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1 March�Saint David

Saint David of great renown, by that firmness you did show in maintaining the Church’s rights against all her enemies, stretch forth from Heaven your mighty arm, we beseech you, to comfort her and defend her in the fearful battle she must ever wage with the powers of darkness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

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2 March�Saint Agnes of Bohemia

St. Agnes, vessel of honor, flower of unfailing fragrance, beloved of the choirs of Angels, you are an example to the worth of virtue and chastity. O you who wear a Martyr’s palm and virgin’s wreath, pray for us that though unworthy of a special crown, we may have our names written in the list of Saints.

Amen.

Agnes was a princess of Bohemia. So she was promised in marriage when she was only three years old to a prince. But he ended up dying, so then she was promised to somebody else. In all, she was engaged to four different men, but each marriage was called off. Finally, she was free to serve God full time, as she had always wanted. First she built a hospital, then a convent for the Poor Clares who worked in the hospital. Agnes became a sister, too. St Agnes’ early pioneering action was to establish a hospital with the help of the Franciscan’s and Poor Clare’s. St Agnes later joined the Poor Clare’s and became an Abysses. She died, at the age of 70yrs, in her established hospital/monastery complex.

St Agnes was canonised in 1989 by Pope John Paul II. She is the Patron Saint of the Czech Republic. Her Feast Day is 2nd March, the day of her death.

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3 March�Saint Katharine Drexel

Ever loving God, you called Saint Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the Black and Native American peoples. By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed. Draw us all into the Eucharistic community of your Church, that we may be one in you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Katharine Drexel was born in Philadelphia in 1858. She had an excellent education and traveled widely. As a rich girl, she had a grand debut into society. But when she nursed her stepmother through a three-year terminal illness, she saw that all the Drexel money could not buy safety from pain or death, and her life took a profound turn.

She had always been interested in the plight of the Indians, having been appalled by reading Helen Hunt Jackson's A Century of Dishonor. While on a European tour, she met Pope Leo XIII and asked him to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend Bishop James O'Connor. The pope replied, "Why don't you become a missionary?" His answer shocked her into considering new possibilities.

Back home, she visited the Dakotas, met the Sioux leader Red Cloud and began her systematic aid to Native American missions.

She could easily have married. But after much discussion with Bishop O'Connor, she wrote in 1889, "The feast of Saint Joseph brought me the grace to give the remainder of my life to the Indians and the Colored." Newspaper headlines screamed "Gives Up Seven Million!"

After three and a half years of training, she and her first band of nuns (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored) opened a boarding school in Santa Fe. A string of foundations followed. By 1942 she had a system of African American Catholic schools in thirteen states, plus forty mission centers and twenty-three rural schools. Segregationists harassed her work, even burning a school in Pennsylvania. In all, she established fifty missions for Native Americans in sixteen states.

Two saints met when she was advised by Mother Cabrini about the "politics" of getting her order's rule approved in Rome. Her crowning achievement was the founding of Xavier University in New Orleans, the first university in the United States for African Americans.

At seventy-seven, she suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire. Apparently her life was over. But now came almost twenty years of quiet, intense prayer from a small room overlooking the sanctuary. Small notebooks and slips of paper record her various prayers, ceaseless aspirations and meditation. She died at ninety-six and was canonized in 2000.

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4 March – Saint Casimir of Poland

Preserve us, we beseech You, O Lord, from all dangers to soul and body, and by the intercession of the Blessed and Glorious Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, of St. Joseph, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of St. Casimir and all the Saints, in Your mercy, grant us health and peace, that after all adversity and error is removed, Your Church may serve You in freedom and safety, through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You in the union of the Holy Ghost world without end. Amen.

St. Casimir pray for us.

Patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. He was born in 1458 or 1460, the third of thirteen children of King Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Austria, daughter of Albert II of Habsburg. He was born on October 3, 1460, in the royal palace at Cracow, Poland. The young prince was trained in spirituality and displayed holiness at an early age. When Casimir IV ordered Casimir to lead an army against King Matthias I Corvinus of Hungary in 1471, he refused. Casimir believed an attempt to seize the Hungarian throne was unjust and refused to take part in it. He was confined to the castle of Dzoki as punishment, and there he refused as well to marry, as his father commanded. When his father was away from Poland from 1479-1483, Casimir served as regent of the nation. Casimir died of consumption on March 4 while visiting Grodno, Lithuania. Buried at Vilnius, Lithuania, his tomb became famed for miracles, and he was canonized in 1522 by Pope Adrian VI . Casimir is also patron of the Knights of St. John and is invoked against enemies of Poland and the faith.

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5 March�St. John of the Cross

Awaken and enlighten us, my Lord, that we might know and love the blessings which You ever propose to us, and that we might understand that You have moved to bestow favors on us and have remembered us. Amen.

Saint John Joseph of the Cross was born on the feast of the Assumption in 1654, near Naples. From his childhood he was a model of virtue, at 16 he entered the Franciscan Order of the Strict Observance, or Reform of Saint Peter of Alcantara, at Naples. After 3 years, he was sent to found a monastery in Piedmont. He assisted in its construction himself.

One day Saint John Joseph was found in the chapel in ecstasy, raised far above the floor. He obtained what seemed to be an inspired knowledge of moral theology, in prayer and silence. He assisted at the death of his dear mother who rejoiced and seemed to live again in his presence, and after he had sung the Mass for the repose of her soul, saw her soul ascend to heaven.

With his superiors’ permission he established another convent and drew up rules for the Community. God rewarded his zeal with numerous gifts in the supernatural order, such as those of prophecy and miracles.

Finally, consumed by labors for the glory of God, he was called to his reward. H died in his 80’s from a stroke or cerebral hemorrhage in his convent at Naples, March 5, 1734. Countless posthumous miracles confirmed the sanctity and glory of the Saint, and he was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI.

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5 March�St. Phocus

Your holy martyr Phocas, O Lord, through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God. For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries, and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. Through his intercessions, save our souls!

Saint Phokas came from Sinope and his only possessions were a garden which he cultivated with great diligence. His income from the garden was very small, he would always have something for the poor. The gardener Phokas also desired that everyone's souls should become spiritual gardens. While he was selling vegetables and fruits, he spoke words of great spiritual profit at the same time. Not only did he benefit Christians, but he also converted many pagans.

At that time, the idolaters were persecuting Christians. Therefore, when it became known that the gardener Phokas was a Christian, the rulers sent soldiers to arrest him.

Since the Saint's home was near the castle gate with the port, he often had many visitors; sometimes travelers and the poor. He welcomed the soldiers as guests. He asked them the purpose of their visit. Obliged by his hospitality they disclosed their secret, they were seeking the Christian Phokas in order to behead him. Saint Phokas came out of his house to dig and prepare his own grave, and the next day he told the soldiers who he was. They were astonished and ashamed, because they had been received with so much love that they did not want to kill him. The Saint understood their difficulty and told them not to hesitate, but to carry out their orders since they they were not responsible for his murder, but rather those who sent them. By speaking in this way he was beheaded.

Patron: agricultural workers, farm workers, field hands, gardeners, sailors, mariners, watermen, hospitality

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6 March�Saint Colette

O Jesus, Who are mercy and goodness itself, do not abandon us on account of our sins but graciously hear our humble prayer, and grant us the favor that we ask for Your honor and the glory of Your Holy Name. Amen.

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7 March�Saints Perpetua & Felicity

Father,�your love gave the saints Perpetua and Felicity courage to suffer a cruel martyrdom. By their prayers, help us to grow in love of you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.�Amen.�

Perpetua’s mother was a Christian and her father a pagan. He continually pleaded with her to deny her faith. She refused and was imprisoned at 22.

In her diary, Perpetua describes her period of captivity: “What a day of horror! Terrible heat, owing to the crowds! Rough treatment by the soldiers! To crown all, I was tormented with anxiety for my baby…. Such anxieties I suffered for many days, but I obtained leave for my baby to remain in the prison with me, and being relieved of my trouble and anxiety for him, I at once recovered my health, and my prison became a palace to me and I would rather have been there than anywhere else.”

