Promulgation of Decrees by Congregation for Causes of Saints

Vatican City, 18 March 2015 (VIS) This morning the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorized the promulgation of decrees concerning the following causes:

- a MIRACLE, attributable to the intercession of the married couple Louis Martin, layman and father, born 22 August, 1823 in Bordeaux, France, died 29 July 1894 in Arnieres-sur-Iton, France and Marie-Azelie Guérin Martin, laywoman and mother, born 23 December 1831 in Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon, France, died 28 August 1877 in Alencon, France.

HEROIC VIRTUES

- Servant of God Francesco Gattola, diocesan priest and founder of the Daughters of the Most Holy Immaculate Virgin of Lourdes, born 19 September 1822 in Naples, Italy, died there 20 January 1899;

- Servant of God Petar Barbaric, Jesuit novice, born 19 May 1874 in Klobuk, Bosnia and Herzegovina, died 15 April 1897 Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina;

- Servant of God Mary Aikenhead, founder of the Religious Sisters of Charity of Ireland, born 19 January 1787 in Cork, Ireland, died 22 July 1858 in Dublin, Ireland;

- Servant of God Elisa Baldo Foresti, widow, founder of the Holy Home of St. Joseph in Gavardo, and cofounder of the Humble Servants of the Lord, born 29 October 1862 in Gavardo, Italy, died 5 July in Brescia, Italy;

- Servant of God Vincenta of the Passion of the Lord (nee Jadwiga Jaroszewska), founder of the Benedictine Samaritan Sisters of the Cross of Christ, born 7 March 1900 in Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland, died 10 November in Warsaw, Poland).

- Servant of God Juana of the Cross (nee Juana Vazquez Gutierrez) professed religious of the Franciscan Nuns of the Third Order Regular and Abbess of the Santa Maria de la Cruz convent in Cubas, born 3 May 1481 in Villa de Azana (today s Numancia de la Sagra), Spain, died 3 May 1534 in Cubas de la Sagra, Spain;

- Servant of God Maria Orsola Bussone, young layperson of the Focolare Movement, born 2 October 1954 in Vallo Torinese, Italy, died 10 July 1970 in Ca' Savio, Italy.

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The Relic of St. Teresa of Avila's “pilgrim staff” Arrives in the Vatican

Vatican City, 11 March 2015 (VIS) – At the end of today's general audience, during his greetings in various languages, the Pope mentioned that this month will mark the fifth centenary of the birth of St. Teresa of Jesus in Avila, Spain. “May her spiritual vigour stimulate you, dear young people, to bear joyful witness to faith in your life; may her trust in Christ the Saviour sustain you, dear sick people, in the moments of greatest discouragement; and may her tireless apostolate invite you, dear newly-weds, to place Christ at the centre of your marital home”.

Later on Pope Francis received in the Vatican the relic of St. Teresa's famous “pilgrim staff”, as part of on a worldwide tour organised by the Order of Carmelites, to commemorate the anniversary of the Spanish mystic and doctor of the Church. The global pilgrimage, entitled “Way of Light”, began in Avila on 15 October 2014 with the aim of visiting the family of Mount Carmel in 30 countries across five continents, a journey of 117 thousand kilometres and lasting more than 160 days. It will return to Avila on 28 March, in time for the 500th anniversary of the saint's birth.

On the same day, the Teresian jubilee year will be inaugurated with a prayer for world peace. Throughout the year a series of celebrations will be held, including the European Youth Meeting, which is expected to be attended by more than 9,000 young people from across the continent, several pilgrimages and many conferences and exhibitions.

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Doctors of the Church -- A List (Updated)

The following is an alphabetical list of the 36 "Doctors of the Church" of the Roman Catholic Church.

Before we get to the list, here is the definition of Doctor of the Church from "The Modern Catholic Dictionary" by Father John A. Hardon, S.J.:

DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH. A title given since the Middle Ages to certain saints whose writing or preaching is outstanding for guiding the faithful in all periods of the Church's history. Originally the Western Fathers of the Church, Gregory the Great, Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome, were considered the great doctors of the Church. But the Church has officially added many more names to the original four.

