The Feast of Our Lady of Ransom is a Roman Catholic liturgical Marian feast. In the General Roman Calendar of 1960, it was celebrated on 24 September, commemorating the foundation of the Mercedarians. After Vatican II the name for the Marian commemoration on September 24 was changed to "Our Lady of Mercy". The Feast of Our Lady of Ransom is no longer included in the General Roman...

St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968) was born to peasant farmers in southern Italy. By the time he was 5 years old he practiced a life of penance and made the decision to give himself completely to God. He grew up working in the fields, and at the age of 19 joined the Capuchin Franciscan friars. His Franciscan spirituality was characterized by a life of poverty, love of nature, and...

St. Thomas of Villanova O.S.A., was a Spanish friar of the Order of Saint Augustine who was a noted preacher, ascetic and religious writer of his day. He became an archbishop who was famous for the extent of his care for the poor of his see. He was born Tomás García y Martínez in Fuenllana, Spain, in 1488. His father was a miller, who regularly distributed food and provisions to the poor, as...

St. Matthew the Apostle (1st c.) was a Jew who also went by the name of Levi. He was from Galilee and served in Capernaum as a tax collector for Herod Antipas before becoming a disciple of Jesus. It was in the home of St. Matthew that Jesus dined with the "sinners and tax collectors."  Under Jesus' influence St. Matthew was led to repentance for the evil he had done as a...

St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon (1821-1846) was born to a noble family in Korea, and was baptized at the age of 15 after his parents converted to the Catholic faith. Andrew's father, great-grandfather, and great-uncle were martyred during the government's staunch persecution against Christianity, leaving the remaining family in poverty. Andrew was later chosen to travel over 1,000 miles to the...