St. Catherine of Siena was a Dominican tertiary, mystic, and lived during a time of great upheaval in the Church. Devoted to prayer, penance, and service, she guided people from all walks of life, including Pope Gregory XI, whom she urged to return the papacy to Rome. A passionate reformer and peace-seeker, she traveled widely and wrote powerful theological works like The Dialogue of Divine Providence. Catherine experienced mystical visions, spiritual motherhood, and the gift of tears. Declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970, she remains a profound witness to love for Christ and the Church. St. Catherine of Siena Time Period: 1347-1380 Feast Day: April 29 Title/Attributes: Virgin, Doctor of the Church, Dominican Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Shroud which held her remains Pope Benedict XVI’s General Audience on November 24, 2010: Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to talk to you about a woman who played an eminent role in the history of the Church: St Catherine of Siena. The century in which she lived — the 14th — was a troubled period in the life of the Church and throughout the social context of Italy and Europe. Yet, even in the most difficult times, the Lord does not cease to bless his People, bringing forth Saints who give a jolt to minds and hearts, provoking conversion and renewal. Catherine is one of these and still today speaks to us and impels us to walk courageously toward holiness to be ever more fully disciples of the Lord. Born in Siena in 1347, into a very large family, she died in Rome in 1380. When Catherine was 16 years old, motivated by a vision of St Dominic, she entered the Third Order of the Dominicans, the female branch known as the Mantellate. While living at home, she confirmed her vow of virginity made privately when she was still an adolescent and dedicated herself to prayer, penance and works of charity, especially for the benefit of the sick. When the fame of her holiness spread, she became the protagonist of an intense activity of spiritual guidance for people from every walk of life: nobles and politicians, artists and ordinary people, consecrated men and women and religious, including Pope Gregory xi who was living at Avignon in that period and whom she energetically and effectively urged to return to Rome. She travelled widely to press for the internal reform of the Church and to foster peace among the States. It was also for this reason that Venerable Pope John Paul ii chose to declare her Co-Patroness of Europe: may the Old Continent never forget the Christian roots that are at the origin of its progress and continue to draw from the Gospel the fundamental values that assure justice and harmony. Like many of the Saints, Catherine knew great suffering. Some even thought that they should not trust her, to the point that in 1374, six years before her death, the General Chapter of the Dominicans summoned her to Florence to interrogate her. They appointed Raymund of Capua, a learned and humble Friar and a future Master General of the Order, as her spiritual guide. Having become her confessor and also her “spiritual son”, he wrote a first complete biography of the Saint. She was canonized in 1461. The teaching of Catherine, who learned to read with difficulty and learned to write in adulthood, is contained in the Dialogue of Divine Providence or Libro della Divina Dottrina, a masterpiece of spiritual literature, in her Epistolario and in the collection of her Prayers. Her teaching is endowed with such excellence that in 1970 the Servant of God Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church, a title that was added to those of Co-Patroness of the City of Rome — at the wish of Bl. Pius ix — and of Patroness of Italy — in accordance with the decision of Venerable Pius XII. In a vision that was ever present in Catherine's heart and mind Our Lady presented her to Jesus who gave her a splendid ring, saying to her: “I, your Creator and Saviour, espouse you in the faith, that you will keep ever pure until you celebrate your eternal nuptials with me in Heaven” (Bl. Raimondo da Capua, S. Caterina da Siena, Legenda maior, n. 115, Siena 1998). This ring was visible to her alone. In this extraordinary episode we see the vital centre of Catherine’s religious sense, and of all authentic spirituality: Christocentrism. For her Christ was like the spouse with whom a relationship of intimacy, communion and faithfulness exists; he was the best beloved whom she loved above any other good. This profound union with the Lord is illustrated by another episode in the life of this outstanding mystic: the exchange of hearts. According to Raymond of Capua who passed on the confidences Catherine received, the Lord Jesus appeared to her “holding in his holy hands a human heart, bright red and shining”. He opened her side and put the heart within her saying: “Dearest daughter, as I took your heart away from you the other day, now, you see, I am giving you mine, so that you can go on living with it for ever” (ibid.). Catherine truly lived St. Paul’s words, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Like the Sienese Saint, every believer feels the need to be conformed with the sentiments of the heart of Christ to love