Saint of the Day for Monday

 

St. Mary Di Rosa

Saint Mary (Paula) Di Rosa December 15 The pounding on the barricaded door of the military hospital sent every heart thudding in terror. In the middle of the war in Brescia (Italy) in 1848, the wounded, sick, and those who cared for them knew what that pounding meant. The shouts from beyond the door came from soldiers, not obeying any command but their inner desire to destroy and plunder. Who could do anything to stop them? The only people here were some Sisters, the Handmaids of Charity, who devoted themselves to helping the sick. The doctors had not even wanted them there. The doctors wanted medical people who were secular and military, not nuns. And in the face of this new danger they were even more useless! Worse than useless -- because that Paula (as she was known) di Rosa was actually moving to open the door!

When the door swung wide, the soldiers saw their way blocked with a great crucifix held by Paula di Rosa and two candles held by two of the six sisters who stood by her. Suddenly their frenzy to destroy disappeared, and full of shame before this display of courage and faith, they slunk back into the shadows.

Throughout her life, Paula di Rosa was never afraid to open the door on a new opportunity to serve God, especially when she was unsure of what lay beyond. People who didn't know her well must have thought she was too frail and delicate for these ventures, but she came armed not only with her faith but boundless energy, intelligence, and hunger to serve.

Born in 1813, she had tackled enormous projects from the time she was seventeen, arranging retreats and special missions for her parish and setting up a women's guild. Because of all she accomplished, when she was only twenty-four, she was asked to be supervisor of a workhouse for poor girls. After two years, she became concerned because there was no place for the girls to go at the end of the day. Night held special dangers for these girls and Paula wanted to give them a safe place to stay. The trustees refused to provide that place. For Paula the choice was easy -- she once said that she could never go to bed with a clear conscience if she had missed the chance to do some good. So she quit the workhouse to set up a boardinghouse for poor girls while helping her brother with a school for the deaf.

At 27 she stood before another door. She was appointed superior of the Handmaids of Charity, a religious society whose purpose was to dedicate all their time and attention to the suffering in hospitals. With her friends Gabriela Bornati and Monsignor Pinzoni, she won the respect of those who thought of these "handmaids" as intruders.

Then in 1848, her whole life seemed to fall apart. First, she lost Gabriela and then Monsignor Pinzoni died, leaving her without the support and friendship she had come to depend on. War started in Europe and her homeland was invaded. Facing that kind of grief and turmoil, many others would have crawled into bed and pulled the covers over their head. But Paula had always seen opportunity in everything that came her way. War meant that many would be wounded and displaced by the war so she and her sisters went to work at a military hospital and even went out to the battlefield to give spiritual and physical comfort to the wounded and dying.

She died in 1855, going through the final door, unafraid and joyful to be joining her Lord forever.

On Saturday in Spain & France, over 100 martyrs are beatified

 

The beatification Mass at Notre Dame in Paris 

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• Spain
• France
• saints and blessed
• Jean-Claude Hollerich
• Marcello Semeraro

50 Catholics martyred by the Nazis beatified in France

Three different groups of martyrs, nearly 200 in total, are beatified in celebrations in the Cathedrals of Jaen, Spain, and Notre Dame in Paris.

By Pierfrancesco Loreto

On Saturday, 13 December, two Masses were celebrated respectively in the Cathedral of Jaen in Spain and at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris for the beatification of Venerable Servants of God, men and women who gave their lives to remain faithful to Christ in times of persecution.

In the first instance, 124 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War were beatified in a celebration presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

As the Jaen Diocese itself recalls, these people made the ultimate sacrifice "for the love of Christ", and their example continues today to encourage the faith of the whole community.

Choosing the 124 martyrs has involved a research process that dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s. The object of the inquiries was to show that, in fact, they were killed solely on account of their faith, “and not for other motives,” the Delegate for the Cause of the Saints, Andres Najera, said.

"In a violent and aggressive world, with a lack of respect for ideologies and beliefs, the 124 [Servants of God] made a difference by affirming that violence is not the solution; the answer comes from forgiveness, and this is the lesson that the Gospel gives us. The world needs goodness", he added.

