Saints
Powerful Prayer to St Peregrine for Cancer Patients
Are you suffering from cancer? Or do you know someone who is? These prayers to St. Peregrine can give you hope! This first one is for those afflicted with this deadly disease: St. Peregrine, whom Holy Mother Church has declared Patron of those suffering from Cancer, I confidently turn to you for help in my present sickness. I beg your kind intercession. Ask God to relieve me of this sickness, if it be his Holy Will. Plead with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, whom you loved so tenderly and in union with whom you have suffered the pains of Cancer, that she may help me with her powerful prayers and loving consolation. But if it should be God’s Holy Will that I bear this sickness, obtain for me courage and strength to accept these trials from the loving hand of God with patience and resignation, because he knows what is best for the salvation of my soul. St. Peregrine, be my friend and patron. Help me to imitate you in accepting suffering, and to unite myself with Jesus Crucified and the Mother of Sorrows, as you did. I offer my pains to God with all the love of my heart, for his glory and the salvation of souls, especially my own. Amen. The second of these prayers to St. Peregrine is for others’ intentions. O great St. Peregrine, you have been called “The Mighty,” “The Wonder-Worker,” because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you. (Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying) Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen. St. Peregrine is known as the patron saint of cancer patients, AIDS victims and others suffering from serious illnesses. These two prayers give us an intriguing glimpse into his life’s story. Peregrine Laziosi was born in 1260 in Forli, Italy to a wealthy family. Although he was a member of an anti-papal party as a young man, he experienced a profound change of heart, much like St. Paul’s conversion in its intensity. He and some companions showed up one day to heckle and otherwise abuse St. Philip Benizi, the Prior General of the Servants of Mary, who was preaching in Forli. Peregrine went so far as to strike him in the face! St. Philip, seemingly following our Lord’s advice in scripture (Matt 5:39, Luke 6:29), offered his other cheek in response. Read more…
St. Hyacinth’s Divine Rescue: The Eucharist and Mary’s Miraculous Salvage
St. Hyacinth of Poland, a revered Dominican friar and missionary, is celebrated not only for his dedication to spreading Christianity but also for a series of miraculous events that underscore his deep faith and the protective grace of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Among these remarkable stories, one stands out: the miraculous rescue of the Eucharist and a statue of Mary during a time of great peril. The Context of Crisis In the early 13th century, St. Hyacinth was traveling through the city of Kiev, which was under siege by invading forces. The city was engulfed in flames, and the situation was dire. St. Hyacinth, committed to his mission and carrying the Blessed Sacrament with him, faced a daunting challenge. The city’s destruction and the advancing enemy forces made it nearly impossible for him to escape, and he knew the sacred relics he carried were at risk. The Miraculous Intervention As the flames surrounded him and the enemy closed in, St. Hyacinth found himself cornered. His situation seemed hopeless, but his faith never wavered. With profound trust in the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he prayed fervently for her protection and guidance. In that critical moment, a miraculous event occurred. According to tradition, a powerful gust of wind—believed to be a sign of Mary’s intervention—suddenly swept through the area. This divine wind cleared the path, blowing away debris and obstacles that were blocking St. Hyacinth’s escape route. The way was miraculously opened, allowing him to flee the encroaching enemy and the destructive flames. The Rescue of the Eucharist and Statue of Mary During his escape, St. Hyacinth was carrying not only the Eucharist but also a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, both of which were of immense spiritual significance. The miraculous intervention ensured that both the Eucharist and the statue were preserved. St. Hyacinth’s safe retreat was seen as a direct result of Mary’s protection and his unwavering faith. The story of St. Hyacinth’s escape and the miraculous preservation of these sacred items became a symbol of divine intervention and protection. It reinforced the belief in the power of prayer and the protective grace of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The event was celebrated by his followers as a testament to his holiness and the miraculous support he received from heaven. Legacy of Faith St. Hyacinth’s miraculous rescue of the Eucharist and the statue of Mary remains a powerful reminder of his deep devotion and the divine assistance that often accompanies steadfast faith. His life and the miracles attributed to him continue to inspire believers, highlighting the profound impact of prayer, trust, and divine intervention in the face of adversity. The story of St. Hyacinth’s divine rescue underscores the belief that faith, combined with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, can lead to miraculous outcomes. It is a testament to the enduring power of divine protection and the sacred nature of the Eucharist and Marian devotion in the Christian faith.
