Saint Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, in the year 1515. He was the
oldest son of Francis Neri and Lucretia Soldi, both descendants of Tuscan
families. He was kind hearted as a kid and soon became known as Philip the
Good - "the good Pippo." As a child, he studied philosophy and later he took
a comprehensive course in theology. With fourteen companions, he created
the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity for looking after pilgrims and
convalescents. The members met for Communion, prayer and other spiritual
exercises in the Church of San Salvatore, and Philip himself introduced the
idea of having exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at least once a month.
At these devotions, Philip preached, even though he had not yet become a
priest. In 1550, he transferred this Confraternity to the Church of the Holy
Trinity, and built a new hospital. His work continued and in 1551, he was
ordained a priest at the age of thirty-six.
As a newly ordained priest, Philip continued his spiritual conferences to
ever-increasing numbers, who came seeking his guidance and help. In a short
time, several priests and young clergymen associated themselves with him.
They began to aid him with his conferences and in reading prayers and
meditations to the people of the Church of the Holy Trinity. This small
group soon became known as an Oratory, because at certain hours each day,
they would gather the people together for prayer and meditation. Therefore
they laid the foundation of a new religious society. In 1564, when Philip
had formed his congregation into a regular community, he had several of his
young clergy men ordained to the priesthood.
Saint Philip lived to be eighty years of age. In the year 1595, he was
struck by an unusual violent fever and was confined to his bed for the
entire month of April. Cardinal Caesar Baronius game him Extreme Unction and
Cardinal Frederick Borromeo, an intimate friend, brought him Holy Viaticum.
His entire congregation accompanied him on his deathbed. It was shortly
after midnight on May 26th, 1595 that he passed away.
Saint Philip was noted also for his kindness and simplicity and was much
sought after as a confessor. His sense of humor was note worthy. He was
beautified by Pope Paul V in 1615 and was canonized a saint by Pope Gregory
XV in the year 1622.
After Philip's death it was discovered that two of his ribs were broken and
had formed an arch, enlarging the normal space for the heart. His body rests
in the Chiesa Nuova where it remains miraculously incorrupt.
younger son of Edward IV and as no one was sure what had happened to...
“It was a different place when Damien came there and made his great renunciation, and slept that first night under a tree amidst his rotting brethren: alone with pestilence; and looking forward (with what courage, with what pitiful sinkings of dread, God only knows) to a lifetime of dressing sores and stumps.” (Bunson, 250)
He helped raise his family and had an effect on sibling and how they were brought up. His two
Saint Gregory of Tours was born around the year 538 at Arverni, which is now Clermont-Ferrand. He belonged to the Gallo-Roman family, which was a very prestigious family. He was also related to the houses of Gaul. Gregory’s original name was Georgius Florentius. He took the name Gregory to honor his late grandfather who was named Gregory. His Grandfather was the Bishop of Langres. When Gregory was young, his father died and he went to live with his Uncle. His uncle, Gallus, was the Bishop of Clermont. Gallus educated him until his death in 554. Gregory’s mother left to live with friends in Burgandy and left her son to Avitus who became Bishop of Clermont after Gallus. Avitus taught Gregory all about the Scriptures. Gregory was not too impressed with the scriptures. Gregory got seriously ill and wasn’t supposed to recover. He did recover though and this made him more mindful of God and the scriptures. Gregory then became a friend with the Bishop of Tours whose name was Euphronius. Euphronius died in 573 and Gregory succeeded him as Bishop of Tours.
During the last two years of Francis’ life, his health was destroyed. He felt tremendous pain in his eyes, spleen, and liver, stomach and have contracted malaria. Francis knew his last days were nearing. He asked his attendants to sing to him, for Francis enjoyed the sound of music. St. Francis died on October 3rd, 1226, while singing his nature song, Canticle of the Sun.
value his wife, Portia. He was never home for her and, eventually, part of her suicide
Peregrine Laziosi was born in the year 1265, in Forlì, Italy. After living a satisfying life, filled with joyful hardships, Peregrine died of a bad fever on May 1, 1345. After several years, Peregrine was finally canonized by Pope Benedict XIII, on the 27th of December, 1726. To this day, people universally know him for his miracle and for being the Patron Saint of cancer, AIDS and any other incurable illness.