God and his neighbour as Christ himself loves. And we can all let our hearts be transformed and learn to love like Christ in a familiarity with him that is nourished by prayer, by meditation on the Word of God and by the sacraments, above all by receiving Holy Communion frequently and with devotion. Catherine also belongs to the throng of Saints devoted to the Eucharist with which I concluded my Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (cf. n. 94). Dear brothers and sisters, the Eucharist is an extraordinary gift of love that God continually renews to nourish our journey of faith, to strengthen our hope and to inflame our charity, to make us more and more like him. A true and authentic spiritual family was built up around such a strong and genuine personality; people fascinated by the moral authority of this young woman with a most exalted lifestyle were at times also impressed by the mystical phenomena they witnessed, such as her frequent ecstasies. Many put themselves at Catherine’s service and above all considered it a privilege to receive spiritual guidance from her. They called her “mother” because, as her spiritual children, they drew spiritual nourishment from her. Today too the Church receives great benefit from the exercise of spiritual motherhood by so many women, lay and consecrated, who nourish souls with thoughts of God, who strengthen the people’s faith and direct Christian life towards ever loftier peaks. “Son, I say to you and call you”, Catherine wrote to one of her spiritual sons, Giovanni Sabbatini, a Carthusian, “inasmuch as I give birth to you in continuous prayers and desire in the presence of God, just as a mother gives birth to a son” (Epistolario, Lettera n. 141: To Fr Giovanni de’ Sabbatini). She would usually address the Dominican Fr Bartolomeo de Dominici with these words: “Most beloved and very dear brother and son in Christ sweet Jesus”. Another trait of Catherine’s spirituality is linked to the gift of tears. They express an exquisite, profound sensitivity, a capacity for being moved and for tenderness. Many Saints have had the gift of tears, renewing the emotion of Jesus himself who did not hold back or hide his tears at the tomb of his friend Lazarus and at the grief of Mary and Martha or at the sight of Jerusalem during his last days on this earth. According to Catherine, the tears of Saints are mingled with the blood of Christ, of which she spoke in vibrant tones and with symbolic images that were very effective: “Remember Christ crucified, God and man….. Make your aim the Crucified Christ, hide in the wounds of the Crucified Christ and drown in the blood of the Crucified Christ” (Epistolario, Lettera n. 21: Ad uno il cui nome si tace [to one who remains anonymous]). Here we can understand why, despite her awareness of the human shortcomings of priests, Catherine always felt very great reverence for them: through the sacraments and the word they dispense the saving power of Christ’s Blood. The Sienese Saint always invited the sacred ministers, including the Pope whom she called “sweet Christ on earth”, to be faithful to their responsibilities, motivated always and only by her profound and constant love of the Church. She said before she died: “in leaving my body, truly I have consumed and given my life in the Church and for the Holy Church, which is for me a most unique grace” (Raimondo da Capua, S. Caterina da Siena, Legenda maior, n. 363). Hence we learn from St Catherine the most sublime science: to know and love Jesus Christ and his Church. In the Dialogue of Divine Providence, she describes Christ, with an unusual image, as a bridge flung between Heaven and earth. This bridge consists of three great stairways constituted by the feet, the side and the mouth of Jesus. Rising by these stairways the soul passes through the three stages of every path to sanctification: detachment from sin, the practice of the virtues and of love, sweet and loving union with God. Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn from St Catherine to love Christ and the Church with courage, intensely and sincerely. Therefore let us make our own St Catherine’s words that we read in the Dialogue of Divine Providence at the end of the chapter that speaks of Christ as a bridge: “out of mercy you have washed us in his Blood, out of mercy you have wished to converse with creatures. O crazed with love! It did not suffice for you to take flesh, but you also wished to die!... O mercy! My heart drowns in thinking of you: for no matter where I turn to think, I find only mercy” (chapter 30, pp. 79-80). St. Catherine of Siena is declared a Doctor of the Church which are certain men and women who are revered by the Church for the special value of their writings and preaching and the sanctity of their lives. They each made important and lasting contributions to the faith and are to be recognized for their great merits. To be declared a Doctor of the Church, you have to meet three basic requirements. First, you must have lived a life of exemplary holiness, or insignis vitae sanctitas (outstanding sanctity). In short, you have to be a saint. Second, to be a Doctor of the Church you must have deepened the whole Church’s understanding of the Catholic Faith with emins doctrina (eminent teaching). Which is to say, sanctity isn’t enough. There are thousands of saints, but only 37 Doctors of the Church. To be a Doctor one must do more than just live the Faith. Rather, one must significantly and profoundly contribute to our understanding of Divine Revelation, helping us to know more deeply some truth about God and His actions in the World. And third, a pope must officially declare you a Doctor. That being said, as the Church understands it, when a pope declares someone a Doctor of the Church, he’s not so much making someone a Doctor as he is recognizing what the Holy Spirit has already done - that He has conferred the charism of Doctor upon them. 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

