tomathien.org

Remember on Christmas morning how we found our way to the stable? It may have been the stable on the mantle shelf or under the Christmas tree or in our parish church. We gazed at the baby in the manger just like the shepherds had done so long ago. Jesus was there with Mary and Joseph.

Today we begin our new year at the Eucharistic Celebration of the Holy Mass. We thank God for Mary, Jesus’ mother, who brought the Savior into the world. Because she is the mother of Jesus, God’s Son, she truly is the Mother of God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, baby Jesus was born of Mary. Joseph was Jesus’ loving foster-father.

God chose Mary to be the mother of his Son. She was a teenager and her parents were Joachim and Anne. Mary loved God and her Jewish religion. Her neighbors thought she was an ordinary young girl just like other girls.

It was God’s work in her that made her so special, so blessed. God sent the Archangel Gabriel to Mary’s town of Nazareth. The angel told her about God’s wonderful plan - wonderful for her and for all of us. Mary wanted to please God and although she was confused she accepted the plan.

She became Jesus’ mother. Mary and her husband, Joseph, tried to raise Jesus the best way they could and with great love. Jesus spent many happy, quiet years with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth.

When Jesus was about thirty years old, he began his preaching and healing ministry. This is called his public life, which started a few years before Joseph died. Jesus could not now stay just in the little home and carpenter shop at Nazareth.

Mary often went with her friends to be near her Son. Mary attended a marriage celebration in Cana. Jesus and his disciples came too. When the wine was over, Mary asked Jesus to do something to help.

She wanted him to save the couple from being embarrassed in front of their guests. He worked the miracle and turned plain water into delicious wine. Mary loved Jesus and believed in him.

She was there when he was nailed to the cross and stayed right beneath the cross until she received his dead body into her arms.

After the resurrection, Mary waited with Jesus’ apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The apostles loved her. They knew they needed more courage to be real followers of Jesus.

Mary prayed for them and encouraged them. She taught them how to be disciples of her Son. Mary’s feast days are special events that happen throughout the year. Today’s feast honors her as God’s Mother. She wants to be our mother, too and we can ask for her help to make us strong in faith so we can be saved.

Basil was born at Caesarea and Gregory was born at Cappadocia in Asia Minor which is now called Turkey.

Basil came from a rich and noble family. His grandmother St. Macrina the Elder, his father, mother, two brothers and St. Macrina his sister are all saints.

Gregory also came from a saintly family. His parents are St. Nonna and St. Gregory the Elder and his brothers are St. Caesar Nazianzen and St. Gorgonius.

Basil and Gregory met and became great friends at school in Athens, Greece. They became everything to each other, lived together, ate together and shared the same goal of growing together in truth, wisdom and knowledge. And their love for each other grew warmer and deeper each day.

Even as a teenager Basil used to help organise famine relief and used to work in the kitches himself. This was very unusual for a young nobleman. After he completed his education in Athens, he ran a school of public speaking and law in Caesarea and became a well-known teacher. He was so successful that he was often tempted by pride.

Fearing that his pride would overtake his holiness, his sister, St. Macrina, suggested that he become a monk. He took her advice, sold everything he had, gave away all his money and moved to the wilderness where he started his first monastery. The rules he created for monks living in the dessert were very wise and are followed by monasteries in the East even today.

Both Basil and Gregory became priests and then bishops. They preached bravely against the Arian heresy (untruth) that was confusing people which denied that Jesus is God.

As bishop of Constantinople, Gregory converted many people with his wonderful preaching especially about the Holy Trinity. This nearly cost him his life. A young man planned to murder him. He repented at the last moment and begged Gregory’s forgiveness. Gregory did forgive him and won him with his gentle goodness.

But he was always in conflict with the Arian emperor, Valens. When Valens died, Gregory worked hard to bring the Arians back to the Christian faith. For his trouble, he was abused, insulted and beaten up.

Forty-four of Gregory’s speeches, 243 letters and many poems were published. His writings are still important today. Many writers have modeled their works on his writings.

Gregory’s friend Basil had a very kind and generous heart. He always found time to help the poor. He even invited people who were poor themselves to help those worse off. “Give your last loaf to the beggar at your door,” he urged, “and trust in God’s goodness.” He opened a soup kitchen where he could often be seen wearing an apron and feeding the hungry.

Basil died in 379 at the age of forty-nine. Gregory died in 390 at the age of sixty. He is buried in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

We will never be sorry for using our education, time and talents to help the people around us come closer to God.

Genevieve was born in Nanterre, a small village four miles from Paris in France. When she was seven years old, Genevieve met Saint Germanus of Auxerre on his way to England.

Her holy face caught his attention when he was preaching and after his sermon he spoke with her and found that she wanted very much to live her life for Jesus. He blessed her, gave her a gold medal and asked her to keep it as a reminder of that day and of God, to whom her life belonged.

Germanus then talked with Genevieve’s parents and told them how special their daughter was. After her parents died, Genevieve went to live with her godmother. She spent time praying every day.

Soon she and two other young women took their vows to become nuns before the bishop of Paris and were given their veils. She became very close to Jesus and wanted to bring his goodness to people. Genevieve was a kind, generous person. She went out of her way to do good things for others.

The people of Paris were going to run away from a terrible army coming to attack them. Genevieve stepped forward and encouraged the people to trust in God. She said that if they did penance, they would be spared. The people did what she said, and the fierce army of Attila the Hun suddenly turned back. They did not attack the city at all.

St. Genevieve practiced charity and obedience to God’s will every day of her life, not just in times of need. She never gave up trying to do as much good as possible. Faithfulness to Jesus and courage are the special gifts of witness she leaves for us.

One of the best ways for us to help our country is to pray for our leaders. We should ask God to guide them for the good of us all.

Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City, USA. They were not Catholics but Episcopalian. Her father, Richard Bayley, was a well-known doctor and her mother, Catherine, died when Elizabeth was just three years old.

As a teenager, she did many things to help poor people. When Elizabeth was nineteen she married William Magee Seton, a rich merchant who owned a fleet of ships. Elizabeth, William and their five children had a happy life together.

But ten years later, William lost his fortune and his good health within a short time. His wife heard that the weather in Italy might help him get better. Elizabeth, William and their oldest daughter, Anna, traveled there by ship. But William did not get better and finally died of tuberculosis.