The following are Doctors of the Church

• Albert the Great
• Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
• Ambrose of Milan
• Anselm of Canterbury
• Anthony of Padua
• Athanasius
• Augustine of Hippo
• Basil the Great
• Bede the Venerable
• Bernard of Clairvaux
• Bonaventure
• Catherine of Siena
• Cyril of Alexandria
• Cyril of Jerusalem
• Ephrem of Syria
• Francis of Sales
• Gregory Nanzianzen
• Gregory of Narek
• Gregory the Great
• Hilary of Poitiers
• Hildegard von Bingen
• Isidore
• Jerome
• John Chrystostom
• John Damascene
• John of Avila
• John of the Cross
• Lawrence of Brindisi
• Leo the Great
• Peter Canisius
• Peter Chrysologus
• Peter Damian
• Robert Bellarmine
• Teresa of Avila
• Therese of Lisieux
• Thomas Aquinas

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Recognition of the Martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the friars Michal Tomaszek and Zbigniew Strazalkowski, and Father Alessandro Dordi

Vatican City, 3 February 2015 (VIS) – Today the Holy Father Francis received in a private audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which he authorised the Congregation to promulgate the following decrees:

MARTYRDOM

- Servant of God Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdamez (El Salvador, 1917-1980), archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador, killed in hatred of the faith on 24 March 1980.

- Servants of God Michal Tomaszek (Poland, 1960) and Zbigniew Strazalkowski (Poland, 1958), professed priests of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, and Alessandro Dordi, Italian diocesan priest, killed in hatred of the faith in Peru on 9 and 25 August 1991.

HEROIC VIRTUES

- Servant of God Giovanni Bacile, Italian priest (1880-1941).

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Feast of Saint Brigid, Abbess and Patroness of Ireland (From Goffine’s Devout Instructions)

February 1

Saint Brigid was born about the year 453 at Fochard, in Ulster. When about twenty years old she received the veil from Saint Mel, the nephew and disciple of Saint Patrick. So many sought the religious life under her direction that a convent, the first in Ireland, was erected for her and she was made superior. From this parent stem branched forth other convents in different parts of Ireland, all which acknowledged her as their mother and foundress. Several churches in England and Scotland are dedicated to God under her name, and some also in Germany and in France. After seventy years devoted to the practice of the most sublime virtups, corporal infirmities admonished our saint that the time of her dissolution was nigh. For half a century she had irrevocably consecrated herself to God, and during that period great results had been attained. The day on which our abbess was to quit this life, 1 February 523, having arrived, she received the blessed body and blood of her Lord in the Blessed Eucharist, and, as it would seem, immediately after her spirit passed forth, and went to possess Him in that heavenly country where He is seen face to face and enjoyed without danger of ever losing Him. Her body was interred in the church adjoining her convent, bnt was some time after exhumed, and deposited in a splendid shrine near the high altar. In the ninth century, the country being desolated by the Danes, the remains of Saint Bridget were removed to Down-Patrick, where they were deposited in the same grave with those of Saint Patrick. Their bodies, together with that of Saint Columba were translated afterwards to the cathedral of the same city, but their monument was destroyed in the reign of King Henry VIII. The head of Saint Bridget is now kept in the church of the Jesuits at Lisbon.

The Introit of the Mass:

“Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore, O God, Thy God hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. My heart hath uttered a good word. I speak my works to the King.” Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Prayer

Give ear to us, O God our Saviour, that, as we celebrate with joy the solemnity of blessed Bridget Thy virgin, so we may improve in the affection of piety. Through Christ, Our Lord, Amen.

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2

Brethren: He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commendeth himself is approved, but he whom God commendeth. Would to God you could bear with some little of my folly, but do bear with me. For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

At that time Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. And five of them were foolish, and five wise; but the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out. The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. But at last came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not. Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.

-- Goffine’s Devout Instructions