Saint Peter Chanel was born in July 12, 1803. He lived in the Hamlet of La Portiere in France. In his childhood, he was cheerful and busy with the family work of grazing the sheep. Young Peter grew in the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Eucharist, and was encouraged of becoming a missionary by the local priest. He was ordained on July 15, 1827. Then he spent a brief time as an assistant priest. When Fr. Peter Chanel was twenty-eight years old, he joined the Marists. The Marists or society of Mary sent him on a mission to the southwest Pacific. When he reached the island of Futuna, he had trouble learning the language, but he soon became fluent at it. It was a difficult mission requiring isolation and adjusting to different cultures and food. The King of Futuna got jealous after his son said he was going to be baptized and sent a warrior to do whatever he could to stop that from happening. The warrior was defeated by the King’s son. The wounded warrior fled to Saint Peter Chanel, asking for help and then killed Saint Peter Chanel. Five months after his death, the whole island was converted to Christianity. Saint Peter Chanel was beatified in 1889, and he was canonized in 1954.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Saint Peter Chanel, you went to Oceania to proclaim the Gospel, though you faced many hardships on the way you persevered. God help us to be like Saint Peter Chanel who lived his life, in happiness, in peace, and in fraternal love. May your prayers and example, call many workers for the Gospel, so that God’s Kingdom may reach to the ends of the earth.
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St. Louis-Mary Grignion de Montfort was a French Roman Catholic Priest. People knew him as a great preacher, confessor, and author. He wrote many great books focusing on Mother Mary such as Secret of the Rosary and True Devotion to Mary. Many people loved his preaching, while some thought it was strange. During his ministry, Montfort got poisoned. Though it wasn’t fatal, his heath began to deteriorate, but still, he continued his ministry. As he traveled around France, his health began to worsen and finally, when he came to Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, a city in Western France, he died on April 28, 1716. Pope Leo XIII beatified him in 1888 and Pope Pius XII canonized him on July 20, 1947. He influenced many Popes because of his writings such as Pope John Paul II.
We can learn from St. Louis from how he still preached and never gave up while he was poisoned and sick. Even though this virus is spreading, we shouldn’t give up on God and keep praying to him. Here is a prayer that you can use made by St. Louis himself. INTERCESSORY PRAYER My powerful Queen, you are all mine through your mercy, and I am all yours. Take away from me all that may displease God and cultivate in me all that is pleasing to him. May the light of your faith dispel the darkness of my mind, your deep humility take the place of my pride, your continual sight of God fill my memory with his presence. May the fire of the love of your heart inflame the lukewarmness of my own heart. May your virtues take the place of my sins. May your merits be my enrichment and make up for all that is wanting in me before God. My beloved Mother, grant that I may have no other spirit but your spirit, to know Jesus Christ and His divine will and to praise and glorify the Lord, that I may love God with burning love like yours. Amen. Saint Pedro de San Jose Betancur was born on March 19, 1626 in Spain. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24. He was a Secular Franciscan who founded a hospital, shelter, and a school for the poor in Guatemala. He died at the age 41 on April 25,1667 in Guatemala city. He was the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 2002 making him the first saint in the Canary islands and of Guatemala. He is known as the “St. Francis of the Americas.” Now, he is the patron of the homeless and those who serve the sick.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Saint Pedro, Pray for us that we will generously remember the poor and the homeless in our prayers and be blessed with the mindset to assist them. Amen St. Mark dedicated his life in spreading the Good News, and he was the author of Mark’s gospel, which was part of the Holy Bible, which became fundamental for the Christian community.
