Saint Anthony of the Desert had a singular purpose – become a “lover of God” by resisting the Devil and yielding to Christ. He is a mysterious figure, with nearly everything we know about him coming from a biography written by Saint Athanasius. But what we do know is that he spent most of his days in solitude- living in the desert as a hermit – while occasionally traveling into cities to defend Christians from Roman persecution or spreading heresy. Anthony was extremely devoted to the Lord, and his ascetic lifestyle inspired many to devote themselves as well. His feast day is January 17th. St. Anthony of the Desert 250 - 356 Feast Day: January 17 Location: Coma, a village in Lower Egypt Identifiers: Abbott, Hermit Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of bone Saint Anthony of the Desert went by many names (St. Anthony of Egypt, St. Anthony the Great, St. Anthony Abbot, and more) but had a singular purpose – become a “lover of God” by resisting the Devil and yielding to Christ. He is a mysterious figure, with nearly everything we know about him coming from a biography written by Saint Athanasius titled “The Life of Saint Anthony the Great.” But what we do know about him, is inspiring in our current day and age. Anthony was born around 250 A.D. in the village of Coma, located in Lower Egypt to an extremely wealthy family. His parents owned three hundred acres of land, which Anthony inherited around the age of 20 when his parents died, leaving him with vast wealth and the care of his unmarried sister. One day while attending Mass though, a reading from the Gospel of Matthew changed everything for the future Father of All Monks. “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven.” – Matthew 19:21 While most would balk at the prospect of living out those words to their fullest, Anthony decided to do just that around the year 285: he gave away some of the inherited land to his neighbors, sold the remaining property, and donated all of the funds to the poor. Placing his sister in the care of a group of Christian virgins, he left the city and entered the desert. Anthony was not the first monk or ascetic hermit, but he was notable for being one of the first to truly cut himself off from civilization. While most monastics chose to practice their lifestyle on the outskirts of cities, Anthony decided to head into the desert region called the Nitra, which was about 95 km west of Alexandria and filled with some of the most rugged terrain that could be found. According to Athanasius’ biography, Anthony remained in this area for 15 years, practicing a strict ascetic diet of only bread, salt and water, eating at most only once a day. He took up strenuous spiritual exercises, such as staying up all night, choosing sleepless nights of prayer over a restful night of sleep. He had discovered, as written in his biography, that “the mind of the soul is strong when the pleasures of the body are weak.” Trial would soon arrive at Anthony’s doorstep, as the devil perceived the strength of this ascetic monk. Anthony, who had walled himself into a ruin in order to devote himself fully and perfectly to the Lord, was afflicted with boredom, laziness and even the phantoms of women as the devil attempted to break his focus. Anthony combatted these afflictions with the power of prayer, which would eventually form a theme for future Christian art. Saint Anthony being assailed by demons became a popular subject in the history of art and literature in the 15th Century. The earliest depiction of him being attacked by demons can be traced to a wall painting in the atrium of Santa Maria Antiqua, a Catholic Church in Italy, from the 10th Century. Perhaps the most famous depiction was an engraving by Martin Schongauer titled “The Temptation of St. Anthony”, which Michelangelo would later use to paint one of his earliest known paintings, “The Torment of Saint Anthony.” The calmness of Saint Anthony depicted in the artwork is hard to believe when reading the torments he endured, as recounted by Athanasius. The demons would assault him furiously, both physically and spiritually, but Anthony endured the attacks. Despite being beaten to the point of unconsciousness, phantoms appearing in the form of horrid wild beasts, and repeated attacks, he persevered. When he would see the wolves, lions, snakes and scorpions gathering in an attempt to attack, he would laugh at them scornfully and say, “If any of you have any authority over me, only one would have been sufficient to fight me.” At the age of 35, he wished to retreat to absolute solitude and relocated to an abandoned Roman fort for another 20 years of ardent prayer. Food was thrown to him over the wall, and he would not allow anyone to enter, but word of his devotion to the Lord spread, and gradually a number of would-be disciples would come to the wall to listen to his advice. As the number of followers grew to the nearby caves and huts around the mountain, many begged Anthony to come out and be a guide for those wishing to imitate his spiritual life. Finally, around the year 305, Anthony emerged from his retreat. By this time, after decades of solitude, most expected him to have wasted away physically or been driven insane mentally, but who would emerge but a perfectly healthy and serene Anthony of the Desert, clothed in sackcloth and sheepskin but rippling with muscle. Rejuvenated, he