SAINTS OF THE DAY THURSDAY, 13 AUGUST, 2026 1) SAINTS PONTIAN AND HIPPOLYTUS 2) SAINT CASSIAN OF IMOLA 3) THE HOLY “SLEEP” OF THE MOTHER OF GOD 1) SAINTS PONTIAN AND HIPPOLYTUS POPE AND MARTYR (PONTIAN) AND PRIEST AND MARTYR (HIPPOLYTUS) (Late Second Century – c. 235) St. Pontian succeeded St. Urban in the Pontifical See in 230. He is chiefly known for convening a Roman Synod which confirmed a prior condemnation of the Egyptian theologian Origen. Like so many other bishops of his era, Pontian also dealt with divergent positions over how the Church should re-integrate Christians who had abjured their faith during a persecution. Should they be re-baptized, do public penance, or be welcomed back privately? Tensions over this issue perdured for many decades and deeply wounded Church unity. After the assassination of Alexander Severus in 235, Pontian was exiled by the Emperor Maximus to the mines of Sardinia. But he first graciously resigned in 235 so that a successor pope could be elected. For this magnanimous act, he was remembered as “distinguished” in contemporary documents. He bore his suffering and persecution patiently for Christ and attained the crown of martyrdom in that same year. Exiled together with St. Pontian was a priest named Hippolytus, one of the most important 3rd-century theologians of the Roman Church. Born about 170, he was already a priest and a personage of note when Origen heard him preach at Rome in 202. During the first part of his life he produced the Scriptural writings that constitute the best part of his works (he wrote the earliest commentary on Scripture, that of the Book Daniel), and defended the faith. He wrote on Scripture, dogma, law, apologetics, Christ, and also authored a comprehensive polemical work entitled A Refutation of All Heresies. About 215m he wrote the Apostolical Tradition (for which he is probably best known), which preserves some of the most ancient liturgical texts of the primitive church. The original of the Apostolic Tradition does not exist, and later translated fragments are of dubious provenance, making the work a fluid, composite text of different eras. Nevertheless, the core document is a one-of-a-kind artifact, allowing a modern Christian to peek through the keyhole into the liturgy of the early, praying Church. Hippolytus doesn't just describe the words and actions of the liturgy, as the earlier Didache and Saint Justin Martyr did. Instead, he writes down the actual prayers. The Apostolic Tradition contains the earliest known rite of ordination. The ordination rite of a bishop used today by the Catholic Church still largely adopts this ancient text. Hippolytus provides the first example of the Virgin Mary being invoked in liturgical prayer. And Hippolytus' prayers for the Eucharistic banquet include the third century words of consecration! This text is the source for a significant portion of today's Eucharistic Prayer II, perhaps the most commonly used Eucharistic prayer at Mass. When the faithful throughout the world hear the familiar cadence of Eucharistic Prayer II each Sunday, they are hearing the distant echo of priestly voices from the third century. As he did on so many significant Roman tombs, Pope Damasus (366-384) wrote an inscription on the tomb of Hippolytus more than a century after the saint died. Part of it reads: “Wherever he was able to go, he had spoken of the Catholic faith so that all might follow it. Thus our martyr deserves to be acknowledged.” Indeed. And at the entrance of the forever-closed catacombs of Saint Hippolytus, a personalized graffiti from an ancient pilgrim is carved into the wall, the tender petition invoking today'saint: “Hippolytus, keep Peter the sinner in mind.” Saint Hippolytus, keep all of us in mind. PATRON : Saint of Montaldo Scarampi, Italy (Pontian) and prison guards (Hippolytus). PRAYER: Saints Pontian and Hippolytus, you lived at a time of exiles, persecution and martyrdom, a most crucial period in the history of the Church. Yet, you proclaimed and gave public witness to your faith, leading to exile and death. Your leadership of the Church led to your tragic ends. You were isolated, suffering for lack of essentials and died as a result. May we realize the extent of the hardships you endured for Christ's sake, thus helping us gain courage when under duress, in Jesus' Name. Amen. 2) SAINT CASSIAN OF IMOLA MARTYR (4th Century) St. Cassian was a schoolmaster at Imola in northeast Italy. He died a martyr during the Roman persecutions under Diocletian, probably in the third century. Cassian had apparently been a schoolteacher for some time. Then a widespread persecution of Christians commenced. Roman officials arrested him because he was known, or at least suspected, to be a Christian. He was taken before the governor, and the governor demanded, as usual, that he offer sacrifice to the gods. Naturally, Cassian refused to perform this act of apostasy, so he was condemned to death. Now, the Romans had many set types of execution to choose from, but sometimes they invented others. Knowing that Cassian was a schoolmaster, the governor decided that it would be a clever novelty to have him stabbed to death by his own pupils! The schoolmaster was therefore stretched out on the ground and fixed down securely. Then Cassian's former students were brought in. They had not particularly liked their teacher because he had been strict with them. Given the signal, therefore, they set about with a fiendish joy to torment him. They broke their wooden writing tablets over his head, carved their initials carefully on his flesh, and finally stabbed him all over with their pens. Cassian meanwhile accepted their blows with much patience and no malice. He died bloodied with a thousand little wounds. PATRON: Imola, Mexico City, schoolteachers, shorthand-writers, parish clerks. St. Cassian of Imola: pray for us!
