Divine Sunday – 2nd Sunday after the Easter

is the Roman Catholic devotion inspired by apparitions of Christ  The feast was established by Pope John Paul II in 2000 to remember the institution of the Sacrament of Penance. It is observed by Roman Catholics as well as some Anglicans  It is also the day after the culmination of the novena of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy  The chaplet may be said at any time, but it is said especially on and on Fridays at 3:00 PM – the hour Jesus died by crucifixion (known as the Hour of Mercy)  The chaplet also extends the offering of the Eucharist, so it is appropriate to use it after having received Holy Communion at Holy Mass  The novena should begin on Good Friday. There is a prayer intention for specific group of people on each of the nine days: First Day – all mankind, in particular all sinners. Second Day – the of priests and the religious. Third Day – the souls of the devout and faithful people. Fourth Day – for the non-believers and those who do not yet know Jesus. Fifth Day – the souls of heretics and schismatics. Sixth Day – the souls of "the meek and humble" and for little children. Seventh Day – the souls of people who especially glorify Christ's mercy. Eighth Day – souls in Purgatory. Ninth Day – souls who have become lukewarm and indifferent.  The chaplet's prayers for mercy are threefold: to obtain mercy, to trust in Christ’s mercy, and to show mercy to others  St Faustina wrote that Jesus promised that all who recite this chaplet at the hour of death or in the presence of the dying will receive great mercy  Also, Jesus reputedly said that a person who goes to confession (the confession may take place some days before) and receives holy communion on that day, shall obtain the total of all sins and punishment  On April 22, 2001, one year after establishing the feast, Pope John Paul II re-emphasized its message in the resurrection context of Easter: Jesus said to St. Faustina one day: "Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy". Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity.  John Paul II died in April 2005 on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday and was beatified on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011, by his successor, Pope Benedict and canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, by  Devotion to the Divine Mercy involves a total commitment to as mercy. It is a decision to trust completely in Him, to accept his mercy with thanksgiving, and to be merciful as He is merciful

The beginnings  Receiver of the apparitions, St Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament, also known as “the Apostle of Mercy”, was a Polish nun who reported having visions of Jesus throughout her life  Born as Helena Kowalska on 25 August 1905, she came from a poor peasant family and first felt a calling to the religious life at 7  In 1924, aged 19, Faustina said that while at a dance party, she had a vision of a suffering Jesus. She then went to the cathedral, where she was told by Jesus to leave for immediately and join a  She packed a small bag that night and took a train for Warsaw the next morning, without the permission of her parents and without knowing anyone in Warsaw. After she arrived, she entered the first church she saw and attended Mass. She asked the priest for suggestions and he recommended staying with a local woman until she found a convent  Faustina approached several in Warsaw, but was turned down every time, in one case being told "we do not accept maids here", referring to her poverty  After several weeks of searching, the mother superior at the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy decided to give her a chance, provided she could pay for her religious habit  In 1925, Faustina worked as a housemaid to save money, making deposits at the convent throughout the year, finally gaining acceptance. In 1926, aged 20, she received her habit and took the religious name, with Faustina meaning “fortunate” or “blessed one”  As she only had three years of education, hers were the humblest tasks in the convent, usually in the kitchen or a vegetable garden, or as a porter  On Sunday, 22 February 1931, while she was in her cell in the town of Płock, Jesus appeared to her as the "King of Divine Mercy" wearing a white garment with red and pale rays emanating from his heart  Based on Faustina Jesus told her: “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: "Jesus, I trust in You" (in Polish: "Jezu, ufam Tobie"). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the that will venerate this image will not perish”  Faustina also wrote that Jesus told her that he wanted the Divine Mercy image to be "solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy"  After being transferred to (now in Lithuania), she confided her visions to the local priest. First sceptical, he made Faustina pass several tests, and was finally won over. He introduced her to a local artist who in 1934 had the first Divine Mercy Image painted  The first Mass during which the Divine Mercy image was publicly displayed was on 28 April 1935, the first Sunday after Easter Sunday, and was attended by Faustina. This day was also the celebration of the end of the Jubilee of the Redemption by Pope Pius XI  On 13 September 1935 Faustina wrote of a vision about the Chaplet of Divine Mercy  In November the same year, Faustina wrote the rules for a new contemplative religious congregation devoted to the Divine Mercy. However, she was reprimanded that she was perpetually vowed to her current order. Faustina reported that Jesus had told her: "My Daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My Divine Mercy, I will make up for what you lack."  In 1937 the first holy cards with the Divine Mercy image were printed. In August, the local priest asked Faustina to write the instructions for the Novena of Divine Mercy which she had reported as a message from Jesus  As her health deteriorated at the end of 1937, Faustina's reported visions intensified, and she was said to be looking forward to an end to her life  St Faustina died of tuberculosis at the age of 33, in 1938, but left a diary written in obedience to her spiritual director  Canonized as a saint on 30 April 2000, she is known and venerated in the church as the Secretary of Divine Mercy. Her feast day is 5th October

