Euphrasia’s
father, Antigonus, was a kinsman of the Emperor Theodosius I, and her
mother, also named Euphrasia, was of an equally exalted station.Both parents were as virtuous as they were socially privileged and wealthy. When Antigonus died a year after Euphrasia’s birth, the emperor took the widow and child under his protection. At five years of age, Euphrasia was promised in marriage by Emperor Theodosius to the son of a wealthy senator.
When the young widow herself began to be sought in marriage, she took her child and moved to Egypt to live near a monastery of nuns known for their holiness and austerity. At age seven, feeling drawn to religious life, the little girl begged to be allowed to join the religious. Delighted, the mother cautiously allowed her a time in the monastery, but realizing that her daughter, despite her youth, was in dead earnest, the widow entrusted her child to the motherly care of the abbess. Soon after, feeling herself close to death, Euphrasia counseled her daughter: "Fear God, honor your sisters, and serve them with humility. Never think of what you have been, nor say to yourself that you are of royal extraction. Be humble and poor on earth, that you may be rich in heaven.”
And, in fact, young Euphrasia edified her sisters by her astounding meekness and humility. Once, being tempted by all the things and honors she had left, her superior had her move a great pile of stones, at which task she persevered for thirty days, conquering her temptation.
Upon
the death of her mother, and Euphrasia having reached a marriageable
age, the emperor pressed his claim requesting her return to court. But
she sent him the following reply written in her own hand: “Invincible
emperor, having consecrated myself to Christ in perpetual chastity, I
cannot be false to my engagement, and marry a mortal man, who will
shortly be the food of worms. For the sake of my parents, be pleased to
distribute their estates among the poor, the orphans, and the church.
Set all my slaves at liberty, and discharge my vassals and servants,
giving them whatever is their due. Order my father’s stewards to acquit
my farmers of all they owe since his death that I may serve God without
let or hindrance, and may stand before him without the solicitude of
temporal affairs. Pray for me, you and your empress, that I may be made
worthy to serve Christ.” The emperor shed many tears upon reading
Euphrasia’s reply, as did those senators who were present. Overcome, one
of them exclaimed in admiration: “She is the worthy daughter of
Antigonus and Euphrasia, of your royal blood, and the holy off-spring of
a virtuous stock.” Shortly before his own death in 395, the emperor
fulfilled all as she had desired.Euphrasia died at age thirty and was favored with the gift of miracles before her death.
Six
years later, Theophanes returned to Sigriano where he made another
monastic foundation. It was in virtue of his position as abbot of this
monastery that he participated in the Second Council of Nicaea in 787,
which issued the declaration of faith concerning the veneration of holy
images:
abstinence, attended no Mass, 
Leaning
on his staff, the hermit went out to meet the lord. Addressing him with
calm dignity, he said: “Welcome, Sir. Being a knight, thou must surely
be courteous. Accept my invitation, then. Dismount, and let us go inside
to speak.”
“For
Almighty God’s sake, do at least one kind deed. Take this little barrel
to the nearby brook, fill it with water, and return it to me!”
The
holy hermit failed to recognize the man who came to his door, but upon
seeing the little barrel, he asked: “What has brought thee here, dear
brother? And who has given thee this barrel? It has been a year now
since I gave it to a fair lord. I know not whether he is alive or dead,
for he has not returned.”
Having
received Holy Communion, the lord was completely purified and clean, no
stain of sin remaining in his soul. “Father, thou hast done me all
manner of good. In return, my whole being is thine. I am in thy hands.
The end approaches. Pray for me.” Then the lord sank into the hermit’s
arms and breathed his last. At that moment, the chapel filled with
light, and angels descended to lead that soul to Heaven in a magnificent
cortege, wonders the hermit could see on account of his exalted virtue.
Desiring
to abandon the world entirely, Aengus retired to an isolated hermitage
where he practiced severe mortifications. These, in turn, began to
attract all manner of people to his “desert”. So, one night, he simply
disappeared. Knocking at the door of the great monastery of Tallaght in
Dublin, he asked to be admitted as a servant – concealing both his name
and renown. He was accepted by the abbot, St. Maelruain, and for seven
years labored at the meanest chores about the monastery, none suspecting
his true identity. 
After
meeting two Jesuits who had undertaken clandestine missionary work in
Scotland (since 1560 Catholicism was outlawed in the British Isles) he
offered himself for the perilous mission. With orders to proceed to
Scotland, he travelled under the name of John Watson, horse dealer.
Frances
was born in Rome in 1383, the daughter of noble, wealthy and pious
parents. At eleven she asked to become a religious but only met with
point blank refusal. A year later, the attractive, precocious girl was
betrothed to Lorenzo Ponziano, a young man of good character, fortune
and position. Frances submitted.
John
of God was born of pious parents in 1495 in Montemoro Novo in northern
Portugal. Obscure circumstances led to him being absconded from his
parents into Spain at the age of nine to be raised by a farmer.
