Doctors of the Church (A List)

The following is an alphabetical list of the 35 "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 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
  

St. Louise de Marillac

There is some mystery to Louise’s birth, but what we do know is that even though Louise's Mother died soon after giving birth, Louise herself was then raised by her Aristocratic father. It was soon after that Louise’s father remarried, but unfortunately, Louise never enjoyed a close relationship with her step mother, so it was decided to send the young Louise to a Dominican convent.

This was a difficult time for Louise and never an exuberant child, she became even more introverted as she studied her lessons under the guidance of the Sisters of that Order, for Louise did display a curious mind and a propensity for intellectual pursuits. Living among the Nuns also fostered within her soul a deep desire to become a Religious herself, but fate intervened, and her wish was not to be met just yet.

Louise instead embarked on an arranged marriage in 1613 to Antoine LaGras who was also of noble standing and was secretary to Queen Marie de Medici. Their married life was comfortable but Antoine suffered many ailments, and so the shadow of death was not far away from the LaGras family.

During this difficult and worrisome time, Louise was to meet a very holy priest by the name of Francis de Sales, who provided much help to the distraught Louise.

Sadly Antoine LaGras died in the year 1625, leaving Louise a widow, but also leaving her free to work amongst the poor, which she had been doing for quite some time.

It was through her meeting with Francis de Sales that Louise met, Fr. Vincent de Paul, who inquired of her if she wished to help him in his enterprise, the Confraternities of Charity to work within the different parishes around France.

Louise had a great devotion to the poor, and even though born of noble birth, she mixed easily in all social classes, and with her quiet and humble spirit, many felt comfortable in her reassuring presence.

Louise took great delight in her work alongside Fr. Vincent, and with her skills as a homemaker, she was able to take charge of the day to day finances, so that everything ran smoothly, and the poor would receive the greatest benefits.

It was in 1633 that Louise decided to train a small group of women to serve the poor, and trained them to show respect and compassion, but also common sense when dealing with the destitute of France. And it was from these humble beginnings that the Daughters of Charity began.

Louise along side Fr. de Paul worked hard to establish this Order of Religious who were not confined to Convents, but, instead worked amongst the poorest of the poor. Louise was to teach all her sisters to have a deep respect for the poor, lonely and the widowed and to serve the poor as if they were serving Jesus Himself.

And as Louise de Marillac and Fr. Vincent worked side by side in this endeavour, so too, did they die within months of each other.

Louise de Marillac died in 1660. St. Vincent de Paul died six months later.

Louise was canonized on 11th March 1934 by Pope Pius XI.

Some Quotes

Prudence consists in speaking about important matters only and not relating a lot of trifles that are not worth saying.

How good it is to trust God! Turn to Him often, as children look to their father and mother in their needs.

One of the most powerful reasons to induce us to love God is the conviction we enjoy that He loves us.

And from these two great Saints, Vincent and Louise, yet another Frenchman would step forward to fulfill their vision of 'serving the poor'.

Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

Saint Agatha (also known as: Agatha of Sicily; Agatha of Palermo; Agatha of Catania) has been honored since ancient times, and her name is included in the canon of the Mass. We have little reliable information about her, except that she was a martyr. The following is according to her Latin Acts which is from around the sixth century.

Saint Agatha was a young, wealthy and beautiful woman who lived a life consecrated to God. When the Roman Emperor Decius (Caius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius 249-251) announced his edicts against Christians, the Roman magistrate Quinctianus tried to profit by Agatha's sanctity; he planned to blackmail her into sex in exchange for not charging her. Saint Agatha was handed over to a brothel, but she refused to accept customers. After rejecting Quinctianus' advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, her breasts were crushed and cut off. One version says that Saint Peter appeared to her and healed her. She was imprisoned further and rolled onto live coals. She was near death when an earthquake struck. In the earthquake the magistrate's friend was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain, and died. Her death occurred around 250 A.D.

Legend says that carrying her veil, taken from her tomb in Catania, in procession has averted eruptions of Mount Etna. Her intercession is also reported to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion in 1551.

Her popular veneration is of a very early date; her name occurs in the prayer, "Nobis quoque peccatoribus," in the Canon of the Mass, and in some places bread is blessed after the Consecration of the Mass on her feast and called Agatha bread.

