Saints and Feasts of the Liturgical Year: Volume Three: July–September

By John Paul Thomas

If a list were made of the greatest human beings who have ever lived, those reflected upon in this four-volume series would be at the top of that list. Though historians often attempt to judge greatness from their own subjective perspective, there must be an objective criteria by which human greatness is judged. The only Person Who is capable of establishing that criteria is God. The criteria that God has established are the virtues, as identified by Jesus and revealed by Him through the holy Gospels.

The goal of this four-volume series is to present each saint found on the Catholic liturgical calendar (as a Solemnity, Feast, or Memorial) in such a way as to identify the Godly virtues that place them on the top of that list. Though their greatness has already been established and their heroic virtues confirmed by the Church, God chose the men and women found in these pages, not only for greatness in their lifetimes but also as models of holiness in ours. These men and women are gifts to you, given by God through the Church.

Every saint is unique, but every saint is similar because each one became living witnesses to Christ and living Gospels for a world in need. Some saints were united to God through martyrdom, some through virginity and chastity, some through works of charity, and some through lives of intense prayer. The saints have come from every culture, every socio-economic background, every level of education, and every personality type. Through every saint, God shines forth, radiating His abundant mercy through the diversity of their lives. In the end, it is not their personality, preferences, gifts, or any other unique qualities that unite them as the one communion of saints. It is God and God alone Who floods their souls and forms them into a united song of praise of God’s eternal glory.

Why read about the saints? Why learn about their lives? Why ponder what they said and did? The answer is simple. You are called to be among their company. You are called to become as holy as they were, transformed by God’s grace, and to radiate that grace in the world today.

At first, the virtues of the saints might seem to be out of your reach. The saints can appear to be superhuman. The truth is that the saints became fully human by becoming who they were created to be. They rejected the deceptions of the devil, the seductions of the world, and the weaknesses of the flesh. Instead, they discovered the truths of God, sought out the riches of Heaven, and became filled with the strength of every virtue.

As you read about the lives of the saints, ponder their words and actions, study their heroic virtues, and learn from their lives of prayer, allow yourself not only to be inspired by them but also to desire to imitate them. Nothing is stopping you from being counted among the saints in Heaven. God promises to lavish every grace upon you that you need to walk down that holy path. Only when you refuse His grace is that mission thwarted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: My Catholic Life Inc.
• Release date: Dec 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215591864

John Paul Thomas

"John Paul Thomas" is the pen name this Catholic priest chose in honor of the Apostles Saints John and Thomas and the great evangelist Saint Paul. This name also evokes the memory of the great Pope Saint John Paul II.John is the beloved apostle who sought out a deeply personal and intimate relationship with his Savior. Hopefully the writings in this book point us all to a deeply personal and intimate relationship with our God. May John be a model of this intimacy and love.Thomas is also a beloved apostle and close friend of Jesus but is well known for his lack of faith in Jesus' resurrection. Though he ultimately entered into a profound faith crying out, "my Lord and my God," he is given to us as a model of our own weakness of faith. Thomas should inspire us to always return to faith when we realize we have doubted.As a Pharisee, Paul severely persecuted the early Christian Church. However, after going through a powerful conversion, he went on to become the great evangelist to the gentiles, founding many new communities of believers and writing many letters contained in Sacred Scripture. His letters are deeply personal and reveal a shepherd's heart. He is a model for all as we seek to embrace our calling to spread the Gospel.

