St. Damien of Molokai: A saint for the forgotten and abandoned

Jozef De Veuster was once a gregarious boy who loved life — even a skating champion near his Tremelo, Belgium, hometown. Brought up in a faithful family, he chose to follow in the footsteps of his older brother and entered religious life with the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1859. Better known by his religious name, Damien, this saint had the heart of a missionary and was known to pray each day to become one. In 1863, Damien volunteered for Hawaiian missions in place of his sickly priest-brother who was supposed to go. Soon, his zeal for souls earned St. Damien De Veuster the title “apostle to the lepers,” and ultimately led to his canonization by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

St. Damien of Molokai: A saint for the forgotten and abandoned
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Saint Blaise • Saint stories

St. Blaise, whose feast is celebrated on February 3, is another saint who lived a LONG time ago–during the 4th century, when being a Christian was a crime. He was a bishop and a doctor for people and animals. To avoid being caught, he lived in a cave outside of the city. Legend has it that sick animals would come to him to be cured. But if St. Blaise was praying, the animals would patiently wait so as not to disturb his prayers. On his feast day, some people go to church to have their throats blessed. You’ll find a St. Blaise activity online.

Saint Blaise • Saint stories
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St. Raymond of Peñafort

St. Raymond of Penyafort, whose feast we celebrate on January 7, was a Spanish Dominican friar in the 13th century, who compiled the Decretals of Gregory IX, a collection of canon laws that remained a major part of Church law until the 20th century. Watch a short video about him online.

St. Raymond of Peñafort
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