Feast of Saint John the Apostle (Goffine's Devout Instructions)

December 27

JOHN, the brother of Saint James the Greater, was a son of Zebedee, a fisherman of Galilee, and of Salome, a cousin of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Matthew 4:21). He was the youngest of the apostles, and, with Peter and James, was the most trusted of the disciples of Jesus, by Whom he was most tenderly loved, on which account he is called the Disciple of Love. Of this Jesus gave the most convincing evidence when, at the Last Supper, He allowed that disciple to lean upon His breast, and when, from the cross, He committed to the care of John His own Mother. After the ascension John preached the Gospel in Palestine; afterwards went to Asia Minor, fixed his residence in Ephesus, and established many churches there. He was, with the other apostles, taken prisoner and scourged by the Jews, and in the year 95, under the Emperor Domitian, before the Latin Gate, at Rome, was thrown into a vessel of boiling oil. Having endured this torture without injury, he was then banished to the island of Patmos, where, by command of the Lord, he wrote the Apocalypse, or Revelation, concerning the fortunes of the Church. On returning from hIs banishment he again governed the churches of Asia Minor as chief pastor, as he had done before, and, at the age of nearly one hundred years, died at Ephesus a peaceful and natural death.

The Introit of the Mass reads: "In the midst of the Church the Lord opened his mouth, and filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and clothed him with a robe of glory. It is good to give praise to the Lord, and to sing to Thy name, O Most High." Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Amen. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Prayer

Mercifully illustrate Thy Church, O Lord, that, enlightened by the doctrines of Thy blessed apostle and evangelist Saint John, she may arrive at gifts everlasting. Through Christ our Lord, etc. Amen.

Epistle: Ecclesiasticus 15:1-6

He that feareth God will do good: and he that possesseth justice shall lay hold on her, and she will meet him as an honorable mother, and will receive him as a wife married of a virgin. With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him and give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink; and she shall be made strong in him, and he shall not be moved; and she shall hold him fast, and he shall not be confounded; and she shall exalt him among his neighbors, and in the midst of the Church she shall open his mouth, and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and shall clothe him with a robe of glory. She shall heap upon him a treasure of joy and gladness, and our Lord God shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.

On Purity

"He that loves wisdom," saith the Holy Ghost, "will obtain it, for it will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins" (Wisdom 1:4). Saint John was from his childhood an angel of purity, on which account he was particularly beloved by Jesus, and endowed by the Holy Ghost with such wisdom and knowledge that, as Saint Augustine has remarked, he begins his gospel in a manner more lofty and sublime than the other three evangelists. For while they walk with the God-man upon earth, speaking comparatively little of His divinity, Saint John, as if despising the world, soars beyond the vault of heaven, above the hosts of angels, and comes to Him by Whom all things are made, saying, "In the beginning was the Word." At the Last Supper he was permitted to lean on the bosom of Jesus, but what he there drank in secretly he imparted openly. Apply thyself, therefore, to purity of heart, and thou shalt be like Saint John, a beloved disciple of Jesus, and shalt be filled with heavenly wisdom.

Gospel: John 21:19-24

At that time Jesus said to Peter: Follow Me. Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on His breast at supper, and said: Lord, who is he that shall betray Thee? Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith to him: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? follow thou Me. This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but, So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

– Goffine's Devout Instructions

Saint Francis Xavier

Priest and Missionary

Saint Francis Xavier (also known as Apostle to the Far East) was born in 1506 Castle of Xavier, near Sanguesa, Navarre, Spain. He was a nobleman from the Basque region. He studied and taught philosophy at the University of Paris, and planned a career as a professor. He was a friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola who convinced him to use his talents to spread the Gospel. Francis is one of the founding Jesuits, and the first Jesuit missionary.

In Goa, India, while waiting to take ship, he preached in the street, worked with the sick, and taught children their catechism. He would walk through the streets ringing a bell to call the children to their studies. It is said that he converted the entire city.

Francis was a tremendously successful missionary for ten years in India, the East Indies, and Japan, baptizing more than 40,000. His journey finds him dining with headhunters, washing sores of lepers in Venice, teaching catechism to Indian children, and baptizing 10,000 in a single month. He tolerated the most appalling conditions on long sea voyages, enduring extremes of heat and cold. Wherever he went, he would seek out and help the poor and forgotten. He traveled thousands of miles, mostly on his bare feet, and he saw the greater part of the Far East.

Saint Francis Xavier died of a fever contracted on a mission journey on December 2, 1552 at Sancian, China. His body is at the former Jesuit church in Goa, and his right arm at the church of Gesu in Rome, Italy.

