St. Hyacinth (1185-1257) was born of noble lineage and reared in a Polish castle. His parents took great care of the development of his mind and soul, entrusting his education to his uncle, a priest who became the Bishop of Krakow. Hyacinth excelled in his studies and was sent to the best universities in Europe. After earning two doctorates, he visited Rome in 1220 and met St. Dominic, who had...

Saint Roch or Rocco (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 was a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is specially invoked against the plague. He may also be called Rock in English, and has the designation of St Rollox in Glasgow, Scotland, said to be a corruption of St Roch's Loch, which referred to a small loch once near a...

St. Tarcisius (3rd c.) was a boy who lived during the persecution of Roman Emperor Valerian. When the Christians would secretly celebrate daily Mass in the catacombs, a deacon would be sent to carry the Holy Eucharist to the Christians waiting in prison to be executed. At one point there was no deacon to send, and so St. Tarcisius, a twelve-year-old acolyte, was sent to carry the "Holy...

On Sunday, May 12, 2013, Pope Francis canonized the citizens of the town of Otranto, Italy. In 1480, the city was overtaken by Ottoman Turks who offered the inhabitants the choice between death and conversion to Islam. Antony, an aged lay man artisan, was chosen as spokesman for the town, and explained to the Turks that Otranto chose Christ. 813 residents of Otranto were put to death on August...

These two men are perhaps the unlikeliest pair to be celebrated together. Pontian was elected pope in the year of our Lord 230. He was among those who were in favor of lessening the penitential practices of the Church for pagan converts. He was opposed in this regard by Hippolytus, a priest who opposed this practice. However, both were arrested and condemned to the mines of Sardinia,...