Thursday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Appolonius the Apologist; Roman senator who was denounced as a Christian by one of his slaves; the Praetorian Prefect, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, arrested him, also putting the slave to death as an informer; Perennis and Appolonius debated, and despite Appolonius' eloquent defense, he was condemned and beheaded in 185 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/18/24 Gospel: John 6:44-51

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stephen Harding; joined St. Robert of Molesme at the abbey in Burgundy; when Robert left because of corruption and laxity, Stephen went with him, along with St. Alberic; when 21 other monks left Molesme, a new monastery was founded at Citeaux, with Robert as abbot; Robert returned to Molesme after a year, and Alberic served as abbot until his death; Stephen became the third abbot of Citeaux; Bernard of Clairvaux visited in 1112, and brought his followers with him; In 1119, Stephen wrote the Carter Caritatis, an important document for the Cistercian order; Stephen Harding died in 1134 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/17/24 Gospel: John 6:35-40

Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Bernadette Soubirous, 1844-1879; first child of a poor miller in Lourdes, France; in 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette 18 times; on March 25, she told her, "I am the Immaculate Conception"; the Church confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862; Bernadette suffered much, and was protected in a convent of nuns; she eventually entered the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers, and within four months was given last rites; chronic health problems persisted, and she died in 1879, at the age of 35 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/16/24 Gospel: John 6:30-35

Monday of the Third Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hunna; she was known as "the holy washerwoman," a noblewoman who devoted herself to the poor of Strasbourg, France; she was the daughter of a duke and wife of Huno of Hunnaweyer, she even washed the poor; patroness of laundresses, laundry workers, and washerwomen Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/15/24 Gospel: John 6:22-29

Third Sunday of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/14/24 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter Optional Memorial of Pope St. Martin I; became pope in 649, when there was a popular heretical teaching that Christ had no human will; Martin held a council in the Lateran in which the patriarch of Constantinople and two of his predecessors who held to this heresy were condemned; the emperor sent troops to Rome to seize Martin and to bring him back to Constantinople; he was submitted to various imprisonments, tortures, and hardships; he died shortly after, in 655, the last of the early popes to be venerated as a martyr Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/13/24 Gospel: John 6:16-21

Friday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Sabas the Goth, 334-372; Goth, converted to Christianity in his youth; became a lector to a priest. Sansala; seized with Sansala by a group of Gothic soldiers and ordered to eat meat which had been sacrificed to idols; tortured and drowned in the Mussovo River, along with 50 others Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/12/24 Gospel: John 6:1-15 

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Antipas; martyr and disciple of St. John the apostle; reputed to be the bishop of Pergamum; he is believed to have been burned to death in 90 A.D.; the only mention of him is in the book of Revelation Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/11/24 Gospel: John 3:31-36

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Stanislaus of Cracow, 1030-1079; born near Cracow and ordained in Gnesen, after which he became known as a powerful preacher and spiritual advisor; named bishop of Cracow in 1072; denounced the cruelties and injustices of King Boleslaus the Bold; Stanislaus was murdered by the king himself Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/10/24 Gospel: John 3:16-21

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Acacus; bishop of Amida, Mesopotamia; sold sacred vessels of the church to aid victims of the Persian persecution; King Bahram V was so impressed that he ordered the cessation of persecutions of Christians; St. Acacus died in 425 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/9/24 Gospel: John 3:7-15

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Monday of the Second Week of Easter Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/8/24 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/24 Gospel: John 20:19-31

Saturday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: Pope St. Celestine I; elected pope in 422; founder of the papal diplomatic service; battled heresies of Novationism, Nestorianism, and Pelagianism; believed to have sent Palladius to evangelize Ireland in 431; died in 432 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/6/24 Gospel: Mark 16:9-15

Friday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Ethelburga; wife of King St. Edwin of Northumbria, England, daughter of St. Ethelbert of Kent; Ethelburga converted King St. Edwin, and when he died, she founded a convent at Lyminge; she served as abbess until her death in 647 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/5/24 Gospel: John 21:1-14

Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Benedict the Moor, 1524-1589; born a slave near Messina, Italy; when freed, he became a solitary, settling with other hermits; later became a Franciscan lay brother, serving as a cook at St. Mary's Convent near Palermo; against his will, he was appointed superior, then became novice master; asking to be relieved of the responsibility, he returned to his position as cook; he was known for holiness, miracles, and fame as a confessor; he died at the convent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/4/24 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Vulpian; a Syrian, he was executed at Tyre, Lebanon, in 304 A.D., during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian; tradition holds that he was sewn into a leather sack with a snake and a dog and hurled into the sea Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/24 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Appian, 286-306; born in Lycia, and studied at Berytus, modern Beirut; went to Caesarea, with Eusebius; protested an order to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was arrested and thrown into the sea with weights on his feet; tradition holds that an earthquake occured immediately after his execution, bringing his body back to the shore Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/2/24 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; named bishop of Grenoble in 1080; attempted a massive reform of his diocese, but became discouraged, and left to become a Benedictine; called back by Pope St. Gregory VII; Hugh gave St. Bruno the land on which the Grande Chartreuse was founded, thus starting the Carthusians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/1/24 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Easter Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/31/24 Gospel: John 20:1-9

Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. John Climacus, 525-606; Syrian or Palestinian, he lived for many years as a hermit on Mount Sinai; he wrote "The Ladder of Perfection" to provide a comprehensive treatise on the ideal of Christian perfection and the virtues and vices of the monastic life; he was elected abbot of the monks on Mount Sinai at the age of 70, and died there Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/30/24 Gospel: Mark 16:1-7

Good Friday - The commemoration of the Passion and Death of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/29/24 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42

Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Venturino of Bergamo, 1304-1346; Dominican who became a brilliant preacher; in 1335, he announced his intention to make a pilgrimage to Rome; Pope Benedict XII feared that Venturino would try to crown himself pope, and forbade the pilgrimage, as did the Dominicans; Venturino was unaware of the bans, and made his way to Rome, and then to Avignon, where he was arrested and imprisoned until 1343; helped to organize a crusade against the Turks, who were then menacing Europe Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/28/24 Gospel: John 13:1-15

Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Rupert, 660-717; born to a noble Frankish family; appointed bishop of Worms, Germany; he took over the deserted town of luvavum about 697, which was renamed Salzburg, Austria, and founded a church, a monastery, and a school; brought in groups of missionaries; and established a nunnery at Nonnberg; died at Salzburg; venerated as the apostle to Bavaria and Austria Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/27/24 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Margaret Clitherow, 1555-1586; born in Middleton, England; married John Clitherow, and entered the Catholic Church; she harbored fugitive priests, for which she was arrested; she was condemned to be pressed to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/24 Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Monday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Dismas, the "good thief"; a pious, unsubstantiated legend has Dismas and his partner, Gestas, robbing the Holy Family on their way to Egypt; but Dismas buys off Gestas so that they will not be harmed; and Jesus prophesies that the two will be crucified with him in Jerusalem, but that Dismas will accompany him to paradise Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/24 Gospel: John 12:1-11

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/24 Gospel: Mark 15:1-39

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Turbius de Mongrovejo, 1538-1606; born in Mayorga, Spain; became a lawyer, and, eventually chief-judge of the court of the inquisition at Granada; appointed archbishop of Lima, Peru, in 1580; following ordination and consecration, he arrived in Peru in 1581; he aided the poor and defended the rights of Indians suffering under Spanish occupation; he founded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the New World; he also mastered several Indian dialects Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/23/24 Gospel: John 11:45-56

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1606; born in Oxford, England; became a carpenter, and built hiding places for Jesuit priests; became a Jesuit lay brother, and was arrested in 1594, and tortured, but refused to reveal the names of Catholic colleagues; ransomed by a wealthy Catholic; arrested again in 1606, and tortured to death; one of the 40 martyrs of England and Wales Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/22/24 Gospel: John 10:31-42

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas of Flue, 1417-1487; born in Switzerland; married and had ten children by his wife; after serving in various civic posts, with the consent of his wife and family, he embraced the life of a hermit; he is reputed to have survived solely on the Holy Eucharist for the final 19 years of his life; known for his holiness and wisdom, he was regularly visited by civic leaders, powerful personages, and simple men and women with a variety of needs; affectionately known as "Bruder Klaus"; patron saint of Switzerland Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/21/24 Gospel: John 8:51-59

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Cuthbert, 634-687; became a monk at Melrose Abbey, and did missionary work; became prior of Lindisfarn, and then received permission to live as a hermit; elected bishop of Hexham in 685, and swapped sees with St. Eata to become bishop of Lindisfarn; spent the last two years of his life caring for the sick of the plague that decimated his diocese, working numerous miracles of healing, and gifted with the ability to prophesy; died at Linisfarn Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/20/24 Gospel: John 8:31-42

Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, Patron of the Universal Church Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/19/24 Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-386; when he became bishop of Jerusalem, conflict arose with a neighboring Arian bishop; Cyril was condemned, driven from Jerusalem, and later vindicated; this experience was repeated twice; when he returned to Jerusalem, he found it torn with heresy, schism and strife, and wracked with crime; even Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who was sent to help, left in despair; they both went to the Council of Constantinople, where the amended form of the Nicene Creed was promulgated in 381 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/18/24 Gospel: John 8:1-11

Fifth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/17/24 Gospel: John 12:20-33

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Finian Lobhar; Sixth Century Irish abbot and disciple of St. Columba; born in Leinster, Ireland; founded a church and monastery at Innisfallen; after a stay in Clonmore, he became abbot of Sword's Abbey, near Dublin; he was called "Lobhar," "the leper," because he contracted the disease from a young boy whom he had cured; died 560 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/16/24 Gospel: John 7:40-53

