Category: Saints

Saint Turibius Alfonso de Mogrovejo

Santo Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo.jpgLord. through the apostolic work of Saint Turibius and his unwavering love of truth, You helped Your Church to grow. May Your chosen people continue to grow in faith and holiness.

A 1000 times a day I pass by a statue of a saint I really have no particular devotion to, nor do I know much about. At least not until I looked more closely at the place these holy men and women have in our daily living the other day.
At the main entrance of the seminary, there are four statues which act as sentinels of faith and Christian perseverance: Saint Rose of Lima, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Saint Isaac Jogues and Saint Turibius de Mogrovejo. The link among these saints and blessed is their work of evangelization in the new world. They all had an experience of Christ and then set out to share that experience to others. They all worked for the salvation of humanity, even to the point of death (Jogues). Two of these saints are natives of the new world, two are immigrants from Europe, two are women and two are men and priests (one’s also a bishop), BUT all responded to Christ’s call to discipleship, to sahre in the cross and to shared the faith with others. And two lived and worked in Lima, Peru. Saint Turibio was the first to establish a seminary in the new world, following the mandates of the Council of Trent. And so, Saint Turibio has a special place in the life of seminarians in the USA and in particular to the seminarians of Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers.
Saint Turibio de Mogrovejo, pray for us!

To you, O blessed Joseph (Ad te, beate Ioseph)

Thumbnail image for San Jose El Greco.jpgTo you, O Blessed Joseph, we have recourse in our affliction, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we seek with confidence thy patronage also. By that affection wherewith you were united to the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God; by the fatherly love with which you did embrace the Child Jesus, we humbly beseech you to look down with gracious eye upon that inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased for us by His Blood, and to help us in our need by your powerful intercession.


Defend, O you most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, the chosen offspring of Jesus Christ. Keep from us, O most loving father, all blight of error and corruption. Aid us from on high, O you our most valiant defender, in this conflict with the powers of darkness. And even as of old you did rescue the Child Jesus from the peril of His life, so now defend God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity. Shield us ever under thy patronage, so that imitating thy example and strengthened by your help, we may live a holy life, die a happy death, and attain to everlasting bliss in heaven. Amen.

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who invoke Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a duly approved prayer (e.g., Ad te, beate Ioseph).

Saint Patrick

The servant of Christ is captured and sold as a slave; he feeds the king’s swine; he, whom Christ has chosen, and foretold to be the pastor of his flock.




St Patrick's statue St Patrick's Cathedral 2010.jpg

Hail, glorious Saint Patrick, dear Saintt of our isle!
On us, thy poor children bestow a sweet smile;
And now thou art high in the mansions above,
On Erin’s green valleys look down in thy love.


Hail, glorious Saintt Patrick, thy words were once strong
Against Satan’s wiles and a heretic throng;
Not less in thy might now in heaven thou art,
Oh, come to our aid, in our battle take part.


In war against sin, in the fight for the faith,
Dear Saint, may thy children resist to the death;
May their strength be in meekness, in penance, and pray’r,
Their banner the cross which they glory to bear.


Thy people, now exiles on many a shore,
Shall love and revere thee till time be no more,
And the fire thou hast kindled shall ever burn bright,
Its warmth undiminished, undying its light.


Ever bless and defend the sweet land of our birth,
Where the shamrock still blooms as when thou wast on earth,
And our hearts shall yet burn, where-so-ever we roam,
For God and Saint Patrick and our native home.

(Sung for 1st Vespers of the Solemnity of Saint Patrick at St Joseph’s Seminary.)

Novena to Saint Joseph

March 19 is the solemnity of the Saint Joseph, husband of Blessed Virgin Mary. Time has gotten away from me and I am only now able to post a set of novena prayers to Saint Joseph. This solemn feast is a special feast and one that should not get away from us because of Saint Joseph’s special care for the Church and personally for each one of us. While the days prior to the feast won’t constitute nine days of prayer, perhaps this year we could begin the novena on the feast itself and next year start on March 10. These prayers were sent to me a kind Canadian reader of the Communio blog.

St Joseph young.jpg

The daily novena prayer Saint Joseph

Remember, most
pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no
one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without
obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and
humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer,
but graciously receive them. Amen

Day 1

O Saint
Joseph, Pillar of Families! Foster Father of Jesus, protect our families from
the sufferings of separation and divorce. Be a lighthouse for fathers and
father-figures alike, so that they may lead virtuous lives and be good role models
to our children. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be [these three prayers are to be said each day after the novena prayer]

Day 2

O Saint Joseph, Guardian of Virgins! Loving, chaste
spouse of our Blessed Mother, protect the chastity of marriages so that our
children may grow up in strong united families. We also ask you to protect the virginity
of the youth so that they may be spared from unnecessary sufferings, and to
help those living the consecrated life to be ever more faithful to their
vocations. Amen.

Day 3

O Saint Joseph, Patron of the Unborn! Your faith was necessary
to bring about the glory of the incarnation. Teach us all to have unbending confidence
in the promises of Christ. May we submit ourselves wholeheartedly to His will
and trust that His providence will see us through in difficult moments. Amen.