continued his mission to serve the Lord, even as his legend grew. He would soon found two monasteries for the great body of monks which had formed, and he wrote a rule of life in order to help guide them in the path of ascetism. These were reportedly the first monasteries ever founded, which led to the namesake “Father of All Monks”, despite the fact Anthony himself was not in fact, the first monk to exist. Anthony is noted for not allowing the attention or number of followers distract him from remaining solely focused on the Lord, both in his own personal life, and in the monasteries he was founding. It is written he had a disdain for “stately buildings and well-laden tables”, so all of his efforts were rooted in a focus on Christ alone. After his time guiding those seeking to practice self-denial and the hermetic life, he focused his efforts on aiding the Church amidst the persecution of Egyptian Christians in the early 300’s. Word had spread to Anthony of the severe attacks by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, in which churches were razed, scriptures burned, and Christians martyred. He and several monks traveled to Alexandria, where they ministered to the persecuted. The Governor of Alexandria is reported to have ordered Anthony not to show up in the city and continue to comfort those imprisoned, but Anthony, in hopes that he would be tortured and martyred, refused. He was 60 years old at the time, and fearlessly exposing himself to danger in hopes of being an ultimate witness to the faith. He spent the majority of his remaining years returning to solitude in order to pray, as well as share teachings with those who traveled to hear him. Occasionally, he would grow tired of visitors keeping him from his worship, so he eventually went further into the Eastern Desert of Egypt, finding a spring of water and palm trees. He created an inner monastery there, where he would often retreat to following trips to the desert to visit the brethren of monks. On the spot where he settled amid the palm trees now stands the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great. He traveled out of his desert solitude only one additional time, around the year 338 when the Arian heresy began spreading in Egypt. The former deacon Arius began swaying many Egyptian Christians with his teachings about how Jesus was not equal with God, and the leader of the church in Alexandria, Athanasius himself, called upon Anthony to join him in a campaign to champion the truth to the people of Egypt. The future saint provided an eloquent defense of the belief as Jesus being true God and true Man, which led to the eventual elimination of Arianism. Anthony would live to be over 100 years old, but still miraculously maintain the appearance of youth. Eventually, Anthony felt that the day of his departure was nearing. He commanded his disciples with strict instructions to give away his possessions (which consisted of a staff and two sheepskin cloaks) and to bury his body in an unmarked, secret grave, lest his body become an object of veneration. He died around the year 356. He was 105 years old. Saint Anthony was canonized Pre-Congregation and left no physical writings behind. A handful of his words are included in the Apophthegmata, a collection of sayings attributed to the early desert fathers and mothers, but he most likely only spoke his native language of Coptic, and almost certainly was illiterate. But through the life of Saint Anthony of the Desert, we discover a great, divine paradox. He hardly ate, yet remained in perfect health. He grew extremely old, yet retained the appearance of youth. He lived in extreme isolation, yet grew agonizingly popular. He possessed so little, yet continually gave so much. Saint Anthony, devoted to the Lord, persevering against afflictions, and emboldened in faith, was aware of his shortcomings, but rooted himself in what he knew to be his ultimate strength. When two Greek philosophers traveled to speak with Anthony, he questioned why they “wished to meet with a fool.” They replied that they viewed him as no fool, but wise and prudent. In response, Anthony said: “If you think me prudent, become as I am, for we ought to imitate what is good. And if I had come to you, I should have imitated you; but if you to me, become as I am, for I am a Christian.” While those philosophers departed in silence, having no desire to be converted, may we have our hearts and lives converted by Saint Anthony the Great. Next Item Previous Item

The sealing of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation is the final sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. If, for whatever reason, you have not received this powerful sacrament, we encourage you to do so! During the Fall Semester, Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through an 8-10 week course. Confirmation - Adult The sealing of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation is the final sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. If, for whatever reason, you have not received this powerful sacrament, we encourage you to do so! During the Fall Semester, Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through an 8-10 week course. 