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Saint Gregory Grassi, OFM (13 December 1833 - 9 July 1900) Consider Sponsoring Saint Gregory Grassi in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born Pier Luigi Grassi in the Piedmont section of Italy, Gregory (Gregorio) entered the Franciscan Friars Minor at the age of fifteen and was ordained a priest in 1856. .In 1860, Gregory was assigned to China where he first served as Mission Promotor, Director of the mission orphanage, and choirmaster. In 1890, he became Bishop of what is now the Archdiocese of Taiyuan. In addition to administrative duties, he dealt with suffering of the people brought on by plaque and famine. The deaths of so many caused him to enlarge the orphanage and establish others. He also established a Franciscan novitiate for Chinese applicants and a rest home for overworked missionaries. During the Boxer Rebellion, Gregory and several other Franciscans were martyred for their faith.
Canonized Priests Awaiting Sponsors -- Page 2
Saint Dominic Guzman (8 August 1170 - 6 August 1221) Consider Sponsoring Saint Dominic Guzman in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born to a noble family in Caleruega, Spain, Dominic began his studies in a monastery, devoting his time to the arts and theology .In 1191, when Spain was desolated by famine, Dominic gave away his money and sold his clothes, furniture, and even precious manuscripts to feed the hungry. At the age 24, Dominic was ordained as a priest. In 1203 or 1204, he accompanied the Bishop on a diplomatic mission. On the return trip, they met monks who had been sent by the Pope to preach against the doctrines of the Cathars, a heretical sect. Deeming that the monks were too worldly to be successful against an ascetic sect, Dominic and the Bishop assumed an austere penitential life and began to preach in southern France against this heresy. The first foundation was a group of women who had left the Cathars. Dominic gave them the Augustinian Rule of life. When the Bishop died, Dominic was left alone with the mission. In 1208, Dominic had a vision of the Blessed Mother giving him a rosary which became the foundational prayer of the penitential preaching Order of men which he established to preach the truths of the Catholic faith.
Saint Louis Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (8 December 1750 - 14 September 1815) Consider Sponsoring Saint Louis Gabriel Taurin Dufresse in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in France, Louis was inspired to join the missions to China when he learned of them from a seminary professor. Ordained a priest in 1774, Louis was sent to the Chinese missions in 1775. Persecutions of Christians were going on during much of his time in China, and Louis spent a good deal of time in prison. In 1789, while in a convoy of prisoners, two of the soldiers converted to the Catholic faith. Eventually he was released and was made Bishop of Thabraca and Vicar Apostolic of Setchohan. He resumed his ministry of baptizing children and adults, receiving catechumens, hearing confessions, and visiting communities. In 1803, he convened the first Catholic synod held in China. Conversions were numerous and the Church grew until persecution resumed and Louis once again led a life of wandering Betrayed to authorities, Louis was beheaded for his faith.
Saint Augustine Zhao-Rong (1746 - 1815) Consider Sponsoring Saint Augustine Zhao Rong in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Originally surnamed Zhu, Augustine was born in Wu Chuan, Guizhou Province, China. When he was about twenty years old, Zhu was one of a contingent of soldiers set to guard Bishop Louis Dufresse who had been arrested for his faith. The Bishop's constancy, as well as the example of two other priests, so impressed Zhu that he asked for instruction and baptism which took place on the Feast of Saint Augustine whose name Zhu took. At the age of 35, Augustine was himself ordained a priest and sent to care for Catholics in three Chinese counties. He taught, preached, heard confessions, and administered the sacraments, inspiring all with his faith. In 1815 when persecution resumed, Augustine stated that he was too old and frail to leave and asked for prayers for courage, perseverance, and fortitude. Found by authorities, Augustine was arrested, abused, and pressured to renounce Christ. Refusing, he was beaten and died in prison from his injuries. . .
Saint Matthew (? - 68 A.D.?) Consider Sponsoring Saint Matthew in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Although a Jewish citizen of ancient Israel, Matthew was employed as a tax collector for Rome. While sitting at his customs' post, he was invited by Jesus to follow Him. He immediately did so. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was sent out to preach. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, Matthew recorded Jesus' words and actions in what is now called the Gospel of Saint Matthew. Tradition states that Matthew spread the Gospel message throughout Judea and Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, he converted the king's daughter who then became a nun. When Matthew rebuked another king for wanting to marry a bride of Christ, the jilted suiter had Matthew killed.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe (8 January 1894 - 14 August 1941) Consider Sponsoring Saint Maximilian Kolbe in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Zduńska Wola in Poland, Raymund Kolbe was the second son of a weaver and midwife. When he was 12, Raymund experienced a vision in which the Blessed Mother showed him two crowns, one red (martyrdom) and one white (purity). She asked him which he'd chose. He said, "Both." In 1907, he joined the Conventual Franciscans where he received the name Maximilian Mary. Kolbe received doctorates in both philosophy and theology and organized the Militia Immaculatae to work for the conversion of sinners and for enemies of the Church. Ordained a priest in 1918, he founded a monthly periodical Knight of the Immaculata and operated a religious printing press in Niepokalanów which developed into a religious publishing center with a junior seminary. Maximilian traveled to East Asia, preaching and opening religious houses in Japan and India before returning to Poland in 1936 where he was appointed guardian of Niepokalanów and where he began a radio station. With the Nazi takeover of Poland, Niepokalanów was shut down in 1941 and Maximilian and four others arrested. Sent to Auschwitz, Kolbe was beaten and ill treated. In July 1941, a prisoner escaped. To deter other escape attempts, ten men were picked at random to starve in an underground bunker. When one man pleaded to be spared because he had a wife and children, Maximilian volunteered to take his place. After two weeks of no food and water, the four prisoners still living were killed by lethal injection, Maximilan among them.