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July

July 1: Saint Junípero Serra, Priest—USA Optional Memorial

1713–1784

Patron Saint of vocations, Hispanic-Americans, California

Canonized by Pope Francis on September 23, 2015

I am writing this letter in farewell, while we are getting ready to leave the city of Cádiz and embark for Mexico. The day fixed upon is unknown to me, but the trunks containing our baggage are locked and strapped, and they say that after two, three, or possibly four days, the ship called Villasota, in which we are to embark, will sail…Friend of my heart, on this occasion of my departure, words cannot express the feelings of affection that overwhelm me. I want to ask you again to do me the favor of consoling my parents, who, I know, are going through a great sorrow. I wish I could give them some of the happiness that is mine: and I feel that they would urge me to go ahead and never to turn back. Tell them that the dignity of Apostolic Preacher, especially when united with the actual duty, is the highest vocation they could have wished for me to follow… ~Letter of Saint Junípero Serra

Miguel José Serra y Ferrer was born as the third of five children in the village of Petra, on the island of Majorca, Spain, in the Mediterranean Sea. In his youth, he worked on the family farm but frequently visited the nearby Franciscan church where he was enrolled in school. The friars were so impressed with him that they encouraged him to join them in their vocation. Around the age of sixteen, Miguel moved to Palma, the capital of Majorca, where he entered the Franciscan order. After taking his vows, he was given the name Junípero, in honor of one of Saint Francis of Assisi’s companions. At the age of twenty-four, Brother Junípero was ordained a priest.

Following his ordination, Father Junípero continued his studies, earning a license in philosophy and a doctorate in theology. Word of his gifts as a brilliant scholar and preacher quickly spread, leading to his appointment as a teacher at the University of Palma. He lived a prayerful, penitential, and simple life as a friar, and enjoyed reading about Franciscan missionaries in his free time. These missionaries so inspired Father Junípero that, in 1748, at the age of thirty-five, he requested permission from his superiors to travel to New Spain, modern-day Mexico, to become a missionary himself. Permission was granted.

In 1749, Father Junípero sailed to the Spanish port city of Cádiz where he and a close companion waited for a Spanish ship to take them to New Spain. While at the port, he wrote a touching letter to his parents, whom he knew he would never see again, encouraging them to rejoice in the mission on which he was being sent. After setting sail on August 30, Father Junípero arrived in Veracruz, modern-day Mexico, on December 7, 1749. He spent the next month walking nearly 300 miles to Mexico City through tropical forests, plains, and high mountain ranges, enduring extreme weather conditions. During the journey, Father Junípero was bitten either by a bug or a snake, leaving him with a serious leg wound that would plague him for the rest of his life. Despite this, in the decades that followed, Father Junípero would travel many thousands of miles on foot, up and down the coast of what are today northern Mexico and southern California.

After arriving in Mexico City, Father Junípero was assigned to the Sierra Gorda Missions, just north of Mexico City, where he worked for the next nine years. During that time, he helped to found five missions among the indigenous Pame people, learning their language, evangelizing, baptizing, and teaching them European skills, such as farming, construction, and governance.

From 1758–1767, Father Junípero served as Guardian of the Convent of San Fernando in Mexico City, where he also taught. During this time, he made frequent trips into the surrounding mission territory to evangelize the natives. In 1767, he was sent to the Baja Peninsula where the Jesuits had founded eighteen missions over the previous seventy years. With the Jesuits suppressed and expelled from all Spanish territories in 1767, the Baja missions were turned over to the Franciscans with Father Junípero put in charge. He oversaw those missions until 1769 when he was sent north into what is modern-day California (Alta California), to assist with Spanish expansion by establishing new missions among those who had never heard the Gospel. This was Father Junípero’s dream. Up until that point, his missionary activity was directed towards those who had already begun to be evangelized. In Alta California, however, he and his companions would be the first to preach Christ to the native people.

At the age of fifty-six, Father Junípero and his companions made a 900-mile journey north into the unknown world of Alta California. In July of 1769, they arrived in the territory of what is now San Diego and founded the Mission of San Diego de Alcalá, named for the fifteenth-century Franciscan missionary Brother Diego of Alcalá. This was the first of twenty-one missions that would be founded along the California coast over the next fifteen years, nine of which Father Junípero founded himself.

Though the establishment of the California missions by Father Junípero and his Franciscan companions was for the purpose of evangelization, the Kingdom of Spain had ulterior motives. Alongside the missions, military forts and civilian towns were established. The Spanish government wanted to colonize California for economic and political reasons. By claiming California for itself and establishing a military presence there, Russia, England, and other nations were deterred from claiming the land. Despite the Spanish government’s ulterior motives, Father Junípero and the Franciscans worked tirelessly to treat the natives as true children of God.

