St. Ambrose Edward Barlow (1585-1641) was born near Manchester, England, to a noble family. He was baptized Catholic at his birth, but was raised Protestant when Catholicism was outlawed by the reigning monarchy. His grandfather died while imprisoned for his Catholic faith, and his father had two-thirds of his estate confiscated for refusal to conform to the Church of England. Ambrose returned...

St. Kieran the Younger (512-546 A.D.), also known as St. Ciaran, was born in Connacht, Ireland, the son of a carpenter. He demonstrated a great aptitude in his studies, being educated by a holy deacon who had him baptized. Kieran tended cattle in the fields before continuing his education at Saint Finnian’s monastery school at Clonard, where he became a monk. He soon earned the...

Magnus was a monk at St Gall. One moving story involving him is that, on learning of the death of Columbanus whom Gall had refused to accompany to Bobbio in Italy, Gall sent Magnus to pray at Columbanus’s grave. Magnus returned with St Columbanus’s staff which on his deathbed Columbanus had instructed to be given to Gall as a gesture of reconciliation in the quarrel which a few...

St. Bertin was educated at the Abbey of Luxeuil, France known for its strict adherence to the Rule of Saint Columban, a Rule known for its austerity. Though he was not a novice, Bertin felt called to follow the Rule with the monks at the abbey; when grown, he took the cowl. In 639, Bertin and two other monks, Mommelinus and Ebertram, joined Saint Omer in evangelizing the people in...