February 22 St. Margaret of Cortona

Patron Saint of Sexual Temptation

Born in 1247 in Italy to a farmer, St. Margaret’s mother died was she seven. Much disliked and abused by her stepmother, she ran off at a young age with a handsome younger son of nobility. Living as his mistress, she bore him a son. After nine years her husband was killed by a group of robbers. SHe took this a s sign from God to repent. After publicly confessing her affair, she attempted to return to her father’s house with her son. The two were turned away and took refuge in a monastery. She was still young and quite beautiful and soon found other opportunities to be kept by rich men. After each affair, she returned, remorseful, to the monastery. When she was actually at the monastery, she earned her keep caring for sick women. As she aged and lost her beauty and marketability as a mistress, this became her full time job. She eventually became a Franciscan tertiary, gathered other like minded women and started a hospital for women in Cortona, Italy. The hospital became known for work with prostitutes, mentally ill women and various forms of women reproductive issues. In spite of her endless work on behalf of the poor, she remained a scandalous woman in the eyes of the community.  Perhaps she could also be an intercessor on behalf of Planned Parenthood.

January 31 St. John Bosco

Patroon Saint of Homework and School Children

A friend of mine, Natalie, wanted a post about the Patron Saint of Homework. I think every parent wants to know the Patron Saint of Homework. It is one of the common struggles we as parents share. Our lives would be much easier if our children all had a John Bosco in their lives.

St. John Bosco lost his father at the age of two. While he worked odd jobs as a child to help support the family, his true love was the circus. He would hang out with the carnival folks and learned juggling and magic tricks. He then would put on one man shows for the boys in the neighborhood. I happen to think the best teachers have a bit of actor and clown in their souls. He worked whatever job he could find to put himself through college and seminary, including tailor, baker, shoemaker and carpenter. After seminary he found his calling working with children. He found it important that kids find the balance between learning, developing a work ethic and having fun. He worked to find places where kids, who in the 1800s were being put to work at a young age, to meet, play and study. His teaching methods were revolutionary for his time. Children succeed beyond expectations when taught through love, not punitive measures. He was one of the cool teachers. The one that inspired you  to do better, to be better. The lucky ones of us had a teacher like St. John Bosco. Mine was Mrs. Martin. Take a moment today to say a quick thank you for those special teachers in your life. Either mentally, electronically or by a quick note.  For those ready to drink heavily at homework time, here is a short prayer:

God of mercy, You called Saint John Bosco to be a father and teacher of the young. Help me to find patience and humor when aiding my child. May my parenting be through love. And if I fail, please protect and guide my child when he joins the circus. I pray this through Christ Our Lord. Amen

For the kids’:

Saint John Bosco was cool,

Never a fool

May he lead me to be

Focused to see

The future that God

Has in store for me.

January 30 St. Adelelmus

Patron Saint of Manservants

St. Adelelmus started his life as a soldier for France. On a business trip to Rome he met St. Robert at Chaise-Dieu Monestary. After retiring from military life, he became a Benedictine monk. He became known as a bit of a miracle worker, catching the attention of Constance of Burgundy, Queen of Castile. She and her hubby built St. Adelemus a nice monastery in Burgos, Spain. He added a hospital and a church.

Legends has it that one dark and stormy night, St. Adelelmus and an aide were out on Holy Business. St. Adelelmus asked the aide to light a candle to light the way. The aide was able to both light the candle in the driving rain and keep it lit until they finished their Holy Business.

I have developed my own prayer to St. Adelelmus. One that should be recited by housewives around the world:

St. Adelemus, pray for me, who is so overworked. Pray for me, that I may finally receive the consolations and the succour of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly in completing housework. Grant me family and companions who take joy in removing my burdens, providing light in my darkness.  I pray through Christ Our Lord. Amen

January 29 St. Juniper

While St. Juniper is not the patron saint of anything (though I personally think he should be the patron saint of gin makers), he did one of the most outstanding things in the face of fame and fortune. One of the early followers of St Francis of Assisi, he went out into to the world to share the idea of simple monastic life and care for others. Upon arriving in Rome, he found his reputation for prayers and kindness had proceeded him. He was met by a crowd of people, full of questions. The precursor to the modern day airport paparazzi. Disgusted with the crowd’s behavior, he noticed a nearby child’s seesaw with a child sitting forlornly waiting for a partner. (There is no mention of the child’s state of mind, I just assume he was forlorn since that is how I felt sitting by myself on a seesaw). St. Juniper went over to the child and started playing on the seesaw, steadfastly ignoring the crowd. They eventually tired of watching two people take turns going up and down in silence, which, as any mother will tell you, is less exciting than watching paint dry. When the crowd had left, St. Juniper was able to continue on through the city to his host convent.  Perhaps he should also be the patron saint of seesaws and the paparazzi. And gin.

January 28 St. James the Hermit

We have looked at St. Paul the Hermit and St. Anthony of the desert – pious men who lived long lives of devotion. St. James was nothing like them. He might as well have been called St. James the Unsettled Hermit. Or St. James the Half Devoted Hermit. Or St. James the Very Human Hermit.

After a misspent youth that was never fully described but whispered about, St. James converted to Christianity. He lived as a hermit for 15 years. Then he needed a little break and went back to his wild ways. There are rumors of wild women and possibly a murder. Steamy stuff for the early church. A friend brought him back to the church, convincing James that God forgives even the worst of sins and loves the most human of people. James lived the rest of short life in prayer and penance, living in an abandoned sepulchre. I wonder, in the today’s social and political climate swirling around the church, how forgiving we would be of such a man. Would he be allowed to continue his vows and live a life of penance and prayer?