Despite threats of persecution and death, Perpetua, Felicity–a slavewoman and expectant mother–and three companions, Revocatus, Secundulus and Saturninus, refused to renounce their Christian faith. For their unwillingness, all were sent to the public games in the amphitheater. There Perpetua and Felicity were beheaded, and the others killed by beasts.

Felicity gave birth to a girl a few days before the games commenced.

Perpetua’s record of her trial and imprisonment ends the day before the games.

Felicity is the patron saint of Widows and Mothers of Deceased Son

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8 March�Saint John of God

Dearest St. John of God, We come before you on behalf of those suffering from diseases of the heart. We ask that you fervently pray this if it is God’s will that their hearts be healed of every ailment and that they enjoy fullness of health. If it is not, please pray that they have the grace and strength to bear their sickness with patience and dignity and ask God to bless them with caretakers who are wise and who can alleviate their suffering. Thank you St. John for your love and intercession. Amen.

Juan grew up working as a shepherd in the Castile region of Spain. He led a wild and misspent youth, and travelled over much of Europe and North Africa as a soldier in the army of Charles V, and as a mercenary. Fought through a brief period of insanity.. In his 40’s he received a vision of the Infant Jesus who called him John of God. To make up for the misery he had caused as a soldier, he left the military, rented a house in Granada, Spain, and began caring for the sick, poor, homeless and unwanted. He gave what he had, begged for those who couldn’t, carried those who could not move on their own. John founded the Order of Charity and the Order of Hospitallers of Saint John of God.

Died on 8 March 1550 in Granada, Spain while praying before a crucifix from an illness he contracted while saving a drowning man.

B: 21 Sept 1630 by Pope Urban VII

C: 16 October 1690 by Pope Alexander VII

Patron Saint of alcoholics, bookbinders, book sellers, dying people, firefighters, heart patients, hospitals, hospital worker, nurses, publishers, printers, sick people.

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9 March�St. Francis of Rome

O God, who have given us in Saint Frances of Rome a singular model of both married and monastic life, grant us perseverance in your service, that in every circumstance of life we may see and follow you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Born of wealthy parents, Frances found herself attracted to the religious life during her youth. But her parents objected and a young nobleman was selected to be her husband.

As she became acquainted with her new relatives, Frances soon discovered that the wife of her husband’s brother also wished to live a life of service and prayer. So the two, Frances and Vannozza, set out together—with their husbands’ blessings—to help the poor.

Frances fell ill for a time, but this apparently only deepened her commitment to the suffering people she met. The years passed, and Frances gave birth to two sons and a daughter. With the new responsibilities of family life, the young mother turned her attention more to the needs of her own household.

The family flourished under Frances’ care, but within a few years a great plague began to sweep across Italy. It struck Rome with devastating cruelty and left Frances’ second son dead. In an effort to help alleviate some of the suffering, Frances used all her money and sold her possessions to buy whatever the sick might possibly need. When all the resources had been exhausted, Frances and Vannozza went door to door begging. Later, Frances’ daughter died, and the saint opened a section of her house as a hospital.

Frances became more and more convinced that this way of life was so necessary for the world, and it was not long before she requested and was given permission to found a society of women bound by no vows. They simply offered themselves to God and to the service of the poor. Once the society was established, Frances chose not to live at the community residence, but rather at home with her husband. She did this for seven years, until her husband passed away, and then came to live the remainder of her life with the society—serving the poorest of the poor.

Patron of motorist and widows

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10 March�Saint John Ogilvie

Almighty and eternal God, you gave to blessed John wisdom in defending the Catholic faith and courage in facing a martyr’s death: listen to our prayers, and send us an ever-greater harvest of faith, hope and love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.�Amen.

Born in 1579 at Drum, Keith, Scotland. Walter Ogilvie was a Scottish noble who raised his son John in the state religion of Scotland, Calvinism. John converted to Catholicism at the age of 17 in Louvain, Belgium. Blessed John joined the Jesuits soon after in 1597, and was ordained in Paris in 1610. He was sent to work in Rouen, France.

He repeatedly requested assignment to Scotland where wholesale massacres of Catholics had taken place, but by this point the hunters were searching more for priests than for those who attended Mass.