3) THE HOLY “SLEEP” OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Anticipating the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God on the fifteenth of August, today, the thirteenth we celebrate her death or “dormition.” Dormition is a Latin word that means “sleep.” Several places in holy scripture death is referred to as “a sleep”. Jesus Himself spoke of the death of His friend Lazarus as a sleep. “Lazarus our friend sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep” (John 11:11). When He went to the home of Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue, to cure his daughter, who had died before he arrived, Our Lord told the mourners to “Weep not; the maid is not dead, but sleepeth” (Luke 8:52). Saint Paul, likewise, in his First Letter to the Thessalonians wrote of those “who sleep in death” and have “fallen asleep” who await the resurrection of the dead (4:13ff). Interesting, too, is that our word “cemetery” is originally from the Greek word koimeterion, which means a “sleeping place.” So, the question arises: Was Our Lady “sleeping” the moment before she was resurrected and assumed body and soul into heaven? Or, had she actually died? Remember, Our Blessed Mother had no original sin, therefore, she was exempt from the penalty of death due to that sin. This, however, does not mean that her body was immortal by nature, but it would have been by privilege. A fortiori, Jesus had no sin, nevertheless, to redeem us and save us, He suffered and died. Such was the will of the Father. Mary, on the other hand, is not God, nor our Savior. She is, however, our co-redemptrix, and, as such, she chose to experience death herself, both to be one with us, as our Mother, and to imitate — or shall I say, participate in — the death and burial of her Son. “And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35). Mary, too, in union with her Son, would spend, just as did Jesus, forty hours in the tomb, from which place (in the Garden of Gethsemani near the tomb of Saint Joseph her spouse) her soul went forth for three days to comfort the souls in purgatory. Mary's Heart was one with Jesus' Heart. She willed to be like Him in all things, even in death, although her death was from an overabundance of love, not from any sickness or bodily affliction. Jesus surrendered to death because it was His will to do so in obedience to His Father. “No man taketh it away from me,” Jesus said to the Pharisees, “but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:18). There is nothing contrary to the Faith to hold the minority opinion that the Blessed Virgin did not die, but was merely asleep before her Assumption. And I will refrain from providing all the testimony from tradition and the fathers and doctors, affirming that the Mother of God did die. Suffice it to say that this far more common belief was held from the early centuries; Saints John Chrysostom and Ephrem in the East believed she died and most of the Latin doctors also did right up and including Saint Alphonsus. However, we must distinguish in the early western Church between the more common belief concerning Our Lady's true death and the less common belief concerning her Assumption. Saints Ambrose, Epiphanius, and Isidore of Seville, for example, offered their opinions as to the location of Our Lady's tomb, but they are surprisingly silent concerning her bodily Assumption. In defining the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul, Pope Pius XII phrased the dogma succinctly: “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus on Nov. 1, 1950). With these words he avoided any censoring of those fathers who piously assumed that the Savior would have exempted the spotless soul of His Mother from ever exiting her most pure body.Before I close, I would like to add a word about Saint Thomas the Apostle. There has always been a tradition in the universal Church that the Apostles and Saint Paul were summoned, by Saint John no doubt, to come home from their labors, and be present in Jerusalem for the “dormition” of their Mother. It has even been held that some of them were miraculously transported. Be that as it may, one of the Apostles was not miraculously transported, arriving late, after the Holy Virgin had been placed in her tomb. This tradition, which is found in a collection from pious apocryphal sources called Transitus Mariae (The Passage of Mary), attributed to Bishop St. Melito of Sardis (circa 180), enjoyed popularity by the fifth century. In fact, Saint John Damascene (d. 749) recorded this story: “St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), made known to the Emperor Marcian and Pulcheria [Saint Pulcheria], who wished to possess the body of the Mother of God, that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened, upon the request of Saint Thomas, was found empty; wherefrom (sic) the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven.” (Father William Saunders, Dormition of Mary, Catholic Education Resource Center) The year of Our Lady's Dormition was 58. She was seventy-two years old. At that time all of the Apostles were engaged in bringing the gospel to the nations. Saint James the Greater had been martyred sixteen years before by Herod Antipas. My opinion, concerning Saint Thomas, is this: He who, to his great sadness, did not accept the testimony of his fellow Apostles concerning the Resurrection of Christ, was chosen to be the first one to “see” the empty tomb of the Mother of God and, thereby, to be the first evangelist of her resurrection and Assumption. It was on account of Saint Thomas' request to see his Mother Mary's body that the Apostles went to the tomb and removed the stone cover. The fact that he did not arrive in Jerusalem until the third day after Mary's death also supports the tradition that “the Doubter” was far far away on the east coast of India preaching the Faith there in the year 58. His journey back to Jerusalem, with whatever notice he was sent of the Virgin Mother's approaching death, would be more difficult than the other Apostles because of the remoteness of his field of labor. Hence, in the providence of God, he was meant to arrive late, so that the Church would know that the body of the Mother of God, just as that of Christ her Son, was not to see corruption. Finally, in regard to Our Lady's bodily Assumption, if, after Our Lord's Resurrection, “the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city, and appeared to many” (Matt. 27:53, my emphasis), it would be inconceivable that she who bore the Holy One who saw no corruption should herself see corruption: “Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption” (Acts 13:35). The Eastern Church celebrates the Dormition of Mary together with the feast of the Assumption on August 15th. The Western Church does not have a Mass in her liturgy today (August 13) specifically for the “Dormition,” but, in honoring Mary's actual death on her calendar, she awaits the major feast on the fifteenth by anticipation.
