|
CALENDAR of the SAINTS
9 July 2006 A.D.
Our Lady of Chiquinquira
In the mid-16th century the Spanish painter Alonso de Narvaez created a portrait of the Virgin of the Rosary. He painted in pigments from the soil, herbs and flowers of the region of modern Colombia, and his canvas was a rough 44" * 49" cloth woven by Indians. The image of Mary is about a meter high, and stands about a half moon. She has a small, sweet smile, both her face and the Child's are light colored, and she looks like she's about to take a step. She wears a white toque, a rose-colored robe, and a sky blue cape. A rosary hangs from the little finger of her left hand, and she holds a scepter in her right. She holds the Christ Child cradled in her left arm, and looks toward him. Christ has a little bird tied to his thumb, and a small rosary hangs from his left hand. To the sides of Mary stand Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Andrew the Apostle, the personal patrons of the colonist and monk who commissioned the work Don Antonio de Santana and Andrés Jadraque.
In 1562 the portrait was placed in a rustic chapel. It was exposed to the air, the roof leaked, and soon the damage caused by the humidity and sun completely obscured the image. In 1577 the damaged painting was moved to Chiquinquirá and stored in an unused room. In 1585 Maria Ramos, a pious woman from Seville, cleaned up the little chapel, and hung the faded canvas in it. Though the image was in terrible shape, she loved to sit and contemplate it.
On Friday 26 December 1586 the faded, damaged image was suddenly restored. It's colors were bright, the canvas cleaner, the image clear and seemingly brand new. The healing of the image continued as small holes and tears in the canvas self-sealed. It still has traces of its former damage, the figures seem brighter and clearer from a distance than up close. For 300 years the painting hung unprotected. Thousands of objects were touched against the frail cotton cloth by pilgrims. This rough treatment should have destroyed it, but it healed and survives. Pope Pius VII declared Our Lady of Chiquinquirá patroness of Colombia in 1829, and granted a special liturgy. In 1897 a thick glass plate was placed over it to stop the weather and the excesses of the faithful. The image was canonically crowned in 1919, and in 1927 her sanctuary declared a Basilica.
Saint Adrian Beaus 
Saint Adrian Fortescue
English nobility; the son of Sir John Fortescue, and a cousin of Anne Boleyn. Made a Knight of Bath in 1503, frequently serving in the royal court of King Henry VIII. Fought for England in France in 1513 and 1522. Knighted of Saint John in 1532. He collected several lists of proverbs and folk sayings, often writing them in the margins of his Book of Hours. On 29 August 1534, for reasons never explained, he was arrested by the king's order, and imprisoned for several months. Arrested again on 3 February 1539, and sent to the Tower of London. Without trial, he was condemned to death in April for treason, though no specific act was alleged, only general "sedition and refusing allegiance", a consequence of his loyalty to Rome. Beheaded with Venerable Thomas Dingley on 9 July 1539 on Tower Hill, London, England.
Saint Adrian van Hilvarenbeek Saint Agigulf
Educated at the Benedictine monastery of Stavelot-Malmedy. Abbot. Bishop of Cologne, Germany in 747. When King Pepin was dying, Agigulf counseled against naming Charles Martel as the new king; when Martel came to the throne, he had Agigulf killed in the year 751. Saint Anatolia Saint Andrew Wouters 
Saint Antonino Fantosati
Franciscan missionary bishop. Vicar apostolic for southern Hunan, China. One of the Martyrs of China, killed during the Boxer Rebellion on 7 July 1900 in China.
Saint Anthony van Hoornaer Saint Anthony van Weert Saint Anthony van Willehad 
Saint Augustine Tchao
Soldier. Escorted Blessed John Gabriel Dufresse to Beijing, China during his missionary work. Convert. Priest. Worked in the Su-Tchuen province. Arrested for his faith and work, and died in 1815 due to poor conditions in prison. One of the Martyrs of China.
Saint Brictus Saint Cornelius van Wyk Saint Cornelius Saint Everild 
Blessed Fidelis Chojnacki
Youngest of six children born to Waclaw and Leokadia Spurinska. Raised in a pious family. Studied in public schools and a military academy. Worked for a year at Szczuczyn Mowogrodzki in the Institute of Social Insurance. Worked at the Central Post Office in Warsaw. Member and administrator of Catholic Action. Worked against alcohol abuse and helped recovering alcoholics in his region. Joined the Secular Franciscan Order at the Capuchin church in Warsaw. Friend of Blessed Anicet Koplinski. Joined the Capuchins on 27 August 1933, taking the name Fidelis. Developed a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Studied philosophy at Zakroczym. Founded a Club for Intellectual Collaboration for the seminarians. Continued his work with alcoholics, working a group of Franciscans. Studied theology in Lublin, beginning in 1937; his studies were interrupted by the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. Arrested for his faith on 25 January 1940 and held in the "Fortress of Lublin". On 18 June 1940 he was moved to the prison camp at Sachsenhausen. To this point Fidelis has kept his optimism, hope and simplicity, but this camp broke him; the abuse of himself and the other prisoners sent him into depression. On 14 December 1940 he, with other priests and religious, was transferred to the Dachau concentration camp; tattooed with his prisoner number, and subjected to more abuse. Abused, starved and over-worked, he developed a serious heart condition, and finally died of excessive abuse. His last words to fellow prisoners as he was being taken away were, "Praised be Jesus Christ; we'll see each other in heaven." Martyred on 9 July 1942 at the Dachau concentration camp due to assorted abuse; body burned in the camp's crematorium ovens.
