The Saints


 
 

St. Thomas




Saint Thomas Aquinas was the Patron saint of all Catholic schools, colleges and universities. He was born in 1225 in the Castle of Rocca Secca near Aquino, Italy.

Saint Thomas Aquinas lived about 770 years ago. He was the son of Count Landulf and Countess Theodora. He also had seven brothers and three sisters. He was said to be a big and heavy man. He had a full, friendly face and dark eyes. He was also honest, gentle and charitable.

When Thomas was 5 years old he was taken to the Abbey of Monte Cassino to go to school. He stayed there until he was 13 years old. Thomas must have been extremely smart because he was ready for college at age 10. A few years later he studied at the University of Naples for 5 years. When Thomas reached 19 he joined the Dominican Order even though his family didn't approve of it. Thomas had always wanted to be a priest and preach and teach like Saint Dominic did. His dream came true when he was made a priest in 1250. Then from 1245 to 1252 he studied philosophy and theology, became a famous teacher and taught at the University of Paris. Thomas developed a philosophy that combined Christian beliefs and the teachings of Aristotle.

Thomas Aquinas was named the Doctor of the church. The reason for this is because he was a great Christian scholar. He taught other Christians the need for great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Thomas devoted his whole life to documenting whole systems of Pagan and Christian literature. He also started a book called the Summa Theologica which contained the study of theological teaching and Christian philosophy. He didn't get to finish it because he had a mystical experience in 1273 that caused him to stop writing. This experience made all of his writings appear as nothing to him.

Thomas Aquinas was made a saint in 1323. I believe that he was made a saint because he was a very holy and devoted his whole life to help and teach Christianity. He used great effort and energy when he was praying, teaching, preaching, and writing. Also Thomas would rather have a hundred books of Aristotle and Philosophy than any wealth the world could give him.

Saint Thomas is also known as the "Angelic Doctor". He was named this because the church thought he was like an Angel. His rare intellectual powers were devoted to God's service and his haumble heart was kept pure.

Saint Thomas Aquinas only lived to be 49 years old. On March seventh, 1274 he fell ill and died. Because of the things he wrote he is best remembered today. Some of the books he wrote are used today by priests and Catholic students. Thomas also wrote prayers and hymns. Two of those are familiar to most Catholics. They are "O Salutaris" and "Tantum Ergo". Some of the songs he wrote are said to be sung today in some churches still. It is said that his books might be found in any good -sized library around the world.
 
 

St. Clare
 

Clara Offraduccio, best known as St. Clare, was born in Assisi, Italy about 747 years ago.
She was born on July 16, 1194 and died on August 11, 1263. She

lived to be 59 years old. She came from an extremely wealthy family and lived in a beautiful
Italian palace.

When she was about 18, Clare heard St. Francis of Assisi preaching and, like him, decided to
dedicate her life to Christ. Her parents told her she could not become a nun so she ran away
from home. She went to St. Francis for help. There she took a vow of poverty to become a
disciple, cut off her long, beautiful hair, and dressed poorly when she promised her love and
life to Christ. St. Francis and the brothers decided that Palm Sunday would be Clare's special
day. On Palm Sunday she dressed in beautiful clothes and attended church services with all
of the nobles.

In a hut on the outskirts of Assisi, Clare took her mother, sister, and friends. There she began
the sisters known as the Poor Clare's. They lived a life of prayer, silence, and fasting. The
prayed for sinners, loved god for those who did not love him, and did penance for men and
women so they would not lose their souls.

One day, an army of men who hated Christ came to Assisi. They meant to destroy the city.
Clare carried the blessed sacrament outside the convent with only her sisters around her. The
great army of men saw her coming and fled in panic. She had saved the city.

The groups of sisters are still around all over the world today. Clare still remains a model of
humility and charity towards them all. Clare was canonized in 1255, two years after her
death, by Pope Alexander IV. Her feast day is on August 12.

Saint Ambrose
 

Saint Ambrose also known as Saint Augustine was born in the year 354. He died in the year 430 when barbarian tribes invaded the city of Hippo. When Saint Ambrose was a young boy he was often in trouble .So his parents Monica and Patricius sent him to a school in Madaura . His parents hoped that his school work would keep him out of trouble. At the school he studied Greek , Latin and Philosophy. In the year 370 he went to Cathage, where he continued his studies and he also opened a school. In a couple of years he returned home and there he studied to become a priest. In 391 Ambrose was ordained a priest in Hippo, there he became famous for his holiness, preaching and his writings. He was made the bishop of Hippo four years later. 

Before he became a priest he directed the building of churches, hospital, orphanages and schools. He is known for many things that he has done such as: he wrote more than four hundred sermons and about two hundred books. Some of his most famous writings areThe City of God andThe Confessions of Saint Augustine. The City of God consists of twenty-two books that defend the Catholic Church and Christianity. The Confessions of Saint Augustine retraces his life. He was the first to use "confessions" as a form of a life story or an autobiography.