The Venerable Servants of God of the diocese of Jaén were killed in various places and at different times during the Spanish Civil War, which featured elements of cruel anti-Catholic persecution.

Artwork depicting the martyrs of Jaen

Two different groups of Martyrs beatified in Jaen

The beatifications celebrated in Spain concerned the martyrdom of diocesan priest Manuel Izquierdo Izquierdo and 58 companions; and the martyrdom of his colleague Antonio Montañés Chiquero and 64 associates, all killed between 1936 and 1937. The two groups were the subject of separate “causes” for canonization.

Revolutionaries moved by anti-religious and anti-Christian sentiments massacred numerous priests, religious, and laypeople, and looted churches and places of worship. The guerrillas' odium fidei, hatred of the faith, driven by atheistic propaganda, was amply demonstrated by the general violence against the Church, towards its ministers and many of its faithful.

The militia established a climate of persecution against all those who professed to be members of the Catholic Church, be they priests, consecrated persons, or lay people.

The leader of the martyrs of Jaén, Don Manuel Izquierdo Izquierdo, was particularly affected by the mistreatment and torture inflicted by the persecutors, and so was Don Manuel Valdivia Chica, whose hands were cut off before his death.

Despite the danger, the priests chose not to leave the parishes where they carried out their ministry to stay close to their congregation. Some of the priests, including Don Antonio Montañes Chiquero, asked to be killed last so that they could hear the confessions of the others and help them die a holy death.

The celebration in Paris for the French Blesseds

Later on Saturday, in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg, presided at the Mass of beatification of Raymond Cayré, diocesan priest; Gérard-Martin Cendrier, religious of the Order of Friars Minor; Roger Vallée, seminarian; Jean Mestre, layman, and 46 of their companions.

This Mass of collective beatification was the most important of its kind held in France.

The majority of these Catholics came from the Young Christian Workers (JOC) and died primarily in concentration camps where they had been sent because of their apostolate, an activity prohibited by the Hitler regime.

They were part of the "Mission Saint Paul", a form of clandestine chaplaincy set up by French bishops to provide spiritual assistance to young people requisitioned for the Compulsory Labor Service (STO), which involved between 600,000 and 650,000 workers.

That scheme was introduced on 16 February 1943 by the Vichy Regime to send a large number of French citizens to work in Germany and fill the places of Germans engaged at the front.

Many priests, religious and lay people belonging to Catholic associations covertly followed French workers sent to German territory to provide them with moral and spiritual support. As a result, they were arrested for subversive activity against the Third Reich, tortured and put to death mainly in the concentration camps of Buchenwald, Mauthausen, Dachau or Neuengamme.

Most died there, while others lost their lives due to the suffering they endured.

Gaudete Mass at St. Peter's Basilica is part of the Jubilee of Prisoners

 

Pope Leo presides over Mass on Gaudete Sunday and during the Jubilee of Prisoners  (@Vatican Media)

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• Pope Leo XIV
• prisons
• jubilee
• #JUBILEE2025
• hope
• mass

Pope Leo: Flowers can bloom even in prisons

During his homily on the Sunday of the Jubilee of Prisoners, Pope Leo XIV challenges both inmates and those responsible for the prisons to hold on to hope and he reminds everyone “that no human being is defined only by his or her actions and that justice is always a process of reparation and reconciliation.”

By Kielce Gussie

On the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the word “Gaudete”. He explained the “joy” of this Sunday reminds us of "the bright dimension of waiting: the trust that something beautiful, something joyful, will happen.”

14 December also marked the Jubilee of Hope for prisoners and all those who work in prisons. Pope Leo recalled that 26 December last year, his predecessor Pope Francis opened the Holy Door inside Rome's Rebibbia prison, urging his listeners to "throw open the doors of your heart.”

On that occasion, Pope Francis also urged everyone to be generous “workers of justice and charity in the environments where we live.”

