Saints to Remember – April St
Saints to Remember – April St. Francis of Paola (1416-1507) Hermit. Patron Saint of boatmen, mariners, naval officers, sailors, travelers, watermen, against fire, against plague, against sterility. Feast Day: April 2 St. Francis of Paola was just 13 when he entered the Franciscan order after a pilgrimage to Assisi. At 15, he became a hermit and embraced austere penances as part of his solitary, contemplative life. Before long, other like-minded young men joined him, and in 1436, he founded the order of Hermits of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis of Paola believed that heroic mortification was necessary for spiritual growth and added the observance of a perpetual Lenten fast to the traditional monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Known for his holiness and humility, St. Francis was often called upon to arbitrate disputes, and eventually he was sent by Pope Sixtus IV to serve King Louis XI of France. Called from contemplation to active ministry, this humble hermit suddenly found himself settling international disputes and ministering to kings! “Be peace-loving,” he counseled. “Peace is a precious treasure to be sought with great zeal.” He remained in the French court until his death, and founded many monasteries in France. May the humility and flexibility of this steward saint inspire us to use our gifts in new ways and new places as God directs us. St Isidore (556-636), Bishop and Doctor. Patron Saint of computer technicians, computer users, computers, the Internet, schoolchildren, students. Feast Day: April 4 Born of a noble Spanish family, St Isadore had two brothers, Leander and Fulgentius, and a sister, Florentina, who also became saints.
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