SAINT OF THE DAY FRIDAY, 14 AUGUST, 2026 SAINT MAXIMILLIAN KOLBE PRIEST AND MARTYR (8 January 1894 - 14 August 1941) - EARLY LIFE Raymund Kolbe was born on 8 January 1894 In Zdunska Wola, in the Kingdom of Poland (then part of the Russian Empire). His father was German, his mother Polish. His parents were relatively poor, and in 1914, his father was captured by the Russians and hanged for his part in fighting for an independent Poland. Raymund developed a strong religious yearning from an early life. He recounts an early childhood vision of the Virgin Mary. This vision was significant because he chose both the path of sanctity and also to follow the path of a martyr. “That night, I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me, a Child of Faith. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both.” Aged only 13, Kolbe and his elder brother left home to enrol in the Conventual Franciscan seminary in Lwow. This seminary was in Austria-Hungary and it meant illegally crossing the border. In 1910, he was given the religious name Maximillian and was admitted as an initiate. He took his final vows as a monk in 1914. After a short period in Krakow, Poland – Kolbe went to study in Rome, Italy. He gained a doctorate in philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1915. A few years later, he also gained a doctorate of theology in 1919 from the University of St. Bonaventure. Kolbe was ordained a priest and after completing his studies returned to the newly independent Poland in 1919. He settled in the monastery of Niepokalanów near Warsaw. Towards the end of his studies, Kolbe suffered his first bout of tuberculosis and he became quite ill, often coughing up blood; the illness disrupted his studies. Throughout the rest of his life he experienced poor health, but never complained, seeing his illness as an opportunity to ‘suffer for Mary'. Kolbe was an active priest and particularly keen to work for the conversion of sinners and enemies of the Catholic Church. During his time in Rome, he witnessed angry protests by the Freemasons against the Vatican. Kolbe had a strong devotion to the Virgin Mary and he became an active participant in the Militia Immaculata or Army of Mary. “I felt the Immaculata drawing me to herself more and more closely… I had a custom of keeping a holy picture of one of the Saints to whom she appeared on my prie-dieu in my cell, and I used to pray to the Immaculata very fervently”. He felt a strong motivation to ‘fight for Mary' against enemies of the church. It was Kolbe who sought to reinvigorate the work of the MI (Militia Immaculata). Kolbe helped the Immaculata Friars to publish high pamphlets, books and a daily newspaper – Maly Dziennik. The monthly magazine grew to have a circulation of over 1 million and was influential amongst Polish Catholics. Kolbe even gained a radio licence and publicly broadcast his views on religion. Kolbe was successful in using the latest technology to spread his message. As well as writing extensive essays and pieces for the newspaper, Kolbe composedKOLBE IN JAPAN In 1930, Kolbe travelled to Japan, where he spent several years serving as a missionary. He founded a monastery on the outskirts of Nagasaki (the monastery survived the atomic blast, shielded by a mountain). He also entered into dialogue with local Buddhist priests and some of them became friends. However, increasingly ill, he returned to Poland in 1936. SECOND WORLD WAR At the start of the Second World War, Kolbe was residing in the friary at Niepokalanow, the “City of the Immaculata.” By that time, it had expanded from 18 friars to 650 friars – making it the largest Catholic house in Europe. When Poland was overrun by the Nazi forces in 1939, he was arrested under general suspicion on 13 September, but was released after three months. On being released, many Polish refugees and Jews sought sanctuary in Kolne's monastery. Kolbe and the community at Niepokalanów helped to hide, feed and clothe 3,000 Polish refugees, (of which 2,000 were Jews). Kolbe also published an illegal radio broadcast, in which he denounced the crimes of the Nazis. In 1941, he also published an edition of “The Knight of the Immaculate” offering strong criticism of the Nazis. KOLBE IN AUSCHWITZ Shortly after this publication, on the 17 February 1941, he was arrested by the Gestapo for hiding Jewish people. After a brief internment in a notorious Polish prison, he was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp and branded prisoner #16670. Kolbe was sent to the work camp. This involved carrying blocks of heavy stone for the building of the crematorium wall. The work party was overseen by a vicious ex-criminal ‘Bloody Krott' who came to single out Kolbe for particularly brutal treatment. Witnesses say Kolbe accepted his mistreatment and blows with surprising calm. Despite the awful conditions of Auschwitz, people report that Kolbe retained a deep faith, equanimity and dignity in the face of appalling treatment. Prisoners also report that he remained selfless, often sharing his meagre rations with others. In July 1941, three prisoners appeared to have escaped from the camp; as a result the Deputy Commander of Auschwitz ordered 10 men to be chosen to be starved to death in an underground bunker. When one of the selected men Franciszek Gajowniczek heard he was selected, he cried