There is still hope

With the Jubilee Year of Hope coming to a close, Pope Leo stressed that, despite efforts that have been made, “much remains to be done in the prison world.” He acknowledged the prisons are challenging environments, and “even the best intentions may encounter many obstacles.”

Yet, he argued it is specifically for this reason that we must all avoid growing tired or discouraged. Rather, the Holy Father stressed that we must persevere. “Many still fail to understand that from every fall, one must be able to rise again,” Pope Leo explained. “No human being is defined by what they have done, and justice is always a process of repair and reconciliation.”

Pope Leo incenses the statue of Our Lady with the Child Jesus in St. Peter's Basilica   (@VATICAN MEDIA)

If we create and keep safe spaces for sensitivity, attention to others’ needs, respect, mercy and forgiveness to flourish—even in the most difficult times— “beautiful flowers bloom, and even within the prison walls, unique gestures, projects, and encounters mature in their humanity.”

This is essential for those living without their freedom, the Pope stressed, but it is also important for those who represent justice for inmates. This Jubilee “is a call to conversion, and precisely for this reason, it is a source of hope and joy.”

Keep compassion at the center

To achieve this, it is necessary to first look to Jesus, His humanity, and His Kingdom as reminders that miracles can happen through extraordinary interventions by God. However, Pope Leo highlighted, “more often they are entrusted to us, to our compassion, our attention, our wisdom, and the responsibility of our communities and institutions.”

He noted how we are all also called to foster, in all areas—and, today, particularly in prisons—a society rooted in new values, with a strong focus on compassion.

For this reason, the Holy Father pointed out how Pope Francis wanted this Holy Year to offer “forms of amnesty or remission of penalties might be granted to help people regain trust in themselves and in society”.

We are never alone

The day’s Gospel touched on the biblical origin of the Jubilee—a year of grace where everyone was given the chance to start fresh. The passage reflected on St. John the Baptist, who encouraged people to convert and be baptized. He was frank and upright, but also merciful and understanding.

Pope Leo acknowledged the difficult task God entrusts to both inmates and those responsible for prisons. He pointed out the numerous problems they are called to address: “overcrowding, the still insufficient commitment to ensuring stable educational programs for rehabilitation, and work opportunities.”

Yet, on a deeper level, there are also issues of working through the weight of the past, wounds to be healed, disappointments, the patience required with oneself to achieve these steps, and the temptation to give up. While these challenges might feel overwhelming and difficult, God offers encouragement in the Scriptures. He repeats “that no one be lost” and that all “may be saved”.

“This is what our God desires, this is His Kingdom, and this is what His work in the world aims for”, the Holy Father stressed.

With Christmas drawing near, Pope Leo invited everyone to work toward this dream, reminding them that, even in the greatest difficulties, “we are not alone: the Lord is near, He walks with us, and with Him by our side, something beautiful and joyful will always happen.”

Sunday Angelus Address with Pope Leo XIV 12.14.2025

 

Pope Leo delivers his Angelus reflection  (@Vatican Media)

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• Angelus
• prisons
• #JUBILEE2025
• jubilee

Pope: Jesus' words 'free us from the prison of despair'

After celebrating Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners, Pope Leo delivers his Angelus address for the third Sunday of Advent, saying that Christian joy endures "when life seems to lose its meaning and everything appears darker.”

By Jean-Paul Kamba, SJ

“A prophet, even in chains, retains the ability to use his voice in the pursuit of truth and justice."

Evoking John the Baptist, who was imprisoned for his preaching, Pope Leo XIV opened his Sunday Angelus reflection with this powerful image. Even from behind bars, he continued to hope and to question. John thus became a sign that the Word of God cannot be silenced, even when prophets are deprived of freedom.

From his prison cell, Pope Leo said, John the Baptist hears of the works accomplished by Jesus. Yet these works do not correspond to what he had expected. Hence his question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for another?” A question that echoes across the centuries and reaches all those “who seek truth and justice, those who long for freedom and peace,” and who continue to question Jesus.