A side note about St. James – His life story was the loose structure for Henry James’ book “The Hermit and the Wild Woman” in which Edith Wharton is the allegedly the wild woman and Henry James is allegedly St. James. I wonder why we never got to read THAT Henry James book in high school?

January 27 St. Angela of Merici

Patron Saint Against Death of Parents and patron  saint of many different ailments.

St. Angela lost both her parents at the age of 10. She and her sister were sent to live with their uncle in another town. St. Angela never quite adjusted to her new life. Her one companion during her time with her uncle was her sister, who died quite suddenly without receiving last rights. As any good Catholic knows this a big no-no. St. Angela entered into deep prayer for the repose of her sister’s soul that ended with a vision of her sister with the saints. This pattern of deep prayer followed by a vision became her favorite mode of communication with God. These visions led her to move back to her home town of Brescia, Italy to join the Franciscans, to start a school for girls, to visit Jerusalem , start her own order and to have her burial site be her home church with her remains placed besides the other saints.

Two interesting bits about Saint Angela:

1. On her pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she lost her sight in Crete. She continued on and did the whole “Holy Land 14 Day Excursion” while blind. When she was returning home, they again stopped in Crete where she suddenly regained her sight. This is why she is patron saint of the blind, illness, handicap people and varieties of the above categories.

2. Her school expanded in to several schools. She gathered a group of women together to help her. This group became know as the Ursulines. They were first nuns in North America (landing in Canada) and the first nuns in the United States (landing in Louisiana). They were known for their schools and work with native peoples throughout the world. They also are known in modern times as the figures of many an adult nightmarish flashback to Catholic schools and punitive nuns. I am assured they are quite lovely people who have adapted their teaching methods to modern times.

January 26 St. Paula of Rome

Patron Saint of Widows

St. Paula was a lovely woman, a Roman domestic goddess of the fourth century. The Martha Stewart of her time. Born into and married within the Roman aristocracy, she had five children, hosted numerous social functions, raised money for the poor and was a perfect politician’s wife. Unfortunately her husband died at a relatively young age and St. Paula was a widow at the age of 32. After making sure her children were settled, she began a new career as champion of the poor – both in Rome and Jerusalem. Eventually settling in Bethlehem, she established a church, hospital, monastery and convent. She is buried under the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

January 25 St. Dwynwen and St. Poppo

Patron Saint of Lovers

St. Dwynwen was a beautiful Welsh lass in the fifth century. She was one of 24 daughters of  King Brychan Brycheiniog, She had always felt the calling to be a nun. Shortly before entering monastic life, she fell in love. She was torn between her love of God and her love for her suitor , Maelon. She chose God, but forever remained in love with her suitor. She removed herself from the world and started a little community on an island of the coast of Anglesey name Llanddwyn Island. It was (and is)  only accessible at extreme low tide.

The island became a pilgrim site for young lovers. It is said her well has a fortune telling eel as a resident. You place bread crumbs under the lady’s handkerchief. If the eel disturbs the handkerchief then it is sign of true love. Such great numbers of pilgrims came to Llanddwyn Island during the Tudor period they were able to build a small stone chapel with the gifts and offering left at the well.

Today, the buildings are in ruin, but the well (actually a small spring) is a popular tourist spot. St. Dwynwen Day is similar to the America’s Valentine Day, with cards, candy and loving spoons exchanged. So give your love (or secret crush) a little surprise today.

St. Poppo

Today is also the Feast Day of St. Poppo. He is not the patron saint of anything, but it is another wonderful confirmation name. I also liked the descrition of him in the website SaintsSQPM: “He practiced severe personal asceticism, cared nothing for literature, and lacked organization, but managed to bring order and devotion to his houses, earning the love of his and the devotion to his houses and the laity.”

January 24 St. Francis De Sales

Patron Saint of Writers and the Deaf

That is two separate groups – writers and the deaf. Though there could be a debate about the inability of writers to hear the outside world.

St. Francis was born into a wealthy family in France in the 1500s. His father’s name was François and his mother’s name was Françoise and his name was Francis. This led to much confusion that led to his being bedridden as a teenager. Many claim his illness was due to obsession with pre determination, but there is no way a child can grow up with that name confusion and not have an identity crisis as a teen. He recovered after turning his problems over to God who told him to strike out on his own and make a name for himself instead of being lost in the shuffles of the various forms of Francis’ in his home.

A prolific writer, he was also known for his gentle leadership. This gentle leadership led to him being sent to the Calvinist stronghold of Geneva, Switzerland which had the population living in Savoy, France that year. There he became a hit, especially with the children. It was also in Geneva/Savoy that he began his work with the deaf and used a form of sign language long before Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. He was a prolific letter writer and enjoyed debating church doctrine and spiritual formation with his friends, including St. Vincent De Paul. He was buried in Savoy, France. Except his heart, which traveled around a bit after his death and decided to retire in Venice, Italy where you can still visit it today.

January 23 St. Urban of Langres

Patron Saint of Alcoholics

After celebrating St. Vincent yesterday, there might be a need for St. Urban.  He was bishop of Langres, France during a time of persecution. At one point he took refuge in a local vineyard, where the vine dressers hid him and cared for him. After being converted by St. Urban, the vine dressers aided him in his convert missions. A  deep connection developed between the vineyard workers and St. Urban. He is also the groundhog of the wine industry. If there is sun on Saint Urban’s Day, there will be an abundant harvest. What is the weather on your part of the world today?