out ‘My wife! My children!” At this point Kolbe volunteered to take his place. Kolbe pointed with his hand to the condemned Franciszek Gajowniczek and repeated ‘I am a Catholic priest from Poland; I would like to take his place, because he has a wife and children. Rather surprised, the commander accepted Kolbe in place of Gajowniczek. Franciszek Gajowniczek would miraculously survive Auschwitz, and would later be present at Kolbe's beatification in 1971. The men were led away to the underground bunker where they were to be starved to death. It is said that in the bunker, Kolbe would lead the men in prayer and singing hymns to Mary. When the guards checked the cell, Kolbe could be seen praying in the middle. After two weeks, nearly all the prisoners, except Kolbe had died due to dehydration and starvation. Because the guards wanted the cell emptied, the remaining prisoners and Kolbe were executed with a lethal injection. Those present say he calmly accepted death, lifting up his arm. His remains were unceremoniously cremated on 15 August. Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian as a "martyr of charity" in 1982. PATRON: Drug addiction; drug addicts; families; imprisoned people; journalists; political prisoners; prisoners; pro-life movement. PRAYER: O God, who filled the Priest and Martyr Saint Maximilian Kolbe with a burning love for the Immaculate Virgin Mary and with zeal for souls and love of neighbor, graciously grant, through his intercession, that striving for your glory by eagerly serving others, we may be conformed, even until death, to your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. the Immaculata Payer – the consecration to the immaculately conceived Virgin Mary. He also composed Polish songs to the Virgin Mary.
I was just thinking about Saint Maximilian this morning before Mass . He was doing such incredible work but was cut off right in the middle of it. God's Ways are certainly not ours.
FEAST OF THE DAY SATURDAY, 15 AUGUST, 2026 SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. Addressing a jubilant crowd of over 500,000 people packed into St. Peter's Square, Pope Pius XII solemnly defined in Munificentissimus Deus on November 1, 1950 that “the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” Although the solemn definition may have been at the midpoint of the twentieth century, the belief in the Assumption of our Blessed Mother exemplifies the dynamism of revelation and the Church's ongoing understanding of it as guided by the Holy Spirit. Granted, the word Assumption does not appear in Sacred Scripture. For this reason, many fundamentalists who literally interpret the Bible would have a difficulty with this belief. Nevertheless, we must first pause and reflect on the role of our Blessed Mother in the mystery of salvation, for this provides the foundation for the belief in the Assumption. We firmly believe that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was free of all sin including Original Sin by a special favor of Almighty God. The Archangel Gabriel recognized her as “full of grace,” “blessed among women,” and “one with the Lord.” Mary had been chosen to be the Mother of our Savior. By the power of the Holy Spirit, she conceived our Lord, Jesus Christ, and through her, true God became also true man: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” During her lifetime, although the Gospel citations are limited, Mary always presented our Lord to others: to Elizabeth and her son, John the Baptist, who leapt for joy in the womb at the presence of the Lord still in His own mother's womb; to the simple shepherds as well as the wise Magi; and to the people at Cana when our Lord acquiesced to His mother's wish and performed the first miracle. Moreover, Mary stood at the foot of the cross with her Son, supporting Him and sharing in His suffering through her love as only a mother could do. Finally, she was with the Apostles at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended and the Church was born. Therefore, each of us can step back and see Mary as the faithful servant of God who shared intimately in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. For these reasons, we believe that the promises our Lord has given to each of us of sharing eternal life, including a resurrection of the body, were fulfilled in Mary. Since Mary was free of Original Sin and its effects (one of which is corruption of the body at death), since she shared intimately in the life of the Lord and in His passion, death, and resurrection, and since she was present at Pentecost, this model disciple appropriately shared in the bodily resurrection and glorification of the Lord at the end of her life. (Note that the solemn definition does not specify whether Mary physically died before being assumed or just was assumed; it simply states, “Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life….”) The Catechism, also quoting the Byzantine Liturgy, states, “The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians: ‘In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death'” (#966). This belief in the Assumption of our Blessed Mother has been longstanding in our Church. We must remember that the early Church was preoccupied with resolving questions about Christ, particularly His incarnation and the hypostatic union (the unity of His