18+ years old Next Item Previous Item Program Contact Katie Krall Adult FF/ Marriage Manager kkrall@ap.church 832-482-4147 The sealing of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation is the final sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. If, for whatever reason, you have not received this powerful sacrament, we encourage you to do so! During the Fall Semester, Adult Confirmation preparation is offered through an 8-10 week course. What you need: Requirements: Must be at least 18 years old AND graduated from High School. Have already received the Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church. Do not have any marriage impediments. Are growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Fill out the Adult Confirmation Interest Form ***You will need to provide a recently issued copy of your baptismal certificate dated within the last 6 months. Please call the church that you were baptized at and ask them to “re-issue” your baptismal certificate. Please Note: If you are married, and you and/or your spouse are Catholic, but you were not married in the Catholic Church, you will need to have your marriage convalidated prior to becoming Catholic. For more information and to see if this applies to you, please read the Marital Status Information below. Marital Status Information Adult Confirmation Request Form

The Tomb of the Holy Innocents is under the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem. The relic is a piece of their tomb. They were martyred in the 1st Century and their feast day is December 28.  The Holy Innocents are the male infants of the town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, whose deaths were recorded in Matthew 2:1-18. The infants were put to death by the soldiers of King Herod the Great (r. 37-4 B.C.) in order to prevent the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy that the King of the Jews would be born in the little town. The exact number of the slain is unknown, but it can be deduced that the population of Bethlehem during that period was not large. An angel warned Joseph of the impending danger and thus the Holy Family escaped into Egypt. The fourth-century poet Prudentius called the infants the flores martyrum, “flowers of martyrdom.” According to legend, one of Herod’s own sons, who was with a wet nurse in Bethlehem, was also slain.  The Holy Innocents 1st Century Feast Day: December 28 Location: Bethlehem Identifiers: Martyr Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A rare relic of their tomb The Tomb of the Holy Innocents is under the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem. The relic is a piece of their tomb. They were martyred in the 1st Century and their feast day is December 28. The Holy Innocents are the male infants of the town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, whose deaths were recorded in Matthew 2:1-18. The infants were put to death by the soldiers of King Herod the Great (r. 37-4 B.C.) in order to prevent the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy that the King of the Jews would be born in the little town. The exact number of the slain is unknown, but it can be deduced that the population of Bethlehem during that period was not large. An angel warned Joseph of the impending danger and thus the Holy Family escaped into Egypt. The fourth-century poet Prudentius called the infants the flores martyrum, “flowers of martyrdom.” According to legend, one of Herod’s own sons, who was with a wet nurse in Bethlehem, was also slain. MATTHEW 2:1-18 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.” (Bunson, Matthew E. Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints. 2nd ed., Our Sunday Visitor Inc.,u.s., 2014.) Next Item Previous Item

Saint Padre Pio was a luminous and captivating Italian priest who generated immense interest and even controversy during his life, but at the core of his mission, served the Lord faithfully through piety and charity. Born in Italy in 1887, he enjoyed “playing church” at a young age, eventually being ordained a priest in 1910. He soon experienced intense visions of Jesus, leading to the stigmata – the wounds of Christ appearing on his hands, feet, and side. Despite the complications attached to these beautiful wounds, Padre Pio embraced his sufferings and lived a life centered on the love of Jesus. St. Padre Pio 1887 - 1968 Feast Day: September 23 Location: Italy Identifiers: Confessor, Franciscan, Stigmata Relic located in the: Right Reliquary Type of Relic: Blood-soaked bandage Saint Padre Pio was a luminous and captivating Italian priest who generated immense interest and even controversy during his life, but at the core of his mission, served the Lord faithfully through his piety and charity. Born in Pietrelcina, Italy on May 25, 1887, Francesco Forgione was focused on the Lord starting in his earliest days. Baptized the day after he was born, he decided at just the age of five to consecrate himself to Jesus. He enjoyed singing hymns, reading and praying, and even “playing church” where he acted out serving as presider of a Mass. His parents were peasant framers who were very religious and supported his Catholic development, attending daily Mass and praying the Rosary nightly along with his older brother and three younger sisters. It is written that even as a young boy, he possessed the ability to see and communicate with his guardian angel, Jesus and the Virgin Mary. He didn’t think much of it though at the time, as he assumed other people could see