Nov. 3 BLESSED Solanus Casey

 

Blessed Solanus Casey (1870-1957)

November 3 / July 30

Bernard Francis Casey (nicknamed "Barney") was born on November 25, 1870, on a farm in Oak Grove, Wisconsin. He was the sixth of 16 children of Bernard James Casey and Ellen Elizabeth Murphy, both Irish immigrants. Bernard was baptized on December 18, 1870. The family lived in a three-room log cabin on a farm.

At age 17, he dropped out of school and left home to earn money, working as a logger in a lumberyard, a hospital orderly, and a streetcar operator. While employed as a prison guard in Minnesota, he befriended the Younger brothers, who were former accomplices of the outlaw Jesse James. During this period, he proposed marriage to a young girl, but the relationship ended when her mother suddenly sent her away to a boarding school.

At the age of 21 he entered St. Francis High School Seminary in Milwaukee—where he found studies very difficult. He left there and, while praying before a statue of Our Lady, heard a female voice tell him, “Go to Detroit!” It was on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8^th. So in 1897 he joined the Capuchins in Detroit on Christmas Eve. He took the name Solanus, after Saint Francis Solanus (San Francisco de Solano).

On July 24, 1904, he was ordained as a “simplex” priest. Because he was judged to be weak in the knowledge of theology, Father Solanus was not given permission to hear confessions or to preach.  A Capuchin who knew him well said this annoying restriction “brought forth in him a greatness and a holiness that might never have been realized in any other way.” During his 14 years as porter and sacristan in Yonkers, New York, the people there recognized him as a fine speaker. “For, though he was forbidden to deliver doctrinal sermons,” writes his biographer, James Patrick Derum, “he could give inspirational talks or “feverinos,” as the Capuchins termed them.” (from Porter of St. Bonaventure’s).

Fr. Solanus was also known for quirky habits such as playing his harmonica to the monastery bees; for singing in a loud squeaky voice as he played his violin; and for eating his food all mixed together as a penance. His breakfast might consist of cereal, prune juice, coffee, and milk, all in the same bowl.

Father Solanus served at parishes in Manhattan and Harlem before returning to Detroit, where he was porter and sacristan for 20 years at St. Bonaventure Monastery. Solanus is known for helping to start the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in 1931 during the Great Depression, which to this day cares for Detroit’s poor.  Every Wednesday afternoon he conducted services for the sick, which were very well attended. Many people considered him instrumental in cures and other blessings they received. “Blessed be God in all God’s designs” was one of his favorite expressions.

He soon became renowned as “the doorkeeper” who gave gentle counsel and miraculous intercession. He would listen to anyone at any time, day or night. People would line up for blocks just to have a moment with him. He told them to “thank God ahead of time.” One story of his miraculous intercession is told about a friar who came to see Solanus on his way to have emergency dental work done. Fr. Solanus blessed him and told him to trust God. While the friar was at the dentist, a lady who came to visit the monastery brought Fr. Solanus two ice cream cones. Too busy to eat them, Fr. Solanus shoved the cones into his desk drawer, much to the dismay of his secretary. After more than half an hour, the friar returned from the dentist, his tooth found miraculously healthy. He went to thank Father Solanus, who pulled out perfectly frozen ice cream cones from his drawer on the hot summer day, which he offered to the friar to celebrate.

Due to failing health in 1946, he was transferred to the Capuchin novitiate of St. Felix in Huntington, Indiana, where he lived until 1956. This was supposed to be designed as retirement for him, but Solanus was not the retiring type! He suffered from a skin condition nicknamed St. Anthony’s Fire that left his skin highly irritated and scaly. He returned to Detroit in January 1956 and died on July 31, 1957. An estimated 20,000 people passed by his coffin before burial. 

At the funeral Mass, the Franciscan Provincial Father Gerard said: “His was a life of service and love for people like me and you. When he was not himself sick, he nevertheless suffered with and for you that were sick. When he was not physically hungry, he hungered with people like you. He had a divine love for people. He loved people for what he could do for them—and for God, through them.”

In 1960 a Father Solanus Guild was formed in Detroit to aid Capuchin seminarians. By 1967 it had grown to 5000 members, many of whom were grateful recipients of Solanus’s practical advice and his comforting assurance that God would not abandon them in their trials.

The cause for his sainthood commenced a few years after his death; he was officially recognized as Servant of God in 1982 and was declared Venerable in 1995. In September 2012, Paula Medina Zarate, a Panamanian visiting Detroit, walked into the Solanus Casey Center. Unfamiliar with Casey, she asked why people were gathered around his tomb. Told that he had been a healer, Medina Zarate knelt at the tomb and prayed for the health of the people in her village. She herself was suffering from ichthyosis vulgaris, a severe skin disease that restricted her mobility. She immediately felt a rush of heat, and her skin started clearing up overnight. After this miraculous healing attributed to him was approved by Pope Francis in 2017, he was beatified at Ford Field in Detroit on November 18, 2017.

From a letter that he wrote to his brother, Father Maurice Casey:

“God could have established the Church under supervision of angels that have no faults or weaknesses. But who can doubt that as it stands today, consisting of and under the supervision of poor sinners—successors to the ‘poor sinner fisherman of Galilee’—the Church is a more outstanding miracle than any other way?”

 

 

Prayer for Canonization of Blessed Solanus Casey

O God, I adore you. I give myself to you. May I be the person you want me to be, and may your will be done in my life today.

I thank you for the gifts you gave Father Solanus. If it is your holy will, bless us with the canonization of Father Solanus so that others may imitate and carry on his love for all the poor and suffering of our world.

As he joyfully accepted your divine plans, I ask you, according to your holy will, to hear my prayer for… [your intention] …through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Blessed be God in all God’s Designs!”