Legacy  Before her death Faustina predicted that "there will be a war, a terrible, terrible war" and asked the nuns to pray for . In 1939, a year after her death the archbishop of Poland noticed that her predictions about the war had come true. He thus allowed public access to the Divine Mercy image which resulted in large crowds spreading the devotion  By 1941 the devotion had reached the United States and millions of copies of Divine Mercy prayer cards were printed and distributed worldwide. By 1951, thirteen years after Faustina's death, there were 150 Divine Mercy centres in Poland  On 24 June 1956, Pope Pius XII blessed an Image of the Divine Mercy in Rome, the only one blessed by a Pope before the Second Vatican Council

The Chapelet of Divine Mercy is a rosary-based prayer. The chaplet may also be said without beads, usually by counting prayers on the fingertips, and may be accompanied by the of the Divine Mercy image. Although the chaplet is said on beads like the Rosary, it is about a third of the length of the Rosary, and unlike the Rosary that has evolved over the years, the form and structure of the chaplet has remained unchanged since St Faustina attributed it to a message from Jesus

The first Divine Mercy painting (1934) at the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Vilnius, Lithuania. A superimposition of the face of Jesus in the Image of the Divine Mercy upon that in the already well-known Shroud of Turin shows great similarity

The Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy – the major shrine in Krakow, Poland. Two popes have visited it and millions of pilgrims from around the world continue to visit it every year. In March 1981, while praying at the tomb of St. Faustina at the church, Maureen Digan reported a healing. Digan had suffered from lymphedema for decades, and had undergone 10 operations, including a leg amputation. Upon her return to the US, five Boston area physicians stated that she was healed. Digan's healing was declared miraculous by the Vatican in 1992, and paved the way for the beatification of Faustina.

11 April – (1878-1903)  Was an Italian mystic and stigmatist known as the “Daughter of Passion”, the “Gem of Christ” or the “Passion Flower” because of her profound imitation of the Passion of Christ  The name Gemma is a medieval Italian nickname meaning “gem, precious stone”. It was popularised as the name of the wife of Dante Alighieri  Gemma sometimes received special messages about current or future events and resisted the Devil’s attacks often  Gemma was frequently found in a of ecstasy and could reportedly levitate  Well known in the vicinity of Lucca before her death, she was both admired and mocked. Some even argued she had a mental illness  She was also often treated with disdain by some in the Church’s hierarchy, even her own confessor being sometimes sceptical of her mystical gifts  Much of Gemma’s later popularity is due to her writings in form of her diary, autobiography and letters where she passionately writes about her for Jesus, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Eucharist, praying, humility, and desire for heaven. She also frequently recorded her ecstasies  Gemma’s relics are housed at the Passionist monastery in Lucca, Italy  As one of the most popular saints of the Passionist Order, she is particularly loved in Italy and Latin America  She is the patron saint of students and pharmacists as well as loss of parents, those suffering from back pain, headaches/migraines or struggling with temptations of impurity and seeking purity of heart