Elizabeth and Anna remained in Italy as guests of the Filicchi family. The Filicchis were very kind and tried to make Elizabeth and Anna’s sorrow easier by sharing their own deep love for the Catholic faith. Elizabeth began to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

When she returned home to New York she decided to become a Catholic. Her family and friends did not understand. They were very upset, but she went ahead with courage. Elizabeth joined the Church on March 4, 1805.

To support her family and make sure her children received a proper education, Elizabeth opened a school in Boston and ran it like a religious community. A few years later, the archbishop invited Elizabeth to come and open a girls’ school in Baltimore.

It was there that Elizabeth decided to live as a sister. Many women came to join her, including her sister, sister-in-law and her own daughters, Anna and Catherine. They became the American Sisters of Charity and Elizabeth was given the title “Mother Seton.”

She started many Catholic schools and a few orphanages. She made plans for a hospital, which was opened after her death. Elizabeth loved to write, and she also translated some textbooks from French to English. But Elizabeth was loved most for her care of the poor and the sick. Mother Seton died on January 4, 1821, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

If something should happen that changes our lives from happy to difficult, let us turn to God as Mother Seton did and ask for His help. God can help bring out our hidden talents and we are then able to do things we never dreamed possible.

John Neumann was born in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. He was a quiet small boy, only five feet, two inches tall but his eyes were very kind and he smiled a lot. His parents were Philip who was a German and Agnes Neumann who was Chez. He had four sisters and a brother.

He was an excellent student, who was drawn to the religious life when he was quite young. After college, John entered the seminary. When time came for ordination, the bishop was sick. The date was never set because Bohemia had enough priests at the time.

Since he had been reading about missionary activities in the United States, John decided to go to America to ask for ordination. He walked most of the way to France and then boarded the ship Europa for America.

John arrived in Manhattan on June 9, 1836 without informing anyone that he was coming. Bishop John Dubois was very happy to see him as there were only thirty-six priests for the two hundred thousand Catholics living in the state of New York and part of New Jersey.

Just sixteen days after his arrival, John was ordained a priest and sent to Buffalo. There he helped Father Pax care for his parish, which was nine hundred square miles in size. Father Pax asked him to choose between working in the city of Buffalo or the country area. Now John’s strong character began to show when he chose the most difficult - the country area.

He decided to stay in a little town with an unfinished church. Once it was completed, he moved to another town that had a log-church. There he built himself a small log cabin. He hardly ever lit a fire and often lived on bread and water. He only slept a few hours each night.

The farms in his area were far apart. John had to walk long distances to reach his people. They were German, French, Irish and Scotch. But John who knew twelve languages, worked with them all.

John joined the Redemptorist order and continued his missionary work. He became bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. Bishop Neumann built fifty churches and began building a cathedral. He opened almost one hundred schools, and the number of parochial school students grew from five hundred to nine thousand.

Bishop Neumann’s health never improved much, but people were still very surprised when he died suddenly on January 5, 1860 when he was just forty-eight years old.

He was the first American man and first American bishop to be declared a saint by Pope Paul VI on June 19, 1977.

We might not be as smart, strong, or active as we would like to be. But that doesn’t stop God from loving us and from using us to do wonderful things. When we have to do something difficult, we can ask St. John Neumann’s help.

Alfred Bessette was born not far from Montreal in Canada and he was the eighth of twelve children. When Alfred was nine, his father, a wood cutter, died in an accident at work. Three years later, Alfred’s mother died of tuberculosis, leaving the children orphans. Each one of them was then placed in a different home.

Alfred went to live with his aunt and uncle. Now because his family had been so poor and he was often sick, Alfred had very little education. His uncle made sure that Alfred worked for a living. So for the next thirteen years he tried learning different trades like farming, shoemaking and baking. He even worked in a factory in Connecticut. But his health always failed him.

When Alfred was twenty-five, he joined the order of Holy Cross and chose the name Brother Andre. At first they refused him because his health was not good but then the Bishop favored Andre and he was accepted.

He spent the next forty years as a general maintenance man, Sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. The remaining years of his life were spent as the doorkeeper for the order’s college called Notre Dame in Montreal.

Here, Brother Andre’s healing power became known. When people came to ask him for a cure, he would tell them to first thank God for their suffering because it was so valuable. Then he would pray with them. Most of them were cured. Brother Andre always refused credit for the healing. He insisted it had been the person’s faith and the power of St. Joseph and soon the trickle of sick people at his door became a flood.

Brother Andre had a great love for the Eucharist and for St. Joseph. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of Saint Joseph that Andre honored. When he was young, he dreamt he saw a big church, but he couldn’t tell where it was. Gradually, he came to realize that God wanted a church in honor of St. Joseph. That church was to be built on top of Mount Royale in Montreal, Canada.

For many years the Church tried to buy land on Mount Royal then Brother Andre and his helpers climbed the steep hill and planted medals of Saint Joseph on it. Soon the owners agreed to sell the land to the Church.

Prayer and the sacrifices of Brother Andre and many other people made the dream come true. The magnificent church honoring St. Joseph was built and is a proof of Brother Andre’s great faith. Pilgrims come to Mount Royale all year and from distant places. They want to honor St. Joseph and show their trust in his loving care, as Brother Andre did.

Brother Andre died peacefully on January 6, 1937. By that time he was receiving 80,000 letters each year from the sick who sought his prayers and healing. Nearly a million people climbed Mount Royale to St. Joseph’s Oratory for his funeral.

They came in spite of sleet and snow to say good-bye to their dear friend. He was proclaimed “blessed” on May 23, 1982, by Pope John Paul II.

Blessed Andre Bessette believed not in himself but in the power of God’s love for him. In him we can see that God reveals his power shining through our human weakness.

Raymond was born in a little town called Penafort near Barcelona, Spain and his family belonged to Aragonian nobility. He studied at the cathedral school in Barcelona and became a famous teacher of Philosophy when he was twenty. After Raymond became a priest he studied law in Bologna, Italy and became a lawyer. Then he joined the Dominican order in 1218.

In 1230, Pope Gregory IX asked this dedicated priest to come to Rome. When Raymond arrived, the pope gave him several duties. One duty was to collect all the official letters of the popes since 1150. Raymond gathered and published five volumes and also helped to write the Church law.