 

Imprimatur: The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit, May 2017

Oct. 27 Alexander of Hales

October 27 Servant of God (SoG) Alexander of Hales (c.1185- August 21, 1245)

Alexander, known as Doctor Irrefragibilis, or "Irrefutable Teacher," Doctor Doctorum, or "Doctor of Doctors," and even as Theologorum Monarcha or "King of Theologians"— was a Franciscan friar, theologian, and philosopher instrumental to the development of scholasticism. He introduced the Sentences of Peter Lombard as the basic textbook for the study of theology, which was particularly important because it was the first time that a book other than the Bible was used as a basic text for theological study. Alexander was also significant in bringing Aristotle into the discussion of theology.

In 1236 or 1237, aged about 50, Alexander entered the Franciscan Order after considering both the Cistercians and the Dominicans. He thus became the first Franciscan friar to hold a university chair. His doctrinal positions became the starting point of the Franciscan school of theology. He continued to teach and to represent the university and participated in the First Council of Lyon in the winter of 1245.

Bonaventure, who may not have studied under Alexander directly, nevertheless referred to him as his "father and master" and wished to "follow in his footsteps." Alexander, Bonaventure, and the Franciscan developments within Scholasticism are sometimes overlooked due to the strength of Dominican scholarship, exemplified by Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas.

Alexander was born in Hales Owen, Shropshire, England, and died in Paris. Hales is in the West Midlands of England. The word “hales” means a nook or a remote valley. Franciscans honor him on October 27. So today, let’s remember Alexander of Hales as a great theologian, but also as a person humble enough to desire to live according to the Gospel in the footprints of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Oct. 19 St. Peter of Alcantara

St. Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

October 19

This saint is part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation that arose in response to Protestantism. He is among a whole group of 16th-century Spanish saints that includes Paschal Baylon, John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola, John of Ávila, Francis Solano, and Salvator of Horta. Peter for many years was a friend of and provided spiritual direction to St. Theresa of Ávila and encouraged her in pursuing the Carmelite reform.

In a letter to Teresa of Ávila, he wrote: “I do not praise poverty for poverty’s sake; I praise only that poverty which we patiently endure for the love of our crucified Redeemer and I consider this far more desirable than the poverty we undertake for the sake of poverty itself; for if I thought or believed otherwise, I would not seem to be firmly grounded in faith.”

He died on the 18^th, the feast of St. Luke, and is typically honored on the 19^th. However, in the USA, he is eclipsed by the celebration of the “North American” martyrs: Saints John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues, and Companions. As we find with numerous Franciscan saints, their presence on the calendar is reduced to “local” observance solely within the Orders. On a personal note, my home parish of St. John Fisher on the Palos Verdes Peninsula was originally named after him. Honoring the Spanish saint was an appropriate choice, since much of the area had been developed since the 1920s as Mediterranean, with a particularly Spanish influence (e.g., Malaga Cove). However, given that several prominent Protestant churches in the area were already named “Peter,” the parish was changed to honor the English saint. (A parish in neighboring San Pedro was later established under Peter’s patronage.)

Peter was born into nobility, and his father was the governor of Alcantara. After studying at Salamanca University, he joined the discalced or barefoot Friars Minor in 1515. He exhibited very strong spiritual leadership.  Even before his priestly ordination in 1524, he was named superior of his house. At the age of 39, he was elected provincial. Despite this, he was not above washing dishes and cutting wood for his fellow friars.

He excelled at preaching and led many “missions” or times of renewal to correct errors, call to repentance, and enrich the faith of the laity. In fact, the custom of erecting a special cross to commemorate a parish mission began with Peter. His preaching brought many people to religious life, especially to the Secular Franciscan Order, as well as to the friars and the Poor Clares.

He lived the idea that reform starts in one’s own heart. His goal was to follow Christ in ever greater purity of heart. Whatever obstructed that path could be eliminated with no real loss.  He was very penitential in his personal life. It is said that he slept only for an hour and a half each night. Because he was awake most of the time when his brother friars were sleeping, he is the patron saint of night watchmen. He fasted regularly. According to St. Teresa, he sometimes only ate once every three days. He was also known for his extreme patience.

In 1554 Peter decided to follow The Rule of Francis with more rigor and set up a group of friars that became known as Alcantarines. Some of the Spanish friars who came to North and South America were members of this group. At the end of the 19^th century, the Alcantarines were joined with other Observant friars to form the Order of Friars Minor in its current configuration.  Peter died at age 63 and was canonized in 1669.

Oct. 6 St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds

St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds (1734-1791)

October 6

A young girl by the name of Anna Maria faced a familiar situation when she turned sixteen. Her father wanted her married, but she wanted to stay an unmarried virgin. So her father whipped her and locked her in her room. He later relented and allowed her to become a Franciscan tertiary in the Order of St. Peter of Alcantara and to be a consecrated virgin still living at home. Her religious name is Mary Frances.

Gallo family life was not easy, in a house filled with brothers and sisters. Mary’s time was absorbed by prayer, penance, and doing works of charity. She befriended the sick and needy of Naples, caring for the poor. She was especially devoted to praying for souls in purgatory and in meditating on the passion of Christ. She received the stigmata on her hands, feet, and side. (Curiously, most stigmatists are female). Mary Frances of the Five Wounds not only was gifted with visions of Jesus, but she also reportedly had frequent visits from her Guardian Angel. She was canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1867, and is a patroness of Naples, Italy. 

Oct. 4 St. Francis of Assisi-800 years Transitus!

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

October 4

Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone to prosperous cloth merchants, Pica and Pietro.  His mother baptized him Giovanni in honor of St. John the Baptist. His father was away in France on business when the boy was born. “Frenchy” was the nickname his father gave him, perhaps because his mother was of French descent or it might reflect his father’s  love for French culture and commercial success in France. Francesco’s youth was filled with some carousing and engagement with troubadour culture. It was a time of chivalry and knighthood. He lived during the rise of city-states in Italy, who frequently clashed for power and prestige. After setting off to war as a knight, Francis endured a year’s imprisonment, followed by a long illness. This led him to reassess his life and ambitions and dedicate himself to God’s service. He would eventually describe himself as “the herald of the great king.”

