St. Boniface (d. 754 A.D.) was born to a noble Christian family in Devonshire, England. He became a Benedictine monk and devoted his life to the evangelization of the pagan Germanic tribes in what is now Germany. He went there at the request of Pope Gregory II in 719 A.D. and systematically opened up the vast tracks of wilderness to the Gospel, building on the work of the earlier Irish...
Saint Filippo Smaldone, also known as Filippo Maria Giuseppe Smaldone, was born on July 27, 1848, in Naples, Italy. From a young age, he displayed a strong sense of compassion and a desire to help others. This calling led him to the seminary, where he would eventually become a priest and dedicate his life to serving the deaf-mute community. During his time in the seminary, Filippo worked...
The Martyrs of Uganda, also known as the Ugandan Martyrs, were a group of twenty-two Ugandan converts who were martyrized during the persecutions led by King Mwanga in the late 19th century. Their courageous witness to their faith in the face of extreme persecution and death has made them an inspiration and a symbol of the growth of Christianity in Africa. The Ugandan Martyrs came from diverse...
Saint Nicholas Peregrinus, also known as Nicholas the Pilgrim, Nicola Pellegrino di Trani, Nicholas of Trani, and Nicola il Pellegrino, was born in the year 1075 in Greece. At a young age, Nicholas moved to Apulia, Italy, where he eventually became known as a wandering pilgrim. As a teenager, Nicholas would roam the streets of Apulia carrying a cross and crying out "Kyrie Eleison"...
Saint Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, also known as John Baptist Scalabrini, was born on 8 July 1839 in Fino Mornasco, Como, Italy. He was the third of eight children in a deeply religious family. From a young age, Scalabrini was nurtured in a devout environment which had a lasting impact on his spiritual development. He pursued his education in philosophy and theology at the seminary in Como....