Life:  Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani was born on 12 March 1878 in a small Italian town near Lucca, the 5th of 8 children, to a prosperous pharmacist  When she was 7, her mother died of tuberculosis; several of her siblings also died at young age. Gemma’s beloved brother died of the same disease while studying for the priesthood  Gemma developed a love for prayer at a very young age  Sent to a Catholic school, she excelled in French, arithmetic and music. Though highly intelligent, she had to quit school due to chronic ill health before completing it  She had dreams of becoming a nun but was rejected by the Passionists due to her poor health and visions  Orphaned at 18, she with her aunt Carolina became responsible for her younger siblings  At 20, she developed spinal meningitis but was miraculously cured  Gemma declined two marriage proposals and ultimately became a housekeeper with the Giannini family  At 21, Gemma began to display signs of the stigmata. She also stated that she had spoken with her guardian angel, Jesus, the Virgin Mary and other saints – especially Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows  Soon afterwards she also developed a victim soul for the conversion of sinners  In early 1903, aged 25, Gemma was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and went into a long and painful decline accompanied by several mystical phenomena. At the beginning of Holy Week, her health quickly deteriorated and she died in the Giannini house on Holy Saturday, April 11 that same year  Gemma was beatified in 1933 and canonized in 1940 – very few saints have had sainthoods conferred on them this quickly  Pope Pius XI said of her, “She bore in her flesh the wounds of Christ”

“Oh Jesus, how are You doing in the narrow cell of my heart? Are You alright? Expand my chest, because it is no longer enough to contain You....Jesus, allow me to pour out my affections with You...” ------

“I would willingly give every drop of my blood to please Him and to prevent sinners from offending Him.” ------

“What do You wish, oh Jesus? My life? It is Yours.....I have already offered it to Thee. Would You be pleased if I offered it again as a victim in expiation for my sins and those of all sinners? If I had a hundred lives I would give every one of them to Thee.” ------

"It is true Jesus, if I think of what I have gone through as a child and now as a grown up girl I see that I have always had crosses to bear; But oh! how wrong are those who say that suffering is a misfortune!" ------

"He asked me if I loved Him. I wept, for you know, Father, whom I have loved more than Jesus. I have loved myself, and oftentimes creatures and pleasures. What could I answer to Jesus? I wept for a long time, and that was my reply. It is Jesus alone whom I should love, and I have never loved Him as I should." ------

"When I shrink from suffering, Jesus reproves me and tells me that He did not refuse to suffer. Then I say 'Jesus, Your will and not mine'. At last I am convinced that only God can make me happy, and in Him I have placed all my ..." ------

"It is not enough to look at the cross, or wear it; we must carry it in the depth of our heart."

23 April – St George (ca 280 - 23 April 303)  Patron saint of numerous countries, including Palestine, England, Russia, Malta and Catalonia  Is one of the most venerated saints in Christianity, both in the West and East  Is one of the 14 Holy Helpers and regarded one of the most prominent military saints  Is best known by the myth of the dragon killing in Beirut, Lebanon, and is often referred to as St George the Dragonslayer

Life  Though there is no doubt St George existed, a lot about his life and his real identity is often disputed  According to a legend, he was a Roman soldier who became venerated as a Christian martyr  His parents were Christian noblemen of Greek background, his father being a Roman army official, and he was probably raised in Lydda, Syria Palaestina (now Israel)  He was given the name Georgios, meaning “worker of the land” aka “farmer”. The name derives in origin from the name of Zeus Georgos, worshipped as a god of crops  George lost his parents while still young and became an officer in the Roman army in the Guard of Diocletian  By his late 20s, he was promoted to the rank of Tribunus and stationed as an imperial guard of the Emperor at Nicomedia  On 24 February 303, Diocletian issued an edict that every Christian soldier in the army should be arrested and offer a sacrifice to the Roman  George loudly renounced the Emperor’s edict. Diocletian who had personal liking of him, attempted to convert him, offering him even land, money and slaves. However, George refused to denounce his  Ultimately, Diocletian ordered St George to be executed. Before the execution was carried out, St George gave his wealth to the poor  After heavy torturing on a wheel of swords he was finally executed in Nicomedia by decapitation on 23 April 303  A witness of his suffering convinced Empress Alexandra and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to become Christians as well, so they joined St George in his martyrdom

