| 26 February |
• yesterday • tomorrow |
• Tomasa Ortiz Real
• Pietà della Croce Ortiz Real
The fifth of eight children born to José and Tomasa Ortiz, making her First Communion awakened a call to religious life in ten-year-old Tomasa. The family moved to Canales, Spain in 1866 when her mother died. Tomasa was educated at Loreto College, and she wanted to enter religious life, but her father insisted that he needed her at home. She tried to enter a Carmelite convent in Valencia, Spain, but contracted cholera and was forced to return home where he became a textile worker and helped care for the family.
Finally on her own, Tomasa moved to Barcelona, Spain. There she had a vision of the Sacred Heart, and of Jesus who showed her the wound in his side. She withdrew to live under the Carmelite rule in Puebla de Soto, and took the name Piedad of the Cross. There she began caring for sick and orphaned children in the local hospital. She founded the Congregation of Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 8 September 1890 with a mission to care for the sick, the elderly, the orphaned and abandoned. The Congregation continues its good work today in Argentina and Bolivia.
12 November 1842 in Bocairente, Valencia, Spain as Tomasa Ortiz Real
26 February 1916 in Alcantrarilla, Murcia, Spain of natural causes
21 March 2004 by Pope John Paul II
Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-piedad-de-la-cruz-ortiz-real/
• Victor of Arcis
• Victor the Hermit
• Vittre, Vitre
Born to the nobility and raised in a pious, well-educated family. Priest. Hermit at Arcis-sur-Aube in the Champagne region of France. His life and wisdom caused many conversions. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux composed an Office and several hymns about him.
6th century at Troyes, France
• 6th-century at Saturniac (modern Saint-Vittre), diocese of Troyes, France of natural causes
• buried at the Benedictine monastery at Montiramey
Arcis-sur-Aube, France
Now placed in heaven, he beholds God clearly, revealed to him, swallowed up in joy, but not forgetting us. It is not the land of oblivion in which Victor dwells. Heaven does not harden or straiten hearts but makes them more tender and compassionate; it does not distract minds, nor alienate them from us; it does not diminish, but it increases affection and charity; it augments bowels of pity. The angels, although they behold the face of their Father, visit, run, and continually assist us; and shall they now forget us who were once among us, and who once suffered themselves what they see us at present labor under? No: ‘I know the just expect me till you render to me my reward.’ Victor is not like that cup-bearer of Pharaoh, who could forget his fellow-captive. He has not so put on the stole of glory himself as to lay aside his pity, or the remembrance of our misery. - Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-victor-the-hermit/
• Paula Montal Fornes
• Paola...
Daughter of Ramon and Vicenta Fornes Montal. Raised in a large and pious family in a small seaside village. Her father died when Paula was 10 years old. She worked as a seamstress and lace-maker, and helped raise her siblings, then helped in her parish to care for other children.
At age thirty, still single and devoting herself privately to God, she and her friend Inez Busquets opened a school in Gerona to provide a good education mixed with spiritual guidance. The school was such a success that she was able to found a college in May 1842, and another school in 1846. To staff and manage the schools, she founded the Daughters of Mary (Pious School Sisters; Escolapias) on 2 February 1847, and took the name Paula of Saint Joseph of Calasanz. Paula served as the leader of the congregation, and they received approval from Pope Blessed Pius IX in 1860. These schools have now spread to four continents.
