By Sarah De Coste This guy, this is one of my favourite saints because his life is so cool and random.
He is a very old Saint, he was a disciple of Saint John. Saint John as in Jesus’ apostle, John who was at the foot of the cross. THAT JOHN. Saint Polycarp was part of the second generation of the Catholic Church, But being part of the second generation of Church leaders had challenges that the first generation could not teach about. What did you do when those eyewitnesses were gone? How do you carry on the correct teachings of Jesus? How do you answer new questions that never came up before? Polycarp faced persecution the way Christ did. His own church admired him for following the "gospel model" -- not chasing after martyrdom as some did, but avoiding it until it was God's will as Jesus did. They considered it "a sign of love to desire not to save oneself alone, but to save all their Christian brothers and sisters." One day, during a bloody martyrdom when Christians were attacked by wild animals in the arena, the crowd became so mad that they demanded more blood by crying, "Down with the atheists; let Polycarp be found." (They considered Christians "atheists" because they didn't believe in their pantheon of gods.) Since Polycarp was not only known as a leader but as someone holy. Polycarp was calm but others persuaded him to leave the city and hide at a nearby farm. He spent his time in prayer for people he knew and for the Church. During his prayer he saw a vision of his pillow turned to fire and announced to his friends that the dream meant he would be burned alive. They found him at a farm by torturing two boys. He had a little warning that he had been found since he was upstairs in the house but he decided to stay, saying, "God's will be done." He went downstairs, talked to his captors and fed them a meal. All he asked of them was that they give him an hour to pray. He spent two hours praying for everyone he had ever known and for the Church, "remembering all who had at any time come his way -- small folk and great folk, distinguished and undistinguished, and the whole Catholic Church throughout the world." Many of his captors started to wonder why they were arresting this holy, eighty-six-year-old bishop. As he entered the arena, the crowd roared like the animals they cheered. Those around Polycarp heard a voice from heaven above the crowd, "Be brave, Polycarp, and act like a man." The proconsul (a governor of ancient rome.) asked Polycarp to swear by Caesar to save himself, Polycarp answered, "If you imagine that I will swear by Caesar, you do not know who I am. Let me tell you plainly, I am a Christian." Finally, when all else failed the proconsul reminded Polycarp that he would be thrown to the wild animals unless he changed his mind. Polycarp answered, "Change of mind from better to worse is not a change allowed to us." Because of Polycarp's lack of fear, the proconsul told him he would be burned alive but Polycarp knew that the fire that burned for an hour was better than eternal fire. THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET INTERESTING! When he was tied up to be burned, Polycarp prayed, "Lord God Almighty, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of you, God of angels and powers, of the whole creation and of the whole race of the righteous who live in your sight, I bless you, for having made me worthy of this day and hour, I bless you, because I may have a part, along with the martyrs, in the chalice of your Christ, to resurrection in eternal life, resurrection both of soul and body in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit. May I be received today, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, among those who are in your presence, as you have prepared and foretold and fulfilled, God who is faithful and true. For this and for all benefits I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through whom be to you with him and the Holy Spirit glory, now and for all the ages to come. Amen." Such beautiful prayer….BUT THEN FREAKING THEN! The fire was lit as Polycarp said Amen and then the eyewitnesses who reported said they saw a miracle. The fire burst up in an arch around Polycarp, the flames surrounding him like sails, and instead of being burned he seemed to glow like bread baking, or gold being melted in a furnace. YA’LL!!! When the captors saw he wasn't being burned, they stabbed him. Some reports say that after he was stabbed WATER AND BLOOD GUSHED FORTH...but also A DOVE! A living dove pffft out of his chest! The blood that flowed put the fire out.The proconsul wouldn't let the Christians have the body because he was afraid they would worship Polycarp…..obviously they don't understand Christianity because we don't worship anyone but God. The witnesses reported this with scorn for the lack of understanding of Christian faith: "They did not know that we can never abandon the innocent Christ who suffered on behalf of sinners for the salvation of those in this world." The date was about February 23, 156. That is the story of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna. St Polycarp: Pray for Us!