divine and human natures in one person). However, in addressing these questions, the Church gradually defined the titles of Mary as Mother of God and as the New Eve, and the belief of the Immaculate Conception, all of which form the basis for the Assumption. In Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII cited various Church Fathers to trace the longstanding tradition of the belief of the Assumption – St. John Damascene (d. 749), St. Andrew of Crete (d. 740), St. Modestus of Jerusalem (d. 300), and St. Gregory of Tours (d. 594), to name a few. Bishop Theoteknos of Livias (c. 550-650) delivered one of the most comprehensive early sermons concerning the Assumption: “For Christ took His immaculate flesh from the immaculate flesh of Mary, and if He had prepared a place in heaven for the Apostles, how much more for His mother; if Enoch had been translated and Elijah had gone to heaven, how much more Mary, who like the moon in the midst of the stars shines forth and excels among the Prophets and Apostles? For even though her God-bearing body tasted death, it did not undergo corruption, but was preserved incorrupt and undefiled and taken up into heaven with its pure and spotless soul.” St. John Damascene also recorded an interesting story concerning the Assumption: “St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), made known to the Emperor Marcian and Pulcheria, who wished to possess the body of the Mother of God, that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened, upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty; wherefrom the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven” (Second Homily on the Dormition of Mary). In all, the Patristic Fathers defended the Assumption on two counts: Since Mary was sinless and a perpetual virgin, she could not suffer bodily deterioration, the result of original sin, after her death. Also, if Mary bore Christ and played an intimate role as His mother in the redemption of man, then she must likewise share body and soul in His resurrection and glorification. The Byzantine Emperor Mauritius (582-602) established the celebration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 for the Eastern Church. (Some historians speculate that the celebration was already widespread before the Council of Ephesus in 431.) By the end of the sixth century, the West likewise celebrated the Feast of the Assumption. While the Church first emphasized the death of Mary, gradual shifts in both title and content occurred, so that by the end of the eighth century, the Gregorian Sacramentary had prayers for Assumption Day. The Feast of the Assumption gives each of us great hope as we contemplate this one facet of the beautiful woman of faith, our Blessed Mother. Mary moves us by example and prayer to grow in God's grace, to be receptive to His will, to convert our lives through sacrifice and penance, and seek that everlasting union in the Heavenly Kingdom. In 1973, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in their letter Behold Your Mother stated, “Christ has risen from the dead; we need no further assurance of our faith. Mary assumed into heaven serves rather as a gracious reminder to the Church that our Lord wishes all whom the Father has given Him to be raised with Him. In Mary taken to glory, to union with Christ, the Church sees herself answering the invitation of the heavenly Bridegroom.” PRAYER: Almighty ever-living God, who assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of your Son, body and soul into heavenly glory, grant we pray, that, always attentive to the things that are above, we may merit to be sharers of her glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I am so happy I am going to see a Marian procession and solemn mass tonight in Montforte the local town. Fireworks and a fair. Much excitement.
From All Ireland Rosary Rally page: "Today, we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We don't know for sure if Mary actually died or if she simply fell asleep before she was assumed into heaven. The important point is that Mary's body did not decay and that she was raised body and soul into heaven. We know this belief was present as far back as the 500s, and by the 1900s, it was widespread. Pope Pius XII wrote to the bishops of the world about this dogma and then declared both formally and infalliblly in 1950 that Mary had been assumed body and soul into heaven. We of course meditate on this great mystery every time we pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. Our first reading today is from the Book of Revelation and we hear about a woman adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with 12 stars on her head for a crown. Mary is like the moon, which does not have light of itself but which reflects the sun's light, and so she is radiated by the light of God. She stands on the moon signifying that she is above all other creatures, and her intercession is therefore very great before God. She wears a crown of 12 stars, as she is Queen of the Church. But.....this great intercessor for us before God is not simply a queen (therefore she has the King's ear!), but she is also our Mother, and she asks us, her children, for our prayers and sacrifices, to help her defeat the ancient serpent (Genesis 3,15), and to bring love and peace (God's Kingdom) to this troubled world."
