Catholic Fire

by Jean M. Heimann The saint of the day for June 21, Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), was the firstborn in a highly wealthy and influential Italian noble family.  His father was a famous mercenary soldier.  Aloysius assumed adult responsibilities at an early age. He began his training as a soldier and courtier at the age of four and, when he was only eight, served in the court of Grand Duke Francesco I de’Medici. While serving in the court, he studied in Florence, where he received an excellent classical education. In Florence, Saint Aloysius became ill with kidney disease, and in the process of recovery spent time in spiritual reading and prayer.  At the age of nine, Gonzaga made a private vow of chastity. At the age of  twelve, he returned home to his father’s castle, where he met St. Charles Cardinal Borromeo, who gave him his first Holy Communion.  Shortly thereafter, Aloysius began to teach catechism to young boys. Much to the displeasure and anger ...

One of the few people Pope Francis has expressed sincere and deep admiration for is Peter Faber, the first Jesuit priest in history. In the interview with 'Civiltà Cattolica,' the Pope said he looked up to Faber because of "...his careful interior discernment, the fact that he was a man capable of great and strong decisions but also capable of being so gentle and loving.” Jesuit Father Marc Lindeijer deals with canonization process of Jesuits. He says it's not a coincidence that Pope Francis highlighted those three features in Peter Faber. FR. MARC LINDEIJER Vice Postulator of Jesuit Sainthood Causes "I think when the Pope uses these words to characterize Peter Faber, we can see what he is doing himself. What strikes people, everytime again, is his tenderness with people, his sweetness, embracing the disabled persons, kissing the ill, taking on the children of people...” Peter Faber was born in Villaret, France, in 1506. He shared a room with Ignati...

St. Francis Borgia Exorcising By Francisco José de Goya The saint of the day for October 10th is St. Francis Borgia, a Spanish duke, who married, and after his wife died, gave up a life of nobility to become a Jesuit priest. St. Francis Borgia was born October 28, 1510, at Gandia, Valencia, Spain, the first of 17 children, to noble parents. He was the son of the Duke of Gandia, the great grandson of Pope Alexander VI, the notorious Borgia pope, and the grandson of King Ferdinand of Aragon. He was named after St. Francis of Assisi. Following the death of his mother at the age of ten he was educated by his uncle, the Archbishop of Saragossa. Because he posessed many natural gifts he became a favorite at the court of Charles V. In 1539, Francis was appointed Viceroy of Catalonia, and four years later, on his father’s death, the Duke of Gandia. He built a university there, received the degree of Doctor in theology. After his wife died in 1546, Francis entered the Society o...

Today is the memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, priest, and founder of the Society of Jesus. St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 in the Basque Country of Northern Spain to parents of distinguished families in that area. He was the youngest of 13 children and was called was called Iñigo. At the age of 15, he served as a page in the court of a local nobleman and later embraced a military career and became a valiant soldier. Wounded in battle by a cannonball , which broke one leg and injured the other, he was taken prisoner by the French, who set his leg and eventually allowed him to go home to Loyola. He spent his time recuperating at the home of his brother. Confined to his sick bed , he was given pious books to read, which he grudgingly accepted. To his surprise, he enjoyed them and began to dream of becoming a "knight for Christ", pursuing the ideals of St. Francis and St. Dominic. He eventually promised to devote his life to being a knight for St. Peter if he re...

Today's saint of the day is St. Bernadine Realino, who is also known as the "Apostle of Leece." Bernadine was born in 1530 in Capri, Italy, a city located in the northern part of Italy, to noble parents. He studied law and medicine in Bologna and initially became an attorney, followed by a political career, in which he served as judge, tax collector, Superintendant of the fiefs of the marquis of Naples, and mayor of three different cities in Italy. While in Naples, Bernardino, now 34 years old, met some priests of the Society of Jesus and made an eight-day retreat with them. During this retreat, he felt a strong call to the religious life and asked the Jesuits for admittance into their Society. He was accepted and ordained a priest in 1567. For ten years he served in Naples, preaching, teaching catechism, visiting the sick, the poor, and those in prison. He also served as the novice master there. Then he was transferred to Lecce, a small city in southern Italy...

The saints of the day for February 6 are St. Paul Miki and companions. These twenty-six martyrs are sometimes called the martyrs of Nagasaki and the martyrs of Japan. St. Francis Xavier brought the Good News of Christianity to Japan in 1549. Many received the Word and were baptized by St. Francis himself. Although Francis moved on and eventually died near the shores of China, the faith had grown in Japan. By 1587 there were over two hundred thousand Catholics. Missionaries from various religious orders were there. Japanese priests, religious and lay people lived the faith joyfully. In 1597, forty-five years after the arrival of Francis Xavier, a powerful Japanese official, Hideyoshi, listened to the gossip of a Spanish merchant. The merchant whispered that the missionaries were traitors of Japan. He suggested that these traitors would cause Japan to be defeated by Spain and Portugal. The claim was false and absurd. But as an overreaction, Hideyoshi had twenty-six people arrested. ...

Today's saint of the day is St. Bernadine Realino , who is also known as the Apostle of Leece. Bernadine was born in 1530 in Capri, Italy, a city located in the northern part of Italy, to noble parents. He studied law and medicine in Bologna and initially became an attorney, followed by a political career, in which he served as judge, tax collector, Superintendant of the fiefs of the marquis of Naples, and mayor of three different cities in Italy. While in Naples, Bernardino, now 34 years old, met some priests of the Society of Jesus and made an eight-day retreat with them. During this retreat, he felt a strong call to the religious life and asked the Jesuits for admittance into their Society. He was accepted and ordained a priest in 1567. For ten years he served in Naples, preaching, teaching catechism, visiting the sick, the poor, and those in prison. He also served as the novice master there. Then he was transferred to Lecce, a small city in southern Italy, where he was sent to...

St Alphonsus, or Alonzo as he was called in Spain, was born at Segovia in Spain, on July 12, 1531. From childhood he was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He loved her as his mother. This childlike devotion to her was the main reason for his sanctity. Alphonsus was destined to be an example of Christian perfection in many states of life. On the death of his father in 1545, he was called home from Alcala where he was studying, by his mother burdened with the care of eleven young children, and though a boy of fourteen, he was placed at the head of the family business, which involved the buying and selling of wool. At the request of his mother, Alphonsus married the virtuous Maria Suarez. His married life of four years was marked with much suffering. His wife died leaving behind a son; his mother, too, died leaving behind her eleven children. He was about 32 years old when his mother died. He bore his cross willingly. Alphonsus started a more fervent life. He wanted to become a Jesuit....

St. Francis Borgia Exorcizing By Francisco José de Goya St. Francis Borgia was born October 28, 1510, at Gandia, Valencia, Spain, the first of 17 children, to noble parents. He was the son of the Duke of Gandia, the great grandson of Pope Alexander VI, the notorious Borgia pope, and the grandson of King Ferdinand of Aragon. He was named after St. Francis of Assisi. Following the death of his mother at the age of ten he was educated by his uncle, the Archbishop of Saragossa. Because he posessed many natural gifts he became a favorite at the court of Charles V. In 1539, Francis was appointed Viceroy of Catalonia, and four years later, on his father’s death, the Duke of Gandia. He built a university there, received the degree of Doctor in theology. After his wife died in 1546, Francis entered the Society of Jesus in 1548, having made provision for his eight children.Two years later he left Gandia, never to return, and joined the Jesuits in Rome. He immediately set about initiating grand ...