Pier Giorgio Frassati, born in 1901 in Turin, Italy, was a devout Catholic known for his deep love for the poor, his joy, and his dedication to justice and holiness. Raised in a wealthy but spiritually divided family, Pier Giorgio embraced a life of prayer, service, and social action. A student of engineering, he intended to serve Christ among miners. He was active in Catholic organizations, promoted Eucharistic devotion, and gave generously to those in need. Despite his hidden acts of charity, he was beloved by many. He died in 1925 at age 24 from polio, contracted while helping the sick. St. Pier Giorgio Frassati Time Period: 1901-1925 Feast Day: July 4 Title/Attributes: Confessor, Dominican Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Piece of Linen Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin on April 6, Holy Saturday, 1901, to Alfredo, founder of the daily newspaper “La Stampa” in 1895, and Adelaide Ametis. His mother stands out for her strong character and artistic temperament. A year later the Frassatis will give Pier Giorgio a sister, Luciana, who will become his inseparable playmate and study companion. The Frassati family can be considered to belong to the local upper middle class and is culturally liberal in feeling, with the agnostic father and the mother a formal believer: from her Pier Giorgio receives the first rudiments of Catholicism, while faith, instead, will mature in him in an unexpected way, becoming the very foundation of his life. He received his scholastic education at the public school “Massimo d'Azeglio” and then, the “Istituto Sociale” of the Jesuits. The contact with Ignatian spirituality and the formation imparted led the young Pier Giorgio to take Communion every day, and subsequently to enter the Conferences of St. Vincent. Although he came from a bourgeois family, as a young man he chose to be close to the needy by becoming the “porter” of the poor, dragging carts loaded with household goods of the evicted through the streets of Turin. As a member of the Conference of St. Vincent he visited the neediest families to whom he offered comfort and tangible help. His deep faith is nourished by daily Eucharist, prayer, frequent confession. He is in love with the Word of God: in his time it is reading reserved in fact for consecrated people, but he obtains the texts to read them personally. Trusting completely in the words of Jesus, he sees the presence of God in his neighbor, he considers himself "poor like all the poor": he is generous with words and gestures of fraternal charity, both alone and in the organized form of the Conferences of Saint Vincent, in the streets of Turin, in the poor neighborhoods, at Cottolengo. In 1918 he enrolled in Mechanical Engineering (with a specialization in mining) to be able to dedicate himself to Christ among the miners, who were among the humblest and least qualified workers. In 1919 he joined the FUCI (Italian Catholic University Federation). He joined Catholic Action by participating in the Milites Mariae circle , adopting the PAS motto “Prayer, Action and Study”. In the strong tensions of the first post-war period, he was involved in a social apostolate, which also saw him present in factories. Convinced of the need for social reforms, in 1920 he joined the Italian Popular Party, which he considered a useful tool for creating a more just society. In the same period, his father was appointed Ambassador to Germany. In Berlin, Pier Giorgio visited the poorest neighborhoods and came into contact with the circles of young German Catholic students and workers. In September 1921 in Rome, during a large demonstration of the Catholic Youth, he defended the flag of his circle from the assault of the Royal Guards, being arrested. The writings of Saint Catherine of Siena and the fiery speeches of Savonarola encouraged him to enter the Third Dominican Order in 1922, taking the name of Brother Girolamo. As a fervent disciple of Saint Dominic, he recited the Rosary every day, declaring that “I always carry my will – showing the rosary – in my pocket”. He is a member of numerous ecclesial associations, into which he pours the many interests of his ardent Christian life. His days were therefore divided between prayer, helping the needy, studying and friends. After his death, his parents learned from their son's friends, and from those who had received his help, the lifestyle of this boy who ran through the streets of Turin, always on foot because he offered the money for the tram in alms, to buy medicine for the sick, even donating his clothes for those who did not have them. His parents often scolded him because he always arrived late, being unaware of their son's charitable life. The young Pier Giorgio had also thought about priestly consecration but chose to live his vocation to holiness in the lay state because this lifestyle allowed him to share up close the world of workers and the poor through personal social action. He is passionate about mountains and sports, and joins the Italian Alpine Club and the Giovane Montagna association. He often