“Full of the hope and joy of faith, St. Basil the Great shows us how to be true Christians," wrote Pope Benedict XVI. We celebrate this Doctor of the Church on his feast day, Jan. 2.
On Dec. 7, we celebrate the feast of St. Ambrose, one of the “original four” Doctors of the Church, along with Sts. Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Jerome.
By happy coincidence, the eve of Christ the King, Nov. 23, is the feast of Bl. Miguel Agustin Pro, a humble Mexican priest who was martyred for the faith, shouting "Viva Cristo Rey!" [Long live Christ the King!]
She is called “The Lady of Mercy,” an immigrant to the U.S. who opened schools and orphanages to teach and evangelize Native American and immigrant children. She is St. Rose-Philippine Duchesne (feast day: Nov. 18).
Pope St. John Paul II said of Saints Cristobal, Antonio, and Juan, the Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala (feast day: Sept. 23), “I hope that the example of these children may raise up an immense multitude of little apostles of Christ among the boys and girls of Latin America and the whole world."
After the heartbreaking losses of her husband and children, Blessed Émilie Tavernier Gamelin (feast day: Sept. 24), remained faithful to Christ and went on to become the foundress of the Sisters of Providence, dedicated to serving the poor in Quebec, Canada.