Saints

Matt Talbot can be considered the patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism. Born in Dublin in 1856, his father worked on the docks and had a difficult time supporting his family. After a few years of schooling, Matt obtained work as a messenger for some liquor merchants; there he began to drink excessively and soon became an alcoholic. For 15 years, until he was 30, he drank heavily. ... Read More

Born in 1117, the son of prosperous merchants, Rainier enjoyed a wild youth. He loved music and dancing, partying all night with friends, then sleeping all day. But when he was about 23, his aunt introduced him to a wandering monk who persuaded him there was more to life than dissipation and self-indulgence. St Ranier's change of heart was so dramatic, his parents feared for his sanity. He walke... Read More

Benedictine abbot. Born in Ravenna in 950, Romuald is said to have fled the world in horror, after his father killed a man in a duel. He joined the Cluniac monks, but after years of study became attracted to a life of solitary prayer. He eventually left the monastery and walked from place to place, founding many hermitages and communities. The most important of these was Fonte Avellana and Camald... Read More