will not stop until she finds it. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

  • Tue 10Saint Lawrence of Rome, Deacon and MartyrFeast
    The Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Rome: a simple portico of columns beneath a medieval bell tower.
    Livioandronico2013, 2015. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    The emperor Valerian has ordered that all bishops, priests and deacons be put to death at once. Catholic Encyclopedia

    On 6 August Pope Sixtus II is arrested in the catacombs and executed. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Lawrence

  • Wed 11Saint Clare, VirginMemorial
    The small stone church and convent of San Damiano near Assisi, with a brick arcade and a little bell tower.
    Fczarnowski, 2022. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young noblewoman leaves her family’s house in secret and walks through the dark to the little church of the Portiuncula. Catholic Encyclopedia

    There Francis and his brothers cut her hair and give her a rough habit. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Clare of Assisi

  • Thu 12Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, ReligiousOptional memorial
  • Fri 13Saints Pontian, Pope and Hippolytus, Priest, MartyrsOptional memorial
  • Sat 14Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and MartyrMemorial
    A photograph of Fr Maximilian Kolbe in 1936: a Franciscan priest with round glasses and a long beard.
    Unknown author, 1936. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    Auschwitz: the place John Paul II called a site of terrible slaughter, where four million people of different nations died. vatican.va

    In the middle of it, one prisoner, a priest, makes an offer. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Maximilian Kolbe

  • Sun 15The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin MarySolemnity
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    The Church believes that Mary, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. CCC 966

    “Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

  • Mon 16Saint Stephen of HungaryOptional memorial
  • Thu 19Saint John Eudes, PriestOptional memorial
  • Fri 20Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the ChurchMemorial
    The Romanesque cloister of Fontenay Abbey in Burgundy: rounded arches and twin columns around a green garden.
    Ibex73, 2020. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    The monastery of Cîteaux is small, poor and strict. Catholic Encyclopedia

    One day a young man named Bernard arrives with thirty young noblemen of Burgundy and asks to be admitted. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Bernard of Clairvaux

  • Sat 21Saint Pius X, PopeMemorial
    A photograph of Pope St Pius X, seated, in white cassock with a pectoral cross.
    Ernest Walter Histed, 1914. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    In 1910 a decree goes out from Rome about the youngest Catholics in every parish on earth. Catholic Encyclopedia

    First Communion, says the pope, should not be put off too long once a child reaches the age of discretion. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Pius X

  • Sun 2221st Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary, not celebrated this year
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    The Church believes that Mary, taken up into heaven, was exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things. CCC 966

    “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

  • Mon 23Saint Rose of Lima, VirginOptional memorial
    The Church of Santa Rosa in Lima, Peru: a red and white façade between two bell towers, with palm trees.
    Diego Delso, 2015. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    In a small garden in Lima, a young woman has built herself a tiny grotto with her brother’s help. Catholic Encyclopedia

    When her work allows, she spends her nights there in solitude and prayer. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Rose of Lima

  • Tue 24Saint Bartholomew the ApostleFeast

    Bartholomew is named among the twelve apostles in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles. Matthew 10:3 Mark 3:18 Luke 6:14 Acts 1:13

  • Wed 25Saint Louis/Saint Joseph of Calasanz, PriestOptional memorial
  • Fri 27Saint MonicaMemorial
    The chapel of St Monica in the church of Sant’Agostino, Rome: a marble altar beneath a painting, with her tomb below.
    Quodvultdeus, 2014. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A mother goes to a bishop in tears about her son, who has abandoned the faith. Catholic Encyclopedia

    “the child of those tears shall never perish.”

    Read the full story of St Monica

  • Sat 28Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Doctor of the ChurchMemorial
    The ruins of ancient Hippo Regius near Annaba, Algeria, among green trees, with the Basilica of St Augustine on the hill beyond.
    Oris. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    A famous teacher of rhetoric is in a garden in Milan, at the end of years of searching. Catholic Encyclopedia

    At the age of thirty-three, a grand stroke of grace strikes him to the ground. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Augustine of Hippo

    “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

    St Augustine, Confessions, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 30
  • Sun 2922nd Sunday in Ordinary TimeSundayAlso the usual day of The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Martyr, not celebrated this year

    John told King Herod that it was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife, and Herod had him bound in prison. Mark 6:17-18 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man, yet a rash oath at a banquet led to John’s death. Mark 6:20 Mark 6:26-27

    “The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him; and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.”