Read also

14/12/2025

Pope Leo: Flowers can bloom even in prisons

Christ's self-revelation

In response, Jesus does not offer a theoretical definition of his identity. He invites people to look at what he does. “It is the least among us, the poor, the sick, who speak for him,” the Holy Father stressed, noting that the Messiah is recognizable by his deeds, which are visible signs of salvation at work: “The blind see, the mute speak, the deaf hear.”

Even the image of God, disfigured by illness and exclusion, is restored to wholeness. Even the dead themselves— “completely unresponsive”—are raised to life. This, the Pope insisted, is the heart of the Gospel: “When God comes into the world, you can see it!”

The crowd gathered in St Peter's Square for the Angelus  (@Vatican Media)

Freed from discouragement

“The words of Jesus free us from the prison of despair and suffering.  Every prophecy finds its expected fulfillment in Him."

It is Christ, the Pope continued, who opens humanity’s eyes to the glory of God—God who “gives a voice to the oppressed, from whom violence and hatred have taken away their voice; who overcomes the ideology that makes people deaf to the truth; and who heals the illusions that distort the body.”

Advent: a time of waiting and attentiveness

During this Advent season, the Pope invited the faithful to unite two fundamental attitudes: “waiting for the Savior" and "attentiveness to what God is doing in the world". 

“Gaudete in Domino semper.” The Holy Father also recalled the meaning of the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday—the Sunday of joy. This is a joy that does not allow one to avoid trials, but rather one that endures “especially when life seems to lose its meaning and everything appears darker.”

Saint of the Day for Sunday

 

St. John of the Cross

Feastday: December 14
Patron: of Contemplatives, mystics and Spanish poets
Birth: 1542
Death: December 14, 1591
Beatified: January 25, 1675 by Pope Clement X
Canonized: December 27, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII

Saint John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Fontiveros, Avila, Spain in 1542. His father was employed by wealthy family members as an accountant, but they disowned him when he married a poor woman from the lower class. As a result of his family’s poverty, John’s family suffered greatly.

His father died when he was three, and his older brother, Luis died two years after that, likely because of malnutrition. John’s mother eventually found work weaving which helped her to feed her family.

As a child, John was sent to a boarding school for poor and orphaned children. He was given a religious education from a young age and chose to follow a religious path, even as a child. He served as an acolyte at an Augustinian monastery. As he grew older, he went to work in a hospital while attending a Jesuit school.

In 1563, he was able to join the Carmelite Order and took the name, “John of St. Matthias.” He made vows the following year, and was sent to the university in Salamanca to study theology and philosophy. He became an expert in the Bible and dared to translate the Song of Songs into Spanish, an act which was controversial since the Church forbade the translation of the Bible from Latin –a measure to protect the original meanings in the scripture.

John became a priest in 1567 and considered joining the Carthusian Order where monks lived cloistered in individual cells. He was attracted by the simple and quiet life. However, he encountered Theresa of Avila, a charismatic Carmelite nun. Theresa asked John to follow her.

John was attracted by the strict routine followed by Theresa, a routine she hoped to reintroduce to her order, as well as her devotion to prayer and simplicity. Her followers went barefoot and were therefore known as the discalced Carmelites.

On Nov. 28, 1568, Theresa founded a new monastery. The same day, John changed his name again to John of the Cross. Within a couple years, John and his fellow friars, relocated to a larger site for their monastery. He remained at this location until 1572.

In 1572, John traveled to Avila at the invitation of Theresa to become her confessor and spiritual guide. He remained in Avila until 1577. While there, he had a vision of Christ and made a drawing that remains to this day called, “Christ from Above.” The little drawing shows Christ on the cross, looking down on him from above. The image has been preserved for centuries.

Around 1575, a rift within the Carmelite order began to grow and create controversy between various monastic houses. There was disagreement between the Discalced Carmelites and the ordinary Carmelites, over reform.

The Discalced Carmelites sought to restore the original, strict routine and regimen that the order had when it was founded. In 1432, the strict rules of the order were “mitigated” relieving the Carmelites of some of their most strict rules. Some Carmelites, such as Theresa of Avila, felt this liberalization of their rule had interfered with their order and practice. Theresa, along with John, sought to restore the original rule.