John the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles and a close companion of Jesus Christ. He embarked on a journey with Jesus, both physically and spiritually, learning faith in Him. John’s writings, including the Gospel and Letters attributed to him, emphasize the theme of love. His words, “God is love,” highlight the unique aspect of Christian love. John’s teachings on love are not abstract or theoretical but concrete and applicable to real persons. As an Apostle and friend of Jesus, John provides insight into the phases of Christian love. His writings are considered sacred and canonical by the Catholic Church. St. John the Beloved Apostle Time Period: 1st Century Feast Day: December 27 Title/Attributes: Apostle, Evangelist Location of Relic: Main Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones Saint John the Divine as the son of Zebedee, and his mother's name was Salome [Matthew 4:21, 27:56; Mark 15:40, 16:1]. They lived on the shores of the sea of Galilee. The brother of Saint John, probably considerably older, was Saint James. The mention of the "hired men" [Mark 1:20], and of Saint John's "home" [John 19:27], implies that the condition of Salome and her children was not one of great poverty. SS. John and James followed the Baptist when he preached repentance in the wilderness of Jordan. There can be little doubt that the two disciples, whom Saint John does not name (John 1:35), who looked on Jesus "as he walked," when the Baptist exclaimed with prophetic perception, "Behold the Lamb of God!" were Andrew and John. They followed and asked the Lord where he dwelt. He bade them come and see, and they stayed with him all day. Of the subject of conversation that took place in this interview no record has come to us, but it was probably the starting-point of the entire devotion of heart and soul which lasted through the life of the Beloved Apostle. John apparently followed his new Master to Galilee, and was with him at the marriage feast of Cana, journeyed with him to Capernaum, and thenceforth never left him, save when sent on the missionary expedition with another, invested with the power of healing. He, James, and Peter, came within the innermost circle of their Lord's friends, and these three were suffered to remain with Christ when all the rest of the apostles were kept at a distance [Mark 5:37, Matthew 17:1, 26:37]. Peter, James, and John were with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. The mother of James and John, knowing our Lord's love for the brethren, made special request for them, that they might sit, one on his right hand, the other on his left, in his kingdom [Matthew 20:21]. There must have been much impetuosity in the character of the brothers, for they obtained the nickname of Boanerges, Sons of Thunder [Mark 3:17, see also Luke 9:54]. It is not necessary to dwell on the familiar history of the Last Supper and the Passion. To John was committed by our Lord the highest of privileges, the care of his mother [John 19:27]. John [the "disciple whom Jesus loved"] and Peter were the first to receive the news from the Magdalene of the Resurrection [John 20:2], and they hastened at once to the sepulchre, and there when Peter was restrained by awe, John impetuously "reached the tomb first." In the interval between the Resurrection and the Ascension, John and Peter were together on the Sea of Galilee [John 21:1], having returned to their old calling, and old familiar haunts. When Christ appeared on the shore in the dusk of morning, John was the first to recognize him. The last words of the Gospel reveal the attachment which existed between the two apostles. It was not enough for Peter to know his own fate, he must learn also something of the future that awaited his friend. The Acts show us them still united, entering together as worshippers into the Temple [Acts 3:1], and protesting together against the threats of the Sanhedrin [Acts 4:13]. They were fellow-workers together in the first step of Church expansion. The apostle whose wrath had been kindled at the unbelief of the Samaritans, was the first to receive these Samaritans as brethren [Luke 9:54, Acts 8:14]. He probably remained at Jerusalem until the assumption of the Virgin, though tradition of no great antiquity or weight asserts that he took her to Ephesus. When he went to Ephesus is uncertain. He was at Jerusalem fifteen years after Saint Paul's first visit there [Acts 15:6]. There is no trace of his presence there when Saint Paul was at Jerusalem for the last time. Tradition, more