A mission was set up as a self-contained area of land and buildings. When the natives chose to join the mission, they separated themselves from their former community and lived on the mission lands, in housing provided by the Friars. They were not only taught about the faith and instructed in prayer, they were also taught how to raise and harvest crops, tend animals, and European trades such as weaving and construction.

The policies that governed the California missions have drawn modern-day critics. For example, to guard the newly developing faith within the converts, the friars had strict rules about the converts leaving and returning to their native communities, even for visits. Punishment for such unapproved departures often included corporal punishment. Many natives also suffered from exposure to diseases that the European settlers brought with them, to which the natives had not developed immunity. While twenty-first-century anti-Catholic critics tend to overemphasize and misrepresent these aspects of the missions, it is abundantly clear from his diary and many letters that Father Junípero and his friars had a deep love for the native people and sought only to introduce them to the saving grace of Christ, which they did in great numbers. By the time of his death, it is estimated that Father Junípero had personally baptized as many as 6,000 natives, with many more thousands being baptized by the other friars at the missions he established. Father Junípero also succeeded in protecting the natives from the many abuses of the Spanish military and colonizers, one time even walking 1,800 miles to Mexico City to convince the Spanish Viceroy to enact a new bill of rights for the native people. This Reglamento was the first of its kind, written more than 150 years before the United States government would guarantee Native Americans similar rights.

As we honor Saint Junípero, we also honor his companion friars, as well as all those who came to receive the gift of eternal salvation through them. Had Saint Junípero chosen to remain in Spain, living a more comfortable and easy life, the evangelization effort in California might have taken a different turn. Today, many souls have been saved on account of his selfless sacrifices, and those souls are honored as much today as is Saint Junípero Serra.

Saint Junípero Serra, though you had a wonderful life in Spain, God spoke to your heart, calling you to leave everything behind and to bring the saving love of Christ to those who had never heard the Gospel. You responded with generosity and selfless courage. Please pray for me, that I will be open to all that God asks of me and will respond to God’s will with the same generosity and resolve as you did. Saint Junípero Serra, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

July 3: Saint Thomas the Apostle—Feast

Died c. 72

Patron Saint of doubters, architects, blind people, builders, geometricians, masons, surveyors, and theologians

Pre-Congregation canonization

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.  Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. ~John 20:24–29

Saint Thomas the Apostle is best known for doubting the Resurrection of Jesus, when he said, Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe (John 20:25). Prior to this, the Gospels refer to Thomas several times. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke list him among the Apostles but do not provide details about his call. One of the few personal details given about Thomas is found in John’s Gospel, which refers to him as Didymus, meaning, Twin. It is reasonable, then, to presume that he had a twin.

The first detailed mention of Saint Thomas comes just prior to the seventh and final sign performed by Jesus in John’s Gospel. Jesus’ signs were his miracles, performed so that people may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief, you may have life in his name (John 20:31). The seventh sign was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Prior to this miracle, the Sanhedrin was growing increasingly agitated and hostile toward Jesus. The disciples knew this, understanding that if Jesus performed more miracles, the Sanhedrin would react. When Jesus learned that his friend Lazarus had died, he told his disciples that he was going to raise Lazarus back to life. The disciples challenged Jesus out of fear of persecution, saying, Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there? (John 11:8). Thomas then courageously said to the other disciples, Let us also go to die with him (John 11:16).

The second time Saint Thomas appears in John’s Gospel is at the beginning of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse. Jesus informed the Apostles that he would return to the Father and prepare a place for them, after which he would return to take them with him. Thomas objects, saying, Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way? Jesus responds with his often-quoted statement, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:5–6).