organizes trips with friends (the Società dei Tipi Loschi) that become occasions for apostolate. He goes to the theater, the opera, visits museums, loves painting and music, knows entire passages of Dante by heart. He is always attentive, however, to the needs of others, especially the poor and the sick, to whom he gives time, energy, and his very life. Almost at the finish line of his degree, with two exams to go, he died of fulminant polio, probably contracted while assisting the poor. The first symptoms, migraine, loss of appetite and fever, appeared on June 30. He died in Turin on Saturday, July 4, 1925. Two days later, the overflowing crowd at the funeral began to reveal to his family and the world the greatness of his Christian testimony. Thus began, starting from this great fama sanctitatis, the path that would lead to his beatification, presided over by the Holy Father Saint John Paul II, in a Saint Peter's Square packed with the faithful. https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/pier-giorgio-frassati.html Next Item Previous Item

St. John Bosco, also called Don Bosco, was a tireless priest and founder of the Salesians, devoted to the care and education of poor and neglected youth. Born in Becchi, Italy, in 1815, he was ordained in 1841 and began his ministry in Turin. There, he gathered young people for prayer, classes, and vocational training, and later opened a boarding house and workshops. He was also the mentor of St. Dominic Savio. Under the patronage of Our Lady Help of Christians and St. Francis de Sales, he founded the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. St. John Bosco Time Period: 1815-1888 Feast Day: January 31 Title/Attributes: Confessor, Founder Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Bones St. John Bosco, also known as Don Bosco, was a great priest and founder of the Salesians. He was the mentor of St. Dominic Savio. John Bosco was born in Becchi, Piedmont, Italy, and he began his studies for the priesthood at the age of sixteen. He was then ordained in 1841 at the age of twenty-six. John Bosco was sent to the Valdocco suburb of Turin, where he attracted hundreds of young people to his chapel services and evening classes. He also reopened a boarding house for apprentices, and workshops for to teach useful trades. In order to further the work that he had placed under the patronage of Our Lady Help of Christians and St. Francis de Sales, he laid the foundation for the Society of St. Francis de Sales, the Salesians. This was followed by a similar congregation for women, the Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians (the Daughters of Mary Auxiliatrix). By the time of his death, the congregation had nearly a thousand priests and nine hundred sisters. His long labors were characterized by boundless patience and in the face of bitter opposition from the local Church and government officials. Pope Pius XI declared: “In his life the supernatural almost became natural and the extraordinary, ordinary.” Pius XI canonized him in 1934. Next Item Previous Item

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was the first native-born saint of the United States of America. Born in New York in 1774, she experienced immense loss at a young age. Widowed and despairing, she encountered Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and converted to Catholicism in 1805. A pillar in the foundation of the American Catholic Church, she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph – the first community for religious women in the United States. She changed the world through true abandonment to the will of God, and a passionate love for the Blessed Sacrament. Her feast day is January 4th. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Time Period: 1774-1821 Feast Day: January 4 Title/Attributes: Widow, Mother, Foundress Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, a pillar in the foundation of the American Catholic Church, led a life that was not far removed from yours or mine. She didn’t have any heavenly visions, she didn’t levitate when she prayed, nor did she preach to the far ends of the Earth. Instead, she focused on two important and accessible devotions that would change her life and change the world: true abandonment to the will of God, and a passionate love for the Blessed Sacrament. Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City on August 28, 1774, she was born into a wealthy Episcopalian family just two years before the Declaration of Independence. Her mother, Catherine Charlton Bayley, would pass away in 1777, when Elizabeth was only three years old, and her baby sister died the following year. This early experience of sorrow and suffering led her to grow deeply attached to her father. Raised a staunch Episcopalian, she learned from him the value of prayer at a young age, and the Scriptures became a mainstay for young Elizabeth, who quickly became a prolific reader and would turn to the Bible as a source of instruction, support, and comfort. By the age of 19, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton on January 25, 1794 and they moved into an upscale house on Wall Street. William, Elizabeth and their five children were involved at the Trinity Episcopal Church, and Elizabeth started volunteering in the social ministry, caring for the sick and dying around New York City, eventually becoming a charter member of The Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children, founded in 1797. The Setons faced financial hardship and tormented by the crushing weight and worry of debt, William’s health began to decline. He had suffered from tuberculosis for most of their married life, and now the stresses of life had worsened his condition. In the midst of all the loss and suffering, she turned to her spiritual life as a source of inspiration, accepting the hardships as they came, and surrendering to the will of God. She wrote a letter in May of 1802 that her soul was “sensibly convinced of an entire surrender of itself and all its faculties to God.” Furthermore, amidst the troubles she faced, she wrote, “Troubles always create a great exertion of my mind, and give it a force to which at other times it is incapable… I think the greatest happiness of this life is to be released from the cares of what is called the world.” In 1803, a doctor suggested a trip to Italy in hopes the warmer climate would bolster William’s health. Elizabeth, along with Anna Maria, their eldest daughter, set sail for Italy to visit their friends, the Felicchi family. When the family arrived in the port their plans were derailed, as they were immediately placed in quarantine for a month as authorities were concerned about the transmission of yellow fever from New York. The three were placed in a stone tower located outside the city. The three were released from the tower on December 19th. William would pass away only eight days later, dying on December 27, 1803. Widowed and despairing, Elizabeth and her daughter were received by the Filicchi family, friends and business partners of her late husband. While waiting to return to America, Elizabeth began to attend the churches of her Italian friends, and she was captivated by the Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Impressed by her kindness, patience, and newly-developed interest in Catholicism, her Italian friends guided her in Catholic instruction. While she struggled with indecision about converting, she was riveted by the true presence, and eventually the truth was too great to ignore. She returned to New York City, asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to guide her to the truth, and on March 14, 1805, she entered the Roman Catholic Church. Elizabeth met a visiting priest, who was in the process of establishing the first Catholic seminary in the United States, and saw Elizabeth’s need, as well as a spark. He suggested she start a school in order to support her family. Around 1808, Elizabeth left New York and traveled to Emmitsburg, Maryland in order to start a school, which would become the Saint Joseph’s Academy and Free School, the first free Catholic school in America. She was joined in Maryland by her daughters, her sisters-in-law (Cecelia Seton, one of her sisters-in-law, had also became a Roman Catholic), and a handful of young women who also saw Elizabeth’s spark, and desired to follow her. The plans for a Sisterhood were fully underway. In March of 1809, Elizabeth Seton pronounced her vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience before Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore. From that moment on, she was known as Mother Seton, and given some property in Emmitsburg, for which she used to found the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph’s, the first community for religious women in the United States. By 1811, the women had received the ecclesiastical authority needed to become an official religious order, and Mother Seton adopted the rules of the Daughters of Charity, which had been founded in France by St. Vincent de Paul. Buildings sprung up quickly in a flurry of activity, in order to accommodate the sisters, create a novitiate program, found a boarding school, an orphan asylum, and much more. The remainder of Mother Seton’s life was spent leading and developing the congregation. She suffered greatly from the pain of tuberculosis over the course of her last three years of life, but felt peace in the knowledge that God was getting ready to call her home. On January 4, 1821, she began the prayers of the dying herself, and passed away later that night. She was 46 years old. She became the first native-born saint of the United States of America. Next Item Previous Item