or less trustworthy, completes the history. Irenaeus says that Saint John did not settle at Ephesus until after the death SS. Peter and Paul, and this is probable. He certainly as not there when Saint Timothy was appointed bishop of that place. Saint Jerome says that he supervised and governed all the Churches of Asia. He probably took up his abode finally in Ephesus in 97. In the persecution of Domitian he was taken to Rome, and was placed in a cauldron of boiling oil, outside the Latin gate, without the boiling fluid doing him any injury. [Eusebius makes no mention of this. The legend of the boiling oil occurs in Tertullian and in Saint Jerome]. He was sent to labor at the mines in Patmos. At the accession of Nerva he was set free, and returned to Ephesus, and there it is thought that he wrote his gospel. Of his zeal and love combined we have examples in Eusebius, who tells, on the authority of Irenaeus, that Saint John once fled out of a bath on hearing that Cerinthus was in it, lest, as he asserted, the roof should fall in, and crush the heretic. On the other hand, he showed the love that was in him. He commended a young man in whom he was interested to a bishop, and bade him keep his trust well. Some years after he learned that the young man had become a robber. Saint John, though very old, pursued him among the mountain fastnesses, and by his tenderness recovered him. In his old age, when unable to do more, he was carried into the assembly of the Church at Ephesus, and his sole exhortation was, "Little children, love one another." The date of his death cannot be fixed with anything like precision, but it is certain that he lived to a very advanced age. He is represented holding a chalice from which issues a dragon, as he is supposed to have been given poison, which was, however, innocuous. Also his symbol is an eagle. From The Lives of the Saints by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould, M.A., published in 1914 in Edinburgh. Next Item Previous Item

St. Edward the Confessor, born around 1003 in Islip, Oxfordshire, was the son of King Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. Raised in exile in Normandy during Danish rule, Edward returned to England in 1041 and became king in 1042. Though politically overshadowed by powerful nobles like the Godwin family, he was revered for his deep piety, justice, and devotion to prayer. He commissioned the construction of Westminster Abbey, where he was later buried. Dying childless in 1066, his death sparked the Norman Conquest. Canonized in 1161, he remains a symbol of sanctity and kingship in England. St. Edward the Confessor Time Period: 1003-1066 Feast Day: October 13 Title/Attributes: King, Royalty Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Edward the Confessor was the King of England from 1042 – 1066. Edward was the son of King Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy and was born at Islip, near Oxford. As much of his youth was spent with the Danes in control of England – through the dominating rule of King Canute the Great – Edward lived in Normandy, at the court of Emma’s brother, Duke Richard the Good. He tried unsuccessfully to press his claim to the throne in 1035, finally returning in 1041 when Hardecanute, son of Canute, probably named him his heir, as he died without children. Finally, in 1042, Edward became king, receiving his crown at Canterbury. As king of England, Edward proved a holy but politically weak monarch. Much of the power in the realm rested in the hands of the scheming Saxon earls, in particular the house of Godwin of Essex. Godwin overcame the king’s efforts to find a counter to the earls, and after his death in 1053, most matters of state were the purview of Godwin’s son Harold Godwinson. Overshadowed, Edward devoted his efforts to the completion of construction of Westminster Abbey, hunting, and prayer. Considered just, holy, and fair, he was much loved by his English subjects and was known as “Good King Edward.” He died without an heir and supposedly named Harold to succeed him, although a claim was made to the throne by Duke William of Normandy, thereby making war inevitable. The result of the struggle between William and Harold culminated in the battle of Hastings (1066). Edward was canonized in 1161 and his relics were enshrined behind the high altar of Westminster Abbey. 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

One of the most important philosophers in the history of the Catholic church, Saint Justin Martyr was the first known writer to quote from the Acts of the Apostles and his deeply profound writings made an indelible impact and contribution to Christian theology. Of all Justin’s writings, only a portion survive, but three are held in the highest regard amidst Christian apologetics: his two Apologies, and Dialogue with Tryphon. With his ardent defense of the faith, his use of philosophical wisdom, and hunger for undeniable truth, there is much we can learn from the inspiring Saint Justin Martyr. St. Justin Time Period: 100-165 Feast Day: June 1 Title/Attributes: Apologist, Martyr Location of Relic: Main Reliquary - Left Section Type of Relic: Bones Every human during their time on Earth is searching for something – purpose, fame, fortune, love, etc. For