St. Maximilian Kolbe’s weapon for evangelization: the Miraculous Medal
As World War II raged around him in Poland, St. Maximilian Kolbe fought for souls using a printing press and another “weapon” — the Miraculous Medal. “Even though a person be the worst sort, if only he agrees to wear the medal, give it to him … and then pray for him, and at the proper moment strive to bring him closer to his Immaculate Mother, so that he have recourse to her in all difficulties and temptations,” Kolbe said of the Miraculous Medal. “This is truly our heavenly weapon,” the saint said, describing the medal as “a bullet with which a faithful soldier hits the enemy, i.e. evil, and thus rescues souls.” The Miraculous Medal is a sacramental inspired by the Marian apparition to St. Catherine Labouré in Paris in 1830. The Virgin Mary appeared to Labouré as the Immaculate Conception standing on a globe with light streaming from her hands and crushing a serpent under her foot. “A voice said to me, ‘Have a medal struck after this model. All who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck,’” Labouré said. As a Franciscan seminarian studying in Rome in 1917, Kolbe was moved by the story of the role the Miraculous Medal played in the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne. Ratisbonne was a French Freemason and an atheist of Jewish descent who received the grace of conversion while wearing a Miraculous Medal given to him by one of his Catholic friends in Rome. The Virgin Mary appeared to Ratisbonne on Jan. 20, 1842, in a side chapel in the Church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte in Rome. St. Maximilian Kolbe chose to celebrate his first Mass on April 29, 1918, in the side chapel in Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, where the Virgin Mary appeared to Ratisbonne. Ratisbonne went on to be ordained a Jesuit priest and eventually left the order to move to Jerusalem in 1855 to found a convent for sisters in the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion, a congregation founded to “to witness in the Church and in the world that God continues to be faithful in his love for the Jewish people.” Read more…
This was Mother Teresa’s final letter before she died!
Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, and was highly regarded for her generosity and love of the “poorest of the poor.” Her ministry was very difficult and it was only through her deep love of Jesus that she was able to stay close to him for many decades. When the Catholic Church canonized her in 2016, the Office of Readings for her feast had to be selected and the Church chose her final letter before her death. Final letter Her final letter was written only a few hours before she died on September 5 and is a beautiful summary of her spirituality. First she exhorts her sisters to stay united to Jesus through Mary: This brings you Mother’s love, prayer and blessing that each one of you may be only all for Jesus through Mary. I know that Mother says often – “Be only all for Jesus through Mary” – but that is because that is all Mother wants for you, all Mother wants from you. If in your heart you are only all for Jesus through Mary, and if you do everything only all for Jesus through Mary, you will be a true Missionary of Charity. Thank you for all the loving wishes you sent for the Society Feast. We have much to thank God for, especially that He has given us Our Lady’s spirit to be the spirit of our Society. Loving Trust and Total Surrender made Our Lady say “Yes” to the message of the angel, and Cheerfulness made her to run in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth. That is so much our life — saying “Yes” to Jesus and running in haste to serve Him in the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa also focuses on the words of Jesus, “I thirst,” which became a focal point of her religious order: Let us keep close to Our Lady and she will make that same spirit grow in each one of us. September 10 is coming very close. That is another beautiful chance for us to stand near Our Lady, to listen to the Thirst of Jesus and to answer with our whole heart. It is only with Our Lady that we can hear Jesus cry, “I Thirst,” and it is only with Our Lady that we can thank God properly for giving this great gift to our Society. Read more…
Meet Monsignor Joseph Buh, who could become America’s next saint