St. Raymond of Peñafort was a Dominican friar, canon lawyer, and advisor to popes and saints. Born near Barcelona, Spain, he taught and studied law in both Barcelona and Bologna. After joining the Dominicans in 1222, he authored Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae, a guide for confessors. Called to Rome by Pope Gregory IX, he compiled a definitive collection of Church law, published in the bull Rex Pacificus. Declining higher offices, Raymond returned to Spain, promoted missionary efforts among Jews and Muslims, and inspired St. Thomas Aquinas to write Summa Contra Gentiles. He died in 1275, known for wisdom, holiness, and reform. St. Raymond of Peñafort Time Period: 1175-1275 Feast Day: January 7 Title/Attributes: Confessor, Dominican Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Clothing St. Raymond of Peñafort was a Dominican Friar, Canonist, and associate of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was born near Barcelona, Spain. He studied and taught at Barcelona for fifteen years. He then journeyed to Bologna, Italy, where he completed his studies in Canon Law and held a chair at the University from 1218-1221. At the request of the Bishop of Barcelona, he returned home and served as a Canon Lawyer. In 1222, he entered the Dominicans at Barcelona, authoring for the order the influential manual on Canon Law for confessors, the Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae. He then served as a theologian for Cardinal Abbeville until summoned to Rome in 1229 by Pope Gregory IX. Named chaplain and grand penitentiary, he was commanded by the pope to collect and organize the massive body of papal decretals that had accumulated during the previous years. The fruit of his work was the papal bull Rex Pacificus (1234) and the papal declaration that only Raymond's collection should be considered authoritative. Offered the see of Tarragona, Raymond declined and chose simply to return home to Spain. Elected general of the Dominicans, he brought reforms to the constitution before retiring in 1240. From the time he stepped down, Raymond gave himself to the cause of converting Muslims and Jews and so organized a school of Arabic and Hebrew studies. The renowned theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, at the suggestion of Raymond, wrote the Summa Contra Gentiles to assist missionaries in their efforts among non-Christians. Next Item Previous Item

Founder of the Minor Clerks Regular with St. John Augustine Adorno. He was born in 1563, a member of a noble Neapolitan family. Though he had a rare skin disease, much like leprosy, Francis became a priest, at which time his skin disease disappeared. In 1588, he co-founded the Minor Clerks Regular and spent the rest of his life as the superior. He was canonized in 1807. His feast day is June 4. Born on October 13, 1563, in Villa Santa Maria, Italy, St. Francis Caracciolo, from a noble family, developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary early in life. After surviving a severe illness at 22, he renounced earthly wealth and became a priest, serving the sick and prisoners. He co-founded the Clerics Regular Minor in 1588 with St. John Augustine Adorno. He is known as the "Hunter of Souls" and "Father of the Poor," he dedicated his life to the poor, fasting, and promoting Eucharistic devotion. St. Francis Caracciolo Time Period: 1563-1608 Feast Day: June 4 Title/Attributes: Confessor, Founder Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones He was born on October 13, 1563 in Villa Santa Maria (Chieti), into the noble and wealthy Caracciolo family. His love for Jesus, bread of life, which was born very early, like his vocation, when he still lived with his noble and rich family in Villa Santa Maria. No less is the love he felt for the Madonna, honored by wearing the habit of Carmine since he was a child and then by reciting the rosary and fasting every Saturday. At 22 he is struck by a bad form of elephantiasis that disfigures his entire body. So he vows to forever renounce earthly riches in exchange for healing. He is listened to. Two years later he was ordained a priest and was noted for some alleged healings among the sick in the hospitals where he exercised his ministry, as well as in prisons. Among the last. Always. Therefore, he asked to join the Company of the Whites that in Naples served among those condemned to death and convicts at the hospice of the Incurables. It was 1588. One day he receives a letter from a Genoese nobleman, Don Agostino Adorno, and from the abbot of Santa Maria Maggiore in Naples, Fabrizio Caracciolo. In reality, it is addressed to a religious man of the same name who is part of his own congregation, but it is delivered to him, who welcomes it as a sign of Providence. It is due to this misunderstanding that together with the two aforementioned people Ascanio meets at the Camaldolese and writes the constitution of a new institute of which he is co-founder. It was he who proposed to add to the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, a fourth vow that committed one to refuse any ecclesiastical office. When the new institute was recognized, Ascanio changed his name to Francesco. In 1589 Francis went to Spain with Adorno, who wanted to expand the new institute there. The trip, however, was a failure: after a year they returned home, Francis was ill, Adorno died. In 1591 Francis was elected perpetual general provost, a position he had to accept in order to fulfill the vow of