11 October 1799 at Arenys de Mar, near Barcelona, Spain
26 February 1889 at Olesa de Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain of natural causes
25 November 2001 by Pope John Paul II
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-paula-of-saint-joseph-of-calasanz/
Robert Drewrie
• 22 November as one of the Martyrs of England, Scotland, and Wales
• 29 October as one of the Martyrs of Douai
Studied at the English College, Rheims, France in 1588, and the English College, Valladolid, Spain in 1590. Ordained at Valladolid in 1593. Returned to England in 1593 to minister to covert Catholics around London, England. One of the signers of the loyal address of 31 January 1603 which acknowledged the queen as lawful sovereign on earth, but maintained their loyalty in religious matters to the Pope. When James I came to the throne, the king required them to sign a new oath which acknowledged his authority over spiritual matters. Robert refused, and was arrested in 1606 for the crime of being a priest. He was offered his freedom if he would sign the oath; he declined. Martyr.
c.1567 at Buckinghamshire, England
hanged, drawn, and quartered on 26 February 1607 at Tyburn, London England
22 November 1987 by Pope John Paul II
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-robert-drury/
A group of Christians who were martyred together in Alexandria, Egypt, date unknown. We know nothing else about them but the names – Alexander, Ampliatus, Donatinus, Epion, Ingenuus, Justus, Nestor, and Theon.
https://catholicsaints.info/martyrs-of-alexandria-26-february/
A member of the imperial Roman pagan nobility, married and the mother of two, Servilian and Saint Euthalia, in Lentini, Sicily, Italy. Widow. She witnessed the miraculous healing of Saints Thecla and Justina by Saints Alphius, Cyrinus and Philadelphus, and after the martyrdom of these holy brothers, she prayed for their intervention and healing for a medical problem she had. She received a vision of the brothers who told her that conversion would cure her problem; they also foretold the death of her daughter, Euthalia. When she woke, she found Euthalia, told her of the dream vision, and they both requested Baptism. After the murder of her daughter, Eutropia lived with Saint Thecla and Saint Justina, and helped spread the faith in the Lentini area.
260 in Lentini, Italy of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-eutropia-of-lentini/
Alessandro di Alessandria
29 May (Eastern Orthodox)
Known as a pious youth. Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt in 313. Worked against Arianism, and excommunicated Arius when he preached in the area around Alexandria. Key figure in the Council of Nicaea in 325. Patriarch of Alexandria. Doctor of the Church.
3rd century in northern Egypt
February 326 at Alexandria, Egypt
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-alexander-of-alexandria/
Convert to Christianity. He joined the Franciscans, though he never made his solemn profession or became a friar. He did the most menial work around the convent of San Francesco in Lisbon, Portugal, going barefoot, living off little but bread and water, and spending all free time in prayer.
Legend says that when he was working as a cook for the house, he got so taken up in prayer that he neglected to cook breakfast for the house. Came later in the day when he needed to get cooking, he was again lost in his prayers; one of the friars came to check on him and found angels doing the cooking for him.
late 12th century
1249 in Lisbon, Portugal of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-martino-martini/
Porphyry, Porfirio
Born to wealth. Hermit in the desert of Skete, Egypt. Hermit in Palestine on the bank of the Jordan River. Ordained as a priest in Jerusalem. Reluctant bishop of Gaza, he took to this assignment with great zeal and devotion. He converted almost all of his diocese, and nearly eliminated paganism in it.
Thessalonica, Greece
420 of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-porphyrius-of-gaza/
Priest of the diocese of Córdoba, Spain, serving in the Añora community. Martyred in the Spanish Civil War.
1 June 1877 in Añora, Córdoba, Spain
26 February 1938 from abuse suffered in prison in Daimiel, Ciudad Real, Spain
• 16 October 2021 by Pope Francis
• beatification recognition celebrated at the Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Córdoba, Spain, presided by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-francisco-bejarano-fernandez/
• Adalbert of Warngau
• Adalbertus...
Brother of Blessed Ottokar of Tegernsee. Count of Warngau (in modern Germany). Helped found the Tegernsee Abbey in Bavaria (in modern Germany), and served as its first abbot.
• 8th century
• interred in the Tegernsee Abbey church of Saint Quirinus
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-adalbert-of-tegernsee/
Otkar, Oatkar, Octarius
Brother of Blessed Adalbert of Tegernsee. Count of Tegernsee in Bavaria (in modern Germany). Helped found the Tegernsee Abbey, and entered it as a monk.