Saint Justin Martyr, his search was for truth, and he found it in the one true God: Jesus Christ. One of the most important philosophers in the history of the Catholic church, he was the first known writer to quote from the Acts of the Apostles and his deeply profound writings made an indelible impact and contribution to Christian theology. Born around the year 100 A.D. in Flavia Neapolis, Palestine (the present-day city of Nablus), Justin was born to pagan parents and became extremely well educated to the teachings of Stoicism, Platonism and other pagan philosophies. He developed a profound love for truth, and sought it out through multiple philosophical schools, but none of them quenched his thirst. He pinballed from one teaching to the other, but whether it was a philosopher too eager for his fee or a teacher unable to explain God’s being adequately to the student, he was left unsatisfied, until a chance encounter changed his life. Justin’s writings depict him crossing paths with an old man walking along the seashore, who engaged in a dialogue about God that kindled a fire in his soul. The old man imparted on Justin the testimony of prophets and their increased reliability over the flawed reasoning of philosophers. In his second-century Christian apologetic text Dialogue with Trypho, Justin recounts the man telling him “There existed, long before this time, certain men more ancient than all those who are esteemed philosophers, both righteous and beloved by God, who spoke by the Divine Spirit, and foretold events which would take place, and which are now taking place. They are called prophets. These alone both saw and announced the truth to men, neither reverencing nor fearing any man, not influenced by a desire for glory, but speaking those things alone which they saw and which they heard, being filled with the Holy Spirit.” Justin’s writings make it clear that he admired Christians from afar because of the beauty found in the way their profound morals shaped their lives. While a disciple of Plato, he had been skeptical of the accusations he heard regarding Christians, due to how they were “intrepid in the face of death and of all that men fear.” From what he was witnessing and learning, he felt that it was “impossible that they should be living in evil and in the love of pleasure.” After talking with the man by the beach, he finally understood the witness of Christians who “preferred truth to life.” The final cementing on the Christianity’s proof of truth for Justin was the witness of martyrdom; plenty of people had died for Jesus Christ, but nobody died for the teachings of Socrates. Justin soon renounced his former religion, becoming a Christian in the year 132, most likely in the city of Ephesus, located in modern Turkey. He began traveling far and wide, inspired with the passion of his Christian faith, to proclaim his newfound philosophy in hopes of converting educated pagans to the Lord. He spent a decent amount of time in Rome, establishing a school, debating cynics, writing wise apologetical works, and creating a fair share of non-Christian enemies in the process. Many of his teachings clashed with those of various Roman, Greek and Jewish scholars, and during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, Justin debated with the cynic Crescens, who would in turn denounce him as seditious to the authorities. Justin was arrested for being a Christian, a faith of which was under heavy persecution at the time by Aurelius, and after he refused to offer a sacrifice to pagan gods, he was tried, found guilty, and condemned to death in the year 165, alongside six companions. He died by execution, and authentic records of his martyrdom, by beheading, still exist to this day. Of all Justin’s writings, only a portion survive, but three are held in the highest regard amidst Christian apologetics: his two Apologies, and Dialogue with Tryphon. In the First Apology, Justin vehemently defended his fellow Christians against the accusations of atheism and open hostility towards them from the Roman state. He also dove into the core of his Christian philosophy, which was rooted in the term logos, the Greek word for “intellect” or “word.” Justin explained that logos enables humankind to understand basic truths all around them (time, creation, good & evil, etc.), but that Jesus Christ alone was the divine logos, and the ultimate truth. His writings went on to continually defend Christianity from Roman attack, provide incredible descriptions of the beauty contained within the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist, and compared core Christian beliefs with the beliefs of the Greco-Roman religion, to demonstrate the truth and beauty that was weaved throughout Christianity like a beautiful tapestry. Justin had an incredible knowledge of scripture – many scholars find his writings particularly informative thanks to his understanding of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. His writings established a solid foundation of salvation history, as well as a principal history of the Catholic church, from his writings regarding the sacraments. With his ardent defense of the faith, his use of philosophical wisdom, and hunger for undeniable truth, there is much we can learn from Saint Justin Martyr. He was unafraid to learn more, to grow in his faith, and to follow the Truth all the way unto death. 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