obedience, but he did not change his way of living penance, fasting, or even his habit of doing the most humble jobs. He returned to Spain three years later, but in Madrid King Philip II threatened to close the Hospital of the Italians where he was in charge of the care and assistance of the sick. Only in 1601, elected master of novices, did he succeed in founding a house in Valladolid, demonstrating a great capacity for discernment among the young people, predicting to some a vocation to religious life, to others even apostasy. In 1607 he was finally released from all office and to dedicate himself only to prayer. “Hunter of souls”, “father of the poor”, but also “the man of bronze”: these are the three nicknames by which Francis was known, which perfectly reflect the three faces of his ministry. He never stops visiting the sick and assisting the dying: in the hospital he dedicates himself with great energy to the most humble tasks such as making beds, cleaning rooms, mending the clothes of the sick. He is always ready to collect alms to provide for the education of girls, he brings everything he has to the poor, literally taking the bread from his mouth, often fasting, and donating the clothes that all the brothers discard. He is also tireless in hearing confessions, in teaching catechism to children, in organizing works of charity and in preaching eternal truths to the faithful. If he wants the best for others, for himself he wants nothing: Francis always chooses the narrowest rooms, sleeps and eats very little, and also does penance, even wearing a cilice on feast days and on long journeys on foot. But above all he promotes the cult of the Eucharist, establishing that the students of the Order take turns in the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He never tires of urging other priests to do this, exposing the Blessed Sacrament every first Sunday of the month. Having made a pilgrimage to the Holy House of Loreto, he was born into heaven here on June 4, 1608 after invoking Saints Michael, Joseph and Francis of Assisi. He was canonized by Pius VII in 1807. https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/francesco-caracciolo.html Next Item Previous Item

St. Cecilia, a noble Roman virgin, was forced to marry a pagan named Valerianus, who later converted and respected her vow of virginity. He and his brother Tiburtius were martyred for burying fellow Christians. As Cecilia was trying to bury her husband and his brother, she was then arrested and sentenced to death. Surviving an attempt to behead her, she suffered in prayer for three days, symbolizing the Trinity with her fingers. Cecilia's unwavering faith and final silent witness inspired devotion. As patroness of musicians, she is honored for singing to God in her heart amid worldly music on her wedding night. St. Cecilia Time Period: 180-230 Feast Day: November 22 Title/Attributes: Virgin, Martyr Location of Relic: Main Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Cecilia is one of the most famous virgin martyrs. She was a member of a patrician family, married against her will to a pagan noble named Valerianus. Valerianus was convinced to respect Cecilia’s virginity and later became a Christian. Valerianus and Tiburtius (Cecilia’s brother) were arrested for burying the bodies of martyrs. As punishment for their crimes, they were beheaded at Pagus Tropius, near Rome, with Maximus. Cecilia then tried to bury her husband, her brother, and Maximus after their martyrdom. Cecilia was arrested and tried by Almachius, the prefect, who condemned her to death. Cecilia was to be smothered to death, but when this was miraculously prevented. An experienced executioner was then sent to behead St Cecilia, but due to a loss of courage at having to kill Cecilia, he failed to sever her head with the three blows required by law. He ultimately fled, leaving the Saint on the pavement of her bath, alive and fully conscious, with her head half severed. Cecilia was lying on her right side, her hands crossed in prayer before her. She turned her face to the floor and remained praying in that position for three days and nights. The position of her fingers, three extended on her right hand and one on the left, were her final silent profession of faith in the Holy Trinity. Cecilia is patroness of musicians and societies bearing her name were founded to promote church music. This patronage is attributed to the legend that on her wedding night Cecilia did not hear the secular music but sang to the Lord in her own heart. Saint names in Eucharistic Prayer I The first list begins with Mary and Joseph and then the blessed Apostles and Martyrs, including Peter, Paul, Andrew (Peter's brother), James (James the Greater: the brother of John), John, Thomas, James (James the Lesser: the son of Alpheus), Matthew, Bartholomew, Simon (Simon the Zealot), and Jude (also called Thaddeus). The First List of Saint Names Continuing this first list of saints in Eucharistic Prayer I, as Charles Belmonte notes, Five popes head the list: St. Peter's first three