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By Iliana Airey Born in 1270; died 12 June, 1341. Juliana belonged to the noble Florentine family of Falconieri. Her uncle, St. Alexis Falconieri, was one of the seven founders of the Servite Order. Through his influence she also consecrated herself from her earliest youth to the religious life and the practices of Christian perfection. After her father's death she received about A.D. 1285 from St. Philip Benitius, then General of the Servites, the habit of the Third Order, of which she became the foundress. Until her mother's death she remained in her parents' house, where she followed the rule given her by St. Philip Benitius, practicing perfect chastity, strict mortification, severe penance, zealous prayer, and works of Christian charity. After her mother's death she and several companions moved into a house of their own in 1305, which thus became the first convent of the Sisters of the Third Order of Servites, Juliana remaining the superior until the end of her life. Their dress consisted of a black gown, secured by a leather girdle, and a white veil. As the gown had short sleeves to facilitate work, people called the sisters of the new order "Mantellate". They devoted themselves especially to the care of the sick and other works of mercy, and the superioress, through her heroic deeds of charity, set a noble example to all. For thirty-five years Juliana directed the community of Servite Tertiaries. An extraordinary occurrence, mentioned in the oratio of her feast day, took place at her death. Being unable to receive Holy Communion because of constant vomiting, she requested the priest to spread a corporal upon her breast and lay the Host on it. Shortly afterwards the Host disappeared and Juliana expired, and the image of a cross, such as had been on the Host, was found on her breast. Immediately after her death she was honoured as a saint. The Order of Servite Tertiaries was sanctioned by Martin V in 1420. Benedict XIII granted the Servites permission to celebrate the Feast of St. Juliana. Clement XII canonized her in 1737, and extended the celebration of her feast on 19 June to the entire Church. St. Juliana is usually represented in the habit of her order with a Host upon her chest.
St. Juliana, pray for us! By Aaron Villegas Catherine was born around 287 AD in a noble family in Alexandria, Egypt. Being a noble, she was well educated and was an eager scholar.
At the age of 14, she experienced an amazing vision of Mary and the infant Jesus. Right then and there she decided to devote her life to God. Even though she was only 14, she was quite intelligent and gifted. During this time, an emperor named Maxentius persecuted Christians. Catherine straight up went to visit Maxentius to denounce and rebuke his cruelty against Christianity. When Catherine arrived, Maxentius did not execute her. Instead, he had 50 orators (a really good public speaker) and philosophers to debate with her. Catherine was filled with the Holy Spirit and defended her faith eloquently. Her words were so amazing that she converted most of the pagans to Christianity. Unfortunately, they were immediately executed. Catherine was then scourged and imprisoned but she was still steadfast with her faith. Word of her arrest and how strong her faith was quickly spread and around 200 people visited her. Even the emperor’s wife was converted just by the stories… she was also executed. Maxentius went into desperate measures and asked to marry Catherine but she said “I am married to Jesus Christ. My virginity is dedicated to Him.” Angered, Maxentius ordered for Catherine to be executed with a breaking wheel (The breaking wheel is an ancient form of torture where a person's limbs are threaded among the spokes and their bones are shattered by an executioner with a heavy rod. It is a brutal punishment that results in a slow and painful death, normally reserved for the worst criminals.) However, when she was presented to the wheel, a miracle happened and the wheel shattered into pieces Unable to torture her, she was beheaded instead. Some accounts say that angels brought her body to Mt. Sinai and someone built a monastery dedicated to her there. She is the patron saint of students, unmarried girls, and many others. Her feast day is November 25. St. Catherine, Pray for us! By Aaron Villegas Catherine was born in Bologna, Italy on September 8, 1413, named “Catherine de Virgri”
She was born into an aristocratic family and a diplomat under the Marquis de Ferrara. She was educated in the fine arts and she was able to read and write due to being raised at the court of the Duke of Ferrara. But she excelled in painting, Latin, and playing an instrument called the viola. She helped and accompanied the daughter of the duke. When the duke’s daughter got married, she asked if Catherine wanted to remain in service to her, but Catherine wanted a religious life. So she left the court in search of the life she wanted. At 13, she joined the convent of Corpus Domini at Ferrara and became a Franciscan Tertiary. She debated if she wanted to join the Franciscan rule or the Augustinian rule. She wanted to live a life of perfection and many of her peers admired her for this. In 1432, Catherine and other women founded a monastery in Ferrara called the Order of Poor Clares which was founded by Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi. Catherine served many roles in the convent such as a laundress, a baker, and a caretaker for animals! Working with Pope Nicholas V, the convent built an enclosure and Catherine was appointed Superioress which made her responsible for pastoral care and spiritual oversight of the nuns at the convent. In 1456, she returned to Bologna and the governors requested a second monastery of the same Order Catherine served. As stated, Catherine was a really good painter and she continued to do this through her life. One of her paintings is still on display in a Venice gallery. She also wrote many guides and poetry. She wrote the “Treatise on the 7 Spiritual Weapons Necessary for Spiritual Warfare.” She also experienced many visions of Jesus and Satan which she wrote down on the book mentioned. One example is that she saw Mary holding baby Jesus in her hands. She died during the Lenten season of 1463. However, she was buried without a coffin and her body was dug out only 2 weeks after as a sweet smell was coming from her grave. Her body was incorrupt. Meaning that her body didn’t decay. She is displayed at the chapel of the Poor Clares in Bologna. Unfortunately, her skin has turned black due to exposure from oil lamps and soot. Her feast day is celebrated on March 9 and she is the patron saint of artists, liberal arts, against temptations, and of Bologna. St. Catherine of Bologna, Pray for us! By Aaron Villegas St. Winifred was born around the 17th century in Wales. She has different names like Gwenfrewi or Guinvera. She was a noble and was a descendant of past kings. She was the niece of St. Beuno, who is the patron saint of sick kids and against diseased cattle. Through his intercession, he also resurrected 7 people.