them too. To help support his relatively poor family, Francesco tended to a small flock of sheep for many years. While this helped his relatively poor family get by, it also delayed his education to the point that later when the first desires to become a priest began stirring in his heart, only having three years of public schooling quickly became an issue. Francesco was also very sickly as a child. He suffered from gastroenteritis at the age of six and survived a bout of typhoid fever when he was ten. His health would continue to ail him for most of his life, but he never let it get in the way of his pursuit of holiness. In 1897, a young Capuchin friar traveling across the countryside inspired Francesco to pursue religious life. “I want to be a friar… with a beard” he reportedly told his parents, who traveled with the future saint to Morcone, Italy, home to an order of Capuchin Franciscan Friars. While they were interested in admitting him, they told his family that more education would be needed before he could join. In order to pay for the private tutoring needed for his son, Francesco’s father Grazio traveled to the United States to search for work. Thanks to his father’s dedication and hard work, enough money was sent home to tutor Francesco sufficiently so that he passed the necessary academic requirements to join the Friars. On January 6, 1903, he entered the novitiate in Morcone, and on January 22, donned the Franciscan habit for the first time. At the age of 15, he was now known as Fra Pio, in honor of Pope Pius I, whose relic he saw regularly at a chapel in his hometown. Pio’s seven-year study for the priesthood would begin with further health issues, when at the age of 17, he fell severely ill with loss of appetite, insomnia, exhaustion, and migraines. He could only stomach milk and cheese and experienced fainting spells regularly. During this time though, inexplicable phenomena began to occur with Pio, with fellow monks reportedly seeing him levitate during prayer. Pio’s health continued to decline at the friary though, and his superiors decided to send him to a mountain convent, in hopes that the change of air would improve his health. This too proved to be little help, and eventually his doctors advised him to return home, all the while he continued his studies for the priesthood. On January 27, 1907, he made his solemn profession, and on August 10, 1910, the twenty-three-year-old Fra Pio was ordained a priest by Archbishop Paolo Schinosi at the Cathedral of Benevoto. Four days later, he celebrated his very first Mass at the church of Our Lady of the Angels. From the very beginnings of his priesthood, Padre Pio became well-known for his immense piety. He would include long pauses of contemplative silence during various parts of the Mass, which could sometimes make the service last several hours. The parish priest in Pietrelcina called Pio “an incomprehensible mystery” and when asked to shorten his Mass, Pio responded, “God knows that I want to say Mass just like any other priest, but I cannot do it.” Many people began traveling to meet him, confess to him, or simply try to hear some of his wisdom. He compared weekly confession to the act of “dusting a room” and encouraged Christians to recognize God in all things, and to continually strive to do the will of God. His life took a sudden turn in 1914 with the beginning of World War I. A number of Capuchin Friars became drafted in the Italian Army, and Pio himself was drafted on November 15, 1915. He was assigned to the 10th Medical Corps in Naples, but due to his poor health, he was continually discharged from active service until finally a bout of tuberculosis led to him being declared unfit for military service on March 16, 1918. He returned to the friary at San Giovanni Rotondo, where he would remain for the rest of his life. It was in the period of many people rebuilding their lives after the war that Padre Pio really began to emerge as a symbol of hope among the faithful. He became a spiritual director and began to experience extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit that captivated those who heard of the friar. On September 20, 1918, Padre Pio had an intense vision of Jesus after serving at Mass earlier that day. When the vision ended, he felt a sharp pain and noticed the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appearing on his hands, feet and side. They would soon become permanent and remain on his body for the next 50 years. Countless experts and doctors looked at the wounds, with numerous attempts to explain the miraculous nature of their appearance. Some questioned the authenticity of the wounds, which were perfectly round and said to smell of roses. Pio felt a sense of humiliation from the wounds and the controversy that they created. It didn’t help that many were also attesting to his ability to bilocate, levitate, heal wounds, prophecy, and abstain from sleep and nourishment for extraordinary amounts of time. “Will he at least free me from the embarrassment caused by these outward signs?” Pio wrote. “I will raise my voice and will not stop imploring him until in his mercy he takes away, not the wound or the pain, which is impossible since I wish to be inebriated with pain, but these outward signs which cause me such embarrassment and unbearable humiliation.” Life became complicated for Padre Pio, as his