The Bishop of Rome was traditionally served by seven deacons. Pope Xystus II, sometimes called St. Sixtus, was served by Januarius, Vincent, Stephan, Magnus, Felicissimus, Agapite, and Lawrence. In 258 A.D., the emperor Valerian ordered the executions of many Christians. St. Sixtus and his seven deacons were among the first to be beheaded. When the soldiers rushed in to arrest the pope and his...
Giovanni Baptista Montini was the son of a prominent newspaper editor. Ordained in Brescia, Italy on May 29, 1920, he continue his studies in Rome, Italy, and became part of the Vatican secretariat of state in 1922, one of two pro-secretaries to Pope Pius XII. He was the archbishop of Milan from 1954 to 1963 where he worked on social problems and to improve relations between workers and...
St. Oswald (605-642 A.D.) was the second of seven sons born to the pagan king of Northumbria in northern England. After his father was killed in battle, the kingdom was split. His uncle claimed the throne, while Oswald fled with his mother and brothers to Scotland for safety. There his family was converted to Christianity by the renowned monks of Iona. Oswald was educated by the holy monks and...
Gamaliel was the rabbinical teacher and mentor of St. Paul. Gamaliel counseled the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem to release St. Peter and the other Apostles, making the striking and important suggestion that “a tree is known by its fruits.” According to tradition, he reportedly became a Christian, perhaps under the influence of St. Paul. The discovery of his body in Jerusalem was...
Blessed Jane of Aza (12th c.), also known as Joanna or Juana of Aza, belonged to the Spanish nobility. At a young age she married a nobleman and together they had five children. She was a pious woman known for her life of prayer and generosity to the poor. When her two eldest sons were given to the priesthood, she went to the nearby church of St. Dominic Silos, a miracle worker and a patron...