Winifred dedicated herself to God and wanted to become a nun. She lived under Beuno’s care near the chapel he built at a town called Abeluyc. One day, a prince named Caradog was passing through the town and stopped at Winifred’s house for a drink of water. Winifred was very beautiful and Caradog wanted to marry her there, However, Winifred wanted to be a nun so she declined the offer. Caradog wasn’t very happy with her answer and tried to take her by force. Winifred got away at first, but Caradog caught up with his horse and sliced Winifred’s head off. Her head rolled towards the churchyard where Beuno was serving the Liturgy. A spring of healing water rose from the ground (which is still flowing today) on where Winifred’s head fell. Beuno grabbed her head, placed it on her body, and prayed to God that she may be healed. Winifred came back to life. Beuno and Winifred sat a rock after which will soon be called St. Beuno’s rock. After this, Winifred carries a red line across her neck due to the situation. Winifred made a pilgrimage to Rome and was influenced there. She lived a solitary life for 7 years when she went back home. Winifred then went out to help establish more coenobitic (a monastic tradition that stresses community life) communities. She passed away around 660AD. St. Winifred is the patron saint of the Holywell, the town on where the healing spring is located. St. Winifred, Pray for us! By Iliana Airey (Because catholic.org summarized the life of St. Philomena in a very understandable way, I didn’t see the need to re-write it. You can read more about her on their website. Enjoy!)
Little is known about the life of St. Philomena. However, it is believed she was a Greek princess who became a virgin martyr and died at 13-years-old. Remains of a young lady were discovered in May 1802 at the Catacombs of Priscilla on the Via Salaria Nova with three tiles reading "Peace be to you, Philomena." All that is known about St. Philomena's life comes from a Neapolitan nun's vision. Sister Maria Luisa di Gesu claims St. Philomena came to her and told her she was the daughter of a Greek king who converted to Christianity. When Philomena was 13-years-old, she took a vow of consecrated virginity. After her father took his family to Rome to make peace, Emperor Diocletian fell in love with Philomena. When she refused to marry him, she was subjected to torture. St. Philomena was scourged, drowned with an anchor attached to her, and shot with arrows. Each time she was attacked angels took to her side and healed her through prayer. Finally, the Emperor had Philomena decapitated. According to the story, her death came on a Friday at three in the afternoon, the same as Jesus. Two anchors, three arrows, a palm symbol of martyrdom, and a flower were found on the tiles in her tomb, interpreted as symbols of her martyrdom. The nun's account states Philomena was born on January 10, 291 and was killed on August 10, 304. Devotion for Philomena began to spread once her bones were exhumed and miracles began to occur. Canon Francesco De Lucia of Mugnano del Cardinale received relics of St. Philomena and had them placed in the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Mugnano, Italy. Soon after her relics were enshrined, cancers were cured, wounds were healed and the Miracle of Mugnano, when Venerable Pauline Jaricot was cured of a severe heart issue overnight, were all attributed to St. Philomena. Other Saints began to venerate Philomena and attributing miracles in their lives to the young martyr, including St. John Marie Vianney and St. Peter Louis Marie Chanel. Although controversy sometimes surrounds the truth behind St. Philomena's life and sainthood, many believers all around the world continue to see her as a miraculous saint, canonized in 1837. St. Philomena is the patron saint of infants, babies, and youth. She is often depicted in her youth with a flower crown, a palm of martyrdom, arrows, or an anchor. Her feast day is celebrated on August 11. St. Philomena, pray for us! By Aaron Villegas Andre was born with the name Alfred at a little town called Mont-Saint-Gregoire, Quebec. He was the eighth kid out of the twelve in his family. Unfortunately, four out of 12 died at infancy. When he was born he was rather frail which means he looked really weak and a curé, baptized Andre “conditionally” the next day he was born. He was orphaned by he was 12 as his father got crushed by a tree during work when Alfred was 9 and his mother died of tuberculosis. Alfred moved to Moosup, Connecticut at the age of 18 but moved back to Canada just four years after.