In
the ancient city of Carthage, North Africa in the year 203, Perpetua, a
young married lady and the mother of an infant son, and Felicita, a
pregnant slave girl found themselves in a dark dungeon. With them were
Felicita’s fellow slave Revocatus and two free men Saturninus and
Secundulus. Another, Seturus, who declared himself a Christian before
the judge, joined them – he was probably Perpetua’s husband. The first
five were catechumens and were imprisoned for violating the decree
issued by Emperor Septimus Severus forbidding any one from becoming a
Christian. They were baptized before being incarcerated.
The
account of the martyrdom of the five holy confessors comes to us
through an eye-witness. The martyrs suffered as part of the games for
the Emperor’s birthday on March 7, 203. The pagan mob first demanded
they be scourged. Then a boar, a bear and a leopard were set on the men.
The two women were thrown before a raging bull which wounded them. Then
they were put to the sword.
After
four years of suffering in this way, the afflicted man could endure the
pain no longer. His affliction had made him very ill, a shadow of his
former robust self. He thought he would again try to have the iron
extracted. But before doing so, this time he decided to make a bargain
with the Blessed Virgin.
Colette Broyet lived during the great Church schism when there were two men claiming to be Pope: one in Rome and one in Avignon.
On
August 15, 1654 on the island of Ischia, off the coast of Naples, a
little boy was born to an exemplary, well-to-do couple, Joseph and Laura
Calosirto. Baptized the same day, the new arrival was given the name of
Carlo Caetano. One of seven boys, five of which were to enter religion,
Carlo gave early signs of seeking sanctity, which his family recognized
and respected.
Casimir
was the third of thirteen children born to King Casimir IV of Poland
and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Elizabeth of Habsburg, an Austrian
princess, daughter of Emperor Albert II.
The
three Drexel children were well educated and enjoyed many social and
material privileges. They were privately educated at home by their
tutors and would often tour parts of the United States and Europe with
their parents. They were brought up to the practice of the virtues and
assisted their parents every week when they opened their home to the
care and aid of the poor.
Over
the course of the next sixty years, Mother Katharine Drexel, as she
became known, devoted herself and her fortune to propagating her
missionary work. By the time of her death in 1955, at the age of
ninety-six, she had established a system of Catholic schools for blacks
in thirteen states, twenty-three rural schools, and fifty missions for
Indians in sixteen states. Her most famous establishment was Xavier
University for Blacks in New Orleans in 1915 – it was the first of its
kind in the United States and faced great opposition from radical
racists.
Then,
going on the offensive and using the Rosary as a physical weapon, Fr.
Amat scourged the demons crying out, “Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary,
help me, come to my aid!” at which the demons took flight.
Shortly
afterwards, St. Wilfrid went to Gaul to be consecrated bishop of York
but he remained so long that King Oswin had Chad consecrated bishop for
that office. Following the example of the Apostles, Chad visited his
diocese on foot, and devoted himself to ecclesiastical truth, purity of
doctrine and the practice of humility, self-denial and study.
Before his assignment in Boucey, Father Chapdelaine confided to his brother that he had "not become a priest for those who already know God, but for those who don’t.”
He wished to enter the French Foreign Missions immediately after
ordination but submitted humbly to the will of his superiors. For seven
years, he would remain in Boucey, under the guidance of the elderly and
infirm pastor, Father Oury. Despite his parish work, Father Auguste
never wavered in his desire: to found a mission church, then die! Still,
he was not getting any younger. When Father Oury died in April, 1849,
Father Chapdelaine was already 35 years old, the age limit to enter the
French Foreign Missions. Yet, despite his ardent desire to enter, he
would serve under the new pastor, Father Poupinet, for another two
years. Then, in January, 1851, Bishop Robiou authorized him to leave the
diocese for the Foreign Missions – if they would have a 37-year-old
priest! Despite his age, Father Chapdelaine immediately reapplied for
admission. In face of such zeal, he was accepted. Returning to La
Rochelle he found his entire family assembled, not to bid him farewell
but to his sister, Victoria, who had just died. After the funeral,
Auguste announced his departure for Paris and let it be known he would
never see his family again. Eight days later, he boarded the train for
Paris. On March 15, 1851, the young man who had entered minor seminary
at age 20 was now entering the French Foreign Missions two years over
the age limit. Not only was his a late vocation but one that would be
forever delayed in the attainment of its goals.
On
October 12, 1853, accompanied by some Christians, he set out for the
missionary territory assigned to him in the Chinese province of Guangxi.
All the hardships of his journeys by sea were now replaced by those on
land: fast-flowing rivers, high mountain ranges, and bandits. Encouraged
by the small groups of Christians they encountered on their way, they
reached the mission at Kouy-Yang in February, 1854 where they were
received by three missionary confreres. While resting and awaiting the
opportunity of penetrating into Guangxi, he was given the pastoral care
of three villages. During this time, he adopted the dress and appearance
of the Chinese: black suit, moustache and long thin beard, and his long
hair bound in a queue down his back. He also wore the black hat common
to Chinese scholars.
The
early part of St. David’s life is misted by time and legend. He was
purportedly the son of Sant of a princely family, and possibly related
to King Arthur. His mother was St. Non, grand-daughter of Brychan of
Breckock. Ordained a priest in due course, he retired for some time to a
monastery.