Patronage 

African missions; diocese of Agartala, India; diocese of Ahmedabad, India; diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana; Apostleship of Prayer; Australia; black missions; archdiocese of Bombay, India; Borneo; archdiocese of Cape Town, South Africa; China; diocese of Dinajpur, Bangladesh; East Indies; Fathers of the Precious Blood; foreign missions; Freising, Germany; Goa India; diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin; India; archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana; Japan; diocese of Joiliet, Illinois; diocese of Kabankalan, Philippines; diocese of Malindi, Kenya; missionaries; Missioners of the Precious Blood; missions, black; missions, foreign; missions, parish; Navarre, Spain; navigators; New Zealand; parish missions; plague epidemics; Propagation of the Faith 

Representation 

crucifix; preacher carrying a flaming heart; bell; globe; vessel; young bearded Jesuit in the company of Saint Ignatius Loyola; young bearded Jesuit with a torch, flame, cross and lily 

Quotations:

"It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards a man's progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken." -- Saint Francis Xavier 

We have visited the villages of the new converts who accepted the Christian religion a few years ago. The country is so utterly barren and poor. The native Christians have no priests. They know only that they are Christians. There is nobody to say Mass for them; nobody to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Commandments of God's Law. 

I have not stopped since the day I arrived. I conscientiously made the rounds of the villages. I bathed in the sacred waters all the children who had not yet been baptized. This means that I have purified a very large number of children so young that, as the saying goes, they could not tell their right hand from their left. The older children would not let me say my Office or eat or sleep until I taught them one prayer or another. Then I began to understand: "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 

I could not refuse so devout a request without failing in devotion myself. I taught them, first the confession of faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; then the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, and Hail Mary. I noticed among them persons of great intelligence. If only someone could educate them in the Christian way of life, I have no doubt that they would make excellent Christians. 

Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. 

I wish the university students would work as hard at converting these people as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them. 

This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God's will and his choice. 

They would cry out with all their heart: "Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do?" Send me anywhere you like - even to India!" -- Saint Francis Xavier from his letters to Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Saint Chromatius of Aquileia

Saint Chromatius was born in the 4^th century at Aquileia, Italy. His father died when he was an infant and he was raised by his mother and large family of older brothers and sisters. He was ordained as a priest around 387 A.D.

He attended the Synod of Aquileia and worked for the strong denunciation of the Arian heresy. The denunciation resulted from the synod. Saint Chromatius was consecrated as Bishop of Aquileia in 388.

Saint Chromatius was an active correspondent with Saint Ambrose of Milan, and was a friend of both Saint Jerome and Saint John Chrysostom. Saint Jerome dedicated several works to him. Chromatius was influential in the translation of early Christian works into Latin for wider use. He financed Saint Jerome’s translation of the Bible, and Rufinus’ translation of Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History.

Saint Chromatius wrote several respected scripture commentaries, seventeen of which survive. Saint Chromatius supported Saint John Chrysostom and wrote on his behalf against the unjust accusations of Emperor Arcadius.

Saint Chromatius died at Aquileia, Italy of natural causes in December 407.

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The following is from a discourse on the Gospel of Saint Matthew by Saint Chromatius of Aquileia:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp only to put it under a bushel basket; they put it on a stand where it gives light to all in the house. The Lord called his disciples to salt of the earth because they seasoned with heavenly wisdom the hearts of men, rendered insipid by the devil. Now he calls them the light of the world as well, because they have been enlightened by him, the true and everlasting light, and have themselves become a light in the darkness. 

Since he is the Sun of Justice, he fittingly calls his disciples the light of the world. The reason for this is that through them, as through shining rays, he has poured out the light of the knowledge of himself upon the entire world. For by manifesting the light of truth, they have dispelled the darkness of error from the hearts of men. 

Moreover, we too have been enlightened by them. We have been made light out of darkness as the Apostle says: For once you, were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light. He says another time: For you are not sons of the light and of darkness, but you are all sons of light and of the day. Saint John also rightly asserts in his letter: God is light, and whoever abides in God is in the light just as God himself is in the light. Therefore, because we rejoice in having been freed from the darkness of error, we should always walk in the light as children of light. This is why the Apostle says: Among them you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life. 

If we fail to live in the light, we shall, to our condemnation and that of others, be veiling over and obscuring by our infidelity the light men so desperately need. As we know from Scripture, the man who received the talent should have made it produce a heavenly profit, but instead he preferred to hide it away rather than put it to work and was punished as he deserved. 

Consequently, that brilliant lamp which was lit for the sake of our salvation should always shine in us. For we have the lamp of the heavenly commandment and spiritual grace, to which David referred: Your law, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Solomon also says this about it: For the command of the law is a lamp. 