SAINTS OF THE DAY SUNDAY, 16 AUGUST, 2026 1) SAINT STEPHEN OF HUNGARY 2) SAINT ROQUE (ROCH) 1) SAINT STEPHEN OF HUNGARY KING (C. 975 – 1038) Before the birth of Saint Stephen of Hungary, in 975, his mother, the duchess Sarolt, is said to have received a vision in which the original Saint Stephen – the Church's first martyr – appeared telling her she would bear a son who would evangelize their land. Saint Stephen's parents duke Geza and Sarolt are believed to have been converted and baptized by the bishop Saint Adalbert of Prague. The same saint baptized their son Vaik in 985, giving him the name of Stephen. Geza had desired to convert the Hungarians to the Catholic faith, a passion shared by Stephen once he reached adulthood and succeeded him in power. After conclusively defeating an alliance of rival pagan nobility, he used their acquired wealth to build a monastery, and invited clergy to convert the people. Stephen established laws favoring Christianity over paganism, and sent an emissary to Rome with a request for the Pope to proclaim him as king. Pope Sylvester II accepted the request, sending him a crown and a gold processional cross, while also giving Stephen certain religious privileges. He showed great diligence as king, while devoting the rest of his time to his religious duties – including charity toward the poor and sick, as well as the worship of God – and to his household. Gisela, Stephen's wife, was the sister of the ruler later canonized as the Holy Roman Emperor Saint Henry II. Greatly devoted to the Virgin Mary, Stephen had several churches built in her honor both in Hungary and outside the kingdom. Her intercession is credited with preventing a war between Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire under Conrad II, and stopping an assassination plot against Stephen himself. Stephen established a monastery in Jerusalem, and set up institutions to aid pilgrims in other major cities. He counted saints among his friends and correspondents, and fulfilled the Pope's charge to use his royal authority for the good of the Church. Most of his children had died as infants, However only one of his children survived to adulthood, his son Emeric. Emeric received a strong Catholic upbringing, and was expected to succeed his father. But Emeric died before Stephen, after a hunting accident in 1031. Emeric was later canonized as a saint in his own right, and Stephen eventually came to rejoice that his son had been permitted to enter God's presence before him. The king's final years, however, were marked by illness as well as a succession dispute among his relatives. In 1038, on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Stephen delivered his final words to leaders of the Church and state, telling them to protect and spread the Catholic faith. To the Virgin Mary, the king directed one of his final prayers: “To thee, O Queen of heaven, and to thy guardianship, I commend the holy Church, all the bishops and the clergy, the whole kingdom, its rulers and inhabitants; but before all, I commend my soul to thy care.” St. Stephen of Hungary died on Aug. 15, 1038. He was buried alongside his son St. Emeric, and the two were canonized together in 1083. PATRON: Hungary and of kings. PRAYER: Saint Stephen, you bear the name of the first martyr of the Church and showed similar courage in battling the enemies of God. May your brave and visionary leadership embolden all civil and church leaders to lay the foundations for a success which flourishes long after they have died. Amen. 2) SAINT ROQUE (ROCH) CONFESSOR (1295 - 1327) Tradition recalls that Roque was born around 1295 to the rich family of the Governor John and his wife Libera in Montpellier, France. His birth was considered a miracle because his mother was barren until she prayed for a miracle to the Virgin Mary and Roque was conceived. It is said that Roque had a red birthmark in the shape of a cross on his chest. Governor John died when Roque was 12 and his mother died when he was 20. Even though Roque inherited his parent's fortune he joined the Franciscan order soon after his mother's death and distributed his wealth and possessions among the poor. He then handed the government of Montpellier to his uncle. Roque then set out as a mendicant pilgrim heading towards Italy during the epidemic of the bubonic plague. He stopped along the way to care for plague victims at Acquapendente, Cesena, Rimini, Novara and Rome, and is said to have effected many miraculous cures by prayer and the sign of the cross and the touch of his hand. While ministering at Piacenza he himself finally fell ill. He left the town and went into the forest. He made a hut in which to live even though he expected to die. Two miraculous events then happened: a spring arose near his hut to supply fresh water and a hunting dog would bring him bread daily and lick his wounds, thus healing them. The dog belonged to a nobleman named Count Gothard Palastrelli who one day followed his hunting dog to the hut where he discovered Saint Roque and became his acolyte (assistant novice). After his recovery Roque returned incognito to Montpeillier in France. Upon arriving at Montpellier he refused to disclose his identity because he wanted to avoid worldly glory (being the son of the former governor and nephew of the present one). Because of his refusal to identify himself he was taken for a spy in the disguise of a pilgrim and cast into prison by order of the governor his uncle. He died in prison five years later. The miraculous cross on his chest as well as a document found in his possession revealed his identification. He was accordingly given a public funeral, and numerous miracles attested his sanctity. Saint Roque is known as Rocco in Italy and San Roque in Spain, he is patron saint of the sick and invalids and of dogs. Worldwide the faithful offer prayers for intercession to San Roque. PATRON: Bachelors; cholera; diseased cattle; dogs; epidemics; falsely accused people; invalids; knee problems; plague; relief from pestilence; skin diseases; skin rashes; surgeons; tile makers; Barano, Italy; Castropignano, Italy; Constantinople; Istanbul; Orsogna, Italy; Patricia, Italy. PRAYER: Lord God, you teach us that the commandments of heaven are summarized in love of you and love of our neighbor. By following the example of Saint Roque in practicing works of charity may we be counted among the blessed in your kingdom. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, forever and ever. Amen.
