St. John the Evangelist

A Galilean, John was the son of Zebedee and brother of James the Greater. He was a fisherman, who along with Peter and James, became a member of the inner circle around Jesus. John was present at the Transfiguration and the Agony

St. Stephen, Martyr

The first martyr for the Christian faith, Saint Stephen was chosen as one of the seven deacons by the apostles. He was ordained with the mission of laboring among the poor. His story is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. Stephen

The Nativity of the Lord

On December 25, we observe the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. Since the fourth century, Christians in the West have celebrated the feast of the Nativity of Christ on December 25, marking the beginning of the Christmas season.

The Nativity tells

St. Peter Canisius

Born in the Netherlands, Peter was educated at Cologne and Mainz, where he studied theology. In 1543, he joined the Society of Jesus and founded a Jesuit community in Cologne. He was well known for his preaching, his defense of Catholic doctrine,

St. John of the Cross

Born in Spain, John entered the Carmelite order and was ordained in 1567. He found the Carmelites to be suffering excessive laxity, so he joined forces with St. Teresa of Avila to reform the order. He encountered severe opposition to these reforms

St. Lucy

Born in Sicily to a noble Roman family, Lucy was a young child when her father died. Her mother raised her in the Christian faith. Spurning marriage and worldly goods, Lucy vowed to remain a virgin in the tradition of St. Agatha.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

In 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to the Mexican peasant Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City. She instructed Juan to ask the bishop to build a church on the site, but the bishop requested a sign. Our Lady had Juan

St. Juan Diego

Born in Mexico, Juan converted to Catholicism at age 50. While walking to Mass on Dec. 9, 1531, Mary appeared to Juan on Tepeyac Hill. She asked him to petition the bishop for a shrine to be built there in her honor,

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