St George and the Dragon  The episode of St George and the Dragon was a legend brought back with the crusaders, and the earliest known depiction of it is from 11th century Cappadocia, the earliest known surviving narrative text being a 11th century Georgian text  According to a legend, a dragon makes its nest at the spring that provides water for the city of “Silene”. Thus, the citizens have to dislodge the dragon from its nest to collect water. To do so, each day they offer the dragon at first a sheep, and if no sheep can be found, a maiden – the victim is chosen by drawing lots. One day, this happens to be the princess. She is offered to the dragon but then St George appears. He faces the dragon, protects himself with the sign of the cross, and kills it. As a consequence, the citizens abandon their paganism and convert to Christianity  In the medieval romances, the lance with which St George slew the dragon was called Ascalon after the Levantine city of Ashkelon (now in Israel)  Eastern Orthodox depiction of St George slaying a dragon often includes the image of a young woman who looks on from a distance, reputedly a wife of Diocletian, St Alexandra. The standard interpretation of the icon is that the dragon represents both Satan and the monster from his life story

*Torturing of St George *Alexandra prostrates herself in front of St George *St George presents the tenets of Christianity to Alexandra St Alexandra reportedly died on April 21, 303, i.e. two days before St George. While St George was being tortured, Alexandra went to the arena, bowed before him and professed her faith openly. When she questioned whether she was worthy of paradise and of martyrdom without being baptised, St George told her, “Do not fear, your blood will baptise you”. On her husband’s orders, she was then sentenced to death.  The Eastern Church has depicted St George as a soldier since the 7th century

Veneration  A church built in Lydda during the reign of Constantine I in the early 4th century was consecrated to “a man of the highest distinction” – it has been asserted to have been St George

6th century mosaic map of Lydda, with the Church of St George depicted as a large structure in the centre  By the time of the Muslim Conquest in the 7th century, a basilica dedicated to St George in Lydda existed for sure. This church was destroyed by Muslims in 1010 but was later rebuilt and rededicated to St George by the crusaders. In 1191, during the Third Crusade, the church was again destroyed by the forces of Saladin. A new church, still standing, was only erected in 1872

*Ruins of the crusader church in Lydda in 1870s *St George’s Church is Lydda before WWI *St George’s relics in the crypt A third Crusade, headed by Richard the Lionheart, recaptured the coast line including Lydda (1192). St. George became a popular "warrior" saint for the third Crusade. According to legends, he helped the Crusaders in their battles. After the Crusaders returned back to Europe, the soldier-saint became popular in many countries in Europe. Richard adapted the emblem of the Cross of St George - a red cross on white background - and brought this symbol to England. About 200 English medieval churches were dedicated to St George.  In the 4th century the veneration of St George spread from Palestine through Lebanon to the rest of the Eastern Roman Empire  In Georgia, St Nino of Cappadocia, a relative of St George is credited with bringing Christianity to the Georgians in the 4th century. The country was described as Georgie in French and English already in the early Middle Ages. Exactly 365 Orthodox churches in Georgia are named after St George according to the number of days in a year (according to myth, St George was cut into 365 pieces after he fell in battle and every single piece was spread throughout the entire country; according to another myth, he appeared in person supporting the Georgian victory against Persian rule, and is thus considered there as a liberator)

White George on the coat of arms of Georgia  By the 5th century, the veneration of St George had reached the Western Roman Empire: in 494 George was canonized as a saint by Pope Gelasius I  In England, whose patron saint he now is, he was mentioned among the martyrs by Bede. He is also mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great. However, he did not rise to the position of patron saint until the 14th century, and even then was obscured by Edward the Confessor, the traditional patron saint of England – this lasted until 1552 when all saints’ banners other than George’s were abolished in the English Reformation. Even when most of saints’ days were discontinued after Reformation, St George’s Day was among the holidays that continued to be observed. In England, St George is also a protector of the royal family  An apparition of St George heartened the Franks at the siege of Antioch in 1098, and he made a similar appearance the following year at Jerusalem

