St. John Vianney (1786–1859) was born in France to a farming family, one of six children of devout Catholic parents. He was baptized on the day of his birth. When he was four years old the French Revolution erupted, and priests were forced into hiding. Every day they risked their lives to give the sacraments, and John looked up to them as heroes. His First Holy Communion and Confirmation...
Saint Aspren (also spelled Asprenas or Aspreno) is venerated as the first bishop of Naples, Italy, and is celebrated on August 3 in the Roman Catholic Church. He lived at the end of the 1st century and into the early 2nd century, with his episcopate lasting about 23 years.
Tradition holds that Aspren was a native of Naples in Campania. He became ill and was cured by St. Peter, who also...
Giulio Cesare Russo was born in Brindisi, Kingdom of Naples, to a family of Venetian merchants. He was educated at Saint Mark's College in Venice, and joined the Capuchins in Verona as Brother Lawrence. He received further instruction from the University of Padua. An accomplished linguist, Lawrence spoke most European and Semitic languages fluently. He was appointed definitor general to...
In the Acts of the Apostles, Joseph Barsabbas, also known as Justus of Eleutheropolis or Joseph the Just) was one of two candidates qualified to be chosen for the office of apostle after Judas Iscariot lost his apostleship when he betrayed Jesus and died by suicide. After the casting of lots Barsabbas was not chosen, the lot instead favoring St. Matthias to be numbered with the remaining...
Pope St. Symmachus was the 51st pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 498 to 514, and is venerated as a saint. Symmachus was born around 460 AD on the island of Sardinia, then part of the Western Roman Empire, to a father named Fortunatus. He was initially a pagan but was baptized in Rome, where he later became archdeacon under Pope Anastasius II. His early life in Rome shaped his...