Saint Basil the Great, also known as Basil of Caesarea, is hailed as the Father of Eastern Monasticism for his pivotal role in founding monasteries and establishing rules for monks in the Eastern Christian tradition, which remains influential to this day. Born in 329 in Caesarea, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Basil came from a noble and devoutly religious family. His mother, father, and four...

St. Joseph Mary Tomasi (1649-1713) was born in Sicily to noble and virtuous parents. He received a good Christian education and was drawn to the things of God from an early age. He renounced his inheritance and titles, transferring them to his brother, and entered religious life in the Order of the Clerics Regular Theatine founded by St. Cajetan. When their children were grown, his parents...

Jean-François Régis was born 31 January 1597, in Fontcouverte, Aude, in the Languedoc region of southern France. His father, Jean Régis, had recently been ennobled as a result of service rendered during the Wars of the League. His mother, Marguerite de Cugunhan, was of a noble family. He was educated at the Jesuit College of Béziers. On 8 December 1616, in his nineteenth year, he entered the...

Saint Egwin of Worcester, also known as Egwin of Evesham or by various other names including Ecgwin, Ecgwine, Eegwine, Egvino, and Egwinus, was an English nobleman and a descendant of the Mercian kings. Born in the 7th century in England, he dedicated his life to the service of God from a young age, becoming a Benedictine monk. In 692, Egwin was consecrated as the Bishop of Worcester, assuming...

Blessed Gérard Cagnoli, also known as Gerard Cognoli, Gerardo, and Gerardus, was born around 1267 in Valenzo, Italy, to a noble family. He was deeply devoted to his mother and cared for her until her death. After her passing, Gerard felt a strong calling to solitude and spent several years as a hermit on Mount Etna in Sicily. During his time on the mountain, Gerard experienced profound...