Day 4

O
Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons! Help us defeat our untamed passions, imaginations
and memories. Teach us to listen to the voice of our Father in the silence of
our hearts, and give us the strength to have dominion over our senses. In times
of weakness, may we closely depend on our intellect and will, and most importantly
the graces generously given to us through prayer by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Day 5

O Saint Joseph, Hope of the sick and the dying. Heal us from our bodily ills,
emotional troubles and worldly fears.  Be with us in times of frailty, and
comfort us with hope in eternal life. May our hearts be anchored in Jesus every
day of our lives and may we never be separated from him. Amen.

Day 6

O Saint Joseph,
Patron of the Church! Protect the intentions of our Holy Father Pope Benedict
XVI, our Cardinals, Bishops, priests and all religious who work faithfully to
shepherd the people. Keep them away from temptation, and deliver them from all
unholy and corrupting influences. May our Church remain free from all contagion
of error and be constantly reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Day 7

O Saint
Joseph, Patron of Workers! Comfort us during the desolation of unemployment,
and bring compassion into our hearts during times of prosperity. Teach us the
right paths and the right words, so that we may be able to meet our temporal
needs. We also ask that you keep our hearts aflame with the Word of God, that
we may always be conscious that our need for daily bread is not restricted to
bread alone, but Jesus in the Eucharist. Amen.

Day 8

O Saint Joseph, Lover of
Poverty! Solace of the wretched! Be our friend in time of suffering, and help
us appreciate the virtues we can harvest through struggle and sacrifice. Keep
us away from the snares of pride and self-importance. Let us remember the
poverty of our Lord so that we can dutifully imitate his life in humility and
obedience. Amen.

Day 9

O Saint Joseph, humble, poor, and obedient servant of the God
the Father! We praise you participation in the glory of the Incarnation, as faster
father of Jesus Christ and most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Keep
us all close to your heart, and may the faithful works of Blessed Brother André
continue to bring glory to God for years to come. May all those who seek your
intercession and his be met with expedient relief or consolation. Amen.

Saint John of God

St John of God.jpgFather, You gave John of God love and compassion for others. Grant that by doing good for others we may be counted among the saints in Your kingdom.

Saint John of God made his conversion at the age of 40 (there’s hope for those of us who are older) and is famously known for founding a group of brothers whose work is to serve the sick and the dying, especially the homeless and those on the margins of society. The order is known as the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God. A statue of St John of God is positioned among the great founders of religious orders at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome.
Today, there are provinces of the brothers around the world, and in the USA, they can found here: The Hospitaller Brothers of Saint John of God.
Saint John of God is the patron saint for heart patients, hospitals, nurses, firefighters, printers and booksellers.

Saints Perpetua and Felicity

Sts Perpetua & Felicity.jpegTheirs is the kingdom of heaven who despising a worldly life have attained the rewards of the kingdom, and have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb.

We beseech Thee, O Lord our Savior, grant us to revere with unceasing devotion the glorious victories of Thy holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicity; may we at least honor with our lowly homage those whose praises we can not sing worthily.
Reading the Roman Martyrology (2004) today I also note that the Church remembers among others, the death of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the Cistercian monastery of Fossanova, the Martyred priests in London under Henry VIII, Blesseds John Larke, John Ireland, Germain Gardiner, Discalced Carmelite nun Saint Terese Margarita Redi, in Russia Blessed Leonid Fedorov, bishop and martyr of the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church.

Saint Katharine Drexel

St Katharine Drexel2.jpg

Ever-loving God, You called Blessed Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the African American and Native American peoples. By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and the oppressed, and keep us undivided in love in the eucharistic community of Your Church.
A homage to Saint Katharine can be viewed here.

Read last year’s entry for Saint Katharine.

Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother

St Gabriel of the Sorrowful mother with St Gemma.jpg

My servant continued with all his heart doing what is just before my eyes.
O God, Who in the design of Your love called Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows to live in the mystery of the Cross with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, guide our spirit towards Your Crucified Son so that by participating in His Passion we may achieve the glory of the Resurrection.

Among the young saints of the Church are those who followed the Passionist charism, that is, those who made the paschal offering of Christ on the cross and His sorrowful mother so very central to their. The oblation of Christ crucified is THE Christian spirituality of our day, especially given the suffering many of us endure for the faith and for Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother is one such figure that we would do well to spend time learning. As the Mass collect above suggests, we are to ask for the grace to participate in the Lord’s Passion with the hope of his glory. This is the destiny of all Christians.

At 24 he was stricken with TB and died prior to his ordination. As grace is operative I feel close to Gabriel and ask his intercession for young seminarians even for me not being so young having just turned 41 a few weeks ago. Saint Gabriel’s youthful witness to Christ led him to being named a patron for the youth and seminarians by Pope Benedict XV in 1920 when he was canonized. The image given here is that of Saint Gabriel healing Saint Gemma, whom she was devoted.

Read up on Saint Gabriel here.
A rather helpful blog is maintained on our friend, called “Saint Gabriel Our Lady of Sorrows,” you can explore of Gabriel’s life and legacy for today.
May the Passion of Jesus and the Sorrows of Mary be ever in our hearts!
motto of Saint Paul of the Cross

Blesseds Francisco & Jacintha

Bl Jacinta & Francisco.jpgUnless you change and become like little children you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

God of infinite goodness who loves the innocent and exalts the humble grant that, in imitation of Blesseds Francisco and Jacintha, we may serve You with purity of heart and so be worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
I would recommend watching the recently released movie, “The 13th Day” on the Fatima apparition of Our Lady. It is a beautiful movie!