Monsignor Joseph Buh passed away more than a century ago in 1922. Yet his memory has not faded among the faithful in northern Minnesota. To this day many in the area consider him a saint, and he is ubiquitously acknowledged as the “patriarch of Duluth.” Despite this Buh — pronounced “Boo” — has never been officially declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Now, that might finally be about to change. Last October Duluth Bishop Daniel Felton met with the priests of the diocese to discuss officially launching Buh’s cause for canonization to sainthood. He appointed Father Richard Kunst, pastor of St. James Parish in Duluth, to lead the initiative and asked the diocese’s priests to spend the next year conversing with their flocks to gauge the level of devotion among the faithful. According to Kunst, enthusiasm for Buh’s canonization at his parish has been high, and based on conversations with other priests, it seems likely the diocese will move forward with the canonization process. “We’re just waiting to see … Are people praying to him for intercession? If the people are doing that, that’s a generally pretty good indicator whether a cause of canonization should proceed or not,” Kunst told CNA. If declared a saint, Buh would join a small list of American saints, making him a significant figure not only to the people of Duluth but also to Catholics across the country. Who is Monsignor Buh? Born in Slovenia in 1833, Buh was a priest and missionary to Minnesota in its earliest days as a state. Ordained a priest in 1858 — the same year Minnesota was made a state — Buh was integral to the development of the Church in the region. While ministering to poor immigrants and to the Native American populations, he helped to establish over 50 parishes within the Diocese of Duluth. Buh was greatly loved because of his devotion to serving the Church and the spiritual and material needs of the faithful. According to an autobiography on Buh written by some local Benedictine sisters, the second bishop of Duluth, Timothy McNicholas, told Buh in a letter that “this diocese with its priests and sisters and people can never express to you an adequate appreciation of all that you have done for religion. The whole Church of America is indebted to you.” During Buh’s funeral Mass, McNicholas said that Buh’s “love for souls was beyond our power to measure.” “The casual observer would not even direct his attention to the extraordinary zeal of this gentle apostle,” the bishop said. “It is only when one realizes the great harvest that he has reaped that one is forced to take into account the many and deep furrows that he plowed in the harvest fields of Christ.” “His zeal for souls was ever a burning fire,” McNicholas continued. “No journey on foot, no distance by horseback was too long or too trying provided a soul was to be helped at the journey’s end. He would set out with a trust in God realizing that God’s love of souls was infinite and that he was but the dispenser of the riches of God’s sacramental graces. He was ever willing to make every sacrifice in the performance of duty for the salvation of souls.” What’s the latest? On July 25 Buh’s remains were exhumed from his burial site at Calvary Cemetery so that they could be examined and then reinterred at Duluth’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary. In an interview with CNA, Kunst explained that “as the patriarch of the diocese we thought it was fitting to have him in the cathedral.” He also said the cathedral would be a more suitable place for the many visitors to Buh’s gravesite who have left a “continuous” supply of fresh flowers. Kunst said he expects the diocese to decide in October whether to recommend Buh’s cause for canonization be opened. Read more…
Teresa of Avila’s tomb opened! (Photos & Video)
A team of researchers will spend the next four days studying the body of St. Teresa of Avila, after her tomb was opened this August 28. The doctor of the Church rests in the town where she died, in northwestern Spain, Alba de Tormes. Teresa died in 1582 and in the following centuries, there was great interest in obtaining relics of her, i.e., a piece of her bone or flesh. This led to some of her remains being dispersed around Europe; however the majority, including her heart and arm, are kept under careful vigilance in the town of her death, on the beautiful Tormes River. In fact, to open the urn containing her body, 10 separate keys are needed; three of these are habitually kept in Rome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbHX48LQJa0
Angel of the Apocalypse | St. Vincent Ferrer Prophecies of EndTimes
When the Pope used the term ‘Angel of the Apocalypse’ in the Middle Ages, people knew he was talking about St. Vincent Ferrer St. Vincent Ferrer earned the title preaching the Gospel powerfully and persuasively, often on the Final Judgment and the coming of the Antichrist. Even Pius II’s Bull of Canonization called St. Vincent Ferrer “the Angel of the Apocalypse, flying through the heavens to announce the day of the Last Judgment, to evangelize the inhabitants of the earth.” This year marks the 600th anniversary of St. Vincent Ferrer’s death on April 5, 1419, yet his words remain as powerful and necessary as ever. Before looking at his preaching on the Last Judgment, the Antichrist and the End of the World, let’s understand how powerful a preacher he was all over Europe, beginning in his native Spain, by looking at a mere speck of who he reached and the miracles he performed. As a Dominican priest, Vincent Ferrer preached in his own native language or Latin, yet wherever he went, everyone miraculously understood his every word as if he were preaching in their language. Sinners by the thousands, even the most hardened, repented. When the curious Moorish king sent for him, after Vincent Ferrer gave just three sermons, 