Therefore, we must not hide this lamp of law and faith. Rather, we must set it up in the Church, as on a lamp stand, for the salvation of many, so that we may enjoy the light of truth itself and all believers may be enlightened." 

How Did Cardinal Newman Deal with the Haters? « Campus Notes

The following excerpts are from The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) Blog:

• If you’re writing about religion on the internet today, it’s impossible to avoid the haters who wish to mangle, distort, and intentionally misconstrue each and every syllable you publish and likely even attack you personally. Brandon Vogt of Ignitum Today writes that we can all take a lesson from Blessed Cardinal Newman on how to deal with attacks like those:

Read more by clicking below:
How Did Cardinal Newman Deal with the Haters? « Campus Notes

Saint Saturninus of Toulouse

Saint Saturninus of Toulouse ( also known as Sernin; Saturnin) was a third century missionary from Rome to Gaul, the Pyrenees ( mountain range in southwestern Europe, forming a natural boundary between France and Spain), and the Iberian peninsula (peninsula in southwestern Europe, divided into Spain and Portugal, together with Gibraltar).

He made many converts including the farmer now known as Saint Honestus who joined him in the missions. Saint Saturninus and two companions were imprisoned at Carcassone by the prefect Rufinus, but they were freed by an angel. He was the first bishop of Toulouse, where he performed miraculous healings. He converted and baptized Saint Firminus who was later bishop of Amiens.

When Saturninus began his work in Toulouse, the local pagan priests stopped receiving oracles from their “gods”. The devils were struck dumb by the presence of the saint as he passed that way. One day in 257, when the priests were hopelessly frustrated, Saturninus passed by in the street. The priests blamed the bishop, and ordered the crowd of heathens to seize him and force him to offer sacrifice to their gods. The idols fell to pieces in front of the bishop. The crowds abused him, then tied his feet to a wild bull which was to be sacrificed, and then drove the bull out of the temple. He was dragged to death.

The martyrdom of this saint probably happened in the reign of Valerian, around 257 A.D.  

Quotation:

 "I adore one only God, and to him I am ready to offer a sacrifice of praise. Your gods are devils, and are more delighted with the sacrifice of your souls than with those of your bullocks. How can I fear them who, as you acknowledge, tremble before a Christian?" -- Saint Saturninus

Blessed Jacopone of Todi

Blessed Jacopone of Todi (also known as Crazy Jim; Iacopone da Todi; Jacomo da Todi; Jacopo Benedetti; Jacopo Benedicti; Jacopone Benedetti da Todi; Jacopone of Todi; James da Todi) was an Italian noble from the Benedetti family of Todi born around 1230 A.D. 

He was a successful lawyer at Bologna, and he married Vanna di Guidone in 1267. Vanna considered Jacomo too worldly, and did penance for him. 

In 1268, Jacomo insisted she attend a public tournament against her wishes. The stands in which she sat collapsed, and Vanna was killed. The shock of this event, and his discovery of her penance for him, caused a radical change in Jacomo. He gave his possessions to the poor, dressed in rags, and joined the Third Order of Saint Francis. His former associates called him Jacopone, Crazy Jim, a name which he embraced. 

After ten years of this penance and abuse, Jacomo tried to join the Franciscans, but his reputation as Crazy Jim preceded him, and he was refused. To prove his sanity and intentions, he wrote a beautiful poem about the vanities of the world which swayed the Franciscans, and he joined the Order in 1278. He refused to be ordained, and spent time writing popular hymns in the vernacular. 

Jacopone suddenly found himself a leader in a disturbing religious movement among the Franciscans. The Spirituals, as they were called, wanted a return to the strict poverty of Francis. They had the support of two cardinals and Pope Celestine V. 

The two cardinals, however, opposed Celestine's successor, Pope Boniface VIII, and due to the wrangling in the Vatican, Jacopone was excommunicated and imprisoned at the age of 68. Jacopone acknowledged his error, but was not released until five years later, when Blessed Benedict XI became pope. He accepted his imprisonment as penance. 

He spent his last three years giving himself completely to spirituality, weeping "because Love is not loved," and writing hymns, including the famous Latin hymn, Stabat Mater. 

Blessed Jacopone of Todi died December 25, 1306 at Collazzone, Italy as a priest intoned the Gloria from midnight Mass. His relics are at Saint Fortunato Church, Montecristo, Italy.

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The Stabat Mater 

At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last. 

