Catholic Saints & Feasts of the Liturgical Year

Read entire reflection online >>> April 2: Saint Francis of Paola, Hermit—Optional Memorial 1416–1507 Patron Saint of boatmen, mariners, and naval officers Canonized by Pope Leo X on May 1, 1519 Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : Brothers, I most strongly urge you to work for the salvation of your souls with prudence and diligence. Death is certain, and life is sho...

Read entire reflection online >>> April 8: Annunciation of the Lord—Solemnity Normally celebrated on March 25, but transfered to April 8 due to Holy Week this year Liturgical Color: White Quote : Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. ~ Luke 1:38 Prayer : Most glorious and ever-virgin Mary, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to you to announce...

Read entire reflection online >>> March 23: Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, Bishop—Optional Memorial 1538–1606 Patron Saint of Peru, Latin American bishops, and native people’s rights Canonized by Pope Benedict XIII on December 10, 1726 Liturgical Color: Purple (Lenten Weekday) Quote : Nothing gave the saint so much pleasure as the greatest labors and dangers, to procure the least spiritual...

Read entire reflection online >>> March 19: Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary—Solemnity First Century Patron Saint of the Universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and a happy death Liturgical Color: White Quote : When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named...

Read entire reflection online >>> March 18- Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor—Optional Memorial c. 315–c. 387 Pre-Congregation canonization Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1883 Liturgical Color: Purple (Lenten Weekday) Quote : God is loving to man, and loving in no small measure. For say not, I have committed fornication and adultery: I have done dreadful thi...

Read entire reflection online >>> March 17: Saint Patrick, Bishop—Optional Memorial c. 387–c. 460 or 493 (Actual dates are uncertain) Patron Saint of Ireland Invoked against snake bites Pre-Congregation canonization Liturgical Color: Purple (Lenten Weekday) Quote : I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many…was taken captive...

Read online March 8: Saint John of God, Religious—Optional Memorial 1495–1550 Patron Saint of hospitals, nurses, firefighters, booksellers, alcoholics, and the sick Canonized October 16, 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : Lord be blessed for in your great kindness to me who am such a great sinner having done so many wicked things, yet you see fit...

Read online March 9: Saint Francis of Rome, Religious—Optional Memorial 1495–1550 Patron Saint of hospitals, nurses, firefighters, booksellers, alcoholics, and the sick Canonized October 16, 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : A married woman must, when called upon, leave her devotions to God at the altar to find him in her household affairs. ~Fam...

Read Online March 7: Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs—Memorial Saint Perpetua: c. 182–203 Patron Saint of cattle and martyrs Invoked against the death of childrenSaint Felicity: Unknown–203 Patron Saint of martyrs, help to have male children, and widows Invoked against sterility and the death of children Pre-Congregation canonizations Liturgical Color: Red (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : N...

Read Online Ash Wednesday Quote: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. ~Distribution of ashes Reflection : It was a common practice within the early Church that those who were found guilty of grave public sin needed to do public penance before they were admitted back into communion with the Church and admitted to the Most Holy Eucharist. The public sinners came forward in sackc...

Read Online March 4: Saint Casimir—Optional Memorial 1458–1484 Patron Saint of Poland, Lithuania, and Lithuanian youth Believed to have been canonized by Pope Leo X in 1521 or Pope Adrian VI in 1522 Canonization confirmed by Pope Clement VIII in 1602 Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : Daily, daily sing to Mary; Sing, my soul, her praises due. All her glorious actions cheris...

Read online March 3: Saint Katharine Drexel, Virgin—USA Optional Memorial 1858–1955 Patron Saint of racial justice and philanthropists Canonized October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II Liturgical Color: White (Purple if in Lent) Quote : Like the little girl who wept when she found that her doll was stuffed with sawdust and her drum was hollow, I too have made a horrifying discovery and my discovery l...