• 8th century
• interred in the Tegernsee Abbey church of Saint Quirinus
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-ottokar-of-tegernsee/
Arnoldus
A servant of Blessed Walter of Himmerode, the two men joined the Cistercians together and spent their days as prayerful monks at the Heisterbach Abbey near Oberdollendorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
buried in a cemetery on the Stromberg mountain in Oberdollendorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany near the site of the Heisterbach Abbey
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-arnold-of-stromberg/
Related to Blessed Demosthenes Ranzi, Blessed Angela Bartolomea dei Ranzi, Blessed Angela Isabella dei Ranzi and Blessed Candido Ranzi. Augustinian nun. Elected prioress of her monastery in Vercelli, Italy in 1485. Greatly admired by all who knew her for her purity, peity and devotion to the Rule of her Order.
1493 of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-michela-ranzi-of-vercelli/
Ulric, Ulrich
Premonstratensian canon at the Mönchsrot monastery in Memmingen, Germany. In 1171 he was assigned to the Obermarchtal Premonstratensian house in Swabia, Germany, and in 1179 was chosen its prior.
early 12th century Germany
26 February 1187 in Swabia, Germany of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-ulrik-of-obermarchtal/
Benedictine monk of Anchin Abbey in Pecquencourt, France. Abbot of Lobbes Abbey in Belgium. Abbot of Saint-Bertin Abbey in Saint-Omer, France. From a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he brought back a vial with the reputed blood of Jesus which is enshrined in the Blasius Chapel in Bruges, Belgium.
1163 of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-leo-of-saint-bertin/
Faustinianus, Faustinus
28 September as one of the Holy Bishops of Bologna, Italy
Fourth century bishop of Bologna, Italy during the period of the persecutions of Diocletian. A great administrator, he re-organized the diocese, and fought Arianism.
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-faustinian-of-bologna/
Bishop of Nevers, France from 570 to 594.
• c.594 of natural causes
• interred in a church that was later re-named for him
• most relics destroyed in the anti-Christian persecutions of the French Revolution
• some relics transferred to Nolay, France
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-agricola-of-nevers/
Dionigi
May have been the uncle of Saint Afra of Augsburg. First bishop of Augsburg, Germany. Both baptized into the faith and later consecrated as bishop by Saint Narcissus of Gerona. Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.
c.303
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-dionysius-of-augsburg/
Flaviano
Bishop of Como, Italy from 553 to 566.
• 26 February 565 of natural causes
• interred in the presbytery of the basilica of Sant 'Abbondio in Como, Italy
• tomb re-discovered during remodeling work in 1587
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-flavianus-of-como/
Mathildis, Matilda, Mechtildis, Mechtilde, Mathilde
An anchoress in the German cities of Mainz and Sponheim.
in the area of modern Germany
26 February 1154 in Sponheim, Germany of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-mechthild-of-sponheim/
Raised a pagan. At about 14 years of age, she witnessed a mob abusing Saint Porphyrius for his faith. The violence sickened her, and she came to his rescue, causing enough trouble that the pagans left him alone. He recovered and brought her to Christianity.
c.470
490 of natural causes
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-irene/
Servolo
in 1961 the martyrology of the diocese of Verona was revised, and this one was incorporated in a feast commemorating all the holy bishops of Verona
Early bishop of Verona, Italy.
Andrea di Firenze
Bishop of Florence, Italy. So successful at evangelizing his diocese that he eliminated all paganism.
c.407
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-andrew-of-florence/
Athna, Ethene, Ethni, Hethna
Nun. Sister of Feidelma, mentioned in the "Acts" of Saint Patrick.
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-ethnea/
One of a group of 29 Christians martyred together.
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-fortunatus-26-february/
One of a group of 29 Christians martyred together.
https://catholicsaints.info/saint-felix-26-february/
• Our Lady of the Fields
• Edigna of Puch
• Inger
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