The Carmelites had been undergoing reform since 1566, under the direction of two Canonical Visitors from the Dominican Order, sent by the Vatican. The intervention of the Holy See as well as the political machinations of King Phillip II and his court, led to dramatic, even violent disagreement between the Carmelites.

In late 1577, John was ordered to leave the monastery in Avila and to return to his original house. However, John’s work to reform the order had already been approved by the Papal Nuncio, who was a higher authority. Based on that, John chose to ignore the lower order and stay.

On December 2, 1577, a group of Carmelites broke into John’s residence and kidnapped him. He was taken by force to the order’s main house in Toledo. He was brought before a court and placed on trial for disobedience. He was punished by imprisonment.

A cell was made for him in the monastery that was so small he could barely lie on the floor. He was fed only bread and water, and occasional scraps of salt fish. Each week he was taken into public and lashed, then returned to his cell. His only luxuries were a prayer book and an oil lamp to read it by. To pass the time he wrote poems on paper that was smuggled to him by the friar charged with guarding his cell.

John became known as a remarkable and influential poet, especially following his death. He has been cited as an influence to many poets, mystics, and artists, even Salvador Dali.

After nine months, John managed to pry his cell door from its hinges and escape.

He joined Teresa’s nuns in Toledo and spent six weeks in the hospital to recover. In 1579, he was sent to the town of Baeza to be rector of a new college and to support the Discalced Carmelites in Andalusia.

In 1580, Pope Gregory formally authorized the split between the Discalced Carmelites and the rest of the order. This ended the rift within the order. At that time, there were about 500 members in the order living in 22 houses.

During the last few years of his life, John traveled and established new houses across Spain.

In 1591, John became ill with a skin condition that resulted in an infection. He died on December 14, 1591, John of the Cross died.

Shortly following his burial, there was a dispute over where he should be buried. The dispute was resolved by removing his legs and arms. Over the years, parts of his body were placed on display or buried across several places.

Saint John of the Cross was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675 and Canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.

He is the patron of Contemplatives, mystics and Spanish poets and his feast day is celebrated on December 14.

Pope Leo XIV reflects on the gift of the Nativity

 

Actors in the Living Nativity at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore  (@Vatican Media)

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• Pope Leo XIV
• christmas
• St Mary Major

Pope: The Nativity is a gift of light for our world in need of hope

Speaking to about 1,000 people taking part in the “Living Nativity” tradition at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Pope Leo challenges them to spread the message that we are never alone and continue to be “pilgrims of hope, bearers of consolation and inspiration for all those you meet.”

By Kielce Gussie

As the second week of Advent draws to a close, inching the Christmas season closer and closer, Pope Leo XIV celebrated a special tradition here at the heart of Rome. At the Vatican, the Pope welcomed about 1,000 participants in the “Living Nativity”, who will process today to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

He said that the group comes from all over to visit St. Peter’s tomb, which reflects the generations of pilgrims who have travelled across the globe to visit this sacred place. After their meeting with the Pope, the group will celebrate Holy Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major—also known as the “Bethlehem of the West” as the Holy Crib is preserved there.

Holy Crib is preserved and venerated at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome

Pope Leo highlighted that the crib is the ancient relic, “together with the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, that inspired Saint Francis, in 1223, to celebrate the first ‘Nativity of Greccio,’ marking the beginning of the Nativity scene tradition.”

From that moment on—more than 800 years ago—people in all corners of the earth continue the tradition of making a Nativity scene.

A message of hope our world needs today

The Holy Father reflected on two of his predecessors’ comments on this Christmas icon. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI described the Nativity as God's coming without weapons or force to “conquer pride, violence, and man’s craving for possession”.

In 1223, St. Francis began the tradition of the Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy

Ten years later, Pope Francis explained that in front of the Nativity scene, “while we contemplate the Christmas scene, we are invited to spiritually set out on a journey, attracted by the humility of Him who became man to meet every man”.