In 1238, Raymond was elected master general of the Dominicans. With his knowledge of law, he went over the Order’s Rule and made sure everything was legally correct. After he had finished, he resigned his position in 1240 so that he could truly dedicate the rest of his life to parish work. That is what he really wanted.

The pope wanted to make Raymond an archbishop, but Raymond refused. He asked if he could return to Spain and was given permission. He was overjoyed to be in parish work. His compassion helped many people return to God through the sacrament of Reconciliation.

During his years in Rome, Raymond often heard stories of the difficulties that missionaries faced trying to reach non-Christians of Northern Africa and Spain. To help the missionaries, Raymond started a school that taught the language and culture of the people to be evangelized.

Also, Father Raymond asked the famous Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas, to write a booklet explaining the truths of faith in a way that nonbelievers could understand.

St. Raymond lived nearly one hundred years and died in Barcelona on January 6, 1275. He was declared the patron of Church lawyers because of his great influence on Church law.

The Church found out about St. Thorfinn’s life long after he had died. Fifty years later, his tomb was opened by accident during some construction work to renovate the church. Everyone was surprised by the strong, pleasant smell that came out of his coffin.

The abbot started making enquiries about Thorfinn. He found one elderly monk, Walter de Muda, who knew Thorfinn. In fact, Father Walter had been so impressed with Thorfinn’s gentle goodness, patience, generosity and firmness against the evil and ungodly, that he had written a poem about him.

Walter had placed the poem with Thorfinn in the tomb. The monks went to look for the poem and found the parchment just as new and fresh as the day it had been put there.

The monks felt this was a sign that God wanted Thorfinn to be remembered and honored. People started praying to him and miracles began to happen around his tomb. Father Walter was asked to write whatever he could remember about Thorfinn.

Thorfinn had come from Norway and was a Cistercian monk at the abbey of Tautra. Later he had probably served at the cathedral as a priest. It seems that Thorfinn had signed an important document while at the cathedral.

He had been a witness to the Agreement of Tonsberg in 1277. This agreement between King Magnus VI and the archbishop set the Church free from state control. But a few years later, King Eric rejected the agreement and turned against the archbishop and those who had supported him.

The archbishop was sent away and so was Thorfinn, who was now bishop of Hamar, Norway. Thorfinn started a hard journey to Flanders. He was even shipwrecked on the trip. Finally, he arrived and went to live at the abbey of TerDoest in Flanders, Belgium.

He made a pilgrimage to Rome, but he returned to the abbey very ill. Before he died on January 8, 1285, Thorfinn divided the few possessions he had among his family members and some charitable groups.

Then in a monastery in Belgium. Reports of St. Thorfinn’s holiness and the miracles at his tomb soon spread devotion to him among the Cistercians and Catholics in Hamar, Norway. Today Norwegians still honor St. Thorfinn and celebrate his feast day.

St. Julian and St. Basilissa lived in the latter part of the third century. They were husband and wife who took vows of chastity when they got married.

Their love for their Catholic faith led them to do something heroic: they turned their home into a hospital that could house up to 1000 sick people. This way, they could take care of the sick and the poor who had no one to help them.

St. Julian took care of the men, and St. Basilissa cared for the women. The couple found Jesus in the people they served. And they did what they did because of love, not for money or any kind of reward.

St. Basilissa died after suffering great persecutions for the faith. Julian lived much longer. He continued his generous service to sick people even after Basilissa had died. In the year 302, Julian too died a martyr in the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian.

Basilissa and Julian spent their whole lives helping others and serving God. They planted the seed of faith by living in a holy way. They watered that faith and made it grow with the blood they finally shed by giving their lives for Jesus crucified.

St. William was born at Nevers in France and came from a wealthy French family of the Counts of Nevers. His father Baldwin wanted William to be a part of the French military. William was educated by his uncle Peter the Hermit who was archdeacon of Soissons.

Even as a boy, he did not waste time fooling around or being idle. He spent time praying every day. When he joined the Cistercian order, he tried to be a good monk. His fellow monks admired him, even though he was not trying to impress anybody.

St. William had a great devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He practiced penance without showing how hard it was. He always seemed to be happy. When he was made abbot of the community, he remained humble.

When the archbishop of Bourges died, William was chosen to take his place. He was grateful to be consecrated a bishop, but unhappy because of all the attention he would receive. He stayed humble by doing penances for his own soul and for the conversion of sinners.

Although William loved to be alone with God in the Blessed Sacrament, he knew it was his duty as archbishop to travel all over his diocese willingly. He celebrated the Eucharist and preached the faith. He visited prisoners, the poor and sick, cared for them, consoled them and helped bring them to Jesus.

Archbishop William died on January 10, 1209. He was buried in the cathedral of Bourges and many miracles were reported by people who prayed at his tomb.

Theodosius was born at Garissus, Cappadocia in Asia Minor which today is called Turkey. He came from a very pious family and became a lector early in his youth. As a young man, he set out on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

He was inspired by Abraham’s journey of faith recorded in the Bible’s book of Genesis. After visiting the holy places, he decided to leave home and lead a life of prayer so he could properly follow God.

He met Saint Simeon Stylites in Antioch who recognized him as a holy man and leader and invited Theodosius to join him in prayer, blessing and advice. He later traveled to Jerusalem where he worked with a holy man named Longinus.

Soon people realized how holy Theodosius himself was. Many men asked to join him. They, too, wanted to be monks.

Theodosius built a large monastery at Cathismus, near Bethlehem. Soon it was filled with monks from Greece, Armenia, Arabia, Persia and the Slavic countries. In time, it grew into a “little city.” One building was for sick people, one for the elderly and one for the poor and homeless.

Theodosius was always generous. He fed an endless stream of poor people. Sometimes it seemed like there would not be enough food for the monks. But Theodosius had great trust in God. He never turned travelers away, even when food was scarce.

The monastery was a very peaceful place. The monks lived in silence and prayer. It was going so well that the patriarch of Jerusalem appointed Theodosius head of all the monks in the east.

Theodosius died in 529 at the age of 106. The patriarch of Jerusalem and many people attended his funeral. Theodosius was buried where he had first lived as a monk. It was called the Cave of the Magi. The cave received its name from people who believed that the Wise Men had stayed there when they came in search of Jesus.

Marguerite was born in Troyes, France, and was the sixth of twelve children. Her parents were devout people and lived holy lives. When Marguerite was nineteen, her mother died. Marguerite took care of her younger brothers and sisters. Then her father died when she was twenty-seven.