Battle of Antioch. The Turks were inflicting many casualties, including Adhemar’s standard- bearer, and Kerbogha set fire to the grass between his position and the crusaders, but this did not deter them: they had visions of three saints riding alone with them: St George, St Demetrius, and St Maurice.  Chivalric military orders of St George were established in Aragon (1201), Genoa, Hungary, and by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III, and chronicles have observed the English invoking St George as a battle cry on several occasions during the Hundred Years’ War  In 1222, St George’s Day was declared a feast day in England  In Sweden, the princess rescued by St George is held to represent the kingdom of Sweden, while the dragon represents and invading army  As an exception, St George has been known to be revered by some Muslims  St George is very much honoured by the Eastern Orthodox Church, wherein he is referred to as a “Great Martyr”. The Russian Orthodox Church also celebrates two additional feasts in honour of St George: one is 3 November, commemorating the consecration of a cathedral dedicated to him in Lydda in the 4th century, and the other 26 November for a church dedicated to him in Kiev, Ukraine, in ca 1054

*Russian icon of St George the Dragonslayer *Yaroslav the Wise * Imperial Russian flag, with St George in the middle In Russia, the cult of St George spread widely during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the son of Vladimir the Great who had brought Russia to Orthodoxy. Yuri (Russian for George) was Yaroslav’s Christian name. In 1030, he founded the first monastery in Russia – the Yuriev monastery in Novgorod. Yaroslav also introduced a religious holiday on November 26th, which later became known as the “Yuriev Den” (St George’s Day). In 1030, Yaroslav the Wise invaded also Southern Estonia where he erected the fort of Yuriev (the site of modern-day Tartu).  In Bulgaria, St George’s Day is celebrated on 6 May when it is customary to slaughter and roast a lamb  St George’s cross forms the national flag of England and features also in other national Union flags such as those of Australia and New Zealand. Formerly, the cross was the banner attributed to St Ambrose. Adopted by the city of Milan by the 9th century, its use soon spread across the country

*St George’s Cross * Original Union Jack (1606) * Current Union Jack (since 1801)  St George is also the patron saint of island of Malta. In a battle between the Maltese and the Moors, St George was alleged to have been seen protecting the Maltese  Devotions to St George in Portugal date back to the 12th century. The victory of the Portuguese in the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 has been attributed to him. Soon thereafter St George became the patron saint of Portugal and the king ordered his image on the horse be carried in the Corpus Christi procession. The flag of St George was often carried by the Portuguese in the battlefields and hoisted in fortresses, and in the 15th century “Portugal and St George” became a battle cry to the Portuguese (and remains to this day, the navy uses a shortened form “St George”)

*Portuguese victory in the battle of Aljubarrota *Sao Jorge Castle in the city of Lisbon depicted in the 16th century. The formerly Moorish castle was dedicated to St George by king Joao I.  St George is also the patron saint of Romania, with a number of churches and towns there dedicated to him  On early mosaics St George is usually depicted as a Roman soldier. Following the Fall of Constantinople, he became more associated with the crusaders and is often portrayed mounted upon a white horse, often killing a dragon (as such he is also depicted on a 2003 Vatican stamp, issued on the 1700th anniversary of his death)  Eastern Orthodox Church also permits St George to ride a black horse, which may represent as not so much killing the dragon but an internal struggle against ourselves and the evil among us  In the Eastern tradition St George is sometimes also depicted with another early soldier saint, St Demetrius, the latter riding a red horse and spearing a human figure, representing Maximian. As such, they resemble earthly manifestations of the archangels Michael and Gabriel

