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Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Michael de Sanctis, 1591-1625; born in Catalonia, Spain, and announced his intention to become a monk when he was six; joined the Trinitarian Friars at Barcelona in 1603; he was ordained a priest and twice served as Superior of the house in Valladolid; after his death at the age of 35, many miracles were attributed to him Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/10/25 Gospel: John 8:51-59

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Waldetrudis, 612-688; the daughter of Walbert and Bertilia; she married St. Vincent Madelgarius; when her husband decided to become a monk, she established a convent at Chateaulieu, around which the town of Mons, Belgium grew Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/9/25 Gospel: John 8:31-42

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Julia Billiart, 1751-1816; born in France; took a vow of virginity at a young age, and worked so hard for the poor that she collapsed, and remained crippled until she was miraculously cured in 1804; stayed in Amiens, where the Institute of Notre Dame was founded by Julia and pious friends in 1804; moved to Namur in 1809, and the motherhouse was instituted there; by the time of her death in 1816, fifteen convent were in operation Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/8/25 Gospel: John 8:21-30

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. John Baptist de la Salle, 1651-1719; ordained to the priesthood at age 27, and became interested in the creation of schools for poor boys in Rheims, where he was stationed; the remainder of his life was closely entwined with the community of religious men he founded, the Brothers of the Christian School (also called Christian Brothers or De La Salle Brothers); it prepared teachers in the first training college for teachers and also set up homes and schools for young delinquents of wealthy families; John suffered from asthma and rheumatism in his later years, and died on Good Friday, 1719, at the age of 68 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/7/25 Gospel: John 8:12-20

Fifth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/6/25 Gospel: John 8:1-11

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Vincent Ferrer, 1350-1419; entered the Dominicans in his native Spain at age 19; ordained a priest by Cardinal Peter de Luna, who later became an antipope at Avignon; Vincent spent the last 20 years of his life spreading the Good News in Spain, France, Switzerland, the Low Countries and Lombardy, stressing the need of repentance and the fear of coming judgment; Vincent had no part in the Council of Constance, which ended the Western schism Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/5/25 Gospel: John 7:40-53

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Isidore of Seville, 560-636; born in Cartagena, brother of Saints Leander, Fulgentius, and Florentina; succeeded his elder brother as bishop of Seville; he ordered the building of seminaries, wrote a Rule for religious orders, and founded schools that taught every branch of learning; he wrote a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world; he has been suggested by some as the patron of the Internet; during the last six months of his life, he increased his charities so much that his house was crowded from morning till night with the poor of the countryside Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/4/25 Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St Agape; she and her sisters were Third- and Fourth-Century Christians in Thessalonica who possessed copies of the scriptures, a crime punishable by death under the Roman persecution; all were martyred in 304 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/25 Gospel: John 5:31-47

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Francis of Paola, 1416-1507; became a hermit at the age of 15; in 1436, he and two companions began a community that is considered the foundation of the Minim Friars; Francis was credited with many miracles and had the gifts of prophecy and insight into men's hearts; he became a friend of King Louis XI of France and his son, Charles VIII, who endowed several monasteries for the Minims; Francis spent the rest of his life at the monastery of Plessis, France, which Charles built for him Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/2/25 Gospel: John 5:17-30

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; born in the Dauphine region, and became a canon of the cathedral in Valence; in 1080, while attending a synod in Avignon, Hugh was named bishop of Grenoble; he attempted a massive reform of the diocese, but was discouraged, and left to become a Benedictine; the pope ordered him back to Grenoble; St. Hugh gave land to St. Bruno on which the Grande Chartreuse was founded, thus starting the Carthusians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/1/25 Gospel: John 5:1-16

Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Guy of Pomposa; born in Italy and gave everything to the poor; he spent three years, as a hermit, on the island of Po River; he become the abbot of St. Severus; he became a much sought after spiritual adviser; he died in 1046 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/31/25 Gospel: John 4:43-54

Fourth Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/30/25 Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Berthold; considered by many to be the Twelfth Century founder of the Carmelite order; born in Limoges, France, ordained a priest, and joined his brother Aymeric--the Latin patriarch of Antioch--in the Crusades; on Mount Carmel, found a group of hermits, joined them, and established a rule; Aymeric appointed Berthod the first Carmelite superior general; he headed the Carmelites for 45 years, and died in 1195 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/29/25 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Friday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Tutilo; Ninth- and Tenth-Century monk and artist; member of the Benedictines of St. Gall, Switzerland, and noted for his abilities as a painter, sculptor, musician, poet, metalworker, and orator; taught at the abbey school, and was also noted for his adherence to obedience; died in 915 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/28/25 Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. John of Egypt; Fourth Century hermit. a noted prophet of his era; he became a hermit at the age of twenty, and was walled up in a hermitage near Assiut, with a single window opening onto the public;from there, he preached to crowds each weekend; he predicted two military victories for Emperor Theodosius I, and they were proven accurate in 388 and 392; John died in 394 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/27/25 Gospel: Luke 11:14-23

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Basil the Younger; Tenth Century hermit with gifts of prophecy; living near Constantinople when he was imprisoned and tortured as a spy; his miracles and prophecies won him his freedom, and he returned to his hermitage with a disciple, Gregory; there, he denounced the immorality of the aristocracy, including Princess Anastasia, an activity that brought him persecution; he died in 952 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/25 Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/25 Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Monday of the Third Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Aldemar, 950-1080; born in Capua, Italy; he became a monk at Monte Cassino; when Princess Aloara built a new convent in Capua, Aldemar became the director of religious in the established house, where he performed many miracles; Aldemar was reassigned by his abbot to Monte Cassino, which angered the princess; so Aldemar went to Boiana, Italy, where a companion involved in the dispute tried to kill him; Aldemar fled, and established several more religious houses Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/25 Gospel: Luke 4:24-30

Third Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/23/25 Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Saturday of the Second Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1606; born at Oxford, England, and became a carpenter, building hiding places for Jesuit priests in mansions; he became a Jesuit lay brother in 1580, and was arrested in 1594; he was tortured, but refused to reveal the names of his Catholic colleagues; he was released when a ransom was paid by a wealthy Catholic; Nicholas was again arrested in 1606 and imprisoned in the tower of London; he was subjected to such vicious torture that he died of it Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/22/25 Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32