8,000 Moors converted and wanted to be baptized. Modest estimates put his conversion of Jews in city after city in Spain at 25,000. At one major church conference, Vincent’s preaching saw 14 of 16 rabbis converted on the spot. In Toledo as Jews became Christians they turned their synagogue into a church under the Blessed Mother. Like Jesus raising the widow of Naim’s son, thorough the power of Christ St. Vincent stopped a funeral procession and commanded the corpse to rise, restoring the dead man to life. In all, he restored 28 dead people back to life. Even after he died, two dead people placed on his tomb came back to life. He cured countless physical infirmities, working wonders through the name of Jesus and the Sign of the Cross. In one, he restored the use of the limbs of an incurably crippled boy who eventually became the Bishop of Barcelona. In confession, he could read souls. He shared heavenly previews of future events, such as telling a mother her little son would become pope and canonize him — which happened as the boy became Callixtus III. (At the canonization Vincent Ferrer’s body was found incorrupt.) Earlier, during a Barcelona famine, he announced two ships were coming loaded with corn. Nobody believed. That same day, as predicted, the ships arrived. Highly devoted to the Blessed Mother, he preached and demonstrated the power of the Rosary through immediate conversion obtained through praying it. Preaching the Last Judgement Jesus will come not like his first coming in humility and poverty, but “in such majesty and power that the whole world will tremble,” began Angel of the Apocalypse in a sermon. When he powerfully detailed the glory and the horror of separating the sheep and goats described in Matthew 25, record has it sinners were frightened and cried. He wanted them to do so because he himself was fearful of that day and fearful for all those he preached to. Vincent told the throngs: People will say ‘to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him who sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb’ (Revelation 6:16). Yet Jesus said, ‘But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads,’ ‘because your redemption is at hand’ (Luke 21:28).The Blessed Mother shall sit with him. Jesus will separate the peoples of the nations as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. St. Vincent cautioned, “On that day it will be better to be a sheep of Jesus Christ that to have been a pope, or king, or emperor.” Vincent powerfully detailed five virtues revealed in Scripture that distinguishes the sheep: “simple innocence, ample mercy, steadfast patience, true obedience, and worthy penance.” First, simple innocence is when a person “lives simply, nor hurts anyone in his heart, by hating, nor by defaming in speech, nor striking with hands, nor by stealing. Such a life “is called simple innocence, which makes a man a sheep of Christ.” In each case, St. Vincent next colorfully details reasons why. A sheep doesn’t attack with horns like a bull… …nor bite with its teeth like a wolf, nor strike with hooves like a horse… if you wish to be a sheep of Christ, you should strike no one with horns of knowledge or of power, for lawyers strike by the horns of knowledge, jurists, advocates, or men who have great knowledge. Merchants by deceiving others. Lords and bullies strike with the horns of power, plundering or injuring, and extorting, using calumnies and threats, and the like. Listen to what the Lord says by the mouth of David: ‘And I will break all the horns of sinners: but the horns of the just shall be exalted’ (Psalm 74:11). “Biting” is to defame your neighbor’s reputation, and devour by saying “nothing good praising someone, but only the bad,” so “defamers are not the sheep of Christ, but wolves of hell.” Kicking like horses means to despise. Therefore, he warns, “children, do not hate your parents; nor parents, children; nor young people, old folks; nor the healthy, the sick; nor rich, the poor; nor masters, their servants; nor prelates, their clergy; and vice versa. It is clear what is simple innocence.” Second, ample mercy means distributing your God-given temporal and spiritual gifts to the needy. “Because,” Vincent illustrates, “among all the animals a sheep is the most beneficial of animals. For the sheep by growing wool, shows us mercy and benefits of mercy, because how many poor people does a sheep clothe?” Sheep give milk and food to eat to. We imitate and give love this way: our wool is “external and temporal goods, bread and wine, money and clothes…
Miracle in America: Medical Report Confirms Another Nun’s Body Incorrupt
