Mary Ann grew close to God and his people during her short life. The youngest of eight, Mary Ann was born in Quito, Ecuador, which had been brought under Spanish control in 1534. She joined the Secular Franciscans and led a life of prayer and penance at home, leaving her parents’ house only to go to church and to perform some work of charity. She established in Quito a clinic and a...

St. Bede (672–735 A.D.), also known as the Venerable Bede, was born to a wealthy family in England. At the age of seven he was sent to the Benedictine monastery to be educated by the monks. He discerned a vocation to the monastic life, and devoted himself to prayer and to the study of Sacred Scripture and Church history. After being ordained at the age of thirty, he went on to become a...

The story of St. Donatian and his brother St. Rogatian is known from a 5th century document, "the Passion of Children of Nantes". St. Donatian and St. Rogatian were, it seems, the sons of the first magistrate of the city. Donatian, the youngest, was baptized (probably by St. Similien, third bishop of Nantes, who outlived them). Donatian then evangelized his older brother, Rogatian....

St. William of Rochester (d. 1201), also known as St. William of Perth, was born in Perth, Scotland. He was a wild youth who matured into a man devoted to God. He became a baker, and out of his charity would always set aside bread to feed the poor. One day, while walking into the church for Mass, he found an abandoned baby boy on the church steps. He adopted the child, raised him, and taught...

St. Conall was a seventh-century abbot of Inniscoel Abbey in Donegal, Ireland. A holy well there is named after St. Conall. This holy Abbot seems to have had a double festival, within this month. The Bollandists notice Conallus of Iniscail, at this day, for which they quote Colgan, who incorrectly places his feast at the 12th of May —possibly a typographical error for the 22nd. This St....