There was a dilapidated chapel on the hillside near Assisi named for of San Damiano where Francis retreated to find solitude and prayer. One day Christ spoke to him from the crucifix, saying “Rebuild my house, for it is nearly falling down.” Francis took this quite literally and repaired San Damiano, as well as two other nearby churches. This however took on greater meaning as it applied to Francis’ influence and effect on the larger Catholic Church.

An encounter with a leper left a great impression on Francis. Instead of avoiding the person, Francis embraced and kissed them. He wrote, “What had previously nauseated me became a source of spiritual and physical consolation for me.” (Testament.) Francis overcame his fear, his hesitation, and his own ego on that road and afterwards was ready to care for the poor and suffering. Francis and his followers ministered to people suffering from leprosy.

Some of his friends joined him and he attracted others, so much so that in 1209, twelve of them went to Rome to seek approval from the Pope, Innocent III. They initially called themselves “Penitents from Assisi” but later came to be known as the Friars Minor or Lesser Brothers. They dedicated themselves to prayer, manual labor, and preaching the gospel. Living in poverty and simplicity were actually part of a broader religious movement at this point in history. Francis wanted to be sure and show loyalty and obedience to the Catholic Church and differentiate from other “spirituals.” Francis exhibited classic Catholic devotion to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He showed great respect towards those in authority, especially priests and was concerned for their formation, education, and well-being. He was ordained a deacon in order to proclaim the gospel. He had great respect for the Bible, so much so that he admonished the friars to take care of any scrap of paper they might find, lest it contain the words of Scripture.

In response to Chiara of Assisi’s desire to live out the gospel as Francis and his followers were, Francis helped her organized the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano” as the Second Order of Franciscans or “Poor Clares” is known. There is a great tradition of complementarity between men and women within the Franciscan family, which began with this friendship between Saint Clare and Francis, but can also be found in his relationship with Lady Jacopa and others. Laity also asked Francis to be able to join in his vision and way of following the gospel, and so the Third Order or Secular Franciscans was also formed. Later developed Third Order Religious, as other men and women took up the Franciscan way to live in consecrated life. You might even say there is a “Fourth Order” of those who just love and admire and respect Saint Francis of Assisi, but do not take a vow or join in any official way.

He is credited with establishing the tradition of Christmas crèches and manger scenes in homes and churches. Francis set up a living nativity scene on Christmas Eve in 1223 in the Italian village of Greccio to help people visualize the humble, impoverished reality of Jesus' birth. It included a hay-filled manger, a live ox and a donkey, but no human actors portraying Mary or Joseph initially stood in the scene; it centered on the empty crib, to highlight the poverty of the child born in Bethlehem.

Francis was canonized in 1228, less than two years after his death, by his one-time advisor, the former Cardinal Hugolino, who was then Pope Gregory IX.

About a hundred years later, a wonderful collection of stories about Francis and his followers was written in Latin and then translated into Italian: Fioretti or Little Flowers.  Most famous are how Francis preached to the birds, befriended the wolf of Gubbio, his encounter with the Islamic Sultan, and one whole section devoted to the apparition of the seraph. In September of 1224 while Francis was on retreat praying on Mount La Verna, he received the marks of Christ’s passion in his hands, feet and side, known as the stigmata. This is celebrated on the Franciscan calendar on September 17^th.  Much of the Fioretti however, tells of the actions of the other friars, such as Brother Juniper and Brother Giles, and the growth of the movement.  The earliest definitive or authoritative biographies of Francis were written by Thomas Celano and Saint Bonaventure.

In California, the sixth mission and the city on the bay that grew up around it were dedicated to San Francisco de Asis in 1776.

Sept. 18 St. Joseph of Cupertino

 

St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)

September 18

Was chosen as the patron of aeronautics, astronauts, pilots, and flying because he levitated when at prayer!

QUOTE: “Clearly, what God wants about all is our will, which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a person trains themselves to acts of virtue, they do this with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come. The will is what a person has as their unique possession.” (St. Joseph of Cupertino)

            Levitating and ecstatic visions may be extraordinary signs of holiness, but Joseph is also remembered for the ordinary things he did: He prayed even in times of inner darkness. He lived out the Sermon on the Mount. He used his free will as a “unique possession” to praise Divinity. For 35 years of his adult life as a priest, he practiced severe asceticism, usually eating solid food only twice a week. He was humble, patient, and obedient, even though at times he was tempted greatly and felt forsaken by God.

            He began his Franciscan life as a Capuchin, but then joined the Conventuals. Following a brief assignment caring for the friary mule, Joseph then began his studies for the priesthood. He was a terrible student. He struggled immensely with the required academic studies. Joseph’s strength was in a prayerful spiritual life. He was ordained a priest in 1628.

            70 incidents of levitation are documented in the official records leading to his canonization. Joseph’s tendency to levitate during prayer, which could occur during Mass or the praying of the Divine Office, gained him a reputation for holiness but also piqued people’s curiosity and amusement. Due to the disruption the levitation caused, he was sometimes confined to a small cell and forbidden to join in any public gathering of the community. Because the phenomenon of flying or levitation was widely believed to be connected with witchcraft, Joseph was denounced to the Inquisition. He was exonerated, but this led to his being transferred several times.

His final years were spent at a Conventual community in Osimo, where he died on the 18^th of September 1663, at age 60. Joseph was beatified in 1753. On July 16, 1767, he was canonized by Pope Clement XIII. The Reluctant Saint, a 1962 movie, is based on the story of Joseph of Cupertino. Although he’s a native of Cupertino, Italy, many people recognize “Cupertino” because Apple, Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California, a city near San Jose and Santa Clara that is indeed named for this St. Joseph. The geography also demonstrates the relationship between missions and towns.

Keeping the differences between the two Josephs in mind, I also use this occasion to post about Mission San Jose, named after the "foster" father of Jesus.