The Jesuits were determined to minister to the oppressed Catholic laity. When captured, they were tortured for information, then hanged, drawn, and quartered.

Ogilvie's request was granted, and he returned to Scotland in November 1613. He worked as an underground missionary in Edinburgh and Glasgow, dodging the Queen's priest-hunters, disguising himself as a soldier named Watson. After 11 months in the field, John was betrayed, imprisoned, interrogated, then tortured for the names of active Catholics. He suffered in silence.

He is the Church's only officially recorded Scottish martyr. He died hanged on March 10, 1615 in Glasgow, Scotland and was canonized by Paul VI on October 17, 1976.

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11 March�Saint Aengus

May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you, �Falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul with the sweetness of little flowers newly blooming. �May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you, carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean�Sparkling after in the sunlight. �May the blessing of God's earth be on you, �And as you walk the roads, may you always have a kind word for those you meet.�

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12 March�Saint Fina

Glorious Saint Seraphina, beloved daughter of Mary and Jesus, although in great pain, you served God with humility and confidence.��You persevered until death and gained the crown of eternal life. Now you enjoy the beatific vision of God in Heaven. ��Dear Saint Seraphina, make our troubles your own. Speak a word for us to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to obtain by her powerful intercession the grace we yearn for so ardently.��Please obtain for us from God the graces we hope for from the Infinite Goodness of our Blessed Lord, especially (mention your petition).��Saint Seraphina, pray for us and for all who implore your assistance. Amen.

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13 March�Saint Ansonvinus

St. Ansovinus, the patron saint of small famers, you are characterized by your generosity to the poor and pacification of the city’s various factions, the gift of multiplying food was attributed to you and your fed thousands of starving people from the regional granary at Castel Raimondo and the grain never ran out, therefore, we also pray that we may be blessed with good harvest to preserve it and keep it from harm, and use it for our livelihood. Amen.

Saint Ansovinus was a bishop of Camerino. Born in Camerino, he may have been of Lombard origin, and was educated at the cathedral school of Pavia. He was a hermit at Castel Raimondo near Torcello.

Before being elected bishop of Camerino, he also served as a conselor to Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor. Ansovinus refused to accept this office until Louis agreed that his see be kept exempt from the recruitment of the locals into soldiery. During this time, bishops were often required to be responsible for recruiting men for the imperial army.

He was consecrated at Rome by Pope Leo IV, and returned to this city for the Council fo Rome held by Pope Nicholas I in 861, where records show he signed as Ansinus Camerinensis. His episcopate was characterized by his generosity to the poor and his pacification of the city’s various factions.

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13 March�Saint Agnellus

Most High, glorious God enlighten the darkness of our hearts. Give us true faith, certain hope and perfect charity, sense and knowledge that we may carry out Your Holy and true command. Amen.

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14 March�Saint Matilda

All good and holy God, we come to You this day asking for particular graces. Through the intercession of Your beloved daughter, St. Matilda, we ask that You hear and answer our prayers. May her example of steadfast faith and ceaseless charity be an encouragement for us to lead a holy life. By imitating her virtues, may we also come to share in her reward and behold the vision of Your radiant and lovely face in Heaven. We ask all these thing through Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

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15 March�Saint Louise de Marillac

O Gracious God, Saint Louise devoted her life to helping Saint Vincent de Paul serve the needs of the poor. We lift up to You the programs in our church and community that help the needy, and the people who do the work. Multiply the donations. Teach us how to think generously. Give us a heart that desires to care for the poor as if we were serving Jesus directly, and help us to see Jesus in each person that begs on the street corner or church door. Saint Louise, pray for us. Amen.

Louise wanted to be a nun all her life, but her priest insisted she enter into an arranged marriage instead. She came to love her husband very much, and they had a little boy. But then her husband got sick and died. Louise and her son, Michel, had to move from their comfortable home to a poor neighborhood. There, she started to go to Saint Vincent de Paul for spiritual direction. He was very busy, and he needed somebody who could help him serve the poor by understanding their needs. Then Saint Vincent realized he had the perfect solution to his problems in Louise de Marillac. Louise considered this an answer to her prayers. She started working with St. Vincent and training other women to help. Eventually, the Daughters of Charity became a full-fledged religious order and Louise finally became a nun as she had always wanted.