successors, Linus, Cletus, Clement; then two popes of the third century, Sixtus II and Cornelius; Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, the intrepid defender of Catholic unity; the deacon Lawrence, who when his persecutor demanded from him the treasures of the Church, showed him hundreds of poor people; Chrysogonus, a Roman priest who carried out the holy work of comforting the Christians who were in prison; two brothers, John and Paul, both officers of the [Roman] imperial palace, who were put to death under [the emperor] Julian the Apostate; and lastly, Cosmas and Damian, two Oriental physicians who gave their aid freely, and at whose graves there occurred yet more cures than they had effected in their lives (Understanding the Mass, p. 158). The Second List of Saint Names As for the second list of saints in Eucharistic Prayer I, we ask for some share in the fellowship of several saints who were martyrs. Belmonte continues, It mentions, in the first place, John (here obviously St. John the Baptist), and then seven men, followed by seven women, all martyrs. Stephen is the first deacon, whose glorious martyrdom is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles (6:8-7:60). Two apostles come next: Matthias, elected to take the place of Judas (Acts 1:15-16) and probably left out of the first list so as not to exceed the number of twelve, and Barnabas, St. Paul's companion in his first missionary journey. Ignatius is the famous bishop of Antioch, sentenced to be fed to the wild beasts in Rome under [emperor] Trajano. Besides their names and the place of their martyrdom, little else is known of Alexander, the priest Marcellinus, and the exorcist Peter, who were all put to death in the great persecution of [emperor] Diocletian. The list continues with the names of the two young girls, Felicity and Perpetua (their names form the expression everlasting happiness), who confessed their faith at Carthage [in North Africa]; and of Agatha and Lucy in Sicily. It concludes with the names of two young martyrs beloved by the Romans, Agnes and Cecelia; and of Anastasia, martyred at Sirmium and later honored in Rome (Understanding the Mass, pp. 159-160). All these saints are important because they were among the many early witnesses to Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. These are our spiritual fathers, our older brothers and sisters in Christ, who showed us that our faith was worth living and dying for. They showed us that, strengthened by the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, they could overcome any persecutions and sufferings, even to the point of being killed. These saints give us great hope, and their prayers for us give us confidence that we, too, can live out the faith as they did, that we can live our life in Christ every day and look forward to the glory of heaven! https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/post/do-this-in-remembrance-of-me-part-55-saint-names-epi Next Item Previous Item

St. John Berchmans was a Jesuit priest, confessor, and patron saint of altar servers. The eldest son of a shoemaker, John was born in Diest, Belgium, and entered the newly founded Jesuit college at Malines, in 1615. In 1618, he was sent to Rome and became known for his intense holiness. He died at the age of twenty-two after displaying heroic fidelity as a religious. Many miracles were reported after his death, and he was canonized in 1888. St. John Berchmans Time Period: 1599-1621 Feast Day: August 13 Title/Attributes: Confessor, Jesuit Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Left Section Type of Relic: Piece of Cassock (Clothing) St. John Berchmans was a Jesuit priest, confessor, and patron saint of altar servers. The eldest son of a shoemaker, John was born in Diest, Brabant, and entered the newly founded Jesuit college at Malines, in 1615. In 1618, he was sent to Rome and became known for his intense holiness. He died at the age of twenty-two after displaying heroic fidelity as a religious. Many miracles were reported after his death, and he was canonized in 1888. Next Item Previous Item

Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, born on June 2, 1835, in Riese, became Pope Pius X (258th Pope). His journey from parish priest to pope was marked by deep pastoral concern. He focused on reforming the Church, modernizing Canon Law, and advancing the age of First Communion. He is known for opposing modernism, promoting catechesis through his famous Catechism, and renewing the liturgy, especially Gregorian chant. His papal motto was "Instaurare omnia in Christo" (Renew all things in Christ). Pius X lived a humble, charitable life and left a lasting impact on the Catholic Church. St. Pius X Time Period: 1835-1914 Feast Day: August 21 Title/Attributes: Pope, Confessor Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto was born in Riese, in the diocese of Treviso, on 2 June 1835, the second of 10 children. When his father died, he could have taken his job at the Town Hall - he was 17 - but his mother helped him follow his vocation, working day and night