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Saints

- What Catholics Believe About Saints
  
  It's important to remember that saints aren't supernatural beings to be worshiped. In fact, in the New Testament, the term saint often is a synonym for Christian. We are all saints and are called again and again to become saints in our lives. The word "saint" comes from the Latin word sanctus, meaning a holy one.
- Why do Catholics pray to the Virgin Mary, the saints, and the angels?
  
  Praying to Mary, the saints, and the angels can sound like trying to get "friends in high places" to run interference for you. Although people sometimes seek such "friends" in order to get a speeding ticket fixed, buy merchandise at a lower price or have some problem resolved, for Catholics that is not what devotion to the saints represents.
  
  God alone is the source of all grace and blessing. Saints do not "fix" things for us apart from God or convince God to do X rather than Y. At Vatican II, the bishops taught that the holiness of the Church "is shown constantly in the fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful and so it must be" (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, #39). Those "fruits of grace" are seen in the lives of saintly disciples, whether canonized or not.
  
  Jesus was fully divine and fully human. As a human, Jesus could be only one gender, live at one time in history, grow up in one human culture, etc. Saints help us to see holiness as possible for ourselves because saints include men and women, married and single people who lived at various times in human history and in various cultures. Saints remind us that, no matter what sacrifices we may need to make in order to cooperate with God's grace, we are not the first people to make those sacrifices. If we ask our friends on earth to pray for us, why not ask our friends in heaven to do the same?
  
  -Franciscan Media
- When the Church keeps the memorials of martyrs and other saints during the annual cycle , she proclaims the Paschal Mystery in those "who have suffered and have been glorified with Christ. She proposes them to the faithful as examples who draw all men to the Father through Christ, and through their merists she begs for God's favors."
  -Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1173