Saint Louise went on to build and develop over 40 houses of the Company of the Daughters of Charity, throughout Paris, and then extending throughout France. The sisters served the poor and sick, expanding into orphanages, mental institutions, homes for the elderly, prisons, and even battlefields. Saint Louise had such a talent for organization, she revolutionized the way in which religious interacted with hospital staff, creating integrated team approaches which cared for both the physical needs of the patient alongside the spiritual needs. This model continues to be used today.Saint Louise continued her work and direction of her sisters until the day of her death at age 68. Her incorrupt body lies in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Rue du Bac, Paris. Her work continues today, as her order and those that came after it, continue their missions of service.

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16 March�Saint Eusebia

Dear St Eusebia, obedience to your grandmother, St Gertrude, allowed your gifts to shine. Teach us obedience.�Amen.

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17 March�Saint Patrick

I bind to myself today�God’s Power to guide me,�God’s Might to uphold me,�God’s Wisdom to teach me,�God’s Eye to watch over me,�God’s Ear to hear me,�God’s Word to give me speech,�God’s Hand to guide me.

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18 March�Saint Salvador of Horta

Almighty God, author of all miracles, we thank you for your wonder-worker servant, Saint Salvador. Throughout his life he was known to call down special heavenly graces for many who sought his intercession. By his great faith and exceptional humility, he was able to move mountains in the lives of your people and inspire them to seek you above all else. On this day, we too call his saintly help to assist with our most challenging needs. Grant that, above all, we may have the grace of joyful surrender to your Divine Providence. Through the intercession of Saint Salvador, we abandon ourselves to your Holy Will. Amen.

St. Salvatore of Horta (Feast day - March 18th) St. Salvatore is usually described as "of Horta" because he spent many years in the Franciscan Friary of that place. He was born at Santa Columba in the diocese of Gerona in Spain. He came of a poor family, and lost both his parents while still a child. Migrating to the town, he worked as a shoemaker in Barcelona. At the age of twenty, as his heart was set on the religious life, he became a Franciscan of the Observance. Employed in the kitchen, his virtue quickly matured in these humble surroundings, but he thirsted for greater austerity, and passed on, first to the convent of St. Mary of Jesus at Tortosa, and then to the solitude of St. Mary of the Angels at Horta in the same diocese. In that house of very strict observance, he made a protracted stay but eventually he returned to Barcelona, where his supernatural gifts attracted much notice, and where the blind, lame and deaf came to him to be healed. He always walked barefoot, scourged himself daily, and kept long and rigorous fasts. He was specially devoted to our Lady and to St. Paulwho appeared to him on several occasions, notably on his death-bed. St. Salvatore had gone to Sardinia in compliance with the orders of his superiors when he was seized with an illness which proved fatal. He died at Cagliari, being forty-seven years of age, in 1567. He was venerated as a saint during his lifetime and was eventually canonized in 1938.

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19 March�Feast of Saint Joseph

Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. We place in you all our interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist us by your powerful intercession, and obtain for us from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, we may offer our thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

Not much is known about Saint Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus. He was a carpenter, and he was a righteous man. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant with the Son of God, he bravely accepted what the angel told him and took Mary home as his wife. When the king tried to kill Baby Jesus, he protected Mary and the Christ Child and took them to Egypt as an angel directed him. He loved Jesus and took care of him. Little is known about the life of Saint Joseph, and what is known is taken directly from the Scriptures. Joseph was a descendent of David, the king of Israel, and therefore of royal lineage. However, this bloodline did not result in wealth of privilege. Rather, we know that Joseph was a poor, working man, trained in the trade of carpentry. While devout in following Jewish law, he could only afford turtle doves, rather than the recommended lamb, as sacrifice at the circumcision of Jesus. ��By all counts, Joseph was a humble and gentle man, perhaps a bit older than Mary upon their betrothal, but this fact is unclear. We are told in the Scriptures that upon discovering that Mary was pregnant, but not realizing that she has been selected as the vessel of the Incarnation of the Lord, Joseph plans to take care to divorce her quietly. Despite what must have been humiliating and upsetting news, he understands that public divorce would lead to judgment, shame, cruelty, and even possible stoning of Mary for adultery, and this is something he cannot bear the thought of. ��

