Today we celebrate the octave of the Solemnity of the Assumption with a Marian feast day decreed by Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Ad caeli reginam to recognize and celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of the world, of the angels, of heaven, etc. The movement to officially recognize the Queenship of Mary was initially promoted by several Catholic Mariological congresses in Lyon, France,...

St. Agapius of Edessa, also known as Agapius of Edessa, was a Christian martyr who lived during the time of the Roman Empire. He was the son of Saint Bassa of Edessa and is believed to have been born in the city of Edessa, located in present-day Syria. Little is known about the early life of Agapius, but it is believed that he was raised in a devout Christian family. Agapius grew up in a time...

Samuel the Patriarch, also known simply as Samuel, is an important figure in the Judeo-Christian tradition. He is primarily known as the last Judge of Israel, playing a significant role in the transition from the period of the judges to the establishment of the monarchy in ancient Israel. Samuel was born around 1132 BC in the town of Ramatha, located in the mountains of Ephraim. His parents,...

Saint Ezekiel Moreno y Diaz, also known as Ezequiel Moreno y Díaz, was born on 9 April 1848 in Alfaro, Tarazona, Spain. He hailed from a pious family in a town known for its devout Catholicism. Growing up in this religious atmosphere, Ezekiel developed a strong faith and desire to serve God. In pursuit of his calling, Ezekiel joined the Augustinian Recollects on 21 September 1864 at Montegudo,...

Mary Magdalen Bentivoglio, O.S.C. (29 July 1834 – 18 August 1905) was an Italian nun of the Order of St. Clare of the Primitive Observance. She was sent to the United States to found the first monastery of the order in the country and eventually established three monastic communities (New Orleans, Omaha, and Evansville, IN,) there before her death. The cause for her possible canonization...