to make ends meet. A love and a determination that Giuseppe Sarto must not have forgotten. He loved to study, enjoyed excellent health, was good-natured and tenacious at the same time, and his life was full of charitable works. He was chaplain, parish priest, spiritual director of the Seminary, then bishop of Mantua, Patriarch of Venice and finally elected Pope. His first act was to abolish the "lay veto", a kind of right claimed by some European monarchies, with the Constitution Commissum nobis. The Catechism that bears his name, adopted in Italy, is very well known, with its particular structure of “questions and answers”. It was designed specifically for simple people in a society in which culture had not yet permeated all social classes. Pius X’s concern was precisely to spread catechesis among Christians as much as possible. Among the most notable features of his Pontificate, the opposition to modernism and anti-Christian laws in France, the beginning of the reform of Canon Law, the reform of the Roman Curia, the advancement of the age of first communion to around 7 years. And again in Italy, the loosening of the restrictions of the Non expedit of Pius IX, that is, the prohibition for Italian Catholics to participate in political life. He also favored the renewal of the Liturgy, the Biblical movement, gave Gregorian chant pre-eminence. At the heart, participation in the Eucharist. This is just to give a few brush strokes given the wealth of interventions of his Pontificate. Among the curiosities is the revocation ordered by Pius X of the ecclesiastical sanctions foreseen for those who practiced the Tango dance: after having seen a performance he said, in dialect, that he preferred "the dance of the furlana" but that he did not see what great sins there were in this new dance. A Papacy, therefore, certainly very “active”, varied, so much so that his great friend, and Secretary of State during his Pontificate, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, not by chance underlined that this enormous work was mainly due to his personal initiative, also highlighting his “goodness” that “no one would be capable of questioning”. At the heart of his life and his Magisterium, the pastoral concern in a society where the crisis of Faith was increasingly felt. An intent sealed by the motto chosen for his Pontificate: Instaurare omnia in Christo, taken from the Letter to the Ephesians. He wanted to live as a poor man: “born poor, lived poor and sure of dying very poor”, he left written in his will. Next Item Previous Item

Saint Katharine Drexel, a beacon of social justice and religious devotion, was born in Philadelphia, PA, into a wealthy family in 1858. Despite her privileged upbringing, she was deeply moved by the plight of Native Americans and African Americans. Katharine dedicated her life to uplifting the marginalized, using her fortune to establish schools and missions across the United States. In 1891, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious order committed to promoting racial harmony and educational opportunities for minority communities. Her tireless advocacy and commitment to equality earned her recognition as a saint, leaving an indelible legacy of compassion and inclusivity for future generations. Her feast day is March 3rd. St. Katharine Drexel Time Period: 1858-1955 Feast Day: March 3 Title/Attributes: Foundress Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Piece of Clothing Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on November 26, 1858, Katharine Drexel was the second daughter of Francis Anthony Drexel and Hannah Langstroth Drexel. Her father was a famous banker and philanthropist. Both parents instilled in their daughters the idea that wealth was lent to them and should therefore be shared with others. During a family trip to the western United States, Katharine, as a young woman, noticed the abject and degrading state of the Native Americans. It was this experience that awakened a desire to do something specific to alleviate their plight. This marked the beginning of a lifelong personal and financial commitment to supporting numerous missions and missionaries in the United States. The first school she founded was St. Catherine's, in Santa Fe, New Mexico (1887) for the Indians. Later, during an audience in Rome with Pope Leo XIII, when Katharine was asking for missionaries for some Indian missions she was funding, to her surprise the Pope suggested that she become a missionary herself. After consulting with her spiritual director, Bishop James O'Connor, she made the decision to give herself and her inheritance totally to God through a commitment to service to Indians and African Americans. Her wealth now became the poverty of spirit that was for her a reality lived constantly in a life in which there was the bare minimum for her sustenance. On February 12, 1891, she made her first religious profession, founding the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, whose purpose was to spread the evangelical message and the Eucharistic life among the Indians