SAINT OF THE DAY MONDAY, 17 AUGUST, 2026 SAINT HYACINTH OF POLAND CONFESSOR (1185 - 1257) St. Hyacinth is called "the Polish St. Dominic," which is to say that he was the founder of the Order in Poland the dynamo of holiness in the North that St. Dominic was in the South. Hyacinth was born of the noble family of Odrowatz, in Polish Upper Silesia. He and Blessed Ceslaus, who was either a brother or a close relative, were carefully educated both in learning and in piety. They were greatly beloved by a priest uncle, Ivo, who sent them to the university and sponsored their education. The two young men were newly ordained priests and canons at the cathedral in Cracow when Ivo was appointed bishop of Cracow. When he went to Rome for his consecration, Bishop Ivo took his two young nephews with him. In Rome, the Polish visitors heard much of the wonder working Spaniard, Dominic, and were present at the miracle he performed in restoring life to the nephew of Cardinal Napoleon. They were charmed with the ideals of the newly founded Order, and the new bishop begged St. Dominic to send friars to Poland. Dominic had no one to send, since none of the brethren spoke Polish, but his glance fell upon the two young priests in the bishop's party. He gave them the habit, trained them himself, and sent them to evangelize the North. Hyacinth's life was henceforth an almost uninterrupted series of miracles. He walked a total of nearly twenty five thousand miles in his apostolic travels, preaching in all the countries of the North, from Denmark and Prussia to Greece, White Russia, Tartary, and Tibet. His progress among these hostile peoples, with their barbarous customs and unknown languages, through trackless forests, in the fierce cold of the North, can be explained only by a miracle. Early in his mission career, Our Lady appeared to Hyacinth and promised him that she would never refuse him anything. Through the years of his arduous labor she kept her promise, and his ministry was rich with a harvest of souls. He performed many astounding miracles, including countless cures. On one occasion he gave sight to two boys who had been born without eyes. He raised several dead people to life. The best known incident in his life has to do with Our Lady, which is not surprising. During one of the Tartar invasions the convent was attacked. Hyacinth was hurrying to remove the Blessed Sacrament to hide it, when he heard Our Lady tell him not to leave her statue behind to be desecrated. It was a large statue and Hyacinth did not know how he could carry it. "I will lighten the load," said Our Lady. Carrying the Blessed Sacrament in one hand and the statue in the other, Hyacinth escaped from the burning convent and walked dry shod across the river. On every occasion of his life, Our Lady was to lighten the load for him, and, as a last favor, she appeared to tell him that he would die on the Feast of the Assumption. Popular devotion to St. Hyacinth has survived time and many wars in the lands where he preached. He was the first outstanding, missionary apostle whose life and work shed glory on the Order at its very beginning, establishing a pattern for all the years to come. PATRON: Poland. PRAYER: O holy St. Hyacinth, we ask you to intercede for us and win God's blessings for us. We come together as family to bring praise and worship to the Father. May we live lives that are holy. Bless us with your devotion to Mary the Mother of God and with an ardent faith in Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Win for us the graces to continue to live according to gospel values and the teachings of the church. Intercede for us and protect us as we place ourselves under your patronage and care. Amen.
Well, this isn't the Saint of the Day, but didn't know where else to post. We have four 24" high statues in my church that are very old hand carved . . .we have three of them identified, but can't find out who this one is. Does anyone have any thoughts on it? The church is in a very German community of farmers in NE Indiana. The other three saints are St. Therese, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Tarcisius. I am thinking someone went to Europe and brought these back! Thank you . . .Kathy
He possibly seems to me Saint Henry II with his crown represents his status as a King and Holy Roman Emperor. He is often depicted wearing imperial royal robes and a crown, while holding a scepter and a small model of a church, Saint Henry II, alongside his wife Saint Cunigunde, famously founded the Diocese of Bamberg and built the Bamberg Cathedral in Germany.
So may Polish saints! Like the stars of heaven, who can count them all! In such a holy ,Catholic country that endured such horrible recent persecution under the Communists and Fascists (who are two sides of the same coin) it is fascinated to see Satan raise his head with such power. One big take away for me with St Hyacinth is that Mary is a real woman, a real woman and she really does have her favourites. Mother Mary grant me the great grace to be one of your favourites!
