For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
Lives Of Saints
December 11 : Saint Damasus I
St. Damasus I, was born in 305, in Portugal, which was then part of the Western Roman Empire. His father, a widower, had received Holy Orders there and served as parish priest in the church of St. Laurence. Damasus started as a deacon in his father’s church, and served as a priest in what later... Read More
December 12 : Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Virgin of Guadalupe appears on a piece of fabric, hundreds of years old, and depict an image said to be miraculous. The Virgin of Guadalupe was declared Queen of Mexico and is Patron of the Americas. Our Lady of Guadalupe first introduced herself as the Mother of God and the mother of all humanity... Read More
December 13 : Saint Lucy
St. Lucy is a virgin and martyr of Syracuse in Sicily, whose feast is celebrated on December 13th. According to tradition, Saint Lucy was born to rich and noble parents in the year 283. Her father was of Roman origin, but his early death left her dependent upon her mother, who was of Greek heritage.... Read More
December 14 : Saint John of the Cross
John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. Saint John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes y... Read More
December 15 : Blessed Mary Frances Schervier
This woman who once wanted to become a Trappistine nun was instead led by God to establish a community of sisters who care for the sick and aged in the United States and throughout the world. Born into a distinguished family in Aachen—then ruled by Prussia, but formerly Aix-la-Chapelle, France—Frances ran the household after her... Read More
December 16 : St. Ado of Vienne
An archbishop and scholar, Ado was born in Sens and educated at the Benedictine abbey of Ferrieres. Abbot Lupus Servatus, an outstanding humanist of the time, trained Ado, and was impressed with the obvious holiness of the young man. A noble by birth, Ado renounced his inheritance and became a Benedictine, in time assigned to... Read More
December 17 : Saint Hildegard of Bingen
Abbess, artist, author, composer, mystic, pharmacist, poet, preacher, theologian—where to begin in describing this remarkable woman? Born into a noble family, she was instructed for ten years by the holy woman Blessed Jutta. When Hildegard was 18, she became a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Saint Disibodenberg. Ordered by her confessor to write down the visions... Read More
December 18 : St. Winebald
Winebald + Benedictine abbot and missionary. The brother of Sts. Willibald and Walburga, he was born in Wessex, England, and went on a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land with his brother and father. When their father died at Lucca, the brothers proceeded to Rome. Winebald remained in the Eternal City while his brother went on to the... Read More
December 19 : Blessed Urban V
In 1362, the man elected pope declined the office. When the cardinals could not find another person among them for that important office, they turned to a relative stranger: the holy person we honor today. The new Pope Urban V proved a wise choice. A Benedictine monk and canon lawyer, he was deeply spiritual and... Read More
December 20 : Saint Dominic of Silos
It’s not the founder of the Dominicans we honor today, but there’s a poignant story that connects both Dominics. Our saint today, Dominic of Silos, was born in Spain around the year 1000 into a peasant family. As a young boy he spent time in the fields, where he welcomed the solitude. He became a... Read More