Saints

Martyr. Jesuit priest. This Polish saint was born in 1591. He became a Jesuit at Vilno (Vilnius) in 1609 where he preached at the church of St Casimir before being appointed superior at the house at Bobruysk. During an epidemic of plague he worked night and day caring for the sick and dying. Later he served as a missionary, bringing whole villages of Orthodox Christians into communion with the Ca... Read More

Franciscan preacher. Bernadino was born at Massa di Carrera in 1380, and brought up by an aunt after his parents died. As a young man he took charge of the La Scala hospital at Siena after most of the staff died of plague. He then looked after his bedridden aunt until her death. In 1402 he became a Franciscan friar and soon began to make a name for himself as a preacher. For many years he journe... Read More

Augustinian nun. Patron of desperate cases and difficult marriages. Rita was born in 1377 at Roccaporena in Umbria. She was to become a nun but her parents made her marry. Her husband was violent and unfaithful. They had two sons. She endured the marriage for 18 years, until one day her husband was killed in a vendetta. In 1407 Rita became a nun. She prayed and meditated on the Passion of Christ... Read More