Catholic Saints & Feasts of the Liturgical Year
If a list were made of the greatest human beings who have ever lived, the Catholic saints would be at the top. Though historians often attempt to judge greatness from a subjective perspective, there must be objective criteria by which human greatness is judged. The only Being capable of establishing that criteria is God. The criteria that God has established are the virtues, as identified by Jesus and revealed by Him through the holy Gospels. The goal of this podcast is to present each saint found on the Catholic liturgical calendar in such a way so as to identify the Godly virtues that place each one on that list. The Church has already confirmed the saints’ greatness and their heroic virtues. Importantly, God chose the men and women found in these pages, not only for greatness in their lifetimes, but also as models of holiness in ours. These men and women are gifts to you, given by God through the Church. Each podecast reflection comes from the four-volume series Saints and Feasts of the Liturgical Year. These reflections can be read at our website for free: mycatholic.life. They are also available for purchase in eBook and paperback.
Episodes
October 5: Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin—Optional Memorial
1905–1938
Patron Saint of The Divine Mercy devotion
Canonized by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
I am to write down the encounters of my soul with You, O God, at the moments of Your special visitations. I am to write about You, O Incomprehensible in mercy towards my poor soul. Your holy will is the li...
October 5: Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Priest—USA Optional Memorial
1819–1867
Invoked against cancer
Beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 9, 2000
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
Every offering has value only insofar as one snatches it away from one’s own benefit and dedicates it to God through this self-conquest. One loves and gives precisely because one loves, and because one considers wha...
October 4: Saint Francis of Assisi—Memorial
1182–1226
Patron Saint of animals, ecologists, families, lacemakers, merchants, needleworkers, peace, and zoos
Invoked against dying alone and fire
Canonized by Pope Gregory IX on July 16, 1228
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
Hear, my lords, my sons and my brothers, and with your ears receive my words. Incline the ear of your heart and obey the voice of ...
October 2: Guardian Angels—Memorial
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
So the Supreme Majesty has given charge to the angels. Yes, He has given charge to His own angels. Think of it! To those sublime beings, who cling to Him so joyfully and intimately, to His very own He has given charge over you! Who are you? “What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?” A...
October 1: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor—Memorial
1873–1897
Patron Saint of foreign missions and missionaries, AIDS patients, air crews, florists, flower growers, and sick people
Invoked against illness, tuberculosis, and loss of parents
Canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
How sweet was the first embrace of Jesus! It was indeed an embrace...
September 30: Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor—Memorial
c. 340s–420
Patron Saint of archeologists, archivists, Bible scholars, librarians, libraries, schoolchildren, students, and translators
Pre-Congregation canonization
Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1724
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: “Search the Scriptures,” and...
September 29: Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels—Feast
Patron Saints of soldiers, police, paramedics, and the sick and dying (Michael); messengers, postal workers, broadcasters, and expectant mothers (Gabriel); travelers, the blind, medical workers, and matchmakers (Raphael)
Quote:
The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls “angels” i...
September 28: Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr—Optional Memorial
c. 907–929
Patron Saint of brewers, Czech Republic, Bohemia, and Slovakia
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gat...
September 28: Saints Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs—Optional Memorial
c. 1600–1637
Patron Saint of the Philippines, Filipinos, immigrants, the poor, separated families, and altar servers
Canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 18, 1987
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for God. Had I many thousands of lives I would offer them all for him. Ne...
September 27: Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest—Memorial
c. 1581–1660
Patron Saint of charitable societies and workers, horses, hospitals and hospital workers, lepers, lost articles, prisoners, spiritual help, and volunteers
Canonized by Pope Clement XII on June 16, 1737
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
Brothers, let’s strive to conceive a great—a very great—esteem for the majesty and holiness of God....
September 26: Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs—Optional Memorial
c. Late Third Century–c. 287 or 303
Patron Saints of apothecaries, barbers, blind people, chemical industry, druggists, midwives, physicians, pharmacists, surgeons
Invoked against blindness, kidney stones, hernias, and pestilence
Pre-Congregation canonizations
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
The judge ordered them to be thrown into a ...
September 23: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), Priest—Memorial
1887–1968
Patron Saint of adolescents and civil defense volunteers
Invoked by those in need of stress relief, spiritual healing, and for January blues
Canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
Prayer is the best weapon we possess. It is the key that opens the heart of God. You must always humb...
September 21: Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist—Feast
First Century
Patron Saint of civil servants, accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, financial officers, guards, moneychangers, money managers, stockbrokers, and tax collectors
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He sai...
September 20: Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs—Memorial
Died 1839–1867
Patron Saints of Korea
Canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
Listen to me attentively, as my time is limited here below. The very reason I reached out to the people of other civilizations was for the sole purpose of my faith and my God alone....
September 19: Saint Januarius, Bishop and Martyr—Optional Memorial
Died c. 304
Patron Saint of Naples, Italy and blood banks
Invoked against volcanic eruptions
Pre-Congregation canonization
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
Yes, true hope is only born from the Blood of Christ and blood poured out for him. There is blood which is the sign of death, but there is also blood that expresses love and life. ...
September 17: Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church—Optional Memorial
1098–1179
Patron Saint of philologists and Esperantists
Canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 (equipollent canonization)
Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
And behold, He Who was enthroned upon that mountain cried out in a strong, loud voice saying, ...
September 17: Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor—Optional Memorial
1542–1621
Patron Saint of canon lawyers, catechism writers, catechists, and catechumens
Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930
Declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1931
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
If I seek my maker, I find God alone. If I seek the material from which he made me, I find absolutely nothing. From...
September 16: Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs—Memorial
Saint Cornelius: d. 253
Patron Saint of cattle and domestic animals
Invoked against earaches, epilepsy, fevers, and twitching
Saint Cyprian: c. 200–258
Patron Saint of Algeria and North Africa
Pre-Congregation canonizations
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
Galerius Maximus: “Are you Thascius Cyprianus?” Cyprian: “I am.” Galeriu...
September 15: Our Lady of Sorrows—Memorial
Liturgical Color: White
Quote:
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief, beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption by thy innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only-begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of pro...
September 14: Exaltation of the Holy Cross—Feast
Liturgical Color: Red
Quote:
But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ~Galatians 6:14
Prayer:
Most glorious and triumphant Lord, You gave Your life for the salvation of my soul, using the most horrific act of cruelty as the means of Your redeeming gra...
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