popularity soared and became a source of concern for the Church and the Vatican. The authenticity of the stigmata was called into question in 1924 and again in 1931, and the Vatican restricted Pio’s ability to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain or argue against these decisions, and they were reversed soon after. A church investigation into his stigmata concluded that his condition was not faked. By 1934, he was back to performing his full public duties as a priest. He focused a large portion of his ministry as a “martyr of the confessional”, hearing hours upon hours of confessions from those flocking to his convent to attain absolution. His superiors at the convent were forced to develop an organizational system for making reservations to keep the large crowds under control. Around 1940, Pio was inspired to erect a hospital for the sick and suffering. In 1946, ground was broken on a plot of land near Mount Gargano that would eventually become a 350-bed hospital known as the “House for the Alleviation of the Suffering.” In 1947, a young Fr. Karol Wojtyla was studying in Rome, when he made the pilgrimage to meet Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, and have his confession heard by him. Decades later, when Fr. Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II (another saint whose relic will be alongside Padre Pio’s in the Our Lady of the Angels reliquary at St. Anthony of Padua), many speculated whether Pio had divulged any prophecy to the future Pope about what was to come. Pope John Paul II later clarified that while he did not tell him that he would one day be Pope, he did reveal that Pio had admitted a rare, significant detail about his stigmata – when asked by Wojtyla which one of his wounds caused him the most suffering, Pio replied “It is my shoulder wound, which no one knows about and has never been cured or treated.” With many historians providing a diligent analysis of Padre Pio’s life, it is revealed that Saint Pope John Paul II was the only person Padre Pio ever told about his most painful wound. While it is remarkable that Pio refrained from telling the young Polish priest about his future papacy, it is perhaps even more remarkable that he would choose John Paul II, and not any of the future Popes he would meet in his life, about this wound. Padre Pio continued to carry out his ministries dutifully, garnering large crowds seeking to witness his piety, charity, and quality of his preaching. On June 5th, 1954, Pio was forced to celebrate Mass outside on the plaza in front of the church, because the size of the crowd was too large to accommodate all of the worshippers. His health declined rapidly in his later years, battling everything from cancer to arthritis. He offered all of his bodily sufferings up to God as a sacrifice and for the conversion of souls, saying “I am fully convinced that my illness is due to a special permission of God.” On August 10, 1960, Padre Pio celebrated 50 years of priesthood. By 1965, he gained permission from the Holy See to continue to celebrate Masses but remain seated due to this health. He collapsed after celebrating Mass on September 22, 1968, but still went to the confessional in an attempt to administer the sacrament of reconciliation. He was unable to hear confessions due to his condition, but still managed to bless a large group of people who had crowded in front of his church, as well as bless a group of parishioners who had assembled in the church to pray later that evening. Padre Pio died on September 23, 1968 after receiving the sacrament of confession, renewing his priestly vows, receiving the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, and holding a rosary. His last words were “Gesú, Maria” (“Jesus, Mary”) repeated over and over until he breathed his last. He was 81. His funeral on September 26 was attended by more than 100,00 people, and he was buried later that day. On March 20, 1983, the diocesan procedure was initiated for the canonization of Padre Pio. He was beatified on May 2, 1999 and canonized on June 16, 2002, both by his close friend, Pope John Paul II. His canonization Mass was one of the largest liturgies in the history of the Vatican. Recalling his encounters with Padre Pio, Pope John Paul II said, “Prayer and charity–this is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio’s teaching.” The San Giovanni Rotondo is second only to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico in its number of annual visitors – nearly eight million pilgrims visit the site of Saint Padre Pio’s incorrupt body annually. He is the patron saint of civil defense volunteers, adolescents, and the village of Pietrelcina. Saint Padre Pio lived out the words of St. Paul to the Colossians in chapter 1, verse 24: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.” He embraced his sufferings, his abilities and his love for Jesus Christ in order to captivate the world; not necessarily through spectacular feats and miracles, but instead at the foundation of the wonder, was an awe for his inspiring piety, prayer and charity. Next Item Previous Item