St. Mark, who was referred as “John Mark” was the son of Mary of Jerusalem, who was close to the Twelve Apostles. St. Mark began his spiritual life traveling with St. Paul and his cousin St. Barnabas. St. Paul talks about him in his writings about how supportive he was in helping spread Jesus Christ. St. Mark never met Jesus, so it is believed that Mark’s gospel is based off of St. Peter’s teachings. They did have a close relationship, and St. Peter called St. Mark his “son” in his writings. St. Mark’s gospel also influenced Saints Matthew and Luke in writing their gospels. St. Mark traveled with St. Paul until his martyrdom, and continued preaching the Good News until he reached Egypt, where he established the Church and became bishop of Alexandria. St. Mark became a martyr between the years 68-74 AD after being dragged though the streets for his faith in Jesus. St. Mark’s gospel helps people know that Jesus suffered to save us all, and that He was the Son of God. St. Mark spent his whole life to spread the Good News and to convert people to Christianity, wrote the Gospel to continue his mission, even after he died, for future generations. INTERCESSORY PRAYER O Glorious St Mark, through the grace of God our Father, you became a great Evangelist, preaching the Good News of Christ. May you help us to know Him well, so that we may faithfully live our lives as followers of Christ. Amen. St Fidelis was born at Sigmaringen in Germany in 1578. He was a lawyer, and then entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin at Freiburg in Breisgau. He lived a life of prayer and penance, and gained a great reputation as a preacher. He was sent by the newly-formed Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to preach the Protestants in Switzerland, where he was put to death by a group of fanatics in 1622.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Father, you filled Saint Fidelis with the fire of your love and gave him the privilege of dying that the faith might live. Let his prayers keep us firmly grounded in your love, and help us to come to know the power of Christ’s resurrection. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Saint George was welcomed into Diocletian's army when he had come of age. By his late 20's, George became a Tribunus and served as an imperial guard for the Emperor at Nicomedia. On February 24, 303 A.D., Diocletian, who hated Christians, announced that every Christian the army passed would be arrested and every other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods. George refused to abide by the order and told Diocletian, who was angry but greatly valued his friendship with George's father. When George announced his beliefs before his peers, Diocletian was unable to keep the news to himself. In an effort to save George, Diocletian attempted to convert him to believe in the Roman gods, offered him land, money and slaves in exchange for offering a sacrifice to the Roman gods, and made several other offers that George refused. Finally, after exhausting all other options, Diocletian ordered George's execution. In preparation for his death, George gave his money to the poor and was sent for several torture sessions. He was lacerated on a wheel of swords and required resuscitation three times, but still George did not turn from God. On April 23, 303 A.D., George was decapitated before Nicomedia's outer wall. His body was sent to Lydda for burial, and other Christians went to honor George as a martyr.Saint George stands out among other saints and legends because he is known and revered by both Muslims and Christians.In older works, Saint George is depicted wearing armor and holding a lance or fighting a dragon, which represents Christ's enemies.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER St. George,Heroic Catholic soldier and defender of your Faith, you dared to criticize a tyrannical Emperor and were subjected to horrible torture. You could have occupied a high military position but you preferred to die for your Lord. Obtain for us the great grace of heroic Christian courage that should mark soldiers of Christ. Amen Saint Adalbert is known with great honor in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Germany. His christian life started when, as a young boy, he became very ill. His parents prayed that if he survived his illness, they would offer him as a priest to the Lord. At the time, his name was Wojtech. Fortunately, he survived and was sent to be mentored by Archbishop Adalbert. His mentor changed Wojtech’s name to his own. After his mentor’s death, Adalbert (Wojtech’s new name) returned to his native land of Bohemia, where he became a priest. He gave money to the poor, fasted, and was always in prayer. Eventually, he tried to unsuccessfully shield a woman who was guilty of adultery from murder. Afterwards he was rejected multiple times by the people. He was made the 1st bishop of Prague. After being rejected, he went to Hungary, Poland, and Germany. But, he didn't follow their ways of worship and was suspected of being a Polish spy. In the end, a Pagan priest captured and martyred Adalbert. In 999, he became canonized as “St. Adalbert of Prague”. His Liturgical Feast Day is April 23.