September 2027

  • Fri 3Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the ChurchMemorial
    A medieval manuscript page: Pope Gregory writes at a desk while the Holy Spirit, as a dove, speaks into his ear.
    British Library. Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

    Plague is killing Rome, and it has just killed the pope. Catholic Encyclopedia

    The people choose a monk named Gregory, who calls the whole city out into the streets to pray. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Gregory I (the Great)

  • Sun 523rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Wed 8Birth of the Blessed Virgin MaryFeast
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    From all eternity God chose a young Jewish woman of Nazareth to be the mother of his Son. CCC 488 Today the Church gives thanks for her birth. CCC 488

    “Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

  • Thu 9Saint Peter Claver, PriestOptional memorial
  • Sun 1224th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 13Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the ChurchMemorial
  • Tue 14The Exaltation of the Holy CrossFeast

    Jesus said that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of man must be lifted up. John 3:14 The Church honours the cross as the unique sacrifice of Christ. CCC 618

    “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.”

  • Wed 15Our Lady of SorrowsMemorial
    The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato: Mary in a blue mantle, hands joined in prayer.
    Sassoferrato, The Virgin in Prayer, 1640–1650. National Gallery, London. Public domain, source.

    When Jesus was a baby, Simeon told Mary that a sword would pierce her own soul. Luke 2:35 Years later she stood by the cross of her son. John 19:25

    “And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.”

  • Thu 16Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, MartyrsMemorial
  • Fri 17Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the ChurchOptional memorial
  • Sun 1925th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 20Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang and Companions, MartyrsMemorial
  • Tue 21Saint Matthew, Apostle and EvangelistFeast
    Book of Kells, folio 27v: the four Gospel symbols, a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle, in a woven border.
    Book of Kells, folio 27v, the symbols of the four evangelists, c. 800. Trinity College Library, Dublin. Public domain, source.

    Matthew was a tax collector, sitting at his customs post, when Jesus told him to follow, and he rose and followed. Matthew 9:9 Jesus then ate at table with many publicans and sinners. Matthew 9:10 The Church receives the Gospel according to Matthew among the four Gospels. CCC 120

    “Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners.”

  • Thu 23Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), PriestMemorial
    A colour portrait of Padre Pio: an elderly Capuchin friar with a white beard and a warm, steady gaze.
    Manfredonia (Italian Wikipedia), derivative work by MisterNox, 1947. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

    On a mountain spur in southern Italy, crowds are gathering outside a small Capuchin friary. vatican.va

    They have come for one thing: to make their confession to Padre Pio. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Pio of Pietrelcina

  • Sun 2626th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 27Saint Vincent de Paul, PriestMemorial
    The Chapel of St Vincent de Paul in Paris: a pale neoclassical façade with columns and a pediment on a city street.
    Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, 2017. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

    A young French priest is sailing home from Marseilles. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Turkish pirates capture the ship and carry him to Tunis, where he is sold as a slave. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Vincent de Paul

  • Tue 28Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr/Saints Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, MartyrsOptional memorial
  • Wed 29Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, ArchangelsFeast
    The Archangel Michael, Byzantine icon: the angel stands calmly with a staff and a crystal orb.
    Byzantine icon, The Archangel Michael, 14th century. Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens. Public domain, source.

    Scripture names three archangels: Michael, who fights the dragon in the Apocalypse; Gabriel, sent to Mary; and Raphael, who guided young Tobias. Revelation (Apocalypse) 12:7 Luke 1:26 Tobias 12:15 Angels are servants and messengers of God. CCC 329

    “For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.”

  • Thu 30Saint Jerome, Priest and DoctorMemorial
    An old Latin inscription cut into the rock at the grave of St Jerome, beneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
    Qasinka, 2013. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

    After the death of his patron Pope Damasus, a brilliant and sharp-tongued scholar leaves Rome. Catholic Encyclopedia

    By way of Antioch and Alexandria he reaches Bethlehem in 386. Catholic Encyclopedia

    Read the full story of St Jerome

October 2027

  • Fri 1Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin and DoctorMemorial
    The chapel of the Carmel of Lisieux: a statue of St Thérèse lies in a shrine surrounded by flowers and candles.
    Chatsam, 2014. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    In the last years of her short life, a young Carmelite nun writes three manuscripts about her soul. vatican.va

    A year after her death they are published as Story of a Soul, and the world begins to read them. vatican.va

    Read the full story of St Thérèse of Lisieux

    “I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.”

    St Thérèse of Lisieux, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 956
  • Sat 2Guardian AngelsMemorial

    The Church teaches that from its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by the watchful care and intercession of angels. CCC 336 Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd. CCC 336

    “See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

  • Sun 327th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSunday
  • Mon 4Saint Francis of AssisiMemorial
    The Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, seen from the hillside: two stacked churches and a long arcade above the Umbrian plain.
    Timothy A. Gonsalves, 2023. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    A young man kneels in a crumbling chapel outside Assisi and hears a voice from the crucifix. Catholic Encyclopedia

    “Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.”

    Read the full story of St Francis of Assisi

    “May you be praised, O Lord, in all your creatures, especially brother sun, by whom you give us light for the day.”

    St Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Creatures, quoted in the Catechism. CCC 344

The popes, from Peter to Leo XIV · Photo credits