St. Amelia (741-772 A.D.) was born into a noble and pious Christian family in the land of the Ardennes, bordering what is today Belgium and Luxembourg. Amelia was a devout child of strong character who committed her virginity to Christ from a young age. However, because she was such a beautiful and virtuous woman, she was pursued for several years by the young Charlemagne. In one account,...

∙               Adrianus van Hilvarenbeek ∙               Andreas Wouters ∙               Antonius van...

St. Gregory Grassi, was a Franciscan missionary bishop from Bologna, Italy. After preparation for life as a missionary, he was sent to China where he became the Vicar Apostolic of the Shanxi Province. Along with a group of Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, among them Sr. Herminia Grivot, he and other Franciscan priests were seized during the so-called Boxer Rebellion. After suffering...

The designation Four Crowned Martyrs or Four Holy Crowned Ones actually refers to nine individuals venerated as martyrs and saints in the Catholic Church. The nine saints are divided into two groups: Claudius, Castorius, Symphorian (Simpronian), Nicostratus, and Simplicius Severus (or Secundius), Severian(us), Carpophorus (Carpoforus), Victorinus (Victorius, Vittorinus) According...

St. Maria Goretti (1890–1902) was born in Italy to a humble farming family. Her father died from malaria when she was 9, leaving the family destitute. Her mother and older siblings worked in the fields while Maria managed the household chores and cared for her younger siblings. One summer day while the family was in the fields, Maria was attacked by their neighbor, a 19-year-old boy...