The family was now raised and Marguerite prayed to know what to do with her life. The governor of Montreal, Canada, was visiting France. He tried to find teachers for the New World and he invited Marguerite to come to Montreal to teach school and religion classes. She said yes.

Marguerite gave away her all her money and belongings to other members of the family. They couldn’t believe that she would really leave their civilized country to go to a wild new country across the ocean. But she did.

She sailed on June 20, 1653, and arrived in Canada in mid-November. Marguerite began the construction of a chapel in honor Our Lady of Good Help in 1657. Then in 1658, she opened her first school.

Marguerite needed the help of more teachers. She returned to France in 1659 and returned with four companions. In 1670, she went to France again and brought back six companions. These brave women became the first sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame.

St. Marguerite and her sisters helped people in the colony survive when food was scarce. They opened a vocational school and taught young people how to run a home and farm.

St. Marguerite’s congregation was growing. By 1681 there were eighteen sisters. Seven were Canadian. They opened more missions and two sisters taught at the Indian mission. St. Marguerite herself received the first two Indian women into the congregation.

When Mother Marguerite was seventy three years old, she handed over her congregation to the new superior Marie Barbier, who the first Canadian to join the order. St. Marguerite’s religious rule was approved by the Church in 1698.

Marguerite spent her last few years praying and writing an autobiography. On December 31, 1699, a young sister lay dying. Mother Marguerite asked the Lord to take her life in exchange.

By the morning of January 1, 1700, the sister was completely well and Mother Marguerite had a very high fever. She suffered for twelve days and died on January 12, 1700.

In the early centuries of Christianity, there were still many people who did not believe in God as we do. They believed that there were many gods, some more powerful than others. These people were not bad. They just did not know any better. They were called pagans.

St. Hilary was born into just such a family in Poitiers, a town in France. His family was rich and well-known. Hilary received a good education. He married and raised a family.

Through his studies, Hilary learned that a person should practice patience, kindness, justice and these good acts would be rewarded in the life after death.

Hilary’s studies also made him realize that there could only be one God who is eternal, all-powerful and good. He read the Bible for the first time. When he came to the story of Moses and the burning bush, Hilary was very impressed by the name God gave himself: I AM WHO AM.

Hilary read the writings of the prophets, too. Then he read the whole New Testament. By the time he finished, he was completely converted to Christianity and was baptized.

Hilary was such a good Catholic that he was made bishop. This did not make his life easy because the emperor was interfering in Church matters. When Hilary refused to do wrong as the emperor commanded him, he was sent away from the country.

Hilary did not let this worry him, instead with great courage and patience he accepted the emperor’s punishment calmly and used the time to write books explaining the faith to the pagans.

Since he was becoming famous and many pagans were converting to Christianity, Hilary’s enemies asked the emperor to send him back to his hometown. There he would not be able to create too much trouble.

So Hilary returned to Poitiers in 360. He continued writing and teaching the people about the faith. Hilary died eight years later, at the age of fifty-two. His books are used by the Church even today. That is why he is called a Doctor of the Church.

St. Macrina, was the grandmother of St. Basil the Great. She helped raise St. Basil and was one of his favourite people. As an adult, he praised his grandmother for all the good she had done for him. He especially thanked her openly for having taught him to love the Christian faith from the time he was very small.

Macrina and her husband paid a high price for being true to their Christian beliefs. During the Roman persecutions of Galerius and Maximinus, Basil’s grandparents were forced to go into hiding. They found shelter in the forest at Pontus near their home and somehow managed to escape the Roman soldiers who were looking for them.

They were always hungry, almost starving and afraid, but they would not give up their faith. Instead, they patiently waited and prayed for the persecution to end. They hunted for food and ate the wild vegetation and somehow managed to live like this for seven years.

During another persecution, Macrina and her husband had all their property and belongings taken from them. They were left with nothing but their faith and trust in God’s care for them. St. Macrina died around 340.

St. Macrina survived her husband but the exact year of each of their deaths is not recorded. It is believed that Macrina died around 340. Her grandchild, Basil, died in 379.

Paul was born at Lower Thebes, in Egypt. He belonged to an upperclass, Christian family, was well educated and was fluent in Greek and Egyptian.

Paul’s parents showed him by their own lives how to love God and worship him with one’s whole heart. Paul was very sad as both his parents died when he was just fifteen years old.

A few years later, in 250, Emperor Decius started a cruel persecution of the Church. Paul hid in his friend’s house, but he still was not safe. His brother-in-law was after his money and property and could easily betray him.

So Paul ran away to the desert. He found a cave near a palm tree and a spring of fresh water. There he settled. He sewed palm branches together for clothes, and he lived on fruit and water.

Paul had only planned to stay there while the persecution lasted. But by the time it was over, he had fallen in love with the life of prayer. He felt so close to God. How could he give that up?

He decided to stay in the desert and never return to his wealthy city life. Instead, he would spend his life praying daily for the needs of all people and performing penance for sin.

There was another holy hermit at the same time named Anthony. Anthony thought he was the only hermit but God showed Paul to him in a dream and told Anthony to go visit him.

Paul was so happy to see Anthony because he knew he was going to die in a few days. Anthony was sad because he did not want to lose his new friend so soon. But, as Paul had expected, he died on January 15, 342.

Anthony buried him in a cloak that had belonged to St. Athanasius. Then Anthony took home and treasured the garment of palm leaves that Paul had been wearing. He never forgot his wonderful friend. Paul’s biography was written by Saint Jerome.

St. Berard was born at Carbio in Italy and came from a noble family. When he was older he joined the order of Saint Francis of Assisi as a Franciscan Friar. St. Berard later became a priest and was a good preacher who also spoke Arabic.

St. Francis of Assisi asked some of his Franciscan friars, including St. Berard to go to Morocco and preach. They were to announce Christianity to the Muslims. The Friars agreed and Berard, Peter, Adjutus, Accursio and Odo traveled by ship in 1219.

Morocco is in the northwest corner of Africa and the journey was long and dangerous. The group arrived at Seville, Spain. They started preaching immediately, on streets and in public squares.

The people there thought they were crazy and had them arrested. To save themselves from being sent back home, the friars declared they wanted to see the sultan. So the governor of Seville sent them to Morocco.