Read online February 27: Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church—Optional Memorial 951–c. 1003 Widely venerated in the Armenian Church Declared a Doctor of the Church in 2015 and inscribed on the Church Calendar as an Optional Memorial by Pope Francis in 2021 Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart. The voice of a sig...

Read online February 23: Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr—Memorial (Optional Memorial if Lenten weekday) c. 65–c. 155 (or 166) Invoked against earaches and dysentery Pre-Congregation canonization Liturgical Color: Red (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : I exhort you all therefore to be obedient to the word of righteousness and to practice all endurance, which also you saw with your own eyes in the...

Reading online February 22: Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle—Feast Liturgical Color: White Quote : Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven....

Read online February 21: Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church—Optional Memorial 1007–1072 Patron Saint of Faenza and Font-Avellano, Italy Pre-Congregation canonization Canonization confirmed and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XII in 1823 Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : May your mind…fear the imminent day of Judgment, that you may not have to...

Read Online February 17: Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order—Optional Memorial Thirteenth Century Invoked to aid in the imitation of the charity and patience of Our Lady of Sorrows Canonized January 15, 1888 by Pope Leo XIII Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : I have chosen you to be my first Servants, and under this name you are to till my Son’s Vineyard. Here, too, is...

Read Online February 14: Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop—Memorial (Optional Memorial if Lenten weekday) Saint Cyril: c. 827–869 Saint Methodius: c. 815–885 Co-Patrons of Europe, Slavic peoples, unity of Eastern and Western Churches Pre-Congregation canonization Quote : Hear my prayer and protect your faithful people, for you have established me as their unsuitable and unworthy servant. “...

Read entire reflection online >>> February 11: Our Lady of Lourdes—Optional Memorial cJanuary 11–July 16, 1858 Patron Saint of the sick, asthma sufferers Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : I went every day for a fortnight, and each day I asked her who she was, and this petition always made her smile. After the fortnight I asked her three times consecutively. She al...

Read entire reflection online >>> February 10: Saint Scholastica, Virgin—Memorial c. 480–543 Patron Saint of nuns, school, tests, reading, convulsive children Invoked against storms and rain Pre-Congregation canonization Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : The holy nun said to her brother: “Please do not leave me tonight; let us go on until morning talking about the...

Read entire reflection online >>> February 8: Saint Jerome Emiliani, Founder—Optional Memorial 1486–1537 Patron Saint of orphans and abandoned children Canonized on July 16, 1767 by Pope Clement XIII Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : One morning, we were twenty-eight at St. Magdalene Hospital and we were praying. Since we had nothing to eat, father Jerome told us,...

Read entire reflection online >>> February 8: Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin—Optional Memorial 1869–1947 Patron Saint of Sudan and human-trafficking survivors Canonized October 1, 2000 by Saint Pope John Paul II Liturgical Color: White (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quote : If I was to meet those slave-traders that abducted me and those who tortured me, I’d kneel down to them to kiss their h...

Read entire reflection online >>> February 6: Saints Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs—Memorial Martyred February 5, 1597 Patron Saints of Japan Canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 8, 1862 Liturgical Color: Red Quote : Our brother, Paul Miki, saw himself standing now in the noblest pulpit he had ever filled. To his “congregation” he began by proclaiming himself a Japanese and a Jesuit. He w...

Read entire reflection online >>> February 5: Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr—Memorial c. 231–c. 251 Patron Saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, rape victims, bellfounders, and bakers Invoked against earthquakes, natural disasters, and fires Pre-Congregation canonization, later confirmed by Pope Saint Gregory the Great, 7th century Liturgical Color: Red (Purple if Lenten Weekday) Quo...

Read entire reflection online >>> February 3: Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr—Optional Memorial Died c. 316 Patron Saint of illnesses of the throat and other illnesses, wool workers, animals, bricklayers, bakers, farm workers Pre-Congregation canonization Liturgical Color: Red Quote : Through the intercession of Saint Blase, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the...