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Thursday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Benedict the Moor, 1524-1589; born a slave near Messina, Italy; when freed, he became a solitary, settling with other hermits; later became a Franciscan lay brother, serving as a cook at St. Mary's Convent near Palermo; against his will, he was appointed superior, then became novice master; asking to be relieved of the responsibility, he returned to his position as cook; he was known for holiness, miracles, and fame as a confessor; he died at the convent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/4/24 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Vulpian; a Syrian, he was executed at Tyre, Lebanon, in 304 A.D., during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian; tradition holds that he was sewn into a leather sack with a snake and a dog and hurled into the sea Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/3/24 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Appian, 286-306; born in Lycia, and studied at Berytus, modern Beirut; went to Caesarea, with Eusebius; protested an order to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was arrested and thrown into the sea with weights on his feet; tradition holds that an earthquake occured immediately after his execution, bringing his body back to the shore Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/2/24 Gospel: John 20:11-18

Monday in the Octave of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Hugh of Grenoble, 1053-1132; named bishop of Grenoble in 1080; attempted a massive reform of his diocese, but became discouraged, and left to become a Benedictine; called back by Pope St. Gregory VII; Hugh gave St. Bruno the land on which the Grande Chartreuse was founded, thus starting the Carthusians Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 4/1/24 Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Easter Sunday Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/31/24 Gospel: John 20:1-9

Holy Saturday Saint of the Day: St. John Climacus, 525-606; Syrian or Palestinian, he lived for many years as a hermit on Mount Sinai; he wrote "The Ladder of Perfection" to provide a comprehensive treatise on the ideal of Christian perfection and the virtues and vices of the monastic life; he was elected abbot of the monks on Mount Sinai at the age of 70, and died there Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/30/24 Gospel: Mark 16:1-7

Good Friday - The commemoration of the Passion and Death of the Lord Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/29/24 Gospel: John 18:1-19:42

Holy Thursday Saint of the Day: St. Venturino of Bergamo, 1304-1346; Dominican who became a brilliant preacher; in 1335, he announced his intention to make a pilgrimage to Rome; Pope Benedict XII feared that Venturino would try to crown himself pope, and forbade the pilgrimage, as did the Dominicans; Venturino was unaware of the bans, and made his way to Rome, and then to Avignon, where he was arrested and imprisoned until 1343; helped to organize a crusade against the Turks, who were then menacing Europe Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/28/24 Gospel: John 13:1-15

Wednesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Rupert, 660-717; born to a noble Frankish family; appointed bishop of Worms, Germany; he took over the deserted town of luvavum about 697, which was renamed Salzburg, Austria, and founded a church, a monastery, and a school; brought in groups of missionaries; and established a nunnery at Nonnberg; died at Salzburg; venerated as the apostle to Bavaria and Austria Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/27/24 Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

Tuesday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Margaret Clitherow, 1555-1586; born in Middleton, England; married John Clitherow, and entered the Catholic Church; she harbored fugitive priests, for which she was arrested; she was condemned to be pressed to death Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/26/24 Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Monday of Holy Week Saint of the Day: St. Dismas, the "good thief"; a pious, unsubstantiated legend has Dismas and his partner, Gestas, robbing the Holy Family on their way to Egypt; but Dismas buys off Gestas so that they will not be harmed; and Jesus prophesies that the two will be crucified with him in Jerusalem, but that Dismas will accompany him to paradise Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/25/24 Gospel: John 12:1-11

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/24/24 Gospel: Mark 15:1-39

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Turbius de Mongrovejo, 1538-1606; born in Mayorga, Spain; became a lawyer, and, eventually chief-judge of the court of the inquisition at Granada; appointed archbishop of Lima, Peru, in 1580; following ordination and consecration, he arrived in Peru in 1581; he aided the poor and defended the rights of Indians suffering under Spanish occupation; he founded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the New World; he also mastered several Indian dialects Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/23/24 Gospel: John 11:45-56

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas Owen, 1550-1606; born in Oxford, England; became a carpenter, and built hiding places for Jesuit priests; became a Jesuit lay brother, and was arrested in 1594, and tortured, but refused to reveal the names of Catholic colleagues; ransomed by a wealthy Catholic; arrested again in 1606, and tortured to death; one of the 40 martyrs of England and Wales Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/22/24 Gospel: John 10:31-42

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Nicholas of Flue, 1417-1487; born in Switzerland; married and had ten children by his wife; after serving in various civic posts, with the consent of his wife and family, he embraced the life of a hermit; he is reputed to have survived solely on the Holy Eucharist for the final 19 years of his life; known for his holiness and wisdom, he was regularly visited by civic leaders, powerful personages, and simple men and women with a variety of needs; affectionately known as "Bruder Klaus"; patron saint of Switzerland Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/21/24 Gospel: John 8:51-59

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Cuthbert, 634-687; became a monk at Melrose Abbey, and did missionary work; became prior of Lindisfarn, and then received permission to live as a hermit; elected bishop of Hexham in 685, and swapped sees with St. Eata to become bishop of Lindisfarn; spent the last two years of his life caring for the sick of the plague that decimated his diocese, working numerous miracles of healing, and gifted with the ability to prophesy; died at Linisfarn Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/20/24 Gospel: John 8:31-42

Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, Patron of the Universal Church Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/19/24 Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent Commemoration of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-386; when he became bishop of Jerusalem, conflict arose with a neighboring Arian bishop; Cyril was condemned, driven from Jerusalem, and later vindicated; this experience was repeated twice; when he returned to Jerusalem, he found it torn with heresy, schism and strife, and wracked with crime; even Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who was sent to help, left in despair; they both went to the Council of Constantinople, where the amended form of the Nicene Creed was promulgated in 381 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/18/24 Gospel: John 8:1-11

Fifth Sunday of Lent Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/17/24 Gospel: John 12:20-33

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Finian Lobhar; Sixth Century Irish abbot and disciple of St. Columba; born in Leinster, Ireland; founded a church and monastery at Innisfallen; after a stay in Clonmore, he became abbot of Sword's Abbey, near Dublin; he was called "Lobhar," "the leper," because he contracted the disease from a young boy whom he had cured; died 560 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/16/24 Gospel: John 7:40-53