There are thousands of saints who all lived amazing and virtuous lives, and we can only pick one for Confirmation. The Saint who had the deepest impact on my heart and the one I picked was Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. She was a marvelous women who did only what was right by God. Saint Kateri was the first Native American that was recognized by the Catholic church and I have Native American in my blood going way back. Saint Kateri is important to me because she is an amazing role model, and I feel as if I can connect with her the most. Kateri is very outstanding women; she is very strong in the way she lives her life. Kateri is very connected with nature and the lives around her, which I am also.
Saint Nicholas had some significant events happen to him when he was a young that made had have the impact of what he did in his life. Nicholas parents died when he was young and left him a lot of money, which made him a rich man after time. “He lost both of his parents as a young man and reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and sick.” His uncle took care of Nicholas and raised him after they passed away. Later on St. Nicholas served in Myra as a bishop, Myra is a city now known as Demre.
King of Spain, only son of the Emperor Charles V, and Isabella of Portugal, b. at Valladolid, 21 May, 1527; d. at the Escorial, 13 Sept., 1598. He was carefully educated in the sciences, learned French and Latin, though he never spoke anything but Castilian, and also showed much interest in architecture and music. In 1543 he married his cousin, Maria of: Portugal, who died at the birth of Don Carlos (1535). He was appointed regent of Spain with a council by Charles V. In 1554 he married Mary Tudor, Queen of England, who was eleven years his senior. This political marriage gave Spain an indirect influence on affairs of England, recently restored to Catholicism; but in 1555 Philip was summoned to the Low Countries, and Mary's death in the same year severed the connection between the two countries. At a solemn conference held at Brussels, 22 Oct., 1555, Charles V ceded to Philip the Low Countries, the crowns of Castille, Aragon, and Sicily, on 16 Jan., 1556, and the countship of Burgundy on the tenth of June. He even thought of securing for him the imperial crown, but the opposition of his brother Ferdinand caused him to abandon that project. Having become king, Philip, devoted to Catholicism, defended the Faith throughout the world and opposed the progress of heresy, and these two things are the key to his whole reign. He did both by means of absolutism. His reign began unpleasantly for a Catholic sovereign. He had signed with France the Treaty of Vaucelles (5 Feb., 1556), but it was soon broken by France, which joined Paul IV against him. Like Julius II this pope longed to drive the foreigners out of Italy. Philip had two wars on his hands at the same time, in Italy and in the Low Countries. In Italy the Duke of Alva, Viceroy of Naples, defeated the Duke of Guise and reduced the pope to such distress that he was forced to make peace. Philip granted this on the most favourable terms and the Duke of Alva was even obliged to ask the pope's pardon for having invaded the Pontifical States. In the Low Countries Philip defeated the French at Saint Quentin (1557) and Gravelines (1558) and afterwards signed the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis (3 April, 1559), which was sealed by his marriage with Elizabeth of Valois, daughter of Henry II.
was very independent and has always done things he wanted, as he was entrusted with the
himself in a defiant way and disobeyed all authority in his life. His brother Pete helped
There are five steps to sainthood. First, the person’s local bishop investigates their life by gathering information from witnesses of their life and any writings they may have written. If the bishop finds them to be worthy of being a saint, then he submits the
Francis was famous for his love of all creation. He called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. He died in 1226, at the age of 44.
Francis was born with the baptismal name of John, to Peter Bernardone and his wife Pica, in the fall of 1182 while Peter was away. A well to do businessman in fabrics, furs and fine apparel, Peter was not pleased with the baptismal name that Pica had chosen in honor of John the Baptist, so he insisted on the name Franciscus or Francis in English. Francis was brought up in the privilege that Peter’s business permitted and Peter was grooming him to take over this business one day. During this grooming process, Francis came across many classes of people and all walks of life learning from each person. While learning the tools of Peter’s trade, Francis was learning that a life of privilege supported his life of parties, partiers, and an elaborate wardrobe. Even though his parents did not discipline or control his lavish behavior, they were concerned for his lack of interest in Peter’s business. However, Francis did take note of his wealth when a beggar came to his father’s shop; Francis dismissed him, but later saw his actions as greedy and was re...