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St. Peter Chrysologus was born in Imola, Italy, in 406. He converted to Christianity as an adult and became a deacon, then priest and finally bishop of Ravenna, Italy, in 433. He fought against paganism and the Monophysite heresy, which said that Jesus only had one nature. This saint was a great preacher, which is why he was given the name Chrysologus, which refers to his “golden word.” His written sermons were so great that Pope Benedict XIII named him a doctor of the church in 1729.

Blessed Urban II became the pope in 1088. However, Urban II could not live in Rome until 1093 because Antipope Clement III controlled Rome at the time of Urban II’s election. At the Council of Claremont in 1095, he preached the needed for the first crusade in order to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land. However, Blessed Urban II did not live to hear the news that the Crusaders had conquered Jerusalem in 1099.

St. James the Greater was an Apostle and the brother of St. John the Apostle. He was a fisherman who left everything when Jesus told him to follow him and be a “fisher of men.” He witnessed many of Christ’s recorded miracles, and he preached in Judea, Spain and Samaria. He was he first Apostle to be martyred when King Herod Agrippa stabbed him with a sword in 44. St. James is patron saint of pilgrims because there is a popular devotion surrounding the pilgrimage of his relics to Compostela, Spain.

St. Mary Magdalen was a sinner who repented before Jesus. She anointed Jesus and used her hair to wash his feet. Jesus also exorcised Mary Magdalen. She became a dedicated friend and follow of Jesus. The saint was also visited by Jesus after he rose from the dead. St. Mary Magdalen is patron saint of penitent women and apothecaries.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi was born in Italy in July 1559. When he was 16 he joined the Capuchin Friars. He studied theology and many languages, including French, Greek and Hebrew. He became a priest and taught theology. This saint also began convents in various cities. In 1601, St. Lawrence became the chaplain for the Holy Roman Empire’s army. He was also master general of his order from 1602-1605, after which he began to evangelize in Germany. He died in 1619. Pope John XXIII named him an Apostolic Doctor of the Church in 1959.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The history behind this feast begins in the 13th century when the Carmelites were being persecuted. While praying, the general of the order, St. Simon Stock, had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She handed him a scapular, explaining that it was a sign of salvation and a promise of peace and protection. She said whoever dies wearing the scapular will not go to hell. The scapular is a devotion to Mary.

St. John Gaulbert was born to a noble family in Florence, Italy, circa 985. After his brother was murdered, St. John tracked down the perpetrator. He found the man on Good Friday and then had a vision of Christ on the Cross. After the vision, he pardoned the killer and converted to Christianity. He became a Benedictine monk and built a monastery in Italy in 1038. After leaving, St. John started a number of abbeys in various cities. He died near Florence in 1073. St. John Gaulbert is patron saint of parks.

St. Benedict, twin brother of St. Scholastica, was born to a noble family circa 480 in Italy. He studied in Rome until he tired of his classmates’ attitudes. The saint then decided to live as a hermit. He founded a monastery at Monte Cassino, near Rome. There he wrote his order’s Rule. Some monks tried to poison St. Benedict, but he was able to make it safe by blessing it. He gained so many followers that he founded 12 monasteries. The saint died in 547 of a fever. St. Benedict is patron saint of monks and against poison.

Ss. Rufinus and Secundus were martyrs who were buried at the eleventh milestone of Rome. In the 12th century their relics were moved to the Lateran Basilica.

St. Adrian III was elected pope in 884. He was opposed to a faction in Rome led Formosus. He also had a member of that group, George of the Aventine, tried and condemned for the murders he committed. St. Adrian III died while heading to Worms, Germany.

Blessed Pope Eugene III was a Cistercian monk and was friends with St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Blessed Eugene, the abbot of the monastery Tre Fontaine, became pope Feb. 15, 1145. He promoted the Second Crusade. Pope Eugene III was exiled from Rome from 1146-1149 and in 1150. As pope, he tried to reform clerical discipline. Blessed Eugene III died in 1151.

St. Maria Goretti was born in 1890 in Italy. In 1902, when St. Maria was 12, she was attacked by a farm-hand named Alessandra Serenelli. He tried to rape the young girl, but she fought him and yelled that it was a sin. Serenelli choked and stabbed her. St. Maria survived the attack for two days, long enough to forgive Serenelli and ask God to forgive him. She then died holding a medal of Our Lady and a crucifix. She is considered a martyr. While in prison, Serenelli had a vision of St. Maria. He converted to Christianity and testified at the cause for her beatification. The young girl was canonized in 1950 in front of about 250,000 people, including her mother. St. Maria Goretti is patron saint of girls and rape victims.