“This is exactly the case,” Pope Leo noted, because in the cave of Bethlehem, the Holy Family find themselves in “disarming poverty”. It is here that “we begin again to start a new life following in Christ's footsteps.”

As the “Living Nativity” participants process through the streets of Rome to the Basilica, they will be “a joyful sign” of the beauty of being Jesus’ disciples. “This makes you — today, and always, as a mission for your daily life — pilgrims of hope, bearers of consolation and inspiration for all those you meet”, the Holy Father said.

Their mission is one for everyone: the young and old, the healthy and sick, the lonely, and those suffering.

Closing, Pope Leo stressed that the Nativity scene is an important sign that “we are part of a marvelous adventure of Salvation in which we are never alone”. He challenged the “Living Nativity” participants to spread this message and keep the tradition alive as “it is a gift of light for our world, which so desperately needs to continue hoping.”

Archdiocese of New Orleans believes their child abuse preventative measures, post-Bankruptcy, will be the gold standard

 

Archdiocese of N.O. to implement “gold standard” for child protection as part of bankruptcy settlement

By Thanh Truong

Published: Dec. 9, 2025

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - It’s hard to ignore the financial side of the Archdiocese of New Orleans bankruptcy case, which essentially came to an end this week after a federal judge approved its settlement plan. Ultimately, $305 million may go to settle hundreds of clergy sex abuse claims. It’s one of the costliest Catholic church bankruptcies in recent American history.

“It’s going to be one of the highest per claim, meaning per survivor, and it just sucks that everything with these people who have suffered so much is reduced to numbers,” said Richard Trahant, an attorney who represented 82 claimants in the bankruptcy proceedings.

There’s another aspect of the bankruptcy that involves the “non-monetary provisions” of the settlement plan. They’re a set of reforms and protocols designed to establish what the archdiocese believes is the “gold standard” of child protection. Following the confirmation of the bankruptcy plan on Monday, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said some of those reforms are in place now.

“A vast majority of things in the non-monetary is what we’re doing already. We have a very robust safe environment program, and that will continue,” Aymond said.

The non-monetary provisions are laid out in a 36-page document that has been posted on the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ website. Those provisions include steps the archdiocese will take to improve its reporting of abuse, requiring clergy or any employee of the archdiocese to immediately contact law enforcement or child services when a claim is made. The archdiocese will also keep two survivors of clergy sex abuse on its independent review board that handles such allegations. Patricia Moody, a claimant in the bankruptcy who says she was abused when she was a young girl, will serve on that board.

“I’m sure so many people have strayed from the church because of what has happened, their experiences. However, I do think this is an opportunity for the church to move in the direction that they need to,” Moody said back in November.

During the testimony period of the bankruptcy, Moody said the archdiocese never documented her abuse claim when she reported the abuse to an official there. The new reforms mandate a paper trail at every step of that process. The archdiocese is also pledging more transparency. It will publish survivor stories and release documents related to priests and clergy credibly accused of abuse. Those documents will be kept at LSU.

“We can expect it to happen. We don’t have a timeline at this point, but we have committed ourselves that they will go to LSU and they will be available to people,” Aymond said.

“This is a huge win for survivors,” Letitia Peyton said.

Peyton says one of her children was molested by a priest in the past. She is co-founder and executive director of Tentmakers of Louisiana, an advocacy group for survivors. Peyton says the new standards laid out in the non-monetary provisions of the archdiocese’s bankruptcy plan are perhaps among the highest in the country and give a voice to victims who felt ignored and silenced for decades. During the bankruptcy confirmation hearings, many survivors said on the witness stand that the archdiocese often ignored their reports of abuse while protecting predator priests. Peyton says the reforms will give validation to the victimized.

“What is really important is having the trauma being validated, in a sense, because for so many years these people were not able to say what happened to them, and some were even called liars,” Peyton said.

For Tim Trahan, another claimant in the archdiocese bankruptcy, being heard can be healing.

“I’m moving from being a victim to being a victor, and that’s a very good feeling,” Trahan said.

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