Saint Juan Diego

Saint Juan Diego was an Indian who converted to Christianity back in the late 1400s. He had been converted by the Spaniards who had brought the Faith over from their country. When the Spaniards began to abuse the Indians, the Indians despaired because their treatment was contrary to their teachings. Juan Diego was saddened by the Spaniards' behavior, yet never lost his faith in God and remained humble and holy. As he was on his way to Mass one morning, he heard a sweet voice calling to him. When he followed the noise to where it was coming from, he saw standing before him the most beautiful Lady he had ever beheld. As we know, this was Our Lady coming to him, to tell him that he was to spread the message to the Indians that no matter what, She would always love them and care for them. Saint Juan Diego died in 1548.

Feast Day: December 9

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

The Catholic Church teaches infallibly that the Blessed Virgin Mary was sinless and pure, right from the very moment of her conception.

Pope Pius IX said in 1854,

“The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

Mary was not sinless because of an absence of free will, rather, her will and intellect were so closely united that she only ever desired to please God, and thus never chose to sin.


Feast Day: December 8

Saint Ambrose

Saint Ambrose was a bishop in the mid-300's. He was extremely influential in the spreading of the True Faith during his age. He was responsible for the conversion of Saint Augustine, one of the Church's greatest scholars, and even baptized him.  His teachings and influence are still useful today. He proved to be much wiser than his contemporaries, and one of the holiest men of the day. He died in 397.

Feast Day: December 7
Patron Saint of bee keepers and learning.

Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas was Bishop of Myra in the fourth century. The Christmas legend Santa Claus is based on this Saint.
The most famous story about Saint Nicholas is probably the one in which a father could not afford the dowry for any of his three daughters, who were of marriageable age, so Nicholas secretly tossed three bags of gold through his window, thus providing the young women with dowries.

Feast Day: November 6
Patron Saint of bakers, brides, children, and travelers.

Saint Sabas

Saint Sabas is regarded as one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. He was born in the year 439. At an early age he entered a monastery, and at 18 he desired to live the life of a hermit. He was considered too young, however. At age thirty, he was finally granted his request, and for five days a week, he would live in a cave alone, absorbed in prayer and work. Eventually, men came and joined him in his way of life. In his early 50s, Sabas became a priest. He died when he was in his early 90s.

Feast Day: December 5

Saint Francis Xavier

Saint Francis Xavier was an extremely intelligent philosopher who taught this subject in Paris in the early 1500s. At the age of 24, he met Saint Ignatius Loyola, who convinced him to join his Society of Jesus, later known as the Jesuits, in 1534. In 1537, Francis was ordained a priest and traveled from Venice to the East Indies, where he preached to numerous crowds about Our Lord and His love for us. He always stayed with the poorest of the poor, living as Christ did. Eventually Francis traveled to Japan, where he learned basic Japanese and preached to the simple. It is said of Francis that he baptized so many people that his hand became permanently bent in the position it would be in while baptizing. In 1552 he began to journey to China but died on the way.

Feast Day: December 3
Patron Saint of Japan and missionaries.

Blessed Rafal Chylinski

Blessed Rafal was born in Poland in the year 1694. He was so pious as a young child that his family called him the "little monk". Eventually he became a Conventual Franciscan in the year 1715. He was ordained a Priest two years later. He played the mandolin, harp and lute. Rafal died in 1741.

Feast Day: December 2