The sultan welcomed the friars and gave them freedom to preach in the city. But some of the people did not like this and complained to the authorities. The sultan tried to save the friars by sending them to live in Marrakech, on the west coast of Morocco.

A Christian prince and friend of the sultan, Dom Pedro Fernandez, took them into his home. But the friars knew that their mission was to preach the faith and they returned to the city as often as they could.

This angered the people who did not want to hear the friars’ message. Their complaints finally angered the sultan so much that one day when he saw the friars preaching, he ordered them to stop or leave the country.

Since they had been sent to fulfill a mission, they refused to do both and were beheaded right then and there. It was January 16, 1220.

Dom Pedro Fernandez went to claim the bodies of the martyrs and later brought their remains to Holy Cross Church in Coimbra, Portugal. The friars’ mission to Morocco had been brief and looked like a failure. But the results were surprising.

The story of these heroes fired the first Franciscans with the desire to be missionaries and martyrs too. It was their particular witness that inspired a young man to dedicate his life to God as a Franciscan priest. We know him as St. Anthony of Padua. His feast day is June 13.

St. Anthony was born at Heracleus in Egypt. When he was twenty years old, his parents died. They left him a large estate and placed him in charge of the care of his young sister. Anthony felt overwhelmed and turned to God in prayer.

He soon became more and more aware of the power of God in his life. About six months later, he heard this quotation of Jesus from the Gospel: “Go, sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21).

He took the words as a personal message in answer to his prayer for guidance. He made sure that his sister completed her education, then sold his house, furniture, and the land he owned and gave the money to the poor and to the people who needed it.

Anthony’s sister joined a group of women living a life of prayer and contemplation. Anthony decided to become a hermit. He begged an elderly hermit to teach him the spiritual life. Anthony also visited other hermits so he could learn each one’s most outstanding virtue.

Then at the age of thirty-five he moved alone to the desert, living in an abandoned fort and began his own life of prayer and penance alone with God.

By the time he was fifty-five, people found out where he was and began coming to him for healing and for spiritual counseling. Finally, Anthony built two monasteries on the Nile, one at Pispir and one at Arsinoe. The monks and people who lived around him supported themselves by making and selling baskets and brushes.

Many people heard of him and came to him looking for advice. He would give them practical advice such as: “The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.”

St. Anthony visited Paul the hermit shortly before he died and helped dig a grave to bury him. He felt enriched by the example of Paul’s holy life.

Anthony died after a long, prayerful life in 356. He was 105. St. Athanasius wrote a well known biography of St. Anthony of Egypt.

Matthia Ciccarelli was born at Luco in Abruzzi, Italy. She was the youngest of six children and her father was Domenico de Pericolo. As she grew up, Matthia felt the call to a life of prayer and penance.

She decided to become a cloistered nun. (Cloistered Nuns are nuns who live hidden from the world and spend all their time alone in silent prayer). Matthia entered the convent of St. Augustine in Aquila and took the name Sister Christina.

Sister Christina’s life as a nun was hidden and silent but the people of Aquila began to find out about the beauty of her work and the life she had chosen. She and the other nuns were bringing many blessings to them through their fervent prayers.

Sister Christina was cloistered but she knew the needs of the poor people of her area. She and the nuns sent to them whatever they could. Sister Christina was also aware of the crosses and sufferings people experienced. She prayed and offered penances to the Lord for these people.

Jesus blessed Sister Christina with ecstasies. On the feast of Corpus Christi, Christina was seen to float above the ground, and the image of a Host in a golden chalice radiated from her breast.

A vision on Good Friday caused her to have invisible stigmata (the five wounds of Jesus) and the pains of Crucifixion until the next day.

She was also blessed with the gift of prophesy and had the ability on occasion to know the future. The Lord used her to work miracles for the good of others.

When she died on January 18, 1543, the little children of Aquila went through the streets shouting that the holy nun was dead. A large crowd of people came to honor and thank her for the gift she had been for their city.

St. Canute was a strong, wise king of Denmark and was called Knud IV. He was a great athlete, an expert horseman, and a marvelous general. He married Adela, sister of Count Roberts of Flanders.

At the beginning of his reign, he led a war against the barbarians and his army defeated them. He loved the Christian faith so much that he introduced it to people who had never heard of Christianity. Through his kingdom, he spread the gospel, built churches and supported missionaries.

St. Canute knelt in church at the foot of the altar and offered his crown to the King of kings, Jesus. King Canute was very charitable and gentle with his people. He tried to help them with their problems. Most of all, he wanted to help them be true followers of Jesus.

But trouble started in his kingdom because of the laws he had made about supporting the Church and he fled to the Island of Fünen. Then one day some angry people went to the church of Saint Alban where Canute and some of his followers were praying. He knew they had come to harm him.

While his enemies were still outside, King Canute received the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. He felt compassion for those who were upset enough to kill him. With all his heart he forgave his enemies.

Then, as he prayed, a spear was thrown through a window and he was killed. It was July 10, 1086.

St. Canute tried to be a good king so he could thank Jesus for all the blessings he had received. We, too, should thank God every day and offer him a crown made up of good deeds.

Fabian was a simple farmer but was an extraordinary person. He was also very holy.

St. Cyprian explained how Fabian had been elected pope. The group who had gathered to elect the next pope prayed for a sign. The day the new pope was to be elected Fabian came into Rome. A dove flew in and settled on his head. They took this as a sign that Fabian had been anointed. He was immediately chosen Pope and was the first layman to be pope.

He died a martyr in 250 during the persecution by Emperor Decius. Fabian’s remains are now in the basilica of St. Sebastian. And the two martyrs share the same feast day.

St. Sebastian was born at Narbonne, in Gaul. He came from a rich Roman family and studied in Milan. As an officer in the Imperial Roman army and captain of the guard, he became known for his goodness and bravery. He was a favorite of Emperor Diocletian.

Then during the persecution by Diocletian, Sebastian visited Christians in prison bringing them supplies and comfort. He even healed the wife of one of the soldiers by making the sign of the cross over her. Seeing his witness, many soldiers and a governor became Christians.

Diocletian ordered Sebastian to give up his Christian faith but he refused. Then Sebastian was tied to a tree and archers shot arrows into his body and left him for dead. When a holy widow came to bury him, she was shocked to find him still alive. She took him to her home and nursed his wounds.