SAINT OF THE DAY TUESDAY, 18 AUGUST, 2026 SAINT HELENA (HELEN) EMPRESS (c. 248/250 - 330) St. Helena was the mother of Constantine the Great, and according to the sixth-century historian Procopius, she was born around AD 248 in Drepanum, which today is located in modern Turkey. Her full name became Flavia Julia Helena Augusta. She married Constantius Chlorus, who would later become co-Regent of the Western part of the Roman Empire, but in order for that to happen, he had to divorce Helena after twenty-two years of marriage and marry Theodora, the step-daughter of the Emperor Maximinianus. After the divorce, Helena and her son were dispatched to the court of Emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia where Constantine grew to be a member of the inner circle. Her son remained faithful to her, and following the death of Constantius Chlorus, Constantine succeeded him, he summoned his mother to the imperial court and conferred on her the title of Augusta, a Roman imperial honorific title given to empresses and honored women of the imperial families. Augustae could issue their own coinage, wear imperial regalia, and rule their own courts. Constantine ordered that all honor should be paid to her as the mother of the sovereign, and he had coins struck bearing her effigy. Some of the earliest coins were minted in Nicomedia. She embraced Christianity following her son's victory over Maxentius, and, according to Eusebius, she “became a devout servant of God,” and her influence helped Christianity spread throughout the empire. She had churches built over the sacred spots in Palestine, and at an advanced age, she undertook a journey to Palestine in the year AD 324, once her son had become the sole emperor of the Roman Empire. During this journey, she had two special churches constructed, one in Bethlehem, near the Grotto of the Nativity, and the other on the Mount of the Ascension. She had great concern for the poor, financially assisting both individuals and entire communities. It was during this time that a legend, first recorded by Rufinus, began circulating about how she had “found” the true cross. There are several versions on how the cross is found. In some, Helena has a dream telling her where the cross is buried. In another tradition, the Ethiopian Coptic tradition still celebrated as Mesquel, she followed smoke from a bonfire to the site. However, in the version that received the most circulation and became popular in the Middle Ages, she asks the people of Jerusalem to tell her the location. When the Jewish leaders of the city are silent, she places one of them, a man named Judas, in a well until he agrees to show her the site. After seven days, he prays to God for guidance and is told to reveal the location to her. Afterwards, Judas converts to Christianity, and takes the name Kyriakis, "he who belongs to the Lord.” Helena finds three crosses, nails, and the titulus (title) under a pagan temple. To determine which is the right cross, a deathly sick girl was brought to the site. She was touched by all three crosses, but upon being touched by the True Cross, she was restored to health. St. Helena lived in a lavish house near the Lateran, and a pious tradition associates her with the founding of what would become the Vatican Gardens because, on that site, she spread earth brought from Golgotha to symbolically unite the blood of Jesus with that shed by thousands of early Christians who died under Nero. After her death, her residence was demolished, and the Church of the Holy Cross was built on that site. On November 8, 324, she received the title Augusta, and in AD 327, Constantine changed the name of his mother's hometown to Helanopolis. She was about eighty-two when she died on August 18, 330, with her son at her side, and her body was brought to Constantinople and laid to rest in the imperial vault of the Church of the Apostles. She was buried in the Mausoleum of Helena, outside Rome on the Via Labicana. Her sarcophagus is on display in the Pio-Clementine Vatican Museum. Next to her is the sarcophagus of her granddaughter Saint Constantina (Saint Constance). Her skull is displayed in the Cathedral of Trier, in Germany. As the Muslims began advancing, her body was transferred to the Abbey of Hautvillers in Reims, France in AD 849. PATRON: Archaeologists, converts, difficult marriages, divorced people, empresses, Saint Helena island. PRAYER: Holy and blessed Saint Helena, with the anguish and devotion with which you sought the Cross of Christ, I plead that you give me God's grace to suffer in patience the labors of this life, so that through them and through your intercession and protection, I will be able to seek and carry the Cross, which God has placed upon me, so that I can serve Him in this life and enjoy His Glory ever after. Amen.
Evelyn Waugh wrote a lovely book on the Life of Saint Helena. I don't think she was ever given enough credit for all the wonderful work she did in the Holy Land.
SAINT OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY, 19 AUGUST, 2026 SAINT JOHN EUDES CONFESSOR, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (1601 - 1680) Born on a farm in northern France, St. John was a religious, a parish missionary, founder of two religious communities and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He joined the religious community of the Oratorians and was ordained a priest at twenty-four. During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. At age thirty-two, John became a parish missionary. His gifts as preacher and confessor won him great popularity. He preached over one hundred parish missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months. In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from his general superior, the bishop and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this work, but the succeeding general superior disapproved. After prayer and counsel, John decided it was best to leave the religious community. The same year he founded a new one, ultimately called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary), devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. The new venture, while approved by individual bishops, met with immediate opposition, especially from Jansenists and some of his former associates. John founded several seminaries in Normandy, but was unable to get approval from Rome (partly, it was said, because he did not use the most tactful approach). In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life. Temporary shelters were found but arrangements were not satisfactory. A certain Madeleine Lamy, who had cared for several of the women, one day said to him, "Where are you off to now? To some church, I suppose, where you'll gaze at the images and think yourself pious. And all the time what is really wanted of you is a decent house for these poor creatures." The words, and the laughter of those present, struck deeply within him. The result was another new religious community, called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge. He is probably best known for the central theme of his writings: Jesus as the source of holiness, Mary as the model of the Christian life. His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He was also the author of several books which served his work, e.g., The Ideal Confessor and The Apostolic Preacher. He died at the age of seventy-nine. PATRON: Fallen Women and Prostitutes. PRAYER: O God, who wonderfully chose the Priest Saint John Eudes to proclaim the unfathomable riches of Christ, grant us, by his example and teachings, that, growing in knowledge of you, we may live faithfully by the light of the Gospel. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Another saint who was a whirlwind of incredible Apostolic activity. I wonder how many of them found time to sleep at night! When at the Last Judgement the question is asked about the things they did on Earth their hands will be loaded. He did so very,very much.