Sept. 11 Franciscan example of service & sacrifice

Mychal Fallon Judge, OFM (May 11, 1933-Sept. 11, 2001)

was an American Franciscan friar and Catholic priest who served as a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department. While serving in that capacity, Father Judge was killed, becoming the first certified fatality of the September 11 attacks.

Sept. 3 Mother of the Good Shepherd

 

I set up a new Wikipedia page for this particular title of the BVM!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_the_Good_Shepherd (external link)

Our Lady, Mother of the Good Shepherd (French: Notre Dame de Brebières), or The Divine Shepherdess (French: Le Divine Bergère) is a title of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The feast day associated with this title is September 3.

Two Origins

The title is based on a statue found in the town of Albert, Somme, France. The history of this French source of the title dates back to legendary sources in the 12th century of a statue miraculously found by a shepherd.

Saint Colette, a Franciscan Poor Clare, can be credited for helping to spread of the fame of Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd at Brebieres. At age fourteen she was somewhat short and had a delicate constitution. Seeking a remedy through the favor of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Colette prayed to Our Lady of Brebieres. She not only obtained vigor and good health, she also found that several inches were miraculously added to her height.

The devotion also is found in the 18th-century writings of Capuchin Franciscans in Spain: In the year 1703, Brother Isidore of Sevilla, a great popular preacher, was inspired to be accompanied in his mission by a banner with a particular representation of the Virgin Mary: dressed in the humble clothes of a shepherdess, sitting on a rock, under a tree, wearing an ordinary wide-brimmed hat, and with some lambs portrayed around her.

A pious devotion developed around this portrayal of Mary and spread first in Spain and later in Latin America. The devotion to the "Shepherdess of Souls," which popularly became known as the "Divine Shepherdess," expanded rapidly with the creation of many groups of the faithful linked to her throughout Spain. They became known as Mary’s Flock.

The Capuchin province of Central Canada is named after Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd. To this day, all Capuchin missions around the world are entrusted to Our Lady of the Good Shepherd:

"We entrust this great undertaking to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd, who gave birth to Christ, the light and salvation of all nations, and who, on the morning of Pentecost, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, presided in prayer at the dawn of evangelization."

Feast day

While this feast is not celebrated on the universal calendar of the Catholic Church, some Spanish-speaking countries and the Philippines have various traditions and processions connected to this devotion, in addition to the French devotion. Some would commemorate this title on the Saturday before the Third Sunday of Easter, commonly called "Sunday of the Good Shepherd."

Franciscan Martyrdom

As we remember the death of John the Baptist by beheading, I am reposting about some Franciscan martyrs who are celebrated in January.

OFM protomartyrs: St. Berard and Companions d.1220

January 16

            In 1219 it was ten years after the first Rule for the Order had been put into place. With the blessing of St. Francis, Berard, who spoke Arabic, left Italy with five companions: Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to preach in Morocco. They specifically wanted to convert Muslims. While en route in Spain, Vitalis became sick and encouraged the other friars to continue in their mission without him.

            They preached in Seville, then in Muslim hands, but made no converts. They went on to Morocco where they preached openly in the marketplace. They refused to leave the country when the friars were apprehended. The sultan ordered them executed. After enduring severe beatings and declining to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ, the martyrs were beheaded at Marrakesh by the sultan himself on January 16, 1220.

            These were the first Franciscan martyrs. When Francis heard of their deaths, he exclaimed, “Now I can truly say that I have five Friars Minor!” Their relics were brought to Portugal, where they prompted a young Augustinian canon named Anthony to join the Franciscans and set off for Morocco the next year.

In the Rule of 1223, Chapter 12, Francis wrote: “If any of the friars is inspired by God to go among the Saracens or other unbelievers, he must ask permission from his provincial minister. The ministers, for their part, are to give permission only to those whom they see fit to be sent.” Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures, governments, and languages is difficult enough; but martyrdom sometimes caps all the other sacrifices. The death of Berard and his companions sparked a missionary vocation in Saint Anthony of Padua and many others.

These five martyrs were canonized in 1481. There have been many, many Franciscans who have responded to Francis’ challenge. Proclaiming the gospel can be fatal, but that has not stopped Franciscan men and women who even today risk their lives in many countries throughout the world.

Prayer

Lord God,

you consecrated the infancy of the Franciscan Order

by the glorious martyrdom of Berard and his four companions;

grant that as they died heroically for you

so we may grow in persevering faith.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Protomartyr of the USA: Juan de Padilla (1492-1542)

January 21

Juan didn’t know where preaching the gospel of Jesus would lead him, but he trusted God to give him the strength to match a missionary vocation. Juan’s vocation led to his martyrdom in Kansas, part of the New World “discovered” by Columbus the year he was born. His martyrdom happened about 100 years before that of the “North American Martyrs” in New York and Canada. 

            Juan came from southern Spain where he also became a Franciscan, a member of the Andalusian province. In 1526 he left for New Spain (Mexico), where he worked as a missionary in the modern states of Hidalgo and Jalisco. In 1540 he accompanied Coronado’s expedition to what would become the state of New Mexico in the USA. Friar Juan along with Fr. Juan de la Cruz, Brother Luis de Ubeda or Escalona, remained to work among the natives after the other explorers returned to Mexico. The next year De Padilla continued to journey north-east to Kansas; there he met the Ouichita or Wichita natives in a village known as Quivera.

            Juan was killed by several Wichita Indians as he made his way to the Kaws, traditional enemies of the Wichita. The exact locality of his martyrdom is uncertain. He was the first of at least 78 Franciscans martyred in the United States of America.

Father Don Miller, OFM, writes that “Juan de Padilla was motivated more by a desire to spread the Gospel than by fear for his own life. He reminds us that we do not have much choice about how we will die; however, we have a lot of choice about how we shall live.”

We are sometimes uncomfortable when people mention martyrs for the faith. How could people do that? Do they have mental health issues? Juan de Padilla was motivated more by a desire to spread the gospel than by fear for his own life. He reminds us that we do not have very much choice about how we will die; however, we have a lot of choice about how we shall live.