When Sebastian was well enough, the widow pleaded with him to escape the dangers of Rome. But Sebastian was a brave soldier. He would not run away. He returned to preach to Diocletian and urged him to stop torturing the Christians.

The emperor was shocked to see Sebastian alive. He refused to listen to what Sebastian had to say. Diocletian ordered that Sebastian be immediately clubbed and beaten to death. He died in 288.

St. Agnes was a Roman girl who loved Jesus so much that she chose only him for her husband. She was very beautiful and when she was just twelve years old, many young men wished to marry her. But as Agnes had given her heart to Jesus, she would always say, “Jesus is my only husband.”

She even turned down the governor’s son, who became very angry. He tried to win her affection with gifts and promises but Agnes said to him, “I am already promised to the Lord.” Agnes was accused of being a Christian and brought to the governor.

Then she was taken to a Roman temple in Minerva (Athena), and asked to sacrifice to pagan gods. When Agnes was led to the altar, she made the Sign of the Cross.

The governor tried to scare her by putting her in chains, but even then she refused to turn against God. Agnes suffered other tortures. Finally, she was condemned and killed for her faith at the young age of twelve in 304.

St. Ambrose and other well-known early Church saints have written about this brave girl. Agnes is buried in a cemetery named after her. In 354, Emperor Constantine’s daughter built a large church there and had Agnes’ body placed under the altar.

Vincent was born in Heusca and grew up at Saragossa in Spain. He was educated by the bishop, St. Valerius. Valerius recognized his talents and goodness and made Vincent a deacon when he was quite young. Bishop Valerius asked him to preach and teach about Jesus and the Church.

Then one day Emperor Dacian arrested both Valerius and Vincent. Although he kept them in jail for a long time, they remained happy and peaceful and their faith in Jesus stayed strong. Then the emperor sent Bishop Valerius away from the country, but he sent Deacon Vincent to be cruelly tortured.

Vincent asked the Holy Spirit for strength. He wanted to be true to Jesus no matter how terrible things were for him. The Lord gave him that strength and Deacon Vincent remained peaceful through all his sufferings.

When they finished torturing Vincent, he was returned to prison where he converted the jailer. Finally, the emperor allowed people to visit Vincent. The Christians came and cared for his wounds and tried their best to make him comfortable. It was not long before he died in 304.

St. John was born at Arnathus, in Cyprus, Greece and came from a rich family. He married and had a child. John was a good Christian who used his wealth and position to help poor people. When John’s wife and child died of a disease, John became a priest and then a bishop.

In 608, he was given a very important position and made the patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt. St. John went to his new ministry determined to heal the divisions among his people. He made himself a promise that he would practice “charity without limits.”

As he had come to serve, the first thing he did was ask for a complete list of his “masters” - the poor. When they were counted, the poor of Alexandria numbered 7,500. St. John promised to be their personal protector.

As patriarch, St. John made many changes to the way things were done and set new rules. He was respectful and kind, but firm. He set aside two days each week, Wednesday and Friday, and made himself available for anyone who wanted to see him.

People lined up in queues and waited patiently for their turn. Some were rich. Some were homeless and penniless. St. John treaded them all with the same respect and attention. When he found out that the church funds had eighty thousand pieces of gold, he divided it all among the hospitals and monasteries.

He set up a system so that poor people received enough money to support themselves. Refugees from neighboring areas were welcomed warmly. When the Persians attacked and robbed the people of Jerusalem of their wealth, St. John sent money and supplies to the suffering people. He even sent Egyptian workmen to help them rebuild their churches.

When people asked how St. John could be so charitable and unselfish, he had an amazing answer. Once when he was very young he had a dream or vision. He saw a beautiful girl and she represented “charity.” She told him: “I am the oldest daughter of the King. If you are devoted to me, I will lead you to Jesus. No one is as powerful with him as I am. Remember, it was for me that he became a baby to redeem humankind.”

St. John never grew tired of telling about that vision. He gently led the rich to be generous. He helped the poor trust that God would always be there for them. Because of his great charity, he is called “the almsgiver.”

St. John died peacefully on November 11, 619.

Francis was born at the de Sales castle called Chateau of Thorens in Savoy, France. His wealthy family provided him with an excellent education. He studied at La Roche, Annecy, Clermont College in Paris, and did law at the University of Padua.

By the age of twenty-four, Francis was a Doctor of Law. He returned home, and led a hard-working life as Senate advocate. He was not really interested in important positions or a social life.

In his heart, Francis was listening to a call that kept coming back like an echo. It seemed to be an invitation from the Lord telling him to “Leave all and follow Me.” Francis finally tried to explain his struggle to his family.

His father was very disappointed. He wanted Francis to be a great man of the world.But Francis spent lots of time in prayer, finally his gentle ways won over the family and Francis became a priest on December 18, 1593.

In those times Christians were bitterly divided. Father Francis offered to go to a dangerous area of France to win back Catholics who had become Protestants. His father tried to stop him. He said it was bad enough that he had allowed Francis to become a priest; he was not going to let him die as a martyr as well.

But Francis knew that the Lord would protect him. He and his cousin, Father Louis de Sales, began their long walk to the Duchy of Chablais. The two priests soon learned how to live with insults and physical discomforts and their lives were often in danger.

Francis explained the teachings of the Catholic faith in very simple and clear language. And his gentle way with everyone, slowly brought many back to the Roman Catholic Church.

When he was thirty-five years old, Francis became the bishop of Geneva, Switzerland. He travelled and preached throughout the Duchy of Savoy, working with children whenever he could.

He was a good friend of Saint Vincent de Paul. With the help of St. Jane de Chantal, he started a religious order of sisters in 1610. These women are called the order of the Visitation.

Francis wrote wonderful books about the spiritual life and the way to become holy. The books, “Treatise on the Love of God” and “Introduction to the Devout Life”, are still available in book stores today. They are considered spiritual “classics.”

Bishop de Sales died at Lyons on December 28, 1622, at the age of fifty-six. Because of his good work that brought many people back to God and the Church, he was given the special title “Doctor of the Church.” He is also the patron saint of journalists.

Paul was born at Tarsus in Cilicia (Turkey) lived around the time of Jesus but never met Him. Paul was first called Saul. As a young man, he was a very bright student of the Hebrew religion. He was a Pharisee and a tent-maker by trade.

He hated the Christians. When he grew older he tortured and harassed the followers of Jesus. He even helped at the stoning of St. Stephen the martyr.

