Calendar of Saints

25 April	• yesterday • tomorrow
Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist

Saint Pedro de San Jose Betancur

Also known as

• Pedro Betancur
• Peter Betancur
• Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur
• Saint Francis of the Americas

Profile

Born a poor shepherd, Pedro devoted his time with the flocks to prayer. At age thirty-one, he journeyed to Guatemala City in hopes of a job away from the sheep. Befriended by the Jesuits and Franciscans of the area, he enrolled in the Jesuit College of San Borgia in hopes of becoming a priest. However, with little background education he was unable to master the material, and withdrew. He then took private vows, and became a Franciscan tertiary, taking the name Peter of Saint Joseph.

Three years later he opened Our Lady of Bethlehem, a hospital for the convalescent poor. Soon after there was a shelter for the homeless, schools for the poor, and an oratory. Not to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro walked through their part of town, ringing a bell, begging support for the poor, and inviting the wealthy to repent. Other men were drawn to Pedro's work, and they formed the foundation of the Bethlehemite Congregation or Hospitalers Bethlehemite, which earned papal approval after Pedro's death. He is the first canonized Guatemalan native.

Pedro built chapels and shrines in the poor sections of the city, and promoted the ministry of intercessory prayer among those who had nothing except their time. He is sometimes credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American countries. Legend says that petitioners need only tap gently on Peter's stone tomb in order to have their prayers fulfilled. Stone tablets scratched with thank-you notes are often left on the tomb afterwards.

Born

16 May 1619 at Villaflores, Tenerife Island, Canary Islands, Spain

Died

25 April 1667 at Guatemala City, Guatemala of natural causes

Canonized

30 July 2002 in Guatemala City, Guatemala by Pope John Paul II

Video

YouTube PlayList

Readings

God lavished his kindness and his mercy on them, enriching them with his grace; he loved them with a fatherly, but demanding, love, which promised only hardships and suffering. He invited and called them to heroic holiness; he tore them away from their countries of origin and sent them to other lands to proclaim the message of the gospel, in the midst of inexpressible toil and difficulties. - Pope John Paul II at Pedro's beatification ceremony

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-pedro-de-san-jose-betancur/

Saint Mark the Evangelist

Also known as

John Mark

Profile

Believed to be the young man who ran away when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52), and the "John whose other name was Mark" (Acts 12:25). Disciple of Saint Peter the Apostle who travelled with him to Rome, and was referred to as "my son Mark" by the first Pope. Travelled with his cousin Saint Barnabas, and with Saint Paul through Cyprus. Evangelized in Alexandria, Egypt, established the Church there, served as its first bishop, and founded the first famous Christian school. Author of the earliest canonical Gospel.

Died

• martyred 25 April 68 at Alexandria, Egypt
• relics at Venice, Italy

Patronage

• against impenitence
• against insect bites
• against scrofulous diseases
• against struma
• struma patients
• attorneys, lawyers, barristers
• captives
• imprisoned people
• glaziers
• lions
• notaries
• prisoners
• stained glass workers
• Egypt
• Ionian Islands
• Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, Italy, diocese of
• Arica, Chile, diocese of
• Cortona, Italy, diocese of
• Infanta, Philippines, prelature of
• Venice, Florida, diocese of
• 45 cities

Representation

• lion
• lion in the desert
• bishop on a throne decorated with lions
• man helping Venetian sailors
• man holding a book with pax tibi Marce written on it
• man holding a palm and book
• man with a book or scroll accompanied by a winged lion
• man with a halter around his neck
• man writing or holding his gospel
• rescuing Christian slaves from Saracens
• winged lion

Video

YouTube PlayList

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-mark-the-evangelist/

Saint Giovanni Battista Piamarta

Also known as

• Johnannes Baptist Piamarta
• John the Baptist Piamarta

Profile

Born to a poor family, Giovanni's mother died when the boy was nine years old, and the boy grew up in the slums, indifferently educated, but mentored part of the time by his religious maternal grandfather. As a young man he discovered a call to the priesthood, and he was ordained on 24 December 1865; assigned to the parish of Saint Alexander, Carzago Riviera, Bedizzole, Italy. Worked with poor youth and young factory workers in the Brescia region. On 3 December 1866, he and Father Pietro Capretti founded the Workman's Institute to provide support and help keep Christianity in the lives of young people moving to the city for work. With Father Giovanni Bonsignori he founded Agricultural Colony of Remedello to provide similar services to farm workers. Religious brothers and sisters were drawn to the work Father Giovanni was doing, and in March 1900 he founded the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the Congregation of the Sisters, Humble Servants of the Lord as formal religious congregations for them. His foundations and congregations continue today, furthering Father Giovanni's dedication to young people.

Born

26 November 1841 in Brescia, Italy

Died

• 25 April 1913 in Remedello, Brescia, Italy of natural causes
• interred in the Workman's Institute church in Remedello

Canonized

21 October 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-giovanni-piamarta/

Saint Franca Visalta

Also known as

• Franca of Piacenza
• Francesca da Vitalta

Profile

Placed in the Benedictine convent of Saint Syrus at Piacenza, Italy in 1177 at age seven, she joined the Order at age 14. Abbess while still young, but removed from the office due to the severe austerities she imposed, and she became isolated from most of her sisters.