Feast Days of the Saints

October 2023

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Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Month View October 1, 2023 Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Sunday, October 1 “I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.” These are the words of Thérèse of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun called the “Little Flower,” who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the convent of Lisieux, France. Read More	2 Feast of the Guardian Angels Month View October 2, 2023 Feast of the Guardian Angels Monday, October 2 Perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not only for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer, and to present their souls to God at death. Read More	3 Saint Theodora Guérin Month View October 3, 2023 Saint Theodora Guérin Tuesday, October 3 Trust in God’s Providence enabled Mother Theodore to leave her homeland, sail halfway around the world, and found a new religious congregation. Read More	4 Saint Francis of Assisi Month View October 4, 2023 Saint Francis of Assisi Wednesday, October 4 The patron saint of Italy, Francis of Assisi, was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit, and without a sense of self-importance. Read More	5 Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska Month View October 5, 2023 Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska Thursday, October 5 Saint Faustina’s name is forever linked to the annual feast of the Divine Mercy, the Divine Mercy chaplet, and the Divine Mercy prayer recited each day at 3 p.m. by many people. Read More	6 Saint Bruno Month View October 6, 2023 Saint Bruno Friday, October 6 This saint has the honor of having founded a religious order which, as the saying goes, has never had to be reformed because it was never deformed. No doubt both the founder and the members would reject such high praise, but it is an indication of the saint’s intense love of a penitential life in solitude. Read More	7 Our Lady of the Rosary Month View October 7, 2023 Our Lady of the Rosary Saturday, October 7 Saint Pius V established this feast in 1573. The purpose was to thank God for the victory of Christians over the Turks at Lepanto—a victory attributed to the praying of the rosary. Clement XI extended the feast to the universal Church in 1716. Read More
8 Saint John Leonardi Month View October 8, 2023 Saint John Leonardi Sunday, October 8 “I am only one person! Why should I do anything? What good would it do?” Today, as in any age, people seem plagued with the dilemma of getting involved. In his own way, John Leonardi answered these questions. He chose to become a priest. Read More	9 Saint Denis and Companions Month View October 9, 2023 Saint Denis and Companions Monday, October 9 This martyr and patron of France is regarded as the first bishop of Paris. Read More	10 Saint Francis Borgia Month View October 10, 2023 Saint Francis Borgia Tuesday, October 10 Today’s saint grew up in an important family in 16th-century Spain, serving in the imperial court and quickly advancing in his career. But a series of events—including the death of his beloved wife—made Francis Borgia rethink his priorities. He gave up public life, gave away his possessions, and joined the new and little-known Society of Jesus. Read More	11 Saint John XXIII Month View October 11, 2023 Saint John XXIII Wednesday, October 11 Although few people had as great an impact on the 20th century as Pope John XXIII, he avoided the limelight as much as possible. Indeed, one writer has noted that his “ordinariness” seems one of his most remarkable qualities. Read More	12 Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Month View October 12, 2023 Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Thursday, October 12 Zeal as a preacher and a confessor led Father Seelos to works of compassion as well. Read More	13 Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher Month View October 13, 2023 Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher Friday, October 13 Canada was one diocese from coast to coast during the first eight years of Marie-Rose Durocher’s life. Its half-million Catholics had received civil and religious liberty from the English only 44 years before. Read More	14 Saint Callistus I Month View October 14, 2023 Saint Callistus I Saturday, October 14 Read More
15 Saint Teresa of Avila Month View October 15, 2023 Saint Teresa of Avila Sunday, October 15 The gift of God to Teresa in and through which she became holy and left her mark on the Church and the world is threefold: She was a woman; she was a contemplative; she was an active reformer. Read More	16 Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Month View October 16, 2023 Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Monday, October 16 Margaret Mary was chosen by Christ to arouse the Church to a realization of the love of God symbolized by the heart of Jesus. Read More	17 Saint Ignatius of Antioch Month View October 17, 2023 Saint Ignatius of Antioch Tuesday, October 17 Born in Syria, Ignatius converted to Christianity and eventually became bishop of Antioch. In the year 107, Emperor Trajan visited Antioch and forced the Christians there to choose between death and apostasy. Ignatius would not deny Christ and thus was condemned to be put to death in Rome. Read More	18 Saint Luke, the Evangelist Month View October 18, 2023 Saint Luke, the Evangelist Wednesday, October 18 Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and Acts of the Apostles. Read More	19 Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and Companions Month View October 19, 2023 Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and Companions Thursday, October 19 Isaac Jogues and his companions were the first martyrs of the North American continent officially recognized by the Church. Read More	20 Saint Paul of the Cross Month View October 20, 2023 Saint Paul of the Cross Friday, October 20 Born in northern Italy in 1694, Paul Daneo lived at a time when many regarded Jesus as a great moral teacher but no more. After a brief time as a soldier, he turned to solitary prayer, developing a devotion to Christ’s passion. Read More	21 Saint Hilarion Month View October 21, 2023 Saint Hilarion Saturday, October 21 Despite his best efforts to live in prayer and solitude, today’s saint found it difficult to achieve his deepest desire. People were naturally drawn to Hilarion as a source of spiritual wisdom and peace. Read More
22 Saint John Paul II Month View October 22, 2023 Saint John Paul II Sunday, October 22 “Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass where he was installed as pope in 1978. Read More	23 Saint John of Capistrano Month View October 23, 2023 Saint John of Capistrano Monday, October 23 It has been said the Christian saints are the world’s greatest optimists. Not blind to the existence and consequences of evil, they base their confidence on the power of Christ’s redemption. The power of conversion through Christ extends not only to sinful people but also to calamitous events. Read More	24 Saint Anthony Mary Claret Month View October 24, 2023 Saint Anthony Mary Claret Tuesday, October 24 The “spiritual father of Cuba” was a missionary, religious founder, social reformer, queen’s chaplain, writer and publisher, archbishop, and refugee. He was a Spaniard whose work took him to the Canary Islands, Cuba, Madrid, Paris, and to the First Vatican Council. Read More	25 Saint Antônio de Sant’Anna Galvão Month View October 25, 2023 Saint Antônio de Sant’Anna Galvão Wednesday, October 25 God’s plan in a person’s life often takes unexpected turns which become life-giving through cooperation with God’s grace. Read More	26 Saint Peter of Alcantara Month View October 26, 2023 Saint Peter of Alcantara Thursday, October 26 Peter was a contemporary of well-known 16th-century Spanish saints, including Ignatius of Loyola and John of the Cross. Read More	27 Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza Month View October 27, 2023 Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza Friday, October 27 Dominicans honor one of their own today, Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza. This was a man who used his skills as a preacher to challenge the heresies of his day. Read More	28 Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles Month View October 28, 2023 Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles Saturday, October 28 Jude is so named by Luke and Acts. Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus. Simon is mentioned on all four lists of the apostles. Read More
29 Saint Narcissus of Jerusalem Month View October 29, 2023 Saint Narcissus of Jerusalem Sunday, October 29 Life in second- and third-century Jerusalem couldn’t have been easy, but Saint Narcissus managed to live well beyond 100. Some even speculate he lived to 160. Read More	30 Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez Month View October 30, 2023 Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez Monday, October 30 Tragedy and challenge beset today’s saint early in life, but Alphonsus Rodriguez found happiness and contentment through simple service and prayer. Read More	31 Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg Month View October 31, 2023 Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg Tuesday, October 31 Wolfgang was born in Swabia, Germany, and was educated at a school located at the abbey of Reichenau. There he encountered Henry, a young noble who went on to become Archbishop of Trier. Meanwhile, Wolfgang remained in close contact with the archbishop, teaching in his cathedral school and supporting his efforts to reform the clergy. Read More