Aurelia was likely martyred during the reign of Diocletian. Aurelia and Neomisia were virgins captured by the Saracens. They were born in Asia and made a pilgrimage to Palestine and Rome. At Capua, they fell into the hands of the Sacracens, who had invaded that area but escaped suring a severe rainstorm. Aurelia and Neomisia took shelter at Macerata, near Anagni, Italy. They died there. Her feast day is September 25. St. Aurelia ~300 Feast Day: September 25 Location: Asia & Rome Identifiers: Virgin, Martyr Relic located in the: TBD Type of Relic: A piece of bone Aurelia was likely martyred during the reign of Diocletian. Aurelia and Neomisia were virgins captured by the Saracens. They were born in Asia and made a pilgrimage to Palestine and Rome. At Capua, they fell into the hands of the Sacracens, who had invaded that area but escaped suring a severe rainstorm. Aurelia and Neomisia took shelter at Macerata, near Anagni, Italy. They died there. Her feast day is September 25. Next Item Previous Item

Tranquilus was likely martyred during the Reign of Diocletian. The Diocletianic Era was the unusual practice of reckoning time from the start of the reign of the bitterly anti-Christian Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305). This is in recognition of the severe persecution of the Church under Diocletian and his colleagues in rule, Maximian (r. 286-305) and Galerius (r. 305-311), although the formal universal oppression did not commence until 303, the so-called Great Oppression. Another colleague, or junior emperor, Caesar Constantius I Chlorus (r. 293-306), was conspicuous for his leniency toward Christians. St. Tranquilus 3rd - 4th Century Feast Day: July 6 Location: Rome, Italy Identifiers: Martyr Relic located in the: TBD Type of Relic: A piece of bone Tranquillis was likely martyred during the Reign of Diocletian. There were many martyrs during the “Diocletianic Era”. The Diocletianic Era was the unusual practice of reckoning time from the start of the reign of the bitterly anti-Christian Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305). This is in recognition of the severe persecution of the Church under Diocletian and his colleagues in rule, Maximian (r. 286-305) and Galerius (r. 305-311), although the formal universal oppression did not commence until 303, the so-called Great Oppression. Another colleague, or junior emperor, Caesar Constantius I Chlorus (r. 293-306), was conspicuous for his leniency toward Christians. Next Item Previous Item

The St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Anthony of Padua Church offers spiritual growth and person-to-person assistance to those in need, focusing on home visits, aid for essentials, and collaborative support with the church’s food pantry. Volunteers help with home visits, funding for basic needs, and weekly outreach activities. Society of St. Vincent de Paul For those needing assistance Please call 281-466-1920 and leave a detailed message with your name and return phone number, and one of our members will contact you. How we help WHAT IS THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL MINISTRY? The Society of SVDP is a Catholic lay organization, which leads women/men to join together to GROW SPIRITUALLY by offering PERSON TO PERSON SERVICE to the needy and suffering in the traditions of founder, Frederic Ozanam and patron St. Vincent De Paul. Essential Elements are Spirituality, Friendship and Service, as Christ teaches No work of charity is foreign: rent, utilities, vehicles, homes, food, disaster relief, prison ministries, etc. Core of our ministry starts with the home visit What can be accomplished with a HOME VISIT One sees and experiences the conditions that others face One can provide comfort and support One can pray with others One can show care and dignity The Founder of the Society of SVDP was Frederic Ozanam. Frederic and his Catholic friends were challenged with the question: “What is your church doing today to meet the needs of society and the poor?” Society of St Vincent De Paul was organized in 1833 in Paris, and quickly spread in Europe (Italy, England, etc), before coming to the United States in 1845 in St Louis. St. Vincent De Paul at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Approximately 50 members Meet twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. We are active for 3 out of 4 weeks in a month We provide funds for rent, utilities, car payments, furniture, medicine & more. We often work with the St. Anthony’s Bread food pantry to provide food. Our individual responsibilities include answering phones, scheduling and conducting home visits, pledging funds and paying client bills. We conduct roughly 8 to 12 home visits per week We distribute $8,000 to $10,000 per week, based on the donations received from the parish to the SVDP ministry Volunteer with SVdP Become a volunteer You will go and visit the poor ten times a day and ten times a day you will find God there. -Saint Vincent De Paul Donate to SVdP Society