The final, and most well-known, time Thomas is included in John’s Gospel is when he is absent from the other Apostles after Jesus’ Resurrection, and Jesus appears to the ten. When Thomas hears about this later, he strongly voices his doubts. However, a week later, Thomas’ doubt is transformed into belief when he cries out, My Lord and my God! Traditionally, the faithful repeat Thomas’ statement during Mass after the words of consecration as a way of expressing faith in Jesus’ True Presence. It was Thomas who provided us with these words of faith.

The Acts of the Apostles mentions Thomas in the list of Apostles who gathered in the upper room after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. Otherwise, Thomas is not mentioned again by name but is referred to generally with the other Apostles, such as at Pentecost. However, various ancient traditions widely believe that Thomas took Jesus’ final words seriously when Jesus said to the disciples, …you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Regarding Thomas’ journey to the ends of the earth, Pope Benedict XVI stated in a general audience, "Lastly, let us remember that an ancient tradition claims that Thomas first evangelized Syria and Persia (mentioned by Origen, according to Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History 3, 1) then went on to Western India (cf. Acts of Thomas 1–2 and 17ff.), from where he also finally reached Southern India" (September 27, 2006). The certainty of this cannot be definitively confirmed, but there is substantial evidence to support it. In addition to Origen and Eusebius, other early Church Fathers spoke of his missions to India. In the fourth century, Saint Ephrem the Syrian composed a hymn in which he spoke of Thomas ministering in India, and Saint Gregory of Nazianzus mentioned the same. Later in the fourth century, Saint Ambrose of Milan spoke of Thomas’ missionary work in India, and in the late sixth century, Gregory, the bishop of Tours, records that the Apostle was martyred in India and his remains were brought back to Edessa, Syria, modern-day Turkey, a place that tradition says Thomas visited and preached in on his way to India.

According to the most reliable traditions, Thomas arrived in India around the year 52. He preached along the Malabar Coast of southwestern India, as well as farther north in the Deccan Plateau. One ancient text called The Acts of Thomas speaks of many conversions and miracles that Thomas performed. Around the year 68, it is believed that Thomas and his companions traveled to eastern India, in modern-day Chennai, where he preached the Gospel, cared for the poor and sick, and erected churches. Tradition further states that Thomas worked to convert kings and their families as a way of gaining their support to convert the people. In Chennai, there is a hill called Saint Thomas Hill, believed to be the location of his martyrdom. Around the year 72, legend has it that while praying on that hill, Thomas was pierced in the back with a spear by order of the king for converting his wife and other family members to Christianity.

As we honor this great Apostle of the Lord, ponder the zeal he must have had to leave his home, family, and community, and travel to the far regions of India where he spent the rest of his life sharing the Gospel, baptizing, and establishing the Church. He died a martyr, which is fitting for such a courageous man. Though he struggled with doubts at first, his doubts were transformed by Christ.  Filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Thomas never looked back. As you ponder his life, reflect on any ways you can learn from him and imitate him. If you struggle with doubts, know that the Holy Spirit can transform those doubts and fill you with the same depth of zeal and commitment as Saint Thomas.

Saint Thomas the Apostle, you became a faithful follower of Jesus. Though you struggled with an occasion of doubt, that struggle transformed you into a new man. Please pray for me, that every struggle and weakness I have will be eliminated and transformed so that God can use me to fulfill His holy and perfect will. Saint Thomas the Apostle, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

July 4: Independence Day—USA Optional Memorial

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness… ~From the Declaration of Independence

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress of the thirteen British colonies declared their independence from British rule. Since then, the United States has annually celebrated its independence on this day.

On December 15, 1791, the United States Congress adopted the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that had governed the land since 1789. The very first amendment declares Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof… In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut in which he stated, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Especially from this letter, the concept of the separation of Church and State has firmly endured in the United States, affording its citizens the freedom to worship as they choose.

While Independence Day is a national holiday, the Catholic Church in the United States also recognizes it as an Optional Memorial. On this day, we are called to pray for our country but also urged to exhibit solemn reverence for the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of this remarkable nation. Throughout world history, the freedom to worship according to one’s conscience has seldom been codified into law. Though it is more common today in varying degrees, the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution offer abundant reasons for celebration.