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20 March�Saint Cuthbert

Ever living God, who called thy servant Cuthbert to proclaim the Gospel in northern England and endued them with loving hearts and gentle spirits: Grant us grace to live as they did, in simplicity, humility and love for the poor; through Jesus Christ, who came among us as one who serves, and who lives and reigns with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.�

Cuthbert was a poor shepherd boy from the British Isles. Once while playing with some friends, another boy blurted out, "Cuthbert, how can you waste your time playing games when you have been chosen to be a priest and a bishop?" This confused both Cuthbert and the boy who had said it! Holy legend tells us that one night while tending his flock, Saint Cuthbert witnessed a vision of Saint Aiden ascending to heaven accompanied by angels, confirming his wish to enter the religious life, becoming a monk at the Melrose Abbey.��

However, Cuthbert did not rush to his vocation, instead entering the army and serving to defend his homeland in a series of regional and territorial wars. During the battle, Cuthbert is reported to have been injured, visited by an unknown elderly man on a white horse, and miraculously healed. Upon their conclusion, he consecrated himself to the Lord, and entered the monastery. When he was 15, Cuthbert did become a priest. He would visit people in their homes to help them grow in their faith. Because he spoke the same way poor people did, he was trusted and admired. Having predicted his own death, Saint Cuthbert resigned his position, and returned to Farne Island where he preferred to die. Surrounded by monks in his cell, his last words were encouragements of faithfulness to Catholic unity and the traditions of the Fathers. He died shortly after midnight in 687. His friend and companion, Saint Herberte died at exactly the same hour, as he had predicted.��

Following his death, his bones were interred at Lindisfarne, but then due to fear of Danish invasion, monks of his order exhumed the body to find it incorrupt. Upon opening his casket, a small bound Gospel was found, reported to not have been buried with him. As pious legend recounts, the Gospel was tossed overboard by stormy seas as the monks crossed from the island, but Cuthbert appeared to them, telling them where to recover it on the shore. As predicted, the Gospel showed up three days later in the exact spot, with only small water damage due to seawater. On display today in the Royal Museum, the artifact has been examined, with traces of salt water found on its pages.�

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21 March – Saint Nicholas of Flue

My Lord and my God, take everything from us that keeps us from You.

My Lord and my God, give everything to us that brings us near to You.

My Lord and my God, take us away from ourselves and give us completely to You.

Amen.

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22 March�Saint Lea

Dear St Lea,

Help us to bring ourselves and – through our example – others to greater contemplation of the Lord. Help us to refrain from seeking the favors of the world and to renounce all that is carnal. It is impossible to follow both the world and Jesus. Let us live a life of renunciation, for our bodies will soon be dust and nothing else will last any longer. Amen.

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23 March�Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo

Lord,�through the apostolic work of Saint Turibius and his unwavering love of truth, you helped your Church to grow. May your chosen people continue to grow in faith and holiness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,�who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Together with Rose of Lima, Turibio is the first known saint of the New World, serving the Lord in Peru, South America, for twenty-six years.

Born in Spain and educated for the law, he became so brilliant a scholar that he was made professor of law at the University of Salamanca and eventually became chief judge of the Inquisition at Granada. He succeeded too well. But he was not sharp enough a lawyer to prevent a surprising sequence of events.

When the archbishopric of Lima in Spain's Peruvian colony became vacant, it was decided that Turibio was the man needed to fill the post: He was the one person with the strength of character and holiness of spirit to heal the scandals that had infected that area.

He cited all the canons that forbade giving laymen ecclesiastical dignities, but he was overruled. He was ordained priest and bishop and sent to Peru, where he found colonialism at its worst. The Spanish conquerors were guilty of every sort of oppression of the native population. Abuses among the clergy were flagrant, and he devoted his energies (and suffering) to this area first.