St. Agatha is a highly venerated virgin martyr of Christian antiquity who was put to death for her unwavering faith. While the exact persecution during which she was martyred is uncertain, it is believed to have occurred during the persecution of Decius (250-253). St. Agatha is honored as the patron saint of Catania, and her feast is celebrated on February 5th. She is invoked against volcanic eruptions, fire, and lightning in the region around Mt. Etna. The exact details of her glorious death remain elusive, but her steadfastness in the face of persecution and her unwavering faith have made her a revered figure in the Catholic Church. Her feast day is February 5th. St. Agatha 231 - 251 Feast Day: February 5 Location: Sicily, Italy Identifiers: Virgin, Martyr, Incorrupt Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of bone St. Agatha, is a martyr whose name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass. She was executed in the persecutions probably conducted by Emperor Trajanus Decius (r. 249-251), in a series of anti-Christian campaigns from 250-253. Agatha is listed in the Hieronymian Martyrology and in the Carthaginian Martyrology, from the sixth century. Pope St. Damasus I (r. 366-384) wrote a hymn in her honor or had the poem, perhaps written by someone else, included in his book of devotions. Two versions of her martyrdom were recorded in the early Church. She was a daughter of a prominent noble Sicilian family and was very beautiful. A Roman senator, named Quintianus, listed as the prefect of the region, asked Agatha to marry him. When she refused, he retaliated by placing her in a brothel, where she miraculously remained unharmed. When Agatha still held to her faith in Christ, Quintianus had her tortured. Agatha’s breasts were cut off. She was cured by a vision of St. Peter, but the Romans had her rolled naked across a bed of hot coals and glass. Agatha died from this torture. At her funeral, a youth appeared to honor her. Quintianus did not survive long, as he was thrown by his horse and drowned in a river. On the anniversary of Agatha’s death, Mount Etna erupted. The faithful, taking her veil up the mountain, were supposedly able to stop the flow of lava. Agatha also cured the mother of St. Lucy in a vision. Her tomb is in Catania, Sicily, and her veil is enshrined in the cathedral of Florence. In some regions, St. Agatha’s bread is distributed to ward off a variety of diseases and mishaps. Many early Christian churches were dedicated to this great saint. Cruz, Joan Carroll. The Incorruptibles: A Study of the Incorruption of the Bodies of Various Catholic Saints and Beati. TAN Books, an Imprint of Saint Benedict Press, LLC, 2012. Bunson, Matthew E. Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints. 2nd ed., Our Sunday Visitor Inc.,u.s., 2014. Next Item Previous Item

Illuminatus was likely martyred during the Reign of Diocletian. The Diocletianic Era was the unusual practice of reckoning time from the start of the reign of the bitterly anti-Christian Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305). This is in recognition of the severe persecution of the Church under Diocletian and his colleagues in rule, Maximian (r. 286-305) and Galerius (r. 305-311), although the formal universal oppression did not commence until 303, the so-called Great Oppression. Another colleague, or junior emperor, Caesar Constantius I Chlorus (r. 293-306), was conspicuous for his leniency toward Christians. St. Illuminatus 3rd - 4th Century Feast Day: No Assigned Date Location: Rome, Italy Identifiers: Martyr Relic located in the: TBD Type of Relic: A piece of bone Illuminatus was likely martyred during the Reign of Diocletian. The Diocletianic Era was the unusual practice of reckoning time from the start of the reign of the bitterly anti-Christian Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305). This is in recognition of the severe persecution of the Church under Diocletian and his colleagues in rule, Maximian (r. 286-305) and Galerius (r. 305-311), although the formal universal oppression did not commence until 303, the so-called Great Oppression. Another colleague, or junior emperor, Caesar Constantius I Chlorus (r. 293-306), was conspicuous for his leniency toward Christians. Next Item Previous Item

Saint Benedict the Moor lived a life of the Beatitudes. Born to two African slaves and illiterate, he later possessed a knowledge of Sacred Scripture and theology that astonished priests and scholars. Facing persecution throughout his life from being “il Moro,” or dark skinned, he is remembered for his racial tolerance. Joining a society of hermits at the age of 21, he eventually worked as a cook at a Franciscan friary before becoming the Guardian of the community. He endured the taunts of racial prejudice, refused to be hindered by illiteracy, and humbly served the Lord wherever he could. St. Benedict the Moor 1526 - 1589 Feast Day: April 4 Location: Italy Identifiers: Confessor, Franciscan Relic located in the: Left Reliquary Type of Relic: A piece of bone Saint Benedict the Moor lived a life of the Beatitudes. Born to two African slaves and illiterate, he would later possess a knowledge of Sacred Scripture and complex theological questions that astonished priests and scholars alike. Growing in fame for his miracles and teachings, he was meek, and chose to travel at night to avoid recognition. Facing persecution throughout his life due to being “il Moro,” or dark skinned, he chose to be a peacemaker, and is remembered for his racial tolerance. Benedict was born in 1526 in Italy, most likely near San Fratello. His parents, Cristoforo and Diana Manasseri were Africans who were captured and taken as slaves to San Fratello, located near Sicily. After they arrived in Italy, they both converted to Catholicism, prior to the birth of Benedict. Thanks to his parents “loyal service” as slaves, Benedict was born free from slavery. Just because he wasn’t a slave didn’t mean his life was easy though. Like most