St. William of Bourges (1155–1209), also known as St. William the Confessor, was born to a noble family in France. He was educated under his uncle who was an archdeacon, and from a young age turned away from the world and gave himself over to religion and learning. He became a priest and later entered religious life in a Cistercian monastery, an Order famous for strict discipline. St....

St. Adrian of Canterbury (d. 710 A.D.), also known as St. Hadrian, was a native of North Africa who was sent to England to accompany his friend, Theodore of Tarsus, who was appointed to the prestigious archbishopric of Canterbury. St. Adrian was originally offered and turned down the ecclesiastical position, and instead was made abbot of St. Augustine's Abbey at Canterbury (originally...

Lawrence Justinian, C.R.S.A. (Italian: Lorenzo Giustiniani, 1 July 1381 – 8 January 1456), is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. He was a canon regular who was appointed as a bishop and became the first Patriarch of Venice. Lawrence Justinian was a member of the well-known Giustiniani family, which includes several saints. The piety of his mother seems to have served as an...

St. Raymond of Penafort (1175–1275) was born in Spain to the noble family of Aragon. As a child he received an excellent education and displayed a great love for the Blessed Mother. After studying and teaching philosophy and law he entered the Order of Preachers. He preached the Crusades and encouraged the faithful to defend their civilization from foreign threats. To aid his preaching,...

St. Andre Bessette (1845–1937) was born the eighth of twelve children to a poor working class family in Quebec, Canada. He was weak and sickly from his birth. When he was nine, his father died in a lumber accident; when he was twelve, his mother died of tuberculosis. He then worked at various odd jobs until he entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross as a lay brother at age 25, serving...