For most of his life, Saint Ambrose lived in Hippo, even though he was born in Rome. Saint Ambrose died fifteen hundred and seventy years (1570) ago. Today he is still honored in the Catholic Church on his feast day which is held on August twenty-eighth.

Saint Ambrose is also known as Saint Augustine. He did many great things during his lifetime, but he will mostly be remembered for his books and his writings.
 

Saint James
 

Name: St. James

Known as: St. James the Less

Date of Death: 57 AD 

How many years ago he lived: 1,943

About His Life:
 

James looked a lot like Jesus, he and Jesus were often mistaken for each other. When Jesus was getting ready to be arrested, the guards waited for Judas to identify him with a kiss on the forehead so they wouldn't mistaken him for James. James and Jesus were also first cousins, Mary mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdelline mother of James were sisters.

James was called "James the Less" to distinguish him from James son of Zebede. He is also called "the just" by merit of his pre-eminent holiness. He was holy from the moment that he was born: he never drank wine or strong liquor, never ate meat, no razor has ever touched his head, he never anointed himself with oil, he never bathed, he only wore a plain linen garment, and was a virgin all of his life. He knelt so often in prayer that his knees were as calloused as the soles of his feet. The church was assumed by him as well, he was a minister there for a while. He was the first apostle to celebrate mass.

On the day before the Sabbath when Christ died, James vowed not to eat again until Jesus rose up from the dead, but a few days later Jesus arose up from the dead and went to visit James. Jesus told James to take out some bread, James toke out some bread and layed it on the table. Jesus then blessed the bread and then James ate it.

Years later the Jews wanted to put James to death because he appealed to Caesar and stoped the death of Paul. The angry Jews pushed him of a cliff and stoned him to death. He was later then buried close by the temple.
 
 
 
 

SAINT JULIA

The reason I picked Saint Julia Was because it is my name and I was interested to know information on her and if there really was a Saint named Julia

St. Julia was born of noble parents in South Africa. When she was still quite young, her city was conquered by barbarians. Julia was captured and sold as a slave to a pagan merchant, but she did not complain or feel sorry for herself. She accepted everything, and performed the most humble tasks with wonderful cheerfulness, for Julia loved God with all her heart. In her spare time, she read holy books and prayed fervently. 

One day her master decided to take her with him to France. On the way, he stopped at an island to go to a pagan festival. Julia refused to even go near the place where they were celebrating. She did not want to have anything to do with those superstitious ceremonies.

The governor of that region was very angry with her for not joining in the pagan feast. "Who is that woman who dares to insult our gods?" he cried. Julia's owner answered that she was a Christian. He said, too, that although he had not been able to make her give up her religion, still she was such a good, faithful servant that he would not know what to do without her. 

I will give you four of my best women slaves for her, " offered the governor, but her master refused. "No," he said, "All you own will not buy her. I would willingly lose the most valuable thing in the world rather than lose her."

When the merchant was asleep, however, the wicked governor tried to make Julia sacrifice to the gods. He promised to have her set free if she would, but she absolutely refused. She said she was as free as she wanted to be as long as she could serve Jesus. Then the pagan ruler, in great anger, had her struck on the face and her hair torn from her head. She was next put on a cross to hang there until she died. 

Her feast day in the Christian church calendar year is May twenty-third.
 
 
 
 

Saint Elizabeth Of Hungary 

The name of my saint is Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. She was Born in 1207 in the town of Bratislava. Her father was Andrew II, king of Hungary. When Elizabeth was four she got sent for her education to the court of Landgrave in Thuringia. In Thuringia, Elizabeth was to marry the king of Thuringia's son. As Elizabeth grew up she became a very strong and dependent women. Finally when Elizabeth turned 14 she got married to Louis of Thuringia in 1221. 

Elizabeth, in spite of her position in court, helped the needy and poor. She also began to lead a strict but simple life of penance. Louis also was a religious person and highly admired her virtue. Unfortunately Louis had to go to the Crusades and leave Elizabeth and their children alone. Louis got killed in battle. Elizabeth left the court then made arrangements for her children to be taken care of and left for her fathers house. There she let people who were poor and needy into her father's house where she fed them and gave them shelter. If they couldn't come to her house she would go to their house. Her father didn't know why a woman of her standards would help the sick and poor but let her use his house to help any ways. One day while Elizabeth was walking to give someone food she came across her father who asked to see what food she was bringing with her. When Elizabeth opened her cloak red and white roses fell out onto the road. Her father couldn't believe it and then realized that she had been chosen to be a saint. 

Elizabeth died on November 19,1231 at the age of 24. Even though she only lived for 24 years she made a big difference. She helped the poor and built a hospital. Elizabeth was canonized four years after her death by Pope Gregory IX. Elizabeth is patron saint of Bakers, the homeless, the poor and young brides. Her symbols are alms, flowers, bread, and a jug of water.