peasants, he didn’t attend school, and instead worked as a shepherd through his youth. Even at a young age, he had a heart for the poor, and gave most of what he earned to those in need. Benedict was often subject to persecution and ridicule due to his race and his parents’ servitude. Despite being the object of frequent humiliation, he bore these insults with dignity, patience and even cheerfulness. By the age of 10, he had become known as “The Holy Black” in Italy. It was Benedict’s gentleness and peaceful nature that one day attracted the attention of Jerome Lanzi, a member of a group of hermits from nearby Monte Pellegrino. The twenty-one-year-old Benedict was encouraged to join the independent society of hermits, who lived under the Rule of Saint Francis of Assisi. Lanzi, a former nobleman who had left his former life to join the hermits, succeeded in convincing Benedict to join and he soon sold the few possessions he had and joined their monastic group. Benedict found a welcome home among the small group of hermits, who would relocate to a new location outside Palermo not long after he joined. For many years, he happily worked in the kitchen as a lay brother, serving as an exceptional cook. When he was 28, Jerome Lanzi, who had been serving as the superior of the order, passed away. Reluctantly, it was Benedict himself who agreed to become the new superior, and the community prospered under his leadership. Following the third Council of Trent in 1564, Pope Pius IV announced a decree for all independent hermit societies to disband. Considering that the Benedict-led hermits were adhering to the Rule of St. Francis, they followed the Pope’s encouragement to join Franciscan orders. Benedict would become a member of the Order of the Friars Minor, and travel to Palermo to the Franciscan Friary of St. Mary of Jesus. He initially returned to the kitchen to continue his work as a cook, and he quickly became known not just for his tasty food, but for his resourcefulness. Stories tell of his miraculous ability to “multiply the food” and feed more and more people despite a limited amount of food available. Over the years, Benedict would rise in ranks at the friary, advancing to Master of Novices before becoming the Guardian of the community, a significant leadership role, in 1578. This was especially notable due to the fact that Benedict was still illiterate – and thus he was unable to become a priest due to the requirement of priests and religious figures being able to read and write. Nonetheless, he soon displayed a vast and deep understanding of theology and scripture, and word of his knowledge and sanctity began to spread outside Palermo. Benedict became known for his many gifts and miracles, one of them including the apparent ability to read the minds of others. This created large groups of lay people, clergy, and curious Italians far and wide flocking to his side, seeking his counsel. Benedict disliked the attention though, and always tried to travel at night when he could. When daytime trips were unavoidable, he would cover his face with a hood. Benedict also encouraged and developed a stricter Franciscan rule of life as the Guardian of the friary. He fully embraced the austerities of the hermit life, sleeping only a few hours each night, eating sparingly, and keeping seven 40-day fasts through the year. Benedict continued to serve the friary faithfully as a lay person, drawing people every day to hear his teachings of the scripture, experience his healing abilities, and just be in the presence of a man of divine wisdom and compassion. Towards the end of his life, Benedict asked to be relieved of his offices, and return to his favorite work: cooking in the kitchen. He resumed his duties as cook but had nearly every day interrupted by crowds who continued to seek alms, advice, prayers and cures for their illnesses. Around the age of 63, it was Benedict himself who fell ill and on the exact date and time that he had predicted, he passed away in Palermo. He was initially buried in a large tomb inside the friary church, but would have his body exhumed twice, with King Phillip III of Spain creating a shrine for Benedict in Palermo, Italy, and his body was placed in the shrine in 1611. His remains were discovered to be without any noticeable signs of decay, and his relics are still considered incorrupt to this day. Benedict was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1743 and canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807. He is the patron saint of African missions, African Americans, Palermo, and Sicily. He became known as Saint Benedict the Moor, after the Italian phrase “Il Moro” meaning “The Black”. There are several historically black Roman Catholic churches bearing his namesake across the country, including parishes in Georgia, New York, Florida, Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin and more. Saint Benedict the Moor showed others that God doesn’t always call the qualified, but he qualifies the called. He endured the taunts of racial prejudice, refused to be hindered by his illiteracy, and humbly served the Lord whether he was leading in the front or cooking in the back. He had every opportunity to become prideful, arrogant, angry or impatient – instead, he handed what he had to the Lord, and then leaned into the gifts the Lord provided in return. Next Item Previous Item