He began the long and arduous visitation of an immense archdiocese, studying the language, staying two or three days in each place, often with neither bed nor food. He confessed every morning to his chaplain, and celebrated Mass with intense fervor. Among those to whom he gave the Sacrament of Confirmation was Saint Rose of Lima, and possibly Saint Martin de Porres. After 1590 he had the help of another great missionary, Saint Francis Solanus.

His people, though very poor, were sensitive, dreading to accept public charity from others. Turibio solved the problem by helping them anonymously.

Patron: Peru, Latin American Bishops, Native Rights, (Also, Lawyers may seek his intercession because he was a Lawyer in Spain)

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24 March�Saint Aldemar

O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the Spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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25 March�Saint Dismas

Almighty and merciful God, who justify the wicked, we beg You graciously to grant that just as Your Only-begotten Son drew the Blessed Thief to Himself with His kind glance, You might move us also to worthy repentance, and grant also to us as You promised to him the everlasting glory of Paradise. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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26 March�Saint Margaret Clitherow

St Margaret Clitherow, help us to be like you. Help us to love and protect each other in everything we do.

Amen

St. Margaret Clithrow was born in Middleton, England, in 1555 to Protestant parents, one of five children of Thomas and Jane Middleton. By this time, Protestantism was but in England only 20 years, but the English Parliament made the Mass illegal to the point of death.

When Margaret was 16 years old she married John Clitherow in 1571 bearing three children. St. Margaret converted to the Catholic Faith in 1574 through John's brother, William, who was a Catholic priest underground. St. Margaret was first imprisoned in 1577 for not going to the Protestant services. While serving a third sentence, St. Margaret's third child, William, was born in jail.

Despite being under surveillance, St. Margaret continued to hide priests building more chambers or renting other houses to hide them. Henry, St. Margaret's first born son, left England for France where he trained for the priesthood.

Being brought before a court in York accused of harboring Catholic priests, because of the threat of what the Protestants would do to torture St. Margaret's children she was sentenced to death. The Protestant Minister of the Court attempted to have St. Margaret renounce her Catholic faith, but she followed St. Paul's words to stand firm in the faith.

1 Corinthians 16:13.

On March 26, 1586, St. Margaret, despite being pregnant with her fourth child, she was stretched out with a sharp rock the size of a fist planted on her back as she was held to the ground. A large heavy door was laid over her as they loaded weights. The executioners who were assigned to carry out the order were to cowered to act it out. They hired four beggars who were more than willing to accomplish the task for 30 pieces of silver. They placed stones on the door placed over her until she died. After several bones were snapped in place, it took about 15 minutes before she finally died. Her body was left for several hours .

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27 March�Saint Rupert

Pray for us that despite our difficulties in life, we will never give up on our efforts to live by Jesus’ teachings. Amen.

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28 March – Saint Venturino

Pour your grace into our hearts, we pray, O Lord, that we may be constantly drawn away from unruly desires and obey by your own gift the heavenly teaching you give us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Venturino was an Italian priest. Because God gave him the gift of wonderful preaching, he attracted huge crowds wherever he went. Venturino announced he was going to Rome in 1335, but Pope Benedict XII misunderstood and thought he was coming to Rome to take over. The pope sent letters to Venturino’s superiors asking them to stop his trip, but the letters didn’t arrive in time. Twelve days after Venturino got to Rome, he found out he wasn't supposed to be there, so he left. But he wanted to talk things over with the pope so there would be no hard feelings. When Venturino asked to see the pope, he was arrested instead! He had to stay in jail until the next pope, Clement VI figured out that it as all a big misunderstanding. He got Venturino out of prison and asked him to be the head of an important crusade.

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29 March�Saint Berthold

O Father of all, look upon us as your children, and support us with your strength. May we, who honor the memory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, always rejoice in her unfailing protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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30 March�St. John Climacus

St. John Climacus, you sought perfection in the desert and left behind a profound guide to spirituality, pray for us!�

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31 March�Saint Benjamin the Deacon

Thy martyr, Benjamin, O Lord, by his struggle has received from you, our God, the imperishable crown; because, acquiring your strength, he demolished usurpers and crushed the powerless might of Satan. Therefore, through his intercessions, O Christ God, save our souls. Amen.

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