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...

Anthony Maria Zaccaria (1502 – 5 July 1539), also known as Saint Anthony Zaccaria, was an early leader of the Counter Reformation, the founder of religious orders (Barnabites) and a promoter of the devotion to the Passion of Christ, the Eucharist and the renewal of the religious life among the lay people. His feast day is celebrated on 5 July. Anthony Zaccaria was born in the city of...

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) was born in Turin, Italy, to a wealthy and prominent family. He was a vibrant, joyful, and athletic youth with an adventurous spirit and a strong zest for life. He loved mountain climbing, the theater, opera, and literature. He also had a deep spiritual life and a strong devotion to the Holy Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, even while his piety provoked...