St. John Baptist Rossi (Priest)
St. John was born in Voltaggio, Italy, in 1698, one of four children. When he was young, a nobleman and his wife who spent their summers in Voltaggio took him back to Genoa to be trained in their home. He…
St. Rita of Cascia (widow)
In 1381, St. Rita was born in Spoleto, Italy, to elderly parents who were such examples of Christian charity that they were known as “Peacemakers of Jesus Christ.” As devout as they were, however, they seem to have been somewhat…
St. Godric of Finchale
Godric was born in the tenth century at Walpole, in Norfolk. As a young boy he peddled wares throughout the neighboring villages. Later, as he made more money at his trade, he was able to frequent fairs in other cities…
St. Bernardine of Siena (Priest)
The Italian priest St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) was known for his preaching and his popularity with ordinary people. As a young man, he cared for an elderly woman on her deathbed; she constantly pronounced the name “Jesus” with great…
St. Peter Morrone (Pope Celestine V)
Peter was born in 1210 in Isernia in the Abruzzi, Italy, the eleventh of twelve children of peasant parents. At the age of 20, he became a hermit on Monte Morrone in the Abruzzi hills. He left his hermitage to…