Celebrating Holy Seven Brothers with Sts. Rufina and Secunda, Martyrs on July 10. The Holy Seven Brothers, martyred around 165 A.D., were the sons of St. Felicitas, a Christian widow in Rome known for her unwavering faith. When Roman officials demanded that her sons renounce their faith and sacrifice to pagan gods, Felicitas urged them […]

Celebrating St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions on July 9. St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions are honored as part of the 120 Martyrs of China, canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. These martyrs—clergy and laypeople, men and women, old and young—died for their faith between the 17th and 20th centuries under […]

Celebrating St. Kilian of Portugal on July 8. St. Kilian, an Irish missionary bishop of the 7th century, is revered as the “Apostle of Franconia” for his evangelizing work in what is now central Germany. With companions Colman and Totnan, Kilian left the security of monastic life in Ireland and embarked on a missionary journey […]

Celebrating Sts. Cyril and Methodius on July 7. Saints Cyril and Methodius, known as the Apostles to the Slavs, were 9th-century Greek brothers who brought Christianity to the Slavic peoples in a way that deeply respected their culture and language. Born in Thessalonica, they were not only missionaries, but also scholars and linguists. Their most […]

Celebrating St. Thomas More on July 6. St. Thomas More, whose feast is celebrated on June 22nd, was a 16th-century English lawyer, author, and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor under King Henry VIII. He is most famously remembered for his refusal to endorse the king’s divorce and the Act of Supremacy, which declared the […]

Celebrating St. Anthony May Zaccaria on July 5. St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, a 16th-century Italian priest and reformer, was a driving force behind the Counter-Reformation. He founded the Barnabites, an order devoted to renewing the clergy and laity through fervent preaching, Eucharistic devotion, and spiritual discipline. Deeply committed to the reform of Christian life, he […]

Celebrating St. Theodore on July 4.  He is a lesser-known early Christian martyr. He was reportedly a layman who courageously confessed his Christian faith during the fierce persecutions of the third century and was executed for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods. What makes his witness stand out is his ordinary status. He wasn’t a […]

Celebrating St. Thomas the Apostle on July 3. St. Thomas the Apostle, remembered on July 3rd, is best known for doubting the Resurrection until he could place his hands in Christ’s wounds. But rather than reducing him to “Doubting Thomas,” the Church honors him as a courageous missionary, said to have traveled as far as […]

Celebrating Sts. Processus and Martinian, Martyrs on July 2. Sts. Processus and Martinian were Roman soldiers of the Praetorian Guard, assigned to watch over prisoners in the Mamertine Prison—including Saints Peter and Paul. According to tradition, after witnessing the apostles’ faith, endurance, and miracles, both soldiers converted to Christianity and were baptized by Peter himself. […]

Celebrating Bl. Junipero Serra on July 1. Blessed Junípero Serra, an 18th-century Franciscan missionary, is best known for founding a series of missions along the coast of what is now California. Leaving behind a prestigious academic life in Spain and later in Mexico, Serra chose instead the path of hardship and evangelization. He walked thousands […]