and African-Americans. A woman of intense prayer, Katharine always found in the Eucharist the source of her love for the poor and oppressed and her anxiety to combat the effects of racism. Aware that many African-Americans were far from free, still living in substandard conditions, either as sharecroppers or as insufficiently paid domestic servants; aware also that they were denied both the education and the constitutional rights that others enjoyed; moved by a deep compassion, she felt the urgency and the need to do her utmost to change the mentality and racial attitudes in the United States. Plantations were a dead-end social institution at the time, and African Americans continued to be oppressed. This was a deep pain to Katharine's sense of justice. The need to provide black people with a quality education was becoming increasingly important to her, and she discussed this pressing need with others who shared her concern about the inequality that existed for African Americans: in the cities, they were unable to receive a good education, while in the rural South, there were even legal restrictions that prevented them from obtaining a basic education. Establishing schools and creating good teaching staff for all, Indians and African-Americans, throughout the United States thus became a top priority for Katharine and her congregation. During her lifetime she opened, staffed, and directly financed about 60 schools and missions, mostly in the western and southwestern United States. The pinnacle of her educational efforts was the establishment in 1925 of Xavier University in Louisiana, the only institution of higher learning in the United States primarily for black Catholics. Religious education, social service, and visits to families, hospitals, and prisons were part of the ministry of Katharine and her sisters. In a very calm and serene manner, Katharine harmonized prayer and total dependence on Divine Providence with a very marked activity. Her joyful incisiveness in tune with the Holy Spirit, overcame barriers and facilitated her progress on the paths of social justice. Through the prophetic witness of Katharine Drexel, the Church in the United States gradually became aware of the grave need for a direct apostolate in favor of the Indians and African-Americans. She never hesitated to raise her voice against injustice and took a clear public position whenever there was evidence of racial discrimination. During the last 18 years of her life, Katharine Drexel was reduced by a serious illness to a state of almost complete immobility. During this time she gave herself entirely to a life of adoration and contemplation as she had desired from her early years. She died on March 3, 1955. https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/katharine-drexel.html Next Item Previous Item

St. Helen (Helena), mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, was born in Bithynia to a humble background and married the future emperor Constantius I Chlorus. After giving birth to Constantine in 285, she was later divorced for political reasons. When Constantine became emperor, Helen was honored with the title Augusta (Empress) in 325. A convert to Christianity, she became known for her charitable works and church-building efforts. Her most famous act was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she discovered the True Cross of Christ. She also commissioned basilicas in Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives, leaving a lasting spiritual legacy. St. Helen Time Period: 248-330 Feast Day: August 18 Title/Attributes: Empress, Mother of Constantine Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Helen (Helena) was the Empress and mother of Constantine the Great (r. 306-337). Helen was born in Bithynia to a poor family of little social status. She was a working as a servant, in fact, when she met the soldier Constantius I Chlorus. The two were soon married, especially as Constantius had seemingly few prospects, and so a union with a lowly daughter of a Bithynian family was not considered an impediment. Their son, Constantine, was born in 285. In 293, however, Constantius was made Caesar, or junior emperor. For political purposes, he divorced Helen to marry co-Emperor Maximian’s stepdaughter. Constantine became emperor himself in 312 after a fateful victory at the battle of the Milvian Bridge over the rival claimant Maxentius. When Constantine became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, Helen was granted many honors. She was named Augusta, or empress, in 325, and enjoyed much influence at the imperial court. Helen converted to Christianity and performed many acts of charity, including building churches in Rome and in the Holy Land. Helen is most notably known for seeking and finding the passion relics of Christ. She went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and discovered the True Cross, an event recorded Rufinus Sulpicius Severus and St. Ambrose. Helen also built basilicas in Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives. Next Item Previous Item