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Aristobulus; one of the seventy-two sent out into the world by the early Church; possibly mentioned by St. Paul; believed to be Zebedee, the father of James and John; Aristobulus preached in Britain, though documentation is lacking; died in the First Century Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/15/24 Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Mathilda, 895-968; given in marriage to Henry the Fowler, who eventually became King of Germany; as queen, Mathilda visited and comforted the sick and the afflicted, instructed the ignorant, succored prisoners, and endeavored to convert sinners; when King Henry died, Mathilda gave up all worldly pomp; of her three sons, Otho afterward became Emperor, Henry was Duke of Bavaria, and St. Bruno  became Archbishop of Cologne Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/14/24 Gospel: John 5:31-47

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Agnellus of Pisa, 1195-1236; received into the Franciscans by St. Francis of Assisi, who sent him to Paris to start a Franciscan mission; Agnellus was then sent to England, where they began the Franciscan English province; he became friends with King Henry III, who called upon him to avert a civil war; during negotiations, Agnellus became ill, and died at Oxford Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/13/24 Gospel: John 5:17-30

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Peter of Nicomedia; a chamberlain at the court of Diocletian; arrested for being a Christian during the last great persecution of the Church at Diocletian's command; tortured and martyred in 303 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/12/24 Gospel: John 5:1-16

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Eulogius of Cordoba; a noted scholar of scripture, he was arrested in 850; after his release, he was named bishop of Cordoba; before being consecrated, he aided Leocritia, a young Moorish woman who had converted to Christianity; they were caught and beheaded in 859 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/11/24 Gospel: John 4:43-54

Fourth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/10/24 Gospel: John 3:14-21

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Frances of Rome, 1384-1440; attracted to the religious life in her youth, but her parents had picked a nobleman for her husband; Frances and her brother-in-law's wife set out to serve the poor together; Frances requested and was given permission to found a society of women bound by no vows--they simply offered themselves to God and to the service of the poor Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/9/24 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Friday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. John of God, 1495-1550; came to a true conversion at the age of 40, when he went to Africa, hoping to be martyred; he was advised that this was not spiritually sound, so he returned to Spain and a religious goods store; he was moved by a sermon of St. John of Avila, and publicly beat himself, begging mercy; he was committed to a mental hospital, where he was visited by St. John of Avila, who advised him to become involved in tending to the needs of others; John of God established a house to tend to the needs of the sick poor, and lived a deep interior life; 20 years after his death, his followers formed the Brothers Hospitallers Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/8/24 Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of Saints Perpetua and Felicity; lived in the Third and Fourth Centuries in Carthage, North Africa; Perpetua, 22, was a noblewoman with an infant son; she refused to deny her Christian faith; Felicity was a slavewoman and expectant mother; they and three companions were sent to the public games in the amphitheater; Perpetua and Felicity were beheaded, the others were killed by beasts in 203 A.D.; Perpetua's diary ends the day before the games, and it was finished by an eyewitness Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/7/24 Gospel: Luke 11:14-23

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Colette, 1380-1447; orphaned at 17, she became a Franciscan tertiary, living in Corby Abbey, near Picardy, France; she left in response to a dream directing her to reform the Poor Claires; she founded seventeen convents with the reformed rule, and reformed several older convents; known for her sanctity, ecstasies, and visions of the Passion; prophesied her own death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/6/24 Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John Joseph of the Cross, 1654-1739; became a Franciscan at the age of 16; three years after his profession, he was sent to found a monastery in Piedmont; he built another convent, and became master of novices, and later, provincial of the province of Naples; he suffered much, and was the victim of numerous calumnies, but succeeded in his work of instilling in his subjects a double spirit of contemplation and penance Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/5/24 Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

Monday of the Third Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Casimir, 1458-1483; even as a teenager, he lived a highly disciplined life, sleeping on the ground, spending much of the night in prayer, and dedicating himself to lifelong celibacy; nobles in Hungary asked Casimir's father, the king of Poland, to send his son to take over the country; Casimir found that his army was outnumbered, and returned home, where his father exiled him for three months; Casimir returned to prayer and study; he briefly served as king of Poland during his father's absence; he died of lung problems at the age of 25 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/4/24 Gospel: Luke 4:24-30

Third Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/3/24 Gospel: John 2:13-25

Saturday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Bohemia, 1200-1282; daughter of King Ottocar and Queen Constance of Hungary; betrothed to Emperor Frederick II of Germany, but refused the marriage and became a Poor Claire; gifted with miracles Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/2/24 Gospel: Lukke 5:1-3, 11-32

Friday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Aubin, 470-550; entered the monastery of Tincillac when a youth, was elected Abbot when he was thirty-five, and was named Bishop of Angers in 529; known for his generosity to the sick and the indigent, widows, and orphans, for his work in ransoming slaves, and for his holiness and the many miracles he is reputed to have performed both during his lifetime and after his death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/1/24 Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Oswald; Danish by birth, St. Oswald studied in the household of his uncle, Archbishop Odo of Fleury, France, where he was ordained; in 962, he was made bishop of Worcester, where he worked to eliminate abuses, and built many monasteries; became archbishop of York in 972; associated for most of his public life with St. Dunstan and St. Ethelwold and when he died in 992 popular veneration joined his name to theirs; one of the three who helped to revive English monasticism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/29/24 Gospel: Luke 16:19-31