Reflecting on the Saints

Of the various Saints / Feast Days that remember this week:  Nov. 18th -- The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles Nov. 18th -- Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin Nov. 21st -- The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Nov. 22nd -- Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr Nov. 23rd -- Saint Clement I, Pope and Martyr ; Saint Columban, Abbot ;  Nov. 24th -- Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, Priest and Martyr I have chosen to write about Blessed Miguel Augustín Pro , one of the Catholic Martiyrs of the Mexican Revolution / Cristero Era. Bl. Miguel Pro was born to a mining family in Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico on January 13, 1891.  He was the third of eleven children.  Two of his sisters entered into religious life.  On August 15, 1911, he entered into the Jesuit Novitiate in El Llano.   Events however prevented the completion of his religious formation in Mexico:  Long-time President Porfirio Diaz was ousted from power that sa...

Of the various possible saints to write about this week: Nov. 10th -- Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church Nov. 11th -- Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop Nov. 12th -- Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr Nov. 13th -- Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin / Religious Nov. 15th -- Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Nov. 16th -- Saint Margaret of Scotland ; Saint Gertrude, Virgin   I am choosing to write about St. Martin of Tours .   As a soldier, a cavalryman, during the late Roman Empire (he was born either in 316 or 336 in Pannonia , present day Hungary ), the future St. Martin of Tours had a conversion experience when he served in Gaul (present day France ):  Approaching the gates of the city of Amiens , he saw a beggar in need of clothes.  Instinctively he cut his cloak in half and gave it to the beggar.  A few nights later, in a dream he had a vision of Jesus who declared “Martin who is but a catechumen, clothed me with his ...

  Of the Saints and Feast Days celebrated this week: Nov. 3rd - St. Martin de Porres , Religious Nov. 4th - St. Charles Borromeo , Bishop Nov. 9th - Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran I’ve decided to write this week about  St. Charles Borromeo . The future St. Charles Borromeo was born on October 2, 1538 at the Borromeo Castle by Lake Maggiore in Arona , Italy to one of the most ancient and wealthiest families in Lombardy (in northwestern Italy ).   His father was Count Gilbert Borromeo, his mother was Margaret Medici (yes of the famous / infamous Medici family of Florence ), her brother was Giovanni Angelo Medici who became Pope Pius IV .   After the future  St. Charles Borromeo as the second son of the family was designated by his family to be its family’s priest, his uncle, the Pope…, made him Cardinal. The early life of the future St. Charles Borromeo was thus very, very comfortable. In fact, it is worth noting that Pope St. John...