Posted on August 29th: The Passion of Saint John the Baptist (Mission San Juan Bautista)

August 25 St. Louis IX-CA Mission

St. Louis, King of France/San Luis Rey (1214-1270)

Patron of the Secular Franciscans or the Third Order

August 25

            Louis’s mother was “Blessed” Blanche of Castile, who is honored on August 23^rd. Blanche served as his regent for several years after he was crowned king of France at the age of twelve. He received instruction in the faith from both his saintly mother and from Franciscan friars, eventually joining the Third Order. Blanche reportedly told her son, “I would rather see you dead at my feet than stained with mortal sin!”

            As a monarch, Louis generously built churches, the most famous being the Sainte-Chapelle, which was erected as a shrine for the crown of thorns and a fragment of the True Cross, precious relics of the Passion of Christ. He was also fond of the Trinitarian Order and chose from among them to serve as his personal chaplains and spiritual directors. He also founded hospitals, promoted education, and took care to feed the poor and hungry.

            In the 1250’s there was a dispute within the University of Paris concerning the Dominicans and Franciscans. Faculty resented the independent but very popular schools of the mendicants. Louis openly supported the friars, led by the eminent Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure.

             Louis headed a crusade to the Holy Land but was taken prisoner in Egypt in 1250. He was pressured to deny his faith but did not relent. This was part of the Seventh Crusade, formally inaugurated by Pope Innocent IV. After his release, Louis spent almost four years in the Kingdom of Jerusalem before returning to France in 1254.

            The king’s greatest achievement was to rule in the light of the Gospel of Jesus. He maintained that God’s law was always superior to any of his own human laws. He placed a high value on justice. Perhaps most emblematic of Louis's commitment to justice was his personal involvement in judicial proceedings. According to many local legends and contemporary accounts, the king frequently sat under a great oak tree in the forest of Vincennes near Paris, where he would personally hear cases and render judgments.

            One Franciscan source notes that “we rarely associate kings with the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, but Louis IX shows us that the Poverello’s ideals can work there also, [among royalty].”  Louis was a good diplomat and maintained excellent relations with other Christian monarchs of his day. Many times he was called upon to mediate peace between opposing European rulers.

Louis was also a father; he and Queen Margaret had eleven children. He was succeeded by their son Philip. He died in North Africa while on his second crusade (1267-70) and was canonized fairly quickly in 1297. Many now call upon his patronage and intercession. 

(click to enlarge image to read)

August 19 St. Louis of Toulouse/San Luis Obispo-CA Mission

St. Louis of Toulouse/San Luis Obispo (1274-1297)

August 19

            Louis’s parents were royalty: Charles II of Naples & Sicily and Mary, daughter of the king of Hungary. Louis was related as a cousin to the King of France, Louis IX (Saint on August 25) on his father’s side. On his mother’s side, he was related to Elizabeth of Hungary (Saint on November 17)!

            As a young child Louis showed an attachment to prayer and especially to the corporal works of mercy. He used to take castle food from the royal table to feed the poor. When he was fourteen, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as hostages by the king of Aragon. At the Aragon court, Louis was taught by Franciscan friars and thus made tremendous progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like St. Francis of Assisi he developed a special affinity for those suffering from leprosy.

            While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to become a priest. He left the court of the king of Aragon when he turned 20 and renounced his royal title in favor of his brother Robert. He was then ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed Bishop of Toulouse, but was also able to become a Franciscan friar. Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. A favorite prayer or saying of Louis was: “Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me.” 

            As a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. Louis’s service as bishop to the diocese of Toulouse was productive and blessed. In no time he was considered a living saint. Louis set aside a large percentage of his episcopal income to feed the poor and maintain churches.  He died at age 23! Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former teachers.

From a contemporary biography: “All the faithful were edified by the fervor of his devout celebration of Mass, the efficacy of his deep humility, his tender compassion, his upright life, the harmonious congruity in all his actions, words and bearing. Who without wonderment could look upon a most charming young man, the son of a mighty king, outstanding for his generosity, raised to such dignity, renowned for his influence, preeminent for humility, living a life of such mortification, endowed with such wisdom, clothed in so poor a habit yet renowned for the charm of his discourse and a shining example of upright life?!” 

August 18 Venerable Mother Bentovoglio -USA!

 

Venerable Mother Mary Maddalena Bentivoglio, OSC: in the USA! (1834-1905)

August 18

"When the United States of America was celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Poor Clares had not yet made a foundation in this country. Maddalena Bentivoglio was, however, about to take care of that," wrote one Franciscan writer. 

           This saint-in-the-making, originally named "Anna Maria," was the twelfth child of Dominic and Angela Sandri Bentivoglio. She was nicknamed Annetta and was not a "saintly" child! At her first school, she was well known to the disciplinarian. 

            Her father was an official in the Papal States. A revolution in 1848 drove Pope Pius IX and the Bentivoglio family into a two-year exile. In 1865, as the Civil War in the United States was coming to an end, Annetta joined the Poor Clares at San Lorenzo, a community to which her sister Costanza already belonged. Annetta took the religious name Mary Maddalena of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

            In 1874 a Third Order sister from Minnesota in the USA came to Italy to seek candidates for a new community she was establishing in that state. The Pope at that time, Pius the Ninth (Pio Nono), gave permission to Maddalena and Costanza to establish a house of Poor Clares in Minnesota.  Once they arrived in New York, however, the Franciscan priest chosen as their spiritual director decided not to continue on to Minnesota. The sisters had to write to the Franciscan Minister General for guidance. He advised finding any bishop in the USA willing to host a Poor Clare monastery; if that failed, they should return to Italy.