The idea of the separation of Church and State, however, can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it guarantees every citizen’s right to worship God as he or she chooses. But, when misinterpreted, it can lead some to attempt to silence the voice of the Church in public discourse. This certainly isn’t God’s intention, and many would argue that it wasn’t the intention of our Founding Fathers either.

As Catholic citizens anywhere in the world, it is our duty to allow our faith to shape who we are and then to engage in every form of civil discourse, including the enactment of laws. Faith is not something to be practiced solely at church; it must permeate who we are and influence everything we do. True freedom enables us to enjoy the blessings of life, liberty, and happiness. Christians’ life, liberty, and happiness cannot be detached from Christian citizenship. We have been endowed by our Creator with the right and duty to live and practice our faith openly in all aspects of our lives. This freedom encompasses work, school, sports, social groups, and even government. Although the Christian faith does not need to be imposed upon others, Christian citizens must be allowed to practice their faith anywhere and everywhere. If not, our God-given rights and even our Constitution risk being undermined.

At the end of time, when Jesus returns, our world will be governed as a monarchy. The King of Kings will rule, and we will be subjects of this great, merciful, just, and perfect Lord forever. Until that glorious day arrives, we must endeavor to govern ourselves. The United States, along with many other democracies, is governed by the will of the people. But what would happen if the will of the people evolved to become atheistic or immoral? The will of the people is not an infallible guide for governance; however, it serves as an excellent system when the will of the people is collectively united with the will of God. As Christian citizens, we must persistently and unabashedly strive to unite our will with God’s, allowing our faith to shape our will, and then engage in civil discourse to shape our nation to better reflect the Kingdom of God.

As we celebrate our independence today, reflect on the deeper meaning of independence. From a Christian perspective, independence is not the freedom to do what we want, when we want, because we want, but the freedom to do what we ought. True freedom is found only when we live in accordance with the will of God. This kind of freedom fosters internal liberty, and that liberty should become enshrined in everything we do and in every aspect of human life. You are the bridge between Church and State. While the Church does not govern the State, people of faith must.

Lord of all nations, You are the true King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords. I choose You as my King and my God. As You come to govern my life, please use me to help establish peace and justice within our society, respecting the rights and dignity of all people, and enacting Your holy will in everything we do. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, now and until the end of time. Jesus, I trust in You.

July 4: Saint Elizabeth of Portugal—Optional Memorial

(Celebrated July 5 in the USA)

1271–1336

Patron Saint of widows, brides, charity workers, those falsely accused, victims of adultery, and the Canary Islands, Spain

Invoked against jealousy, war, and difficult marriages

Canonized by Pope Urban VIII on June 24, 1625

I, Elizabeth, daughter of the Most Illustrious Don Pedro, by the grace of God king of Aragon, hereby bestow my body as the legitimate wife of Dom Dinis, king of Portugal and of the Algarve, in his absence as if he were present….

~From the written consent to marriage of Saint Elizabeth at the age of twelve

Rainha Santa Isabel, or Saint Elizabeth, was born into the royal family of Aragon, Spain. She was one of three daughters of King Peter III of Aragon and Queen Constance of Sicily. Elizabeth’s older brothers would become successive kings of Aragon, Alfonso III and James II. Her namesake was her great-aunt, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.

As a young princess, Elizabeth enjoyed all the privileges of a royal upbringing, yet her stature did not distract her from her faith. She was deeply devout from a young age, spending hours in the castle chapel engaged in prayer. By age eight, she regularly fasted, attended Mass, and prayed the entire Divine Office daily. Unlike other girls her age, she sought virtue and glory for God rather than indulging in frivolous activities. Her humility extended to her royal status, which she saw as a platform for service rather than privilege. She consistently demonstrated a loving concern for the poor, sick, and suffering.