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O God, who bestowed the crown of martyrdom on the Bishop Saint Adalbert, as he burned with zeal for souls, grant, we pray, by his prayers, that the obedience of the flock may never fail the shepherds, nor the care of the shepherds be ever lacking to the flock. 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. Saint Anselm, indifferent towards religion as a young man, was born on April 21, 1033. He was educated in a variety of schools in France and his main interests included metaphysics and theology. Anselm was admired for his patience, gentleness, and teaching skill. His profession was done in England as a Monk, Abbott, and Archbishop of Canterbury. Against his will, Anselm was appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093, at age 60. He died on his birthday, April 21, 1109.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER Dear Lord our God, we your children ask you to bless us and keep us safe from any dangers that may be in our path. Just like St. Anselm said you are the “unmatched supreme being”, help us to continually praise and worship you, our creator. Amen. Today’s Saint of the day is St. Conrad of Parzham. St. Conrad was born Carl Birndorfer on December 22, 1818 in the town of Parzham in the kingdom of Bavaria, Germany. Carl was the second youngest of 12 children 5 of whom, died in infancy. He spent most of his early life working on his family farm. St. Conrad’s mother died when he was 14 years old, and two years later his father died as well. As a young child his faith and devotion was very noticeable. He had a great love for the blessed Virgin Mary and recited the rosary daily. On feast days, he would make a journey on foot to some remote shrine. After attending a parish mission in 1838, he decided to enter religious life. At the age of 31, St. Conrad was accepted as a lay brother among the Capuchin Franciscan friars. St. Conrad was sent to the Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting, and was given the task of assisting the porter. In 1851 Conrad left Altötting to go help a dying priest. Afterwards, he entered the novitiate at Laufen, where he was given the name Conrad in honor of Conrad of Piacenza. He then returned to Altötting as porter. St. Conrad was said have the gift of prophesy and be able to read the hearts of those he met. For his virtues and the miracles, he performed, he was blessed by Pope Pius XI. Four years later, Pope Pius added his name to the list of saints. St. Conrad is the patron saint of the Mid-America Province of Capuchin Friars. St. Conrad is known for his great miracles, his devotion to Mother Mary, his generosity for the poor, and being ready to help strangers. St. Conrad of Parzham died on April 21, 1894 in the friary where he served as a porter for 41 years.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER O dearest St. Conrad, you were known to be hardworking, bountiful to the poor, and eager and ready to receive and help strangers. Like you, help us to work hard at and be sincere in all that we do. Help us to be mindful of those that are less fortunate around us and to be generous towards them. Help us to recognize those around us who are in need of assistance and to be eager and ready to help as best we can. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen Today’s commemorated saint is Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. She was born on October 4, 1922 in Magenta near Milano, and was an active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and leader in the Catholic Action movement. Gianna had earned degrees in medicine and Gianna opened a clinic in the town of Mesero, where she met her future husband, engineer Pietro Molla. Shortly before their marriage in 1955, Gianna wrote to Pietro: “Love is the most beautiful sentiment that the Lord has put into the soul of men and women”. In the next four years the Mollas had three children: Pierluigi, Mariolina, and Laura. The next two pregnancies following ended in miscarriage. Early in her sixth pregnancy, doctors had discovered that Gianna had both a child and a tumor in her uterus. She allowed the surgeons to remove the tumor but to not perform the complete hysterectomy that they recommend, which would kill the child. Seven months later in April 1962, Ginna Emanuela Molla was born at the hospital in Monza, but post-operative complications resulted in an infection for her mother. The following week, Gianna Molla died at home in Mesero, where she was buried. Gianna Emanuela went on the become a physician herself. Gianna Beretta Molla was beatified in 1994 and canonized 10 years later. Her Liturgical Feast Day is April 28.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER St. Gianna, you are an incredible example of motherhood, selflessness, and devotion to God. Please fill me with your piety, your charity, and your goodness. St. Gianna, you were filled with love for your children. You understand the longing in my heart for children. You understand my desire for a family filled with love and the giggles of babies. Please, St. Gianna, in your compassion, as a mother, as a wife, as a Saint if true Church, intercede in my behalf to your compassion, as a mother, as a wife, as a Saint of the Church, intercede on my behalf to our Lord, Christ Jesus. Blessed St. Gianna, hear my prayers and ask that God, in his mercy, grant me a healthy baby that I will raise her to be a loving child of God. In Jesus’s name. Amen. |