Jmj

On September 23, we members of the Catholic Church family honor, in a special way, the following friends of God -- "saints" and "blesseds" whose souls are now in heaven:

St. Adamnan of Donegal (Irish, missionary, abbot, biographer, died at about age 76 in 704)
Sts. Andrew, John, Peter, and Anthony (Sicilian, deported and tortured in Africa, martyred by Moslems in 900)
Bl. Bernardina Jablonska of Pyzuny Lukawica [baptized Maria] (Polish, virgin, co-founded Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of the Poor Servers, died at age 62 in 1940 [beatified 1997])
Blessed Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala (Mexican, children, martyred 1527 to 1529 [beatified 1990])
----- Bl. Christopher [Cristóbal] (died at age 13 in 1527)
----- Bl. John [Juan] (d. 1527)
----- Bl. Anthony [Antonio] (died at age 13 in 1529)
St. Cissa of Northumbria (British, Benedictine hermit, 7th century)
St. Constantius of Ancona (Italian, sacristan, 6th century)
Bl. Emily Gamelin of Montreal [Emilie, nee Tavernier] (Canadian, orphan, mother of three sons who died young, widow, foundress and superior of Sisters of Providence, died [cholera] at age 51 in 1851 [beatified 2001])
Bl. Guy of Durnes (French, disciple of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercian abbot, c. 1157)
Bl. Helen Duglioli of Bologna [Elena] (Italian, widow, died at about age 48 in 1520 [beatified 1828])
St. Linus of Tuscany (Italian, pope who succeeded St. Peter, reigned from c. 67 until death by martyrdom in 76)
St. Pius Forgione of Pietrelcina [better known as “Padre Pio”] [baptized Francesco (Francis)] (Italian, Capuchin Franciscan priest, stigmatist with gifts of bilocation, levitation, healing, reading hearts, died at age 81 in 1968 [beatified 1999, canonized 2002])
Sts. Polyxena and Xantippa (Spanish? virgins, 1st century)
St. Thecla of Iconium (from Asia Minor [now called Turkey], disciple of St. Paul, virgin, hermitess, 1st century)
Bl. William Way of Exeter (English, priest, martyred [drawn, hanged, quartered] under Elizabeth I in 1588 [beatified 1929])

If you have anything to share about these holy people, please reply now -- biographical episodes, prayers through their intercession, the fact that one is your patron -- whatever moves you. If you are interested in one of these saints or blesseds and want to find out more about him/her, please ask. Additional information is sometimes available on the Internet.

All you holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), September 23, 2004

Answers

[Note: I am copying the following (indented) message from the old, obsolete "saints" thread for this day of the year, so that the old thread can later be deleted. JFG]

John, Thanks for remembering Padre Pio! I was unaware today his feastday is celebrated. Padre Pio and St. Seton are my two favorite saints to read about. We can all become one of Padre Pio Spirtual Children. This holy saint has promised to "wait outside the Gates of Heaven, until all his Spirtual Children are safely inside." If someone wanted information on how to become one of Padre Pio's Spirtual Children, they could get information at PadrePio.com. Padre Pio suffered his whole life for Souls in Purgatory. He was beaten by the devil many different times. He use to hear Confesions for over 18 hours a day at certain times in his life. I have never read of anyone Blessed like Padre Pio was!

-- David -- September 23, 2001.

-- ("jfgecik@hotmail.com), September 23, 2004.