However, one of the sisters, Carentia, agreed with her discipline. When Carentia entered the Cistercian noviate at Rapallo, Italy, Franca persuaded her parents to build a Cistercian house at Montelana, Italy which they both then entered. Franca became abbess of the community, which later moved to Pittoli, Italy. Franca always maintained the strict austerities she imposed on herself, even in the face of failing health, and spent most nights in chapel, praying for hours.

Born

1170 at Piacenza, Italy

Died

• 1218 of natural causes
• relics transferred to Piacenza, Italy

Canonized

• by Pope Gregory X (cultus confirmed)
• early 17th century by Pope Paul V

https://catholicsaints.info/saint-franca-visalta/

Blessed Robert Anderton

Additional Memorials

• 29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai
• 1 December as one of the Martyrs of Oxford University

Profile

Graduated from Brasenose College, Oxford in 1578, and continued his studies abroad. Converted to Catholicism, and entered the English College at Rheims, France in 1580. Ordained at Rheims with his friend and co-worker Blessed William Marsden. Sailed for England as a home missioner, but their ship was driven off course, and wrecked on the Isle of Wight. Arrested soon after, they were charged with being priests on English soil. They argued that they had been shipwrecked, and had no choice about being there; due to the appeal, they were sent to London for further interrogation. There they acknowledged Elizabeth as their lawful queen in temporal matters, but would not not in matters spiritual. Martyred.

Born

c.1560 at Lancashire, England

Died

hanged, drawn, and quartered on 25 April 1586 on the beach of the Isle of Wight, England

Beatified

15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-robert-anderton/

Blessed José Trinidad Rangel y Montaño

Profile

Parish priest in Silao, Mexico noted for his zeal as a pastor to his parishioners. During the Mexican Revolution, laws were enacted that required priests to register with the government; Jose did not register, and in 1927 went into hiding in León. In April 1927 Father Rangel went to secretly celebrate Holy Week with the Minims in San Francisco del Rincón where he administered the sacraments and visisted the sick in hospital. Discovered by authorities on 22 April 1927, Father Jose admitted to being a priest; he was arrested, interrogated, tortured, and shot. Martyr.

Born

4 June 1887 in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico

Died

shot on 25 April 1927 in Rancho de San Joaquín, Jalisco, Mexico

Beatified

• 20 November 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI
• recognition celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins in Guadalajara, Mexico

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-jose-trinidad-rangel-y-montano/

Blessed Mario Borzaga

Profile

Joined the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate at age 20. Ordained at 25. Missionary to Laos in 1957, caring for the sick, ministering to people suffering from the persecutions of the communist guerilla group Pathet Lao; he wrote a diary of his experiences, later published as To Be a Happy Man. Martyr.

Born

27 August 1932 in Trent, Italy

Died

murdered on or about 25 April 1960 in Kiukatiam, Luang Prabang, Laos by Pathet Lao troops

Beatification

• 10 December 2016 by Pope Francis
• beatification celebrated at Vientiane, Laos on 11 December 2016

Readings

What a joy it is to be simmering saints, simmering apostles, simmering martyrs. – Father Mario

Every instant is a step toward sainthood or a step backwards. – Father Mario

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-mario-borzaga/

Blessed William Marsden

Additional Memorial

29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai

Profile

Convert to Catholicism; entered the English College at Rheims, France in 1580. Ordained at Rheims with his friend and co-worker Blessed Robert Anderton. Sailed for England as a home missioner, but their ship was driven off course, and wrecked on the Isle of Wight. Arrested soon after, they were charged with being priests on English soil. They argued that they had been shipwrecked, and had no choice about being there; due to the appeal, they were sent to London for further interrogation. There they acknowledged Elizabeth as their lawful queen in temporal matters, but would not not in matters spiritual. Martyred.

Born

c.1560 at Lancashire, England

Died

hanged, drawn, and quartered on 25 April 1586 on the beach of the Isle of Wight, England

Beatified

15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-william-marsden/

Rogation Day

Derivation

Latin: rogare, to ask

Also known as

• Gang Days
• Cross Week

Additional Dates

the three days before the Ascension

Article

A devotion observed to appease God's wrath, ask protection, and invoke a blessing on the harvest. The Litany of the Saints is chanted in the procession, and the Rogation Mass follows. The older procession of 25 April, called therefore Major Litany, Christianized a pagan procession in honour of the god Robigus. The institution of the others, adopted in Rome under Pope Leo III as Minor Litanies, is ascribed to Saint Mamertus of Vienne who, c.475, ordered processions with special prayers because of calamities which were afflicting the country. Rogation days were dropped from the Church's calendar in the reform of 1970, but since 1988 have been revived.

https://catholicsaints.info/rogation-days/

Saint Ermin of Lobbes

Also known as

Beatification

• 10 December 2016 by Pope Francis
• beatification celebrated at Vientiane, Laos on 11 December 2016

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-paul-thoj-xyooj/

Saint Phaebadius of Agen

Also known as

Faebadius, Febadio, Foebadius, Febadius, Fiari, Phébade, Phébadius, Phoebadius

Profile

Priest. Fourth-century bishop of Agen, France. Presided over several Councils including Rimini in 359, Valence in 374, and Zaragoza in 380. Friend of Saint Hilary of Poitiers with whom he waged a successful fight against Arianism in Gaul; his only surviving writing is Contra Arianos (Against Arianism).