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,

All His bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had pass'd. 

Oh, how sad and sore distress'd

Was that Mother highly blest

Of the sole-begotten One! 

Christ above in torment hangs;

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying glorious Son. 

Is there one who would not weep,

Whelm'd in miseries so deep

Christ's dear Mother to behold? 

Can the human heart refrain

From partaking in her pain,

In that Mother's pain untold? 

Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd,

She beheld her tender child

All with bloody scourges rent. 

For the sins of His own nation,

Saw Him hang in desolation,

Till His spirit forth He sent. 

O thou Mother! fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above;

Make my heart with thine accord. 

Make me feel as thou hast felt;

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ our Lord. 

Holy Mother! pierce me through;

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Saviour crucified. 

Let me share with thee His pain,

Who for all my sins was slain,

Who for me in torments died. 

Let me mingle tears with thee,

Mourning Him who mourn'd for me,

All the days that I may live. 

By the cross with thee to stay,

There with thee to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of thee to give. 

Virgin of all virgins best,

Listen to my fond request

Let me share thy grief divine. 

Let me, to my latest breath,

In my body bear the death

Of that dying Son of thine. 

Wounded with His every wound,

Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd

In His very blood away. 

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,

Lest in flames I burn and die,

In His awful Judgment day. 

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,

Be Thy Mother my defense,

Be Thy cross my victory. 

While my body here decays,

May my soul Thy goodness praise,

Safe in Paradise with Thee. 

Amen. 

-- Blessed Jacopone da Todi

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux On All Saints Day

Why should our praise and glorification, or even the celebration of this feast day mean anything to the saints? What do they care about earthly honors when their heavenly Father honors them by fulfilling the faithful promise of the Son? What does our commendation mean to them? The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.

Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We long to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors and the choir of virgins. In short, we long to be united in happiness with all the saints. But our dispositions change. The Church of all the first followers of Christ awaits us, but we do nothing about it. The saints want us to be with them, and we are indifferent. The souls of the just await us, and we ignore them.

Come, brothers, let us at length spur ourselves on. We must rise again with Christ, we must seek the world which is above and set our mind on the things of heaven. Let us long for those who are longing for us, hasten to those who are waiting for us, and ask those who look for our coming to intercede for us. We should not only want to be with the saints, we should also hope to possess their happiness. While we desire to be in their company, we must also earnestly seek to share in their glory. Do not imagine that there is anything harmful in such an ambition as this; there is no danger in setting our hearts on such glory.

When we commemorate the saints we are inflamed with another yearning: that Christ our life may also appear to us as he appeared to them and that we may one day share in his glory. Until then we see him, not as he is, but as he became for our sake. He is our head, crowned, not with glory, but with the thorns of our sins. As members of that head, crowned with thorns, we should be ashamed to live in luxury; his purple robes are a mockery rather than an honor. When Christ comes again, his death shall no longer be proclaimed, and we shall know that we also have died, and that our life is hidden with him. The glorious head of the Church will appear and his glorified members will shine in splendor with him, when he forms this lowly body anew into such glory as belongs to himself, its head.

Therefore, we should aim at attaining this glory with a wholehearted and prudent desire. That we may rightly hope and strive for such blessedness, we must above all seek the prayers of the saints. Thus, what is beyond our own powers to obtain will be granted through their intercession.

Pope canonizes 7 new saints, including 2 from North America : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• Pope Benedict XVI presided at the canonization of 7 new saints—including St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Marianne Cope—at a Mass celebrated for a congregation of 80,000 people in St. Peter’s Square on October 21.
• Along with St. Kateri, the first Native American saint; and St. Marianne, who worked with lepers at Molokai, the Pope also canonized:
• St. Jacques Berthiue (1838-1896), a French Jesuit martyr;
• St. Pedro Calungsod (1654-1672), a Filipino lay catechist and martyr;
• St. Giovanni Battista Piamarta (1841-1913), an Italian priest;
• St. Maria del Carmen (1848-1911), born Maria Salles y Baranguera, a Spanish religious; and
• St. Anna Schaeffer (1882-1925), a German laywoman.

Read more by clicking below:

Pope canonizes 7 new saints, including 2 from North America : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Saint John of Capistrano

Saint John of Capistrano (also known as Giovanni da Capestrano; John Capistran) was born in 1386 at Capistrano, Italy. His father had formerly been a German knight, and died when John was still young. He was the reforming governor of Perugia under King Landislas of Naples. When war broke out between Perugia and Malatesta in 1416, John tried to broker a peace, but instead his opponents ignored the truce, and John became a prisoner of war.

