Friday November 1st is All Saints Day, a day of remembrance celebrated in the Church every year, and recognised as the most inclusive feast day. When we remember the saints, both known and unknown, we also remember God’s saving grace in the midst of the disasters of history.
October is a month to celebrate many of our Saints’ Feast Days. St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Faustina, Bl. Carlo Acutis, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John Paul II, just to name a few. Continue reading to find out more about the lives of these Saints.
Maximilian Kolbe was born Raymond Koble, on January 8th, 1894. He was born in Zdunska Wola in central Poland, and as a young boy had a deep spiritual experience that began to set the course for his life. In 1907, he joined the Conventual Franciscans, taking the name of Maximillian.
There aren’t many saints in the Catholic Church who we’ve seen pictures or artworks of wearing jeans and sneakers. Carlo Acutis could very well be the first. Born in 1991, Carlo will be the first millennial to be recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church.
The Conversion of St Paul is celebrated on January 25th, and is recognised as one of the greatest events of the early Church. This is due to the fact that prior to Paul’s (previously Saul) conversion on the road to Damascus, he had persecuted Christians.
St Agnes, known as the patron saint of young girls, is a virgin martyr of the Catholic Church, as well as the Oriental Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and Lutheran Churches.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is celebrated on the 8th of December. It is believed that Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception, which kept her soul immaculate from birth.
November in the Catholic tradition is a month of remembrance of the dead. To begin this, All Saints’ Day is celebrated on the 1st, and All Souls’ Day on the 2nd. These are not nationally recognised holidays and are no longer holy days of obligation in Australia, but the Church continues to encourage prayers of the faithful for the departed during this time.
Saints are those who are recognised as having an exceptional degree of holiness or likeness to God. It comes from the Greek work ‘hagious’ which means “consecrated to God”. October is a great month to reflect on the Saints of the Catholic Church as we celebrate many of the Churches greatest.
See below for some information about 7 Saints who celebrate their feast days in October.
Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday. This year, it is celebrated on the 8th of June. This feast day, translated as “The Body and Blood of Christ”, is a day to honour the sacred body of Jesus Christ.