Saint Francesco Fogolla
Franciscan missionary bishop. Martyred in 1900 in China. One of the Martyrs of China.
Saint Francis Rod 
Saint Godfrey of Duynen
Also known as Gaufrid of Duynen, Geoffrey of Duynen, Geoffroy of Duynen, Geofroi of Duynen, Gioffredo of Duynen, Godefrid of Duynen, Godefridus of Duynen, Goffredo of Duynen, Goffrey of Duynen, Gofrido of Duynen, Gotfrid of Duynen, Gottfried of Duynen, Jeffrey of Duynen.
Parish priest. Rector of a school in Paris. Hanged Calvinists on 9 July 1572 at Gorkum, Holland for "papism" and his belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. One of the Martyrs of Gorkum.
Saint Godfrey of Merville
Also known as Gaufrid of Merville; Geoffrey of Merville; Geoffroy of Merville; Geofroi of Merville; Gioffredo of Merville; Godefrid of Merville; Godefridus of Merville; Goffredo of Merville; Goffrey of Merville; Gofrido of Merville; Gotfrid of Merville; Gottfried of Merville; Jeffrey of Merville.
Painter. Custos of the Franciscan house in Gorkum, Holland. Hanged on 9 July 1572 at Gorkum, Holland by Calvinists for "papism" and his belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. One of the Martyrs of Gorkum.
Saint Golvinus Saint James Lacop
Norbertine monk at Middelburg. In 1566 he apostatized, writing and preaching against the Church. He later repented, rejoined his order, and retired to his abbey to do penance. Martyred by Calvinists in 1572 One of the Gorkum Martyrs. 
Saint Jane Scopelli
From an early age, Jane felt drawn to religious life. Her family opposed the vocation, and she obeyed them, living a pious, austere life in her parents' home. On their deaths she founded the Our Lady of the People Carmelite priory at Reggio, Italy, and served as its first prioress. She refused all endowments or gifts to the convent unless they were given as alms with no strings or conditions attached. Her prayers reportedly resulted in miracles.
Saint Jerome of Weden
Franciscan missionary to Palestinian Muslims. Returning to Europe, he preached forcefully against Calvinism. Vicar of the friary at Gorkum, Holland. Hanged in 1572 by Calvinists at Gorkum, Holland. One of the Martyrs of Gorkum.
Saint John of Cologne
Dominican, though the persecutions of the time made it impossible for him to wear his habit. Parish priest of Horner, Holland. When he heard of the arrest and abuse of Catholics in Gorkum, he visited them in prison, smuggling in the Eucharist. When he was found out, burned, beaten, hanged and mutilated in 1572, He became one of the Gorkum Martyrs.
Saint John of Osterwick
Augustinian at Briel. Spiritual director of and confessor to a community of Augustinian nuns at Gorkum, Holland. Hanged in 1572. One of the Gorkum Martyrs.
Saint John van Hoornaer Saint Justus of Poland Saint Leonard Vechel Saint Leonard Wegel Saint Marie-Anne-Madeleine of Saint Melania de Guilhermier Saint Marie-Anne-Marguerite of the Angels de Rochers
Martyrs of Gorkum
Nineteen martyrs hanged by Calvinists on 9 July 1572 at Gorkum, Holland for loyalty to the Pope and for their belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. They include:
Saint Adrian Beanus
Saint Adrian van Hilvarenbeek
Saint Andrew Wouters
Saint Antony van Hoornaer
Saint Antony van Weert
Saint Antony van Willehad
Saint Cornelius van Wyk
Saint Godfrey of Duynen
Saint Godfrey of Merville
Saint James Lacops
Saint Jerome of Weden
Saint John of Cologne
Saint John of Osterwick
Saint John van Hoornaer
Saint Leonard Vechel
Saint Nicholas Janssen Poppel
Saint Nicholas Pieck
Saint Peter of Assche
Saint Theodore van der Eem
Martyrs of Orange 
Saint Mary Hermina Grivot
Daughter of a cooper and a housekeeper. Irma was an active, affectionate, sensitive, intelligent but sickly child, and her education stopped at the elementary level. She felt drawn to religious life, but her family opposed it, She worked as a tutor to make her own way, and in 1894 she entered a pre-novitiate of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary at Vanves near Paris, France, then her novitiate at Les Châtelets in July, taking the name Marie Hermine de Jésus. Her poor health caused her to spend a longer than usual noviate, proving that she was capable of the rigors of missionary life. She served in her house by taking care of the accounts in Les Chatelets and Vanves, caring for the sick in Marseilles, and then as superior of the missionaries in Taiyuanfu. In 1898 she and six sisters were sent to the Shanxi diocese in China to serve the poor in hospitals, and care for the unwanted or other destitutes in orphanages. There they were all beheaded on 9 July 1900 at Taiyuanfu, China in one of the periodic crackdowns against foreign missionaries. She is included as one of the Martyrs of Shanxi and the Martyrs of China.
Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified
On 25 March 1919 she and her friend Marija Telenta joined the Sisters of Charity. However, in May the superior died, the Italian sisters were forced to leave the country, and Mary, Marija and two other Croatian sisters were left to handle the work in the area. Mary was put in charge, and requested that the remaining Sisters follow the Rule of the Third Order Franciscans. Few as they were, in 1919 the Sisters still opened a recovery center, a child-care facility, and an orphanage.
On 25 August 1920, Mary wrote the first Constitutions of a new order. On 4 October 1920 it was founded as the Congregation of the Daughters of Mercy, Mary taking the name Marija of the Crucified Jesus. Superior General of the Congregation for over 30 years, she helped found 46 communities of the Daughters serving in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, seminaries, and parishes. Her health failed in her later years, and she was partially paralyzed the last three years of her life; dying on 9 July 1966 of natural causes.
Saint Nicasius Jonson Saint Nicholas Janssen Poppel
Saint Nicholas Pieck
Son of John Pieck and Henriea Clavia, a pious Catholic family with a long history. Educated at Bois-le-Duc. Joined the Friars Minor at Bois-le-Duc. Studied at Louvain where he was ordained in 1558. He evangelized throughout Holland and Belgium, preaching against heresy, encouraging Catholics to stand by their faith. Known as a friendly, open, happy, modest man, endlessly working to bring people to God. Appointed guardian of convent in Gorkum where he preached against Calvinism and in support of the Real Presence in the Eucharist.
When the citadel of Gorkum was seized by the Watergeuzen, the Calvinists imprisoned the priests and religious. They tortured Nicholas by hanging and burning him with a torch. He and his fellow prisoners were offered their freedom if they would renounce the authority of Rome; they declined. He was martyred 9 July 1572 at Briel, Holland; most relics still at Briel. One of the Gorkum Martyrs.
Saint Patermuthius 
Saint Paulina do Coração Agonizante de Jesus
The daughter of Antonio Napoleone Visintainer and Anna Pianezzer, she was born to a poor but pious family. In September 1875 her family, along with 100 other folks, about a fifth of her home town, emigrated from Italy to the state of Saint Catherine in Brazil to seek a better life. There the Italian émigrés founded the village of Vigolo (modern Nova Trento). Received First Communion about age twelve. In her early teens Amabile began teaching children catechism, visited the sick, and cleaned the church.
On 12 July 1890 Amabile and her friend Virginia Rosa Nicolodi were caring for a woman suffering from cancer. From them and their work began the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, approved by José de Camargo Barros, bishop of Curitiba. They and Teresa Anna Maule took their religious vows in December 1890; Amabile took the name Sister Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus. Their congregation grew quickly, and in 1903 Mother Pauline was elected Superior General for life. Even with her new responsibilities, she left Nova Trento in late 1903 for Saõ Paulo to work with orphans, the children of slaves, and aged slaves who had been left to die because they could no longer work.
In 1909 she was relieved of her duties as Superior General by Duarte Leopoldo e Silva, Archbishop of Saõ Paulo following a series of disputes within the congregation. She was sent to work with the sick and aged at the Hospice of Saint Vincent de Paul at Bragança Paulista. She spent her spare time in prayer in support of the Congregation. In 1918 she was recalled to the Congregation's motherhouse of Ipiranga. She lived there for over 20 years, caring for sick sisters, praying, and living away from the world. In 1938 her health began a long, slow decline as she fought a losing battle with diabetes.
The Congregation continues its work today in Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, Chad, Zambia, Mozambique and Italy. They combine interior spirituality with service to those in need, drawing strength from devotion to the Eucharist, the Immaculate Virgin, and Saint Joseph. She is the first Brazilian citizen to be canonized.
Saint Peter of Assche Saint Theodore van der Eem 
Saint Veronica Giuliani
Born to wealthy parents, Francesco Giuliana and Benedetta Mancini. In her youth, Veronica developed a deep spirituality and desired nothing more than to dedicate her life to God. Received visions as a child, and her first words were reported to be "Do justice, God sees you." Veronica's father presented suitors in hopes that one would marry her; Veronica became ill at the idea of not devoting her life to God, and Veronica finally received her father's blessing.
Joined the Poor Clares on 17 July 1677 at age 17, receiving the veil on 28 October. Soon after she began receiving visions of Christ accompanied by the pain of the wounds of the Passion. Much skepticism of her stigmata, and many examinations, but it was never disproved; Veronica never tried to prove it, just submitted to the exams.
Novice mistress for over thirty years. Abbess for more than a decade. Author of the 10-volume Diary of the Passion which catalogues her religious experiences.
Saint Willehad of Denmark Saint Zeno
|