The pastor of his parish noticed Alfred’s devotion to the church and introduced Alfred to the Congregation of the Holy Cross. The pastor sent a letter to the congregation with a note that said: “I am sending you a saint.” At first, they didn’t accept Alfred due to his health but he never gave up trying to join and with the help of the Archbishop of Montreal, he got in on December 27, 1870. At this time, he took the name Andre, which was the name of the pastor who led him to join the Holy Cross. During this time he was assigned to the job of doorkeeper of Notre Dame College in Montreal because of his frail health and lack of education growing up. He always greeted visitors and made sure all their needs were met! When people prayed with Andre, people started experiencing some healings and Andre slowly got a reputation of a healer. His popularity grew to a point where the Congregation let him go to a nearby trolley station and check on the people there. Andre remained humble during this time and actually kind of being confused on why people praised him because he knew why he was able to heal these people. He knew that the source of the healings was from St. Joseph’s intercession. He wanted to devote something more for St. Joseph and so he started giving people haircuts for 5 cents each. He eventually earned $200. That’s 4000 haircuts. And eventually opened up the Oratory of St. Joseph on October 09, 1904. Andre was eventually released from being a doorkeeper and became a full-time caretaker of the Oratory. This attracted many pilgrims and Andre served the people by serving sick visitors due to his reputation as a healer. He became known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal” and many miraculous healings are connected through Andre’s intercession. Andre died on January 6, 1937, at the age of 91. Reportedly, an estimated one million people came to pay respects and endured the cold. His body was laid outside the Oratory. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010. St. Andre Bessette, Pray for Us! By Iliana Airey Sheen was born on May 8th, 1895. He was the oldest of 4 children and he lived on a farm. He altar served when he was a child at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois. He attended parochial school, which is a school that’s basically run by a parish/church, and then went on to attend St. Viator College in Bourbonnais, Illinois. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts and then a Master of Arts. Later on that year, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. Sheen pursued further studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1920; a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 1923; and a Doctor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 1924. After another year of studying in Belgium, he served as a priest for a year in London. After that, he moved to Peoria, Illinois, in 1926 to serve as a parish priest. That same year, he left Peoria to join the philosophy faculty at the Catholic University of America, where he taught until 1950. That's a long time!
Not only was Sheen a great teacher, he was also a great speaker. Since the radio began to have more popularity in the 20th century, Sheen was able to use the radio to gain a wider and broader audience. In 1930, he began his radio career (which lasted 22 years!) on The Catholic Hour, which reached roughly 4 million listeners! That's a lot of people! In 1951 Sheen became a titular bishop, and he served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1951–66). During much of his stay in New York, he hosted a weekly television series, Life Is Worth Living (1951–1957), that attracted about 30 million viewers. On that show Sheen, often speaking without a script (which is pretty challenging!) and appearing at his characteristic chalkboard, discussed practical matters of faith and how to live life as a Catholic. Sheen was appointed national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1958, a position he held until 1966, when he was appointed bishop of Rochester, New York. From 1961 to 1969 he hosted another popular television show, The Bishop Fulton Sheen Show. He also wrote various books and a syndicated newspaper column. In 1969 he was appointed archbishop of Newport, Wales. From 1976 until his death three years later, Sheen served Pope Paul VI as Assistant to the Pontifical Throne, a position that authorized him to stand by the papal throne during official ceremonies. He died shortly after open-heart surgery in 1979 at the age of 84. Among his many books are Communism and the Conscience of the West (1948), Way to Inner Peace (1955), and The Power of Love (1965). Sheen was appointed national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in 1958, a position he held until 1966, when he was appointed bishop of Rochester, New York. From 1961 to 1969 he hosted another popular television show, The Bishop Fulton Sheen Show. He also wrote various books and a syndicated newspaper column. In 1969 he was appointed archbishop of Newport, Wales. From 1976 until his death three years later, Sheen served Pope Paul VI as Assistant to the Pontifical Throne, a position that authorized him to stand by the papal throne during official ceremonies. He died shortly after open-heart surgery in 1979 at the age of 84. Among his many books are Communism and the Conscience of the West (1948), Way to Inner Peace (1955), and The Power of Love (1965). Sheen was venerated, or officially recognized for having lived a life of holy virtue (a major step toward canonization as a saint of the church), by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. In July 2019, Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to Sheen, making possible his future beatification. Venerable Fulton Sheen: Pray for Us! By Renée Wilson Catherine was born in Nizhny-Novgorod, Russia, on August 15, 1896 to wealthy and deeply Christian parents. She was baptized Orthodox and later became Roman Catholic. Both perspectives influenced her faith as she grew up. All throughout her life she knew Jesus and understood that we are called to live holy in our everyday lives. At the age of just 15 years old she got married to her cousin Boris, and soon after they were both sent to World War I. Catherine was a nurse and Boris an engineer.
