On October 23, 1994, Sisters Esther Paniagua Alonso and Caridad “Cari” Alvarez Martín were each shot in the head as they walked to Mass.
Sister Esther was a nurse who worked with sick and disabled children and had painstakingly learned fluent Arabic. In the discernment meeting with Msgr. Teissier about whether to stay or go, she said to her sisters, “At this moment, for...
Saint Malchus of Syria (died c. 390) is the subject of Saint Jerome's biography Life of Malchus the Captive Monk (Vita Malchi monachi captivi), written in Latin around 391/392 CE. According to Jerome, Malchus was a monk who was sold into slavery and forced to marry another slave. While never consummating the marriage, he escaped with his wife and returned to his monastery. Jerome...
St. Paul of the Cross (1694–1775) was born near Turin, Italy, the second of sixteen children—only six of whom survived infancy. His devout parents ensured his strong religious upbringing. In his childhood Paul went to daily Mass, spent much time before the Blessed Sacrament, and attended to his studies. He taught catechism in the local churches before experiencing a deep religious...
Isaac Jogues and his companions were the first martyrs of the North American continent officially recognized by the Church. As a young Jesuit, Isaac Jogues, a man of learning and culture, taught literature in France. He gave up that career to work among the Huron Indians in the New World, and in 1636, he and his companions, under the leadership of Jean de Brébeuf, arrived in Quebec.
The...
St. Proculus of Pozzuoli (San Procolo) was an early Christian deacon and martyr who lived in the Campanian city of Pozzuoli, near Naples. According to ancient tradition, he served the local Christian community during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century. He is remembered as one of the companions of St. Januarius (San Gennaro), the famous...