St. Ita is considered second only to St. Brigid among the ancient women saints of Ireland. Ita is reputed to have been a descendant of one of Ireland’s kings. She was born near the present city of Waterford in the province of Munster, and baptized under the lovely name of Deirdre. When she became marriageable, Deirdre was courted by a noble suitor. In those days it was customary for the...

St. Felix of Nola (d. 250 A.D.) was born in Italy near Naples, the son of a Syrian soldier. After his father's death, Felix gave his goods to the poor and entered the priesthood. He was ordained by his bishop, St. Maximus of Nola, and served as his assistant. When persecution against Christians increased under Roman Emperor Decius, St. Maximus hid in the desert while St. Felix was...

St. Hilary of Poitiers (300–368 A.D.) was born in France to noble pagan parents. He was well instructed in philosophy and converted to Christianity after studying the Old and New Testaments. He was baptized into the Church along with his wife and daughter. He was widely respected by the people of Poitiers, so much so that they elected him their bishop. Hilary worked hard to defend the...

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700) was born in France to a large middle class Christian family. After having a deep religious experience at the age of 20, Marguerite dedicated her life to God through the Virgin Mary and joined an apostolate dedicated to teaching underprivileged children. When she was 32 the governor of Fort Ville-Marie (now Montreal, Canada), visited Marguerite's town...

Born at Garissus, Cappadocia (modern Turkey), in 423, Theodosius undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and after meeting with the famed St. Simeon Stylites, he entered a monastery. Later, he was named the head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem but departed to live as a hermit near the Dead Sea. As he attracted a large number of followers, Theodosius established a monastery which was...