St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552) was born in his family castle in Navarre in what is today Spain. While studying in Paris he met St. Ignatius of Loyola and joined him in the foundation of the Society of Jesus. Instead of devoting himself to academic pursuits as he had planned, and in which he enjoyed great success, he became the first Jesuit missionary priest. His missionary activity began...

Habakkuk was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible, described in the Book of Habakkuk, the eighth of the collected twelve minor prophets (called “minor” because their writings are rather short). Almost nothing is known about Habakkuk, aside from what few facts are stated within the book of the Bible bearing his name, or those inferences that may be drawn from that book. His name appears in...

Almost everyone knows who this man was. The fifth station on the Via Dolorosa tells us that he helped Jesus to carry his cross to Calvary.  He was compelled by the Romans to carry the cross of Jesus of Nazareth as Jesus was taken to his crucifixion, according to all three Synoptic Gospels. "And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear...

Saint Maura was a young Catholic virgin of Constantinople, cruelly martyred for the Faith.  Her memory haunted the haters of the Catholic Faith for years after her death.  Even Julian the Apostate, the Roman Emperor who died in 363, was worried about the way in which Saint Maura was venerated.  One of the Ionian Islands, between Greece and Italy, was named after her.  Her...

Blessed Denis of the Nativity (1600-1638) was born as Pierre Berthelotin in France and became a sailor at the age of twelve. He had a successful career as pilot-in-chief and cartographer in service to the Kings of France and Portugal, even being knighted for bravery. He later chose the religious life and became a Carmelite friar, taking the name Dionysius (Denis) of the Nativity. He was sent...