Their lives were pretty much destroyed by the Russian Revolution because most of their family was killed and they lost the only place they knew as home. She blamed this on Christians who claimed to follow Jesus, but neglected to serve others in his name. Later she and Boris fled to Canada where their child George was born. In the years to come they experienced immense poverty which created struggles for Catherine to support her husband and her child. Eventually her marriage to Boris fell apart and was annulled by the church. She began travelling across North America as a speaker and started to become very wealthy. However, her soul was not at peace and she felt a call from the Lord saying “sell all that you have and come and follow me.” On October 15, 1930 Catherine decided to give her life to Jesus and she refers to this day as the day that she began her apostolate. A short while later she sold all that she had to support George and went to go live in the slums of Toronto living as a lay apostle of Christ among the poorest of people. After feeling convicted to share the gospel as her life’s mission others began to follow her way of living. The friendship house was then created which was a group of people who lived by the example of St. Francis of Assisi. They collected food and items for the poor and they even tried to speak out against communism. Unfortunately due to false rumours condemning the work of the friendship house, it had to close its doors in 1936. Catherine felt like her life’s work had failed and then left Toronto. Later a second friendship house was opened in Harlem, but sadly after a while that failed for Catherine as well. Catherine was destroyed by her failures with the friendship house. On May 17, 1947, a few years after marrying her second husband Eddie Doherty, they moved to Combermere, Ontario, where Catherine thought she would retire. However, she began to serve others as a nurse and with the help of Eddie established a training centre for those who wanted to live as a Catholic lay apostolate. Catherine’s passion to share the gospel with others pushed her forward in her life and once again was recognized by others who were inspired by her way of living. And in 1951 her and those who joined her were asked by the pope to consider making this a permanent commitment. In 1954, the people living in Combermere took to a permanent vocation of poverty, chastity and obedience. This resulted in the formation of the Madonna house. Later on Catherine and her husband took vows of chastity and stayed celibate for the rest of their lives. Catherine’s passion and vision of sharing the gospel and restoring the church led to many more Madonna houses being established all around the world. Catherine introduced the concept of poustinia which translates to desert. It refers to a place where an individual meets God through fasting, praying and solitude. Once not known or practiced by the western world but now recognized by most of the world. Later as a response to increasing individualism she called the Madonna house to sobornost which means deep unity of heart and mind in the Holy Spirit. Catherine Doherty died on December 14, 1985 after suffering a long term illness. She left behind a strong community and mission who is working to spread the gospel and be the hands of Christ all over the world. Her life’s work is considered as a beacon of hope for the new century. Catherine Doherty, Servant of God, pray for us! By Aaron Villegas St Andrew was born around 5-10 AD in Galilee. Andrew was the brother of St. Peter and was the son of John. They were both fishermen and fished every day. Andrew and Peter were the first disciples of Jesus. They were ones who were first called by Jesus and immediately left with Him. (Matthew 4:18-20) But in the gospel of John, he is a disciple of John the Baptist. When John the Baptist says “Behold the Lamb of God!” that is when he decided to join Jesus’ journey to spread God’s word.
Unfortunately, nothing much else is said about Andrew in the bible however it was believed that he was one of the closer disciples to Jesus. After Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Andrew went on to preach around the shores of the Black sea and around where Greece and Turkey are today. Andrew was martyred by crucifixion in Patras, Greece. He was bound rather than nailed to the cross. This is described in the Acts of Andrew. He was crucified on a cross called a “crux decussata”, an X shaped cross also known as a “saltire”. Today it is known as the “St. Andrew’s Cross” and you can see this in Scotland’s Flag. It is thought that he requested this kind of cross because he thought that he was unworthy to be crucified the same way Jesus was crucified. St. Andrew is the patron saint of fishermen and singers. He is also the patron saint to Scotland, Romania, and other European cities and countries. St. Andrew, Pray for us! |
PulsePulse is our Jr High group (Grades 6-9) for those who want to be journeying to learn more about God and how He fits into this crazy thing called life! From Saint of the Day to talks to activities, we work to understand more about our faith and its importance in our everyday lives as we all work to become modern day saints. Categories
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