           The sisters made unsuccessful attempts to establish monasteries in New York,  Philadelphia, and New Orleans. In August 1877, Maddalena and her companions (with two new recruits from New Orleans) arrived in Cleveland, Ohio, where they did establish a monastery. Other monasteries were established in 1880 in Omaha, Nebraska, with foundations to follow in New Orleans in 1885 and Evansville, Indiana in 1897. This helped put to rest any doubt as to whether the contemplative life could attract religious vocations in America. Mother Maddalena died in Evansville on August 18, 1905. Her cause is in process in Rome.

For more information about Mother Bentivoglio and her gift of needlework, as well as the spread of the Poor Clares from Evansville to St. Louis:

https://vocationblog.com/2025/09/mother-mary-maddalena-bentivoglio-o-s-c-liturgical-embroidery/

August 14 St. Maximilian Kolbe

 

St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe (1894-1941)

August 14

            Raymund Kolbe was born in Poland. He and his brother Francis went to the Conventual Franciscan seminary in the city of Lwow. Raymond entered the order of little friars and took the name Maximilian. He was then sent to Rome where he studied philosophy and theology. While there, Maximilian established an organization dedicated to recognizing Mary as the Queen and Mother of human society called the "Army of the Immaculate One."  Maximilian was then ordained a priest in 1918.

            He was not in the best of health, but in 1927 near Warsaw, he established the "City of the Immaculate." (In Polish: Niepokalanów.) This grew to be a large Franciscan community of 738 members engaged in printing religious publications.  Their magazine called Knight of Mary Immaculate had a circulation of almost one million. The fantastic growth of this apostolate occurred during the worst years of the worldwide depression of the 1930’s. During most of that decade, Maximilian was establishing another City of the Immaculate near Nagasaki, Japan.

            From the writings of Father Maximilian: “Dear brother, see the greatness of human dignity conferred by God’s mercy. By obedience we surmount, so to speak, the limits imposed upon us by our weakness; we are made conformable to God’s will which in God’s infinite wisdom and prudence guides us to act correctly. As a matter of fact, by clinging to God’s will which no creature can resist, we surpass everything in power. This is the way of wisdom and prudence; this is the only way we can render the greatest glory to God.  If there were another and more suitable way, Christ surely would have shown it to us by his own words and example.”

            Before World War II began, he returned to Poland. The German Nazis who were occupying Poland soon restricted his activities and then halted publication of the Knight completely. He was arrested in February 1941 and sent to Auschwitz in May. Though very sick himself, he encouraged his fellow prisoners not to let the Nazis lead them to despair of God.

            One Franciscan source recounts that another prisoner, Dr. Joseph Stemler, wrote in his memoirs: “Like many others, I crawled at night in the infirmary on the bare floor to the bed of Father Maximilian. The greeting was moving. We exchanged some impressions of the frightful crematorium. He encouraged me, and I confessed. Discouragement and doubt threatened to overwhelm me; but I still wanted to love. He helped me to strengthen my belief in the final victory of good. ‘Hatred is not creative,’ he whispered to me. ‘Our sorrow is necessary that those who live after us may be happy.’ His reflections on the mercy of God went straight to my heart. His words to forgive the persecutors and to overcome evil with good kept me from collapsing into despair.”

            On July 30, 1941, a prisoner escaped from Auschwitz, and the Nazis retaliated by randomly choosing ten men to be executed by starvation. Father Maximilian offered to take the place of one of those ten, a Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek, who was a father and family man.  Maximilian led the men in prayer in their starvation bunker. During the third week of the ordeal, Maximilian and the other remaining survivors were killed with injections of carbolic acid.

Maximilian was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982. He is venerated as the patron saint of amateur radio operators, drug addicts, political prisoners, and journalists. His cell at Auschwitz is a place of pilgrimage. Saint Edith Stein, who was also killed at Auschwitz in 1942, is commemorated a few days prior on August 9^th. As a Discalced Carmelite nun, she took the religious name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Together, these two Catholic saints stand as witnesses against the atrocities and horror of Nazism.

August 11 St. Clare of Assisi -CA Mission

 

St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253)

August 11

             The Foundress of the Franciscan Second Order was born into nobility.  Clare’s parents, Favarone and Ortolana, were part of Assisi’s "upper class." They and their three daughters once had to flee to nearby Perugia when the merchants & artisans of Assisi expelled the nobles and destroyed their homes. They remained there between 1198 and 1202.

            Even as a young girl, Clare showed a love of prayer and of the poor. She was also fascinated by Francis Bernardone, who by 1209 already had eleven followers. She felt called to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a nun. On the evening of March 18, 1212, she stole away to the Portiuncula, the church of the "Little Portion" which had become the headquarters for the Franciscan friars. There she exchanged her beautiful golden hair for a nun’s veil.  Her noble gown was set aside for a common dress and cord belt. She was soon joined by her sister Agnes, who is also a saint honored on November 19th. They lived temporarily with the Benedictine sisters.

            In May of that same year, Clare and Agnes moved to San Damiano, which soon became the birthplace of the Poor Clare movement. They were known as the “Poor Ladies of San Damiano.” The work of their hands and the begging of the friars supplied their very modest needs.

            In 1216, Clare reluctantly accepted the title of abbess in accord with the Fourth Lateran Council. However, she was always ready to perform the humblest duties at San Damiano. After 1225 she was almost constantly sick and confined to bed. As an excellent seamstress and embroiderer and with great devotion, she made corporals, altar linens, and albs for nearby churches. Although Clare considered herself the “little plant” of St. Francis and was always grateful for whatever direction he could give the San Damiano nuns, it would be a mistake to think of Clare as a pale reflection of Francis or to underestimate her uniqueness and her determination to live the gospel simply and courageously within a cloistered setting. Popes, cardinals, and bishops sought her advice.

            In the thirteenth century, contemplative life was the only form of religious life for women that was officially recognized by the Church. Women religious would not run schools and hospitals until the 14^th and 15^th centuries. Even though Clare established a contemplative group, she did break with tradition—not without a fight—by rejecting a fixed income for its support. Contemplative nuns like the Benedictines had always been supported by revenues from lands owned by their communities and dowries they brought with them. This “privilege of poverty,” as Clare called it, was not easy to secure in writing. Several popes worried that such a life would be too difficult for women. Two days before she died, Clare at last gained this “privilege” from the Pope at that time, Innocent IV. Her exemplary life and the witness of the other Franciscan women prompted rich and poor women throughout Europe to join Poor Clare monasteries, wanting to also be brides of Jesus. 