Following a months-long investigation, the bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, has concluded that the body of a Midwestern nun buried in 2019 appears to be “incorrupt.” “Within the limits of what has been observed during this time, the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster does not appear to have experienced the decomposition that would have normally been expected under such previous burial conditions,” Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr., said in a statement August 22. The community that Sister Wilhemina founded, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, said in a statement provided to Aleteia: “We are very grateful for Bishop Johnston’s statement regarding our foundress, Sister Wilhelmina, and are thankful that His Excellency has shown such solicitude in providing a scientific investigation for the claim of the miracle of her incorruptibility. Many pilgrims continue to visit her, and we receive ongoing reports of favors and miracles, which are being attentively gathered. We rejoice that Sister Wilhelmina continues to be a bright light of faith for all Christians, confirming us all in the truth of the Resurrection and the life of the world to come.” Bishop Johnston pointed out that the Catholic Church does not have an official protocol for determining if a deceased person’s body is incorrupt, and incorruptibility is not considered to be an indication of sainthood. He said that there is no current plan to initiate a cause for sainthood for Sister Wilhelmina. She died in 2019 Sister Wilhelmina died on May 29, 2019, at the age of 95. She was buried within days in a grave on the property of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles in Gower, Missouri. She was not embalmed, and her body was placed in a simple pine box, without a vault protecting her body from the elements. Following the exhumation of her body on April 28, 2023, for the purpose of moving it into the Abbey church for interment, it was discovered that her body did not exhibit signs of decomposition that would normally have occurred after nearly four years of burial under the conditions that existed in her grave. “On May 24, 2023, as the Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, I commissioned a team of local medical experts to conduct an examination and evaluation of Sister Wilhelmina’s body,” Johnston stated. “The team was led by a Doctor of Pathology, who was assisted by two other medical doctors and a former Missouri county coroner. In addition to examining and evaluating the mortal remains of the deceased, the team inspected the casket, and interviews were conducted with eyewitnesses to events immediately preceding the burial in 2019 and the exhumation in April 2023.” In the final report, the investigative team noted that the condition of Sister Wilhelmina’s body during the examination was notable for a lack of any detected features of decomposition, the bishop said. The lining of her casket had completely deteriorated, but her habit and clothing showed no features of breakdown. “The report also noted that the related history of Sister Wilhelmina’s death and interment does not describe conditions that would be expected to protect against decomposition,” he said He said that the investigative team was only able to conduct a limited examination but still concluded that “the condition of her body is highly atypical for the interval of nearly four years since her death, especially given the environmental conditions and the findings in associated objects.” Along with the evaluation by medical experts, additional tests were soon conducted on the soil in which the burial took place. After analysis, no unusual elements were found which would have impacted the condition of Sister Wilhelmina’s body when it was exhumed. Founded community Sister Wilhelmina in 1995 founded the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, a contemplative community consecrated to prayer and sacrifice for priests through the Rule of St. Benedict. They celebrate the liturgy as it was before the Second Vatican Council-era reforms. The 50 or so nuns in the community today devote about five hours a day to the chanting of the Mass and Divine Office and private prayer. The sisters’ remaining time is spent doing manual labor, such as sewing vestments for priests, gardening, cooking, and farm work. Read more…
Australia Sends Its Next Sainthood Cause to the Vatican!
According to The Catholic Weekly, Archbishop Anthony Fisher “officially signed off on the final decree for the acts of the cause at Cathedral House, alongside members of the Eileen O’Connor tribunal and the historical commission, who hope the Servant of God will become Australia’s second saint.” So far, Australia has one canonized saint, Mary MacKillop. The Vatican will now review the life of Eileen O’Connor to determine if she lived a life of “heroic virtue.” If the Vatican affirms that she did live heroically, she would be declared “venerable.” Who was Eileen O’Connor? Eileen Rosaline O’Connor was born in Richmond, Australia, on February 19, 1892. By the time she was 10, her family would move near Sydney and she would be as active as she could in her school and local parish. Eileen suffered from spinal tuberculosis, meaning she had severe curvature of the spine and only grew to 3ft 9in, but for much of her life, she could not stand. Despite being in constant pain, O’Connor was known for her joyful disposition. Later on she related a possible vision of the Virgin Mary who encouraged her to offer her pain for the salvation of others. Read more…