In the Bible’s Acts of the Apostles, we read about Saul’s amazing conversion (chapters 9, 22, 26). What happened?

One day, Paul was on his way to the city of Damascus to hunt down more Christians. Suddenly, a great light shone all around him and he was knocked to the ground. He was struck blind; and he heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

Saul answered, “Who are you, Sir?” And the voice said, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.” Saul was shocked and confused. After a few seconds, he asked, “What do you want me to do?” Jesus told him to continue on to Damascus and there he would be told what to do.

At that moment, through the power of God, Saul received the gift to believe in Jesus. Weak and trembling, he reached out for help and his companions led him into Damascus. The light had blinded him temporarily. Now that he was blind he could really “see” the truth.

And Jesus had come personally to meet him, to invite him to conversion. Saul became a great lover of Jesus. He was baptized and changed his name to Paul to show that he was a changed person. Now he thought only of helping everyone know and love Jesus, the Savior.

We know Saul by his Roman name of Paul. He is called “the apostle.” He traveled all over the world, preaching the Good News and led so many people to Jesus. He worked and suffered.

His enemies tried to kill him several times but nothing could stop him. When he was old and tired, he was once again put in prison and sentenced to die. Still St. Paul was happy to suffer and even die for Christ.

This great apostle wrote wonderful letters to the Christians. They are in the Bible. These letters, called epistles, are read often during the Liturgy of the Word at Mass.

Besides being saints and bishops in the early Church, these two men have something else in common. Both received the gift of faith through the preaching of St. Paul.

Timothy was born in Lycaonia in Asia Minor. His mother Eunice was a Jew and his father was a Gentile. When Paul came to preach in Lycaonia, Timothy, his mother and his grandmother all became Christians.

Many years later, Paul went back and found Timothy grown up. He felt that Timothy had a call from God to be a missionary. Paul invited him to join him in preaching the Gospel and Timothy left his home and parents to follow Paul.

He soon began to share in Paul’s sufferings as well. They joyfully brought the Word of God to many people. Timothy was Paul’s beloved disciple, like a son to him. He went everywhere with Paul until he became bishop of Ephesus. Then Timothy stayed there to shepherd his people. Timothy, too, died a martyr and was stoned to death in the year 97 because he refused to worship King Dionysius.

Titus was a Gentile nonbeliever. He, too, became Paul’s disciple. Titus was generous and hard-working. He joyfully preached the Good News with Paul on their missionary travels.

Because Titus was so trustworthy, Paul freely sent him on many “missions” to the Christian communities. Titus helped people strengthen their faith in Jesus. He was able to restore peace when there were arguments among the Christians. Titus had a special gift for being a peacemaker.

Paul appreciated this gift in Titus and recognized it as the Holy Spirit’s work. Paul would send Titus to solve problems. When Titus would arrive among a group of Christians, the guilty ones would feel sorry. They would ask forgiveness and would make up for what they had done. When peace was restored, Titus would go back and tell Paul about the good results. This brought Paul and the first Christians much happiness.

St. Paul made Titus bishop of the island of Crete, where he stayed until his death.

Angela was born in the small Italian town of Desenzano, Lake Garda, Italy. Her parents died when she was ten. She and her only sister, who was three years older, loved each other very much.

A rich uncle took the girls into his home. While still suffering from the loss of her parents, Angela’s sister also died. The older girl died even before a priest could arrive to administer the last sacraments.

Angela worried about her sister’s soul but Jesus revealed to her that her sister had been saved. Angela felt peace return to her own soul and thanked the Lord in prayer. She wanted to do something to show her gratitude. So she promised to spend the rest of her life serving Jesus totally.

She joined the Secular Fransiscan Order when she was fifteen and received a vision telling her that by her example she would lead other holy women to God.

In Crete, while on a pilgrimage to Holy Land, she was struck blind. Her friends wanted to return home, but she insisted on going on, visiting the shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm as if she could see. On the way home, while praying before a crucifix, she got back her sight at the same place where it had been lost.

When she was about twenty-two, Angela began to notice that the children of her town knew little about their religion. Angela invited some of her girlfriends to join her in teaching religion classes. Angela’s friends were anxious to help her with the children.

At that time there were no religious orders of teaching sisters. No one had ever thought of such a thing. St. Angela Merici was the first to gather together a group of women to open schools for children.

On November 25, 1535, twenty-eight young women offered their lives to God. It was the beginning of the Ursuline order. Angela placed the congregation under the protection of St. Ursula and this is how they got their name.

The women stayed in their own homes at first. Because of many difficulties, it was a long time before they could live together in a convent. Angela died on January 27, 1540, when her congregation was still in its beginning stages.

Her trust in God had seen her through many hard tests in her lifetime. There was no doubt in her mind that the Lord would take care of the mission she had begun. And so he did.

The Ursuline Sisters have now spread to many countries. The order continues its works for Jesus and his Church, especially in the education of children and young adults.

Thomas was the son of the Count of Aquino and was born in the family castle in Lombardy near Naples, Italy. Thomas was one of nine children and was very intelligent, but he never boasted about it. He knew that his mind was a gift from God.

His parents hoped that he would become a Benedictine abbot some day. The family castle was in Rocca Secca, just north of Monte Cassino where the monks lived. Thomas was sent to the abbey for schooling when he was five and he was educated by the Benedictine monks there. When he was eighteen, he went to the University of Naples to finish his studies.

There he met a new group of religious men called the Order of Preachers. Their founder, St. Dominic, was still living. Thomas knew he wanted to become a priest and felt that he was called to join these men. So he secretly joined the Dominican order in 1244.

His parents were angry with him. When he was on his way to Paris to study, his brothers kidnapped him and kept him a prisoner in one of their castles for over a year. During that time, they did all they could to make him change his mind.

One of his sisters, too, came to convince him to give up his vocation. But Thomas spoke so beautifully about the joy of serving God that she changed her mind. She decided to give her life to God as a nun. After fifteen months, Thomas was finally allowed to follow his call.

St. Thomas wrote so well about God that people all over the world have used his books for hundreds of years. His explanations about God and the faith came from Thomas’ great love for God. He writings touched the hearts of people because he was not trying to impress anyone. He just wanted with all his heart to offer the gift of his life to Jesus and the Church.