            As Clare lay dying, her confessor urged her to be patient amid her sufferings. Clare answered, “Dearest brother, ever since I have known the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ through his servant Francis, no suffering has troubled me, no penance has been hard, no sickness too arduous” (Legend and Writings of St. Clare of Assisi, p. 49). She was canonized by Pope Alexander IV in 1255, two years after her death. She is the patron of goldsmiths, laundry, television, and against eye disease.

(Click on the image to enlarge for reading)

July 30 St. Leopold Mandic, patron against cancer

 

St. Leopold Mandic of Castelnova, OFM Capuchin (1887-1942)

July 30

            A native of Croatia, Leopold joined the Capuchins and was ordained a priest several years later despite several health problems. He could not speak loudly enough to preach publicly. For many years he suffered from severe arthritis, poor eyesight and a stomach ailment.

            Leopold taught patrology, the study of the Church Fathers, to the clerics of his province for several years, but he is best known for his work in the confessional, where he sometimes spent long hours each day. Several bishops sought out his spiritual advice.

            Leopold’s dream was to go to the Orthodox Christians and work for the reunion of Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy. His health never permitted it. Leopold often renewed his vow to go to the Eastern Christians; the cause of unity was constantly in his prayers. The saint used to repeat to himself, “Remember that you have been sent for the salvation of people, not because of your own merits, since it is the Lord Jesus and not you who died for the salvation of souls…I must cooperate with the divine goodness of our Lord who has deigned to choose me so that by my ministry, the divine promise would be fulfilled: ‘There will be only one flock and one shepherd’ (John 10:16).”

            Leopold, who lived most of his life in Padua, died on July 30, 1942, and was beatified on May 2, 1976. When the Capuchin minister general wrote his friars on the occasion of Leopold’s beatification, he said that this friar’s life showed “the priority of that which is essential.” He was canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1983. Because he suffered from esophageal cancer from which he died, he is a patron against cancer.

July 23 St. Bridget of Sweden

 

Saint Bridget of Sweden (c. 1303 – July 23, 1373)

July 23

From age 7 on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity rather than spiritual favors.

A member of the Third Order, she lived her married life in the court of the Swedish king Magnus II Eriksson. In 1341, she and her husband Ulf went on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Mother of eight children—the second eldest was Saint Catherine of Sweden—Bridget lived the strict life of a penitent after her husband’s death.

Bridget of Sweden constantly strove to exert her good influence over the Swedish King; while never fully reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a monastery for men and women. This group eventually expanded into an Order of the Most Holy Saviour also known as the Bridgettines. In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her years in Rome were far from happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to her work against Church abuses.

A final pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the death of her son, Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. Bridget was canonized in the year 1391 by Pope Boniface IX, which was confirmed by the Council of Constance in 1415. Because of new discussions about her works, the Council of Basel confirmed the orthodoxy of her revelations in 1436. In 1999, Bridget of Sweden, Saint Catherine of Siena, and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, were named co-patronesses of Europe, alongside the male patrons Saints Benedict of Nursia, Cyril, and Methodius.

Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the years that the legitimate Bishop of Rome lived in Avignon, France. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the marketplace.

July 21 St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church

 

St. Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619)

July 21

            Saint Francis wanted his followers to preach what they had learned in prayer.  Lawrence was an excellent example of this. He was born "Caesare de Rossi" to devout middle-class parents in Brindisi of southern Italy. He entered the Capuchins at the age of sixteen and proved an able scholar with a gift for languages.  His ability to preach in multiple languages was put to good use after his ordination in 1582. Lawrence used Scripture extensively in his preaching. His sermons fill eight large volumes.

            His time as a Franciscan falls into three main categories: teaching theology to the friars, serving as an occasional papal nuncio, and holding various leadership positions within the Capuchins. In the last role, he sought to balance the rigors of the Capuchin observance with the needs of the apostolate. A quote from one of his sermons, Sermo Quadragesimalis: “The Word of God is a light to the mind and fire to the will. It enables humanity to know God and to love God. And for the interior person who lives by the Spirit of God through grace, it is bread and water, but a bread sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, a water better than wine and milk.” 

            During his lifetime, Lawrence was the provincial of three different Italian provinces.  He was general counsellor twice and vicar general once. In 1598 he and thirteen other friars went to Germany to establish the Capuchins there; a mission that grew into three provinces. In 1601, Lawrence accompanied the imperial troops which repelled the Turkish advance in Hungary. On returning to Italy, Lawrence learned of a cruel viceroy in Naples, which was ruled by Spain. When Lawrence journeyed to Lisbon to explain the situation to Philip III of Spain, the viceroy was dismissed. Lawrence died in Lisbon on that journey.

            After Lawrence’s death, a preacher said of him: “Heroically virtuous, he was humble without littleness, magnanimous without ostentation, courageous without pride. His faith would have moved mountains, his hope defied every trial, and his charity knew no bounds. He united the life of action with the life of contemplation, so that he gave himself up to incessant labors for the defense of the Church and the salvation of his neighbor, and yet never lost sight of the holy presence of the Divine majesty.”

            Part of what is known as the Counter-Reformation, Lawrence was canonized in 1881 and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John 23rd in 1959.

July 15 St. Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church -CA Mission

St. Bonaventure (1218-1274)

July 15

            Bonaventure was born at Bagnorea, Tuscany and was baptized "John/Giovanni." As a child he was cured at the intervention of St. Francis. Bonaventure studied at the University of Paris and became a Franciscan there. Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure were both distinguished scholars there in Paris at the same time. His academic career was cut short in 1257 by his election as Minister General of the Order. Bonaventure immediately dedicated his energies to restoring harmony among the friars, who were plagued by various factions.