In 1279, Elizabeth’s father arranged her marriage to the seventeen-year-old King Denis of Portugal, who was a notable poet. This strategic union was designed to strengthen the political alliance between Spain and Portugal. In 1282, twelve-year-old Elizabeth wedded King Denis, becoming Queen Elizabeth of Portugal. Despite her husband’s infidelity and immoral lifestyle, Elizabeth showed remarkable grace, treating her husband with love and fulfilling her duties as queen with humility. They had two children: their daughter, Constance, in 1290, and a year later, their son, Afonso, who would succeed his father as King of Portugal.

Queen Elizabeth stood out in the royal court, which was marred by the king’s immoral lifestyle. Her virtuous living served as a rebuke to others. She offered the resulting ridicule she suffered to God with humility and love. As queen, she sustained her prayerful life, attending daily Mass, engaging in penance, and continuing to pray the entire Divine Office. Her deep love for the poor and sick remained steadfast, and she sought daily opportunities to aid them. Elizabeth would personally distribute food and money to those in need at the palace door, and despite the king’s anger at her generosity, she found ways to continue her charitable work secretly. Using her royal position, she also improved others’ lives by constructing monasteries, churches, and hospitals.

The royal family also included the king’s other children, born to women other than the queen. Despite their complicated family dynamic, Elizabeth treated her stepchildren with love. Her son Afonso, however, was not as accepting. He was particularly resentful of the attention his father paid to the children born out of wedlock. Tensions escalated to the point of war, but before a battle could occur, Queen Elizabeth intervened. She rode out to the scene of the battle herself, kneeling between her husband and son, begging for peace. She successfully reconciled the two, earning the title of Angel of Peace.

In 1325, upon King Denis’s death, Queen Elizabeth, then fifty-four, retired to a house next to a Poor Clare monastery. She joined the Third Order Franciscans, a lay order begun by Saint Francis. For the next eleven years, she lived in simplicity and poverty, continuing her charitable work and welcoming all who sought her counsel. She once again played the role of peacemaker when her son, now King Afonso, initiated a war against his own son-in-law. Elizabeth fell ill and died on July 4, 1336, after returning from this intervention. She was not buried next to her husband but in a convent she founded in Coimbra, the Convent of Santa Clara. Years later, her body was found to be incorrupt, and as recently as 1912, medical examiners and Church officials declared that her body remained free of decay, looking as if she were only sleeping.

Though Saint Elizabeth of Portugal was born into royalty, she encountered many challenges. Her arranged marriage, her husband’s infidelity, family division, and an immoral royal court were burdens she bore with dignity, peace, and strength. Her faith and virtues, fueled by deep prayer and charitable acts, guided her through these difficulties.

In honoring this Queen of Portugal, consider the passing nature of earthly honors. Queens come and go, but saints live on forever. Saint Elizabeth willingly traded her earthly crown for a higher one in Heaven, where her saintly dignity eternally glorifies God. Follow in her humble footsteps, preferring sanctity over worldly honors and ambitions. Strive for the eternal over the temporal, and you too will give eternal glory to God and dwell in His royal court forever.

Saint Elizabeth, you were a queen in this world, but that royal dignity greatly paled in comparison to the saintly virtues you acquired. Please pray for me, that I will imitate your example and seek only those things that are eternal, rejecting the fleeting seductions of the world. May I learn from your life of prayer and charity, and discover the peace and joy that you did so that I will give eternal glory to God in Heaven. Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

July 5: Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest—Optional Memorial

1502–1539

Patron Saint of physicians

Canonized by Pope Leo XIII on May 27, 1897

Angel in human form, Angelic man, Founder of the Clerics Regular of St. Paul, of the Angelic Sisters, And of other pious associations. Destroyer of vices, Guardian of chastity, Restorer of the service of God. Perfect laborer for the salvation of souls, Preacher of the Word of God, Faithful disciple of St. Paul, Indefatigable worker in the Vineyard of the Lord, Constant enemy of the world, of the flesh and of wickedness, Conqueror of Demons. Perfect image of the ardent charity of the Holy Ghost. Today a citizen of heaven. The city of Cremona, rejoicing and proud of the glory