St. Thomas is one of the greatest Doctors of the Church and is considered the universal patron of universities, colleges, and schools.

Around the end of 1273, Pope Gregory X asked Thomas to be part of an important Church meeting called the Council of Lyons. While traveling to the meeting, Thomas became ill. He had to stop at a monastery at Fossanova, Italy, where he died. It was March 7, 1274. He was only forty-nine.

St. Gildas was born at Scotland in Britain and came from a family of English nobility. As a child, he was placed under the care of a nearby monastery where he was trained by Saint Illtyd.

When he grew up, he moved to Ireland to study and give his life over to God by leading a life of sacrifice and penance. Gildas was serious about his Christian commitment and did whatever he could to get closer to God. He felt it was his responsibility to pray and sacrifice for the sins committed by the people of his times.

He wrote sermons trying to convince people to give up wickedness. He encouraged them to stop their lives of shame. Because Gildas cared so much, he was very strict in his writings. Actually, he didn’t mean to find fault with anyone. He was only begging people to turn to God.

After a pilgrimage to Rome Gildas became a hermit, living on the tiny island of Rhuys. He didn’t choose a quiet, prayerful life because he wanted to stay away from the world around him. He chose his life to help him grow closer to God.

He was more aware than most people that some things were very wrong in society. Sadly, many people did not know enough of God and his law. They did not even realize the evils that were destroying them.

Gildas attracted many followers and his hermitage became a monastery. People in the Church - priests, bishops and laymen and women also went to Gildas for advice about deeply spiritual matters. His many writings were aimed at monks, encouraging them to holiness.

Toward the end of his life, Gildas lived his hermit’s life on a tiny island in Houat, Brittany. Even though he wanted to be alone to prepare his soul for death, disciples followed him there. He welcomed them as a sign that the Lord wanted him to share his spiritual gifts with others.

Gildas was like the “conscience” of society. Sometimes we don’t like to hear about sin, but sin is real. Sometimes we, too, are tempted to do wrong or are neglectful. Then we can say a little prayer to St. Gildas. We can ask him to obtain for us the will power to do the right thing.

The story begins around the year 630. A frightened, Christian English girl had been kidnapped and was on a pirate ship. Where was she going? Who could she ask? Finally, the ship docked and she heard people saying they were in France. Bathildis was quickly sold as a slave to Erkenwald, the Mayor of the Palace of King Clovis.

The rest of the story is like a Cinderella fairy tale, except that this story is really true. The quiet girl paid careful attention as her duties were explained or showed to her. Each day, she went from one task to another doing the very best she could. When she was older she was put in charge of the household.

Bathildis was shy and gentle, but even King Clovis began to notice her. The more he observed, the more he was impressed. This was the kind of girl who would make a wonderful wife - even for a king.

In 649, Clovis married Bathildis. The little slave girl had become the queen. They had three sons. Clovis died when the oldest son was only five, and Bathildis became ruler of France until her sons grew up.

Everyone was surprised that Bathildis could rule so wisely. She remembered only too well her years as a slave and what it was like to be poor. She had been sold as if she were a “thing of no importance.” Bathildis wanted everyone to know how precious they were to God.

She was filled with love for Jesus and his Church. She used her royal position to help and protect the Church in every way she could. As queen, she did not become proud or haughty but cared for the poor. She also made a law that protected Christians from being captured and sold as slaves.

She filled France with hospitals. She started a seminary to train priests and a convent for nuns. When her son Clotaire was fifteen, Queen Bathildis handed the throne over to him and entered the convent of Chelles.

As a nun, she set aside her royal dignity and became humble and obedient. She never demanded or even expected that other people should treat her like royalty. She was also very kind and gentle with the sick. She suffered a long, painful illness before her death on January 30, 680.

John Bosco was born in Turin, Italy. His parents were poor farmers. His father died when John was only two years old. John and his brothers helped their mother work on the farm as she struggled to keep the family together. As soon as he was old enough, John, too, worked as hard as he could to help his mother.

He was intelligent and full of life. By the age of nine, John wanted to become a priest and his mother let him go to school. John used to wake up early in the morning to do his chores before he left for school. Finally, a holy priest, St. Joseph Cafasso, found out about John’s wish to be a priest. Father Cafasso helped him enter the seminary.

He learned to do all kinds of trades. He was a carpenter, a shoemaker, a cook, a pastry maker and a farmer. He did many other jobs as well. He didn’t realize how much this knowledge would help others later.

John would go to circuses, fairs and carnivals, practice the tricks he saw magicians perform, and then present one-boy shows. After his performance, while he still had an audience of boys, he would repeat the sermon he had heard in church that day. John became a priest in 1841.

As a priest, Don Bosco, which means Father Bosco, began his great ministry. This kind priest felt sad when he saw so many children living on the streets of Italy. Like a loving father, he gathered together these homeless boys and taught them trades. This way they would not have to steal or get into trouble.

Many rich people gave him money to help build workshops. He later started a printing press so he could print books and leaflets to teach people about God’s love for them and how to be good Christians.

By 1850, there were 150 boys living at his home for boys. Don Bosco’s mother was the housekeeper. He loved these children, however naughty they were, and the boys loved him because John Bosco always encouraged them.

“Do you want to be Don Bosco’s friend?” he would ask each new boy who came to him. “You do?” he would ask happily. “Then, you must help me save your soul,” he would say.

Every night he asked his boys to say three Hail Mary’s, so that the Blessed Mother would help them keep away from sin. He also helped them receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion often and with love.

Every morning he would say Mass for his students giving them beautiful sermons and telling them interesting stories. He asked the young boys to imitate Jesus in everything they did - whether it was work, study or play and told them that God wanted everyone to be saints as He had a great reward waiting for them.

His advice to them was, “Pray when it’s time to pray. Study when it’s time to study. Play when it’s time to play. Show kindness to everyone you meet. But do it all for the love of Jesus.”

One of the boys listening very carefully was young Dominic Savio who told John Bosco that he would try very had to become a saint and please God. And he did.

Don Bosco started his own religious order of priests and brothers. They were called the Salesians, after St. Francis de Sales. Then he started the order of Salesian sisters with the help of St. Mary Mazzarello. These men and women pray and teach young people about God’s love in countries all over the world even today.

Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888. All the people of Turin came out on the streets to honor him. His funeral became a joyous proclamation of thanksgiving to God for the life of this wonderful man.