Saints

Franciscan priest. Patron saint of pilots and airline passengers. Joseph was such an extraordinary saint, his fellow Christians found him hard to cope with. He was born in a garden shed in 1603, near Brindizi in Italy. The family were very poor. Joseph's mother was widowed very early and resented her son. He spent an unhappy childhood, winning the nickname 'the gaper' for wandering about with hi... Read More

St Robert Bellarmine Cardinal. Born during the Reformation at Montepulciano, Tuscany, in 1542, St Robert Bellarmine was a poet, musician and public speaker. His systematic studies of theology began at Padua in 1567, where his teachers were adherents of Thomism. In 1569 he was sent to finish his studies at the University of Leuven in Flanders. There he was ordained, and obtained a reputation both ... Read More

Martyr. Patron of Naples. This early saint was Bishop of Benevento when the Emperor Diocletian turned his fury on Christians. One day Januarius visited some deacons and lay people who had been thrown into a dungeon for their faith. The jailers informed the authorities and he was arrested and tried with two others, Festus and Desiderius, who were guests at his home. Draconius, the pagan governor ... Read More