St George St George and St Demetrius St Demetrius  In Northern Europe, St George’s Day coincides with the awakening of nature and emergence of green plants, reflected also in Russian proverbs such as “George will bring spring” or “There is no spring without George”. In some areas it was even believed the earth being poisonous until vegetation had started and the absence of greenery before St George’s Day was often seen a good omen

*St George killing a dragon, sculpture in Tori, Estonia. *St George’s Night Uprising * Paide Castle, the death site of 4 kings In Estonia, St George’s name is immortalised by St George’s Night Uprising on the night of April 23, 1343 – the last unsuccessful attempt by Estonians to rid themselves of the Danish and German rulers who had occupied their lands. The plan was to “kill all the Germans along with their wives and children. And so it happened, because they started to slay virgins, women, servants, maidservants, noblemen and commoners, young and all; all, who were of German blood, had to die”. Among others, they burned down the Cistercian Padise Abbey and massacred the 28 monks who had failed to escape. The chronicle adds that any German women or children who were spared by the men were killed by the women who then proceeded to burn down all the churches and huts of the monks. The revolt ended with the massacre of four elected Estonian kings sent to negotiations with Germans, and Denmark selling Duchy of Estonia to the State of the Teutonic Order. Since 1959, the St George’s Night Run is organised in Estonia each year, to commemorate the event, accompanied with torchlight processions. The run is especially popular among school children.  St George is also a patron saint of Catalonia (known as Jordi there), and it is traditional to give a rose and a book to a loved one on that day. In Barcelona’s most visited street La Rambla and all over Catalonia, thousands of stands of roses and makeshift bookstalls are set up for the occasion. By the end of the day, some 4 million roses and 800,000 books will have been purchased, contributing to half of the total yearly book sales

Cake of St Jordi in Catalonia St Jordi’s Day celebrations  In the Middle Ages, both Catalan and Occitan knights used the war cry “Sant Jordi! Firam! Firam!”  For Albanians, it’s a day of joy and believing in God, fires a lit and holy water is used for blessing  In England, a traditional custom on St George’s Day is to wear a red rose in one’s lapel (no longer widely practised) or to fly or adorn St George’s cross flag in some way. The hymn “Jerusalem” is often sung in churches  In Hungary, police honour St George as their patron saint  In Spain, St George is the patron saint of the former Crown of Aragon, and also of several cities, often related to the events during the Reconquista  The Scout movement has been celebrating St George’s Day since its first years, since he is also their patron  The name, influenced by St George, became very popular in most Christian countries and some of its local variants include: George, Georges, Jordi, Giorgio, Jorge, Gheorghe (Romance languages); Yuri, Yegor, Jiri, Jerzy, Juraj (Slavic languages); Joris, Georg, Jörgen, Jürgen, Jörn, Göran (Germanic and Scandinavian countries), Jurgis, Jüri, Yrjö, György (Baltic and Fenno-Ugric languages)

29 April – St (1347-1380)

 A tertiary of the Dominican Order, a scholastic philosopher and theologian, she was proclaimed the Doctor of the Church in 1970  She is also one of the best known mystics, and was known for her political boldness to “speak truth to power” – something exceptional for a woman of her time  She is often depicted holding a rose  Since 1939, together with St , she is one of the two patron saints of Italy  She is also one of the 6 patron saints of Europe, and one of the most popular and influential saints of the Church history  St Catherine is the patroness against fire, illness, the USA, miscarriages, people ridiculed for their faith, sexual temptation, and nurses  Her main work, The Dialogue of Divine Providence, was supposedly dictated while St Catherine was in ecstasy. It is a dialogue between a soul who “rises up” to God and God himself  St Catherine’s letters are considered one of the great works of early Tuscan literature; many of those were dictated though she learned to write in 1377  26 prayers of St Catherine also survive, mostly composed in the last 18 months of her life

Life:

 Caterina di Giacomo di Benincasa was born during the plague outbreak in Siena, Italy, the 23rd of 25 children born to her mother. Her father was a cloth dyer  She was a merry child and for that earned the pet name “Euphrosyne” (“joy” in Greek)  At 5 or 6, she reportedly had her first vision of Christ seated in glory with the apostles Peter, Paul and John. At age 7, she vowed to give her whole life to God  At 16, Catherine was set to marry her dead sister’s husband. In opposition, Catherine began fasting and cut her hair short

Young Catherine cutting off her long hair  Despite her religious nature, she didn’t choose to enter a convent and instead joined the Third Order of St Dominic, while continuing living at home. This happened after she had had a vision of St Dominic, after which she fell seriously ill, and her mother finally accepted her wish to join the Order. Determined, young Catherine decided to do what she later described as to “build a cell inside your mind, from which you can never flee”. Serving her family humbly became an opportunity for her spiritual growth  After receiving her habit, she was taught how to read, and she lived in almost total silence and solitude in the family home  Catherine soon developed a habit of giving things, incl. family food and clothes away, without ever asking permission. Finally, her father gave up and permitted her to live as she pleased  At 21, she underwent what she described as her “mystical marriage to Christ” during which she was given an invisible ring. In her vision, she was told to re-enter public life and help the poor and sick, which she immediately did

Mystical marriage of St Catherine of Siena  St Catherine often visited hospitals and homes of the sick, soon attracting followers  Eventually, from 1374 on, she began to travel, calling for reform of the Church. She also became involved in politics and was a key person in working to keep city states loyal to the Pope. She was also credited with helping to start a crusade to the Holy Land  St Catherine allegedly was given the stigmata in Pisa in 1375, but like her ring, it was only visible to herself  From 1375 onwards she began dictating letters to scribes. She was instrumental in persuading the Pope in Avignon to return to Rome. She also carried on a long correspondence with Pope Gregory XI, asking him to reform the clergy and the administration of the Papal States  In 1377 she established a monastery for women outside of Siena  St Catherine is credited with composing over 400 letters, her Dialogue and prayers. These works were so influential that she was later declared a Doctor of the Church  By 1380, the 33-year-old mystic had become ill, possibly because of her extreme fasting, making her finally unable to eat and drink. She had also been receiving the Holy Communion almost daily. She lost ability to use her legs and died on 29 April that same year, following a stroke a week prior

Portrait of St Catherine done by her family member, showing her true likeness

30 April – St Pius V (1504-1572)  Was a pope in 1566-1572 and one of the foremost leaders of the Catholic (Counter-) Reformation  His 6 years of papacy saw him constantly at war with two enemy forces at the time: the Protestants who spread their doctrines in the West, and the Turkish who were advancing from the East  As Pope, he worked towards restoring discipline and morality in Rome and reducing the costs of the papal court, banishing luxury. He reformed the clergy, obliged bishops to reside in their dioceses, and the cardinals to lead lives of simplicity and piety  Had a huge influence on the outcome of the Council of Trent. The Catechism of the Council of Trent was completed during his reign, in 1566, and is the forerunner of the present Catechism  He standardised the Holy Mass in 1570, making the Roman Missal mandatory throughout the Latin rite. This form of Mass – known as the Tridentine Mass – remained unchanged for the next 400 years, until 1970  Pius V declared Thomas Aquinas the 5th Doctor of the Church in 1567, and laid the foundation to the College of St Thomas (now the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas)  He took several measures to oppose the Protestant Huguenots in France. Putting orthodoxy before personalities, he prosecuted 8 French bishops for heresy  During his papacy, he personally attended all sessions of the Roman inquisition, including torture sessions, with apparent calm. He was especially determined to root out homosexuality in monasteries, passing a few laws that even his contemporaries sometimes found cruel, exaggerated or ridiculous  Very strict in morality, he introduced laws to punish unmarried prostitutes and forbade unmarried men to employ female servants; he also strongly opposed adultery; nude sculptures were covered and patients couldn’t be treated without getting their holy sacraments first – to the point where he was accused of trying to turn Rome into a vast monastery. He also stood firm against nepotism among clergy  In doing so, however, he was not a hypocrite but highly ascetic, often seen in bare feet. Already as a young prior he was a living exemplary of his faith: he fasted, did penance, passed long hours at night in meditation and prayer, travelled on foot without a cloak in deep silence, and only discussed things related to God