As one Franciscan source puts it: "The Church in the 1260’s closely linked ordination and the permission to preach. This presented a problem for the friars whose style, since Francis’ time, had been that of itinerant preachers—few of whom were ordained. Bonaventure, wanting to ensure the friars’ preaching vocation, moved them in a clerical direction. And accepting ordination meant establishing large houses of study near universities like Paris and Oxford. Though some people have criticized Bonaventure for this redirection of the friars, others have argued convincingly that he was simply following the mind of the Church—which, they say, is what Francis would have wanted. Bonaventure ably defended the friars against those who said that the friars’ form of life, with its provisions for begging, was condemned by the gospel."

Among Bonaventure’s most famous writings are his life of St. Francis called the Legenda Major and the equally brilliant Journey of the Soul to God.  Bonaventure attributed his knowledge to meditation on the cross of Jesus Christ, something he wrote of in The Tree of Life.

Bonaventure writes in Journey of the Soul to God, Chapter 7: “For this passover (to God) to be perfect, we must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone. This is a sacred mystical experience. It cannot be comprehended by anyone unless they surrender themselves to it; nor can they surrender themselves to it unless they long for it; nor can they long for it unless the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent into the world, should come and inflame their inmost soul.  Hence the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit.” 

Bonaventure worked hard not to be named a bishop but was finally made Bishop of Albano and then cardinal. At the Second Council of Lyons (1274), he worked for the reunion with the Eastern Greek Church. He died before the Council ended. Bonaventure was canonized in 1482.

July 14 St. Francis Solano-CA Mission

St. Francis Solano/San Francisco de Solano (1549-1610)

July 14        

            Francis came from a leading family in Andalusia, Spain. One momentous incident in his life occurred during his teenage years, when he was able to stop two duelists from fighting. He was socially popular and a good student.  He entered the Friars Minor in 1570 and after ordination enthusiastically sacrificed himself for others. His care for the sick during an epidemic drew so much admiration that he became embarrassed and asked to be sent to the African missions. Instead, he was sent to South America in 1589. While working in what is now modern-day Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, Francis quickly learned the native languages and was well received by the Indians. His visits to the sick often included playing a song on his violin.

            Around 1601 he was called to Lima, Peru, where he tried to recall the Spanish colonists to their baptismal integrity. Francis also worked to defend the Indians from oppression. He died in Lima and was canonized in 1726. From a contemporary biography of Solano: “When Francis Solano was about to die, one of the friars asked him, ‘Father, when God takes you to heaven remember me when you enter the everlasting kingdom.’ With joy Francis answered, ‘It is true, I am going to heaven but this is so because of the merits of the passion and death of Christ; I am the greatest of sinners. When I reach our homeland, I will be your good friend.” 

July 10 Damascus Martyrs and St. Veronica Giuliani

July 10 After honoring Franciscan Martyrs on July 9th, it continues on July 10th. But we also have a Poor Clare who bore the stigmata! Since these three days of July are filled with saints, the Franciscans try to honor them on separate days, although the Roman Martyrology lists St. Veronica on the date of her death July 9th. 

Franciscan Martyrs of Damascus, Syria  died 1860

The Martyrs of Damascus were eleven Catholic saints martyred while praying inside a Franciscan-run parish in Damascus. They consist of the Massabki Brothers: Abdel Moati Massabki, Francis Massabki, and Raphael Massabki who were Maronite Catholics. Manuel Ruiz Lopez and Companions are Franciscans: seven from Spain including Carmelo Bolta Bañuls, Nicanor Ascanio Soria, Nicolás María Alberca Torres, Pedro Nolasco Soler Méndez,  Francisco Pinazo Peñalver, and Juan Jacob Fernández, with Engelbert Kolland from Austria.

Their martyrdom took place in the night between the ninth and tenth of July 1860, and they were beatified in 1926. All eleven were canonized on October 20, 2024.

St. Veronica Giuliani, 2^nd Order (1660-1727)

July 10

            Veronica’s desire to be like Christ crucified was answered with the stigmata. There are many saintly women who follow in the footsteps of Saint Clare.  This example was diligent in her monastic responsibilities while holding a mystical relationship with Jesus in her heart and soul.  She was born in Mercatelli. It is said that as her mother Bernedetta was dying, she called her five daughters to her bedside and entrusted each of them to one of the five wounds of Jesus. Veronica was entrusted to the wound below or through Christ’s Most Sacred Heart.

            At the age of 17, Veronica joined the Poor Clares directed by the Capuchins. Her father had wanted her to marry, but she convinced him to allow her to become a nun. In her first years in the monastery, she worked in the kitchen, infirmary, sacristy, and served as portress. At the age of 34, she was made novice mistress, a position she held for 22 years. When she was 37, Veronica received the stigmata. Life was not the same after that.

            Rome wanted to test Veronica’s authenticity and so conducted an investigation. She lost the office of novice mistress temporarily and was not allowed to attend Mass except on Sundays or holydays. Through all of this Veronica did not become bitter, and the investigation eventually restored her as novice mistress.

            Though she protested against it, at the age of 56 she was elected abbess, a task she held for eleven years until her death. Veronica was very devoted to the Eucharist and to the Sacred Heart. She offered her sufferings for the missions. Veronica was canonized in 1839.

            Why did God grant the stigmata to Francis and to Veronica? God alone knows the deepest reasons, but as Thomas Celano points out, the external sign of the cross is a confirmation of the fact of the saints’ commitment to the cross in their lives. He says of St. Francis, “All the pleasures of the world were a cross to him, because he carried the cross of Christ rooted in his heart. And therefore the stigmata shone forth exteriorly in his flesh, because interiorly that deeply set root was sprouting forth in his mind.” (2 Celano, #211) The stigmata which appeared in Veronica’s flesh had taken root in her heart many years before. It was a fitting conclusion for her love of God and her charity towards her sisters.