St. James the Greater, son of Zebedee and Salome, was one of Jesus’ twelve Apostles and the brother of John. A fisherman by trade, he was called by Christ and, along with Peter and John, witnessed key events like the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration, and Jesus' agony in Gethsemane. Nicknamed a “son of thunder,” James became the first Apostle to be martyred, beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2). Tradition holds he preached in Spain before his death. He is honored through El Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage to his shrine in Santiago de Compostela. St. James the Greater Apostle Time Period: d. 44 Feast Day: July 25 Title/Attributes: Apostle, Martyr Location of Relic: Main Reliquary - Center Section Type of Relic: Bones St. James the Greater is one of the twelve Apostles. He is the son of Zebedee and Salome, he fished for a living with his brother John in Galilee. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke attest to his calling by Christ. Jesus nicknamed James and John “Boanerges” meaning “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). James was with Peter and John at the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37 and Luke 8:51). These three Apostles were also at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2) and at the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-33; Matthew 26:37). James is the protomartyr (first martyr) of the Apostles, slain by King Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem (Acts 12:2). He was beheaded, and his martyrdom is the only one recorded from the Apostles in the New Testament. According to tradition, he preached in Spain before his death and thus became one of the most venerated of the Spanish saints. El Camino de Santiago, or The Way of St. James, is a famous pilgrimage route that leads to the shrine of the Apostle St. James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. Pilgrims have traveled it for over a thousand years. Next Item Previous Item

St. Olcese was the Bishop in Gaul (modern France) in the late fourth century and the early fifth century. Olcese fled to Italy when Gaul was invaded by Vandals. The area he fled to in Italy is known today as Sant’Olcese. He lived a prayerful life of a hermit and worked in the village converting souls and performing miracles. St. Olcese Time Period: 4th - 5th Century Feast Day: January 22 Title/Attributes: Bishop, Confessor Location of Relic: Back Right Reliquary - Right Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Olcese was the Bishop in Gaul (modern France) in the late fourth century and the early fifth century. Olcese fled to Italy when Gaul was invaded by Vandals. The area he fled to in Italy is known today as Sant’Olcese. He lived a prayerful life of a hermit and worked in the village converting souls and performing miracles. Next Item Previous Item

St. Columba is one of many martyrs remembered for their unwavering love for God, though little else is known about his life. The word "martyr" comes from the Greek *martyria*, meaning “witness”—a powerful testament to those who suffer persecution and death rather than deny their faith. Martyrs like St. Stephen, the Church’s first, and the Apostles gave the ultimate witness to Christ. Their sacrifices inspire us today, reminding us that the Christian faith is worth living and dying for. Strengthened by the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit, these saints give us hope and intercede for us on our journey to heaven. St. Columba Time Period: Unknown Time Period Feast Day: May 1 Title/Attributes: Virgin, Martyr Location of Relic: Back Left Reliquary - Left Section Type of Relic: Bones St. Columba is among the many men and women who were martyred for their faith, but little else is remember about their life besides their unwavering love for God. The word Martyr derives from the Greek word martyria which means “witness”. A martyr is a person who is willing to suffer persecution, torture, and even death rather than renounce the faith. Martyrs are deeply honored by the Church because of their willingness to endure severe hardships and humiliations, and to embrace the ultimate sacrifice, life itself, in the name of Christ. The term martyria is thus most appropriate, for the martyr is giving testimony or witness to his or her faith. It is a testament of someone standing up and testifying to the faith, even though the person faces imprisonment, torture, and death; such a narrative of faith goes beyond a simple declaration of belief, and is the ultimate expression of unshakable faith and devotion to Christ. The first Christian martyr, the protomartyr of the Church, was the deacon St. Stephen, who was stoned to death by a mob for professing his faith in Christ. In the years to come, the Apostles followed Stephen on the path to martyrdom, and it was commonly understood in the early Church that the term “martyr” denoted someone who had died for the faith. 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! Next Item Previous Item