During his captivity, he came to the decision to change vocations. He had married just before the war, but the marriage was never consummated, and with his bride's permission, it was annulled. John joined the Franciscans at Perugia on October 1416. He was a student with Saint James of the Marches, and a disciple of Saint Bernadine of Siena. John was a noted preacher while still a deacon, beginning his work in 1420, and he was an itinerant priest throughout Italy, Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, preaching to tens of thousands. He established communities of Franciscan renewal, and was reported to heal by making the Sign of the Cross over a sick person. He was a prolific writer, writing mainly against the heresies of his day.

After the fall of Constantinople, he preached Crusade against the Muslim Turks. At the age of 70, he was commissioned by Pope Callistus II to lead it, and marched off at the head of 70,000 Christian soldiers. He won the battle of Belgrade in the summer of 1456, and he died in the field a few months later, but his army delivered Europe from the Muslims.

Saint John of Capistrano died of natural causes in 1456 at Villach, Hungary.

CNS STORY: Kateri and Jake: American Indians are joined in sainthood cause

The following excerpts are from Catholic News Service:

• Jake Finkbonner knows what it's like to have kids tease him because of the way he looks, but one of his heroes also grew up being teased.
• The 12-year-old boy said Kateri Tekakwitha, who was to become an official saint Oct. 21, was "an inspiration because I remember reading that many of the children in her tribe teased her because of her faith, but she continued to praise God and she made her own rosary."
• "One of the things she always tried to do was spread her faith, even though her uncle and aunt didn't really approve of it," he said.
• Kateri was raised by her Mohawk father's family after her parents died in a smallpox epidemic; Kateri survived, but with a scarred face and damaged vision.
• Jake and his parents -- Donny and Elsa -- his two little sisters, all four of his grandparents and lots of aunts and uncles traveled to Rome for Kateri's canonization.

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CNS STORY: Kateri and Jake: American Indians are joined in sainthood cause

Beatification soon for Pope Paul VI, Vatican journalist reports : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• Pope Paul VI could be beatified before the end of 2013, according to the leading Vatican journalist Andrea Tornielli.
• Theologians commissioned by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints have approved the cause of the late Pontiff, Tornielli reports. The entire Congregation will vote on the case at a meeting in December, and with their approval Pope Benedict could declare the “heroic virtue” of Pope Paul VI at a consistory at Christmas time.

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Beatification soon for Pope Paul VI, Vatican journalist reports : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Saint Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church

October 15

Saint Teresa of Avila (also known as Theresa of Avila; The Roving Nun; Teresa of Jesus; Teresa de Avila) was born in 1515 A.D. as Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada at Avila, at Castile, Spain. Teresa was a Spanish noble, the daughter of Don Alonso Sanchez de Cepeda and Doña Beatriz. She grew up reading the lives of the saints, and playing at "hermit" in the garden. 

She was crippled by disease in her youth, which led to her being well educated at home. She was cured of her affliction after prayer to Saint Joseph. Her mother died when Teresa was 12, and she prayed to Our Lady to be her replacement. Her father opposed her entry to religious life, so she left home without telling anyone, and entered a Carmelite house at the age of 17. Seeing her conviction to her call, her father and family consented.

Not long after taking her vows, Teresa became seriously ill, and the inadequate medical help she received aggravated her condition. She never fully recovered her health. She began receiving visions, and was examined by Dominicans and Jesuits, including Saint Francis Borgia, who pronounced the visions holy and true.

Teresa considered her original house too lax in its rule, so she founded a reformed convent of Saint John of Avila. She founded several houses, often receiving fierce resistance from local authorities. Teresa was a mystical writer, and most of her works are preserved until today. Pope Paul VI proclaimed Teresa a Doctor of the Church on September 27, 1970. She has the distinction of being the first woman saint to be declared a Doctor of the Church.

Saint Teresa of Avila died of natural causes on October 4, 1582 at Alba de Tormes in the arms of her secretary and close friend Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew. Her body is incorrupt, and her relics preserved at Alba. Her heart shows signs of Transverberation (piercing of the heart), and is displayed, too.

Pope opens synod on new evangelization, declares 2 new doctors of the Church : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• Opening the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict emphasized that “the Church exists to evangelize” and formally proclaimed St. John of Avila (1500-69) and St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) doctors of the Church.

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Pope opens synod on new evangelization, declares 2 new doctors of the Church : News Headlines - Catholic Culture