St. Peter Chanel was born July 12, 1803, in France to a peasant family. He was a good student and was ordained at age 24. He joined the Society of Mary (Marists) in 1831 and spent five years teaching at a seminary. In 1836, he led a group of missionaries to New Hebrides in the...Read More

St. Zita was born into a Christian family near Lucca, Italy, in 1218. At age 12, she became a domestic servant for a family in Lucca. She gave her own food and the food of the family to those who were in need. Although this caused some problems with the family at first, eventually they...Read More

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, a martyr, was born in Germany in 1577. He was a lawyer and a philosophy teacher. However, he was appalled by the corruption of his fellow lawyers, and he decided to leave his profession to become a priest and Franciscan friar. He gave away his wealth to poor people, particularly poor...Read More

St. George lived in the third century. All that is definitely known about him is that he was a soldier and a martyr. The best known story about St. George involves villagers in Libya with a dragon problem. The dragon ate two sheep each day, and the villagers had to give the dragon maidens when...Read More

St. Galdinus, a Milanese noble, was born in Milan, Italy, in 1100. He supported the Roman pope during the schism in 1159. He left Milan in 1161 when the city was besieged in support of the anti-pope, and yet St. Galdinus was still elected bishop of the city. He later became a cardinal, an archbishop...Read More

St. Robert of Chaise-Dieu, a Benedictine abbot and founder, was born in Auvergne, France, in the 11th century. After becoming a priest, he founded a hospice and cared for the poor. He made a pilgrimage to Rome, after which he decided to retire and live as a hermit in Auvergne. He attracted so many followers...Read More

Ss. Tiburtius, Valerian and Maximus lived in the second or third century. They are included in the Acts of St. Cecilia, and their tombs were popular during the Middle Ages. St. Tiburtius was the brother St. Cecilia, who is patron saint of musicians, and St. Valerian was St. Cecilia’s husband. The two men were arrested...Read More

St. Martin I became the 74th pope in 649, but he did not have imperial approval. During the Lateran Council, St. Martin I condemned Monothelitism, the belief that Christ had no human will. The emperor, who had ruled that no one talk about Christ’s will at all, had St. Martin I arrested and tortured. The...Read More