 Among others, he forbade bull-fighting and ordered the construction of public works to improve the water supply and sewer systems in Rome  He also financially aided the construction of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, and is the city’s patron saint  In 1570, with his bull, he declared the British queen Elizabeth I a heretic, excommunicating her, which prompted the persecution of Catholics in England –this is considered his biggest political failure. On the other hand, he supported Catholics who were oppressed by Protestant princes, especially in Germany  He arranged the forming of the Holy League against the Islamic Turks who wanted to invade Europe, resulting the Battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571, where everyone prayed the Rosary for the miraculous victory

The Pope sent out a fleet to meet the Turkish army, requesting that each man on board pray the Rosary and receive communion. Meanwhile, he called on all of Europe to recite the Rosary and ordered 40-hour devotion in Rome during the battle…The wind and all military factors favoured the Muslims, but Don John, commander-in-chief, was confident. He boarded a fast ship for a final review of his fleet. He shouted encouraging words to the men and they shouted back. After Don John returned to his own position, the wind mysteriously changed to the advantage of the Christian fleet. First-hand witnesses wrote about this moment as a most dramatic turn-of-events resulting from an "unknown factor". At that very moment, at dawn on October 7, 1571 Pope Pius V, accompanied by many faithful, was praying the Rosary in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. From dawn to dusk the prayers continued in Rome as the Christians and the Muslims battled at Lepanto. Suddenly, interrupting his work opening the window and looking at the sky, Pius V cried out, "A truce to business; our great task at present is to thank God for the victory which He has just given the Christian army!" He burst into tears when he heard of the victory, which dealt the Turkish power a blow from which it never recovered. Of some 270 Moslem ships, at least 200 were destroyed. The Turks also lost 30,000 men while Christian casualties numbered between 4,000 and 5,000. In memory of this triumph he instituted for the first Sunday of October the feast of the Rosary, and added to the Litany of Loreto the supplication "Help of Christians". Pius V has been called “the Pope of the Rosary” for this occasion.

 He is also often credited for the origin of the Pope’s white garments because even after his election he continued to wear his white Dominican habit  He reformed the Cistercians and supported the missions to the New World. He also strongly supported the newly formed Society of Jesus (Jesuits)  His personal motto was: O that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications

Life:  Was born on 17 January 1504 in Italy, to a poor though noble family, and named Antonio Ghislieri at birth  Until 14 worked as a shepherd, and then was taken in by the Dominican Order, where he adopted the name Michele. With Dominicans, he was able to get a good education  Was ordained a priest in Genoa in 1528, at the age of 24, and then sent to Pavia where he lectured for 16 years, teaching theology and philosophy  At Parma he elaborated 30 propositions in support the papal chair and against the Protestant Reformation  In the meantime, he was master of novices and was elected prior on several occasions  As a prior, he insisted on discipline, and was appointed inquisitor at Como, but was forced to return to Rome in 1550 since many disliked his reformist ideas  After having been employed in several inquisitorial missions, he was elected to the commissariat of the Holy Office  For a while he was also serving as a bishop (since 1556) and cardinal (since 1557). In 1557 he also rose to the position of inquisitor general for all Christendom  In 1559 he was transferred to Mondovi, where he restored the purity of faith and discipline  Frequently called to Rome, he was a sought-after consultant in religious matters  On 8 January 1566, Ghislieri was elected to the papal throne as Pope Pius V. He was crowned 10 days later, on his 62nd birthday  He began his pontificate by giving large alms to the poor, instead of distributing his bounty like his predecessors had done, visiting hospitals, washing the feet of the poor, and preparing people to die  Pius V died on 1 May 1572 of what is believed to be cancer  He was beatified in 1672 and canonized in 1712

Pope Pius V *The body of Pius V in his tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore * Pius V depicted in an early printed missal