- Veneration of the Saints
  
  Many popular devotional practices involve veneration of the saints. The saints have a special place in the Body of Christ, which includes both the living and the dead. Through Christ we on earth remain in communion both with the saints in heaven and with the dead who are still in Purgatory. We can pray for those in Purgatory and ask the saints to pray for us. Through their prayers of intercession, the saints in heaven play an integral role in the life of the Church on earth. "For after they have been received into their heavenly home and are present to the Lord, through Him and with Him and in Him they do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, showing forth the merits which they won on earth through the one Mediator between God and man." The saints, the members of the Church who have arrived at perfect union with Christ, join their wills to the will of God in praying for those in the Church who are still on their pilgrimage of faith.
  
  Besides, what the saints can do for us by their prayers, the very practice of venerating the saints does great good for those who are devoted to the saints. By practicing love of the saints we strengthen the unity of the entire Body of Christ in the Spirit.
  This in turn brings us all closer to Christ. "For just as Christian communion among wayfarers brings us closer to Christ, so our companionship with the saints joins us to Christ, from Whom as from its Fountain and Head issues every grace and the very life of the people of God."
  Love of the saints necessarily includes and leads to love of Christ and to love of the Holy Trinity. "For every genuine testimony of love shown by us to those in heaven, by its very nature tends toward and terminates in Christ who is the 'crown of all saints,' and through Him, in God Who is wonderful in his saints and is magnified in them."
  
  —From Popular Devotional Practices
- Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom you are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
  Romans 1: 5-7
- Communion of Saints
  
  In the above scripture passage, Paul often referred to the Christian faithful as "saints", with the use of Holy. In common usage, we usually reserve this word for those who have died and have been canonized by a formal process. However, the Church recognizes the "Communion of Saints", which includes the pilgrim Church on earth (those faithful still living), the Church Suffering (those who are in Purgatory), and the rest of the Church who enjoy the direct vision of God (those who are in Heaven). This use of the word "saints" emphasizes the universal call to holiness, which was understood by the early Church.
  -Catechism of the Catholic Church 946-948, 954-962, 2813
  
  Paul refers to Christians as "the holy ones" or "the saints". The Christian community regarded its members as sanctified by baptism (Romans 6:22;15:16, 1 Corinthians6:11; Ephesians 5:26-27). Christians are called to holiness (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:7), that is, they are called to make their lives conform to the gift they have already received.

Saints

What Catholics Believe About Saints

Why do Catholics pray to the Virgin Mary, the saints, and the angels?

Veneration of the Saints

Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom you are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Romans 1: 5-7

Communion of Saints

Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom you are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Romans 1: 5-7