Saint Alypius (350? - 430?) Consider Sponsoring Saint Alypius in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born to influential citizens of the Tagaste, Africa, Alypius first met Saint Augustine when he attended school in Carthage. He and Augustine became close friends, Augustine later referring to Alypius as "the brother of my heart." Alypius seemed to always follow Augustine in Augustine's more questionable escapades and then in a better way of life. Alypius studied law in Rome and accepted a government position which included distribution of money. A rarity for his time, Alypius was always honest and refused to get involved with dishonest schemes. For a time, he and Augustine were Manicheans but both became Christians and were baptized by Saint Ambrose in 387. Alypius helped Augustine begin his first monastery in Tagaste. When Augustine was ordained a priest, Alypius joined Augustine's community in HIppo. In 394, Alypius was ordained Bishop of Tagaste. He took part in several Church councils and carried Augustine's writings with him to the Pope. It is believed that he was present at the death of Saint Augustine and that he died shortly thereafter. .
Saint Ambrose of Milan (around 339 - 4 April 297) -- Consider Sponsoring Saint Ambrose in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born to a Roman official in Trier in what is now the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, Ambrose was well educated. After his father's death, his mother fled with her three children to Rome where Ambrose studied literature, law, and rhetoric and then entered public service as a judicial councilor. About 372, he was made governor of Liguria and Emelia with headquarters in Milan. In 374, the Bishop died. Ambrose, intending to quell any disturbance, went to the church where the election for the new Bishop was to take place. To his surprise, the assembly acclaimed him to be Bishop! Ambrose was a new Christian who had not been baptized yet and who had no theological training. Although he fled to avoid the office, he was baptized, ordained, and consecrated within a week. Ambrose immediately embraced an ascetic life style and gave his money and property to the poor. He combatted the Arian heresy, dealt with many Roman emperors (some unfavorable to him and the Church), and wrote a large number of books, songs, and letters on theology. He preached, ministered to the poor, and advocated for justice. Ambrose is honored as a Doctor of the Church due to his expansive teaching.
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Saint Philip, Apostle (1st Century - 80) - Consider Sponsoring Saint Philip in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Bethsaida, Galilee, Philip was a follower of John the Baptist. When Jesus called him to follow, Philip did and then found his friend Nathaneal and told him about Jesus. Both men became disciples of Jesus Christ. Philip
witnessed the first of Christ's miracles--the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. Later, when Jesus wanted to feed a multitude of 5000 who had come to hear him speak, he asked Philip where to get enough food for all. Philip said that was impossible. When Jesus asked what they had, Philip brought to Jesus a boy with five loaves and two fish which Jesus multiplied to feed the crowd. In another instance, Philip brought Greeks to meet Jesus. During the Last Supper, Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, giving Jesus the opportunity to state that "I and the Father are One." After Christ's resurrection, Philip is said to have preached in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria. He was martyred for his faith in Hierapolis, Phrygia (now Turkey).
Saint Charles de Foucauld (15 September 1858 - 1 December 1916) Consider Sponsoring Saint Charles de Foucauld in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Orphaned at the age of six, Charles was raised by his maternal grandfather, a member of the old French nobility. Charles was influenced by female relatives who had a strong faith, yet he nevertheless became an agnostic around the age of fifteen. After receiving his degree with highest honors, Charles abandoned his faith and led a dissipated life, being expelled from school for being lazy and undisciplined. He entered military school and the calvary and lived extravagantly while also growing interested in the geography and culture of Algeria and Morocco. Following a reversion to his faith, he entered a Trappist monastery but. left because their lifestyle was too easy for his liking. Charles began a search for an ever deeper, stricter, penitential life. Upon being ordained a priest, he built a hermitage, hoping to establish an order of "little brothers" which never materialized. However, he moved in with the Tuareg people in southern Algeria and ministered to them, even writing a dictionary of their language. When tribal raiders who intended to kidnap him were surprised by French soldiers, Charles was accidently shot and killed in the commotion.
Saint Moses the Black (Saint Moses the Ethiopian) (330-405) Consider Sponsoring Saint Moses the Black in Chapel of 1000 Priests
A former slave who was dismissed because he was suspected of theft and murder, Moses roamed the Nile Valley in Egypt with a band of 75 violent robbers. A huge man with unlimited courage and strength, Moses became the leader of this gang that terrorized the populace. On one occasion, Moses, after a robbery, attempted to hide from local authorities so he took refuge in a colony of monks living in a monastery near Alexandria. Their dedication, peace, and contentment greatly influenced Moses who gave up his former crimes, became a Christian, was baptized, and entered the monastery. Naturally Moses had difficulty embracing a spiritual, ordered life. When he grew discouraged because of his failures and his past sins, the abbot took him to the rooftop to watch the rising sun. "Only slowly does the sun dispel the darkness," he noted. Moses understood that grace would work slowly in his soul to perfect it. In time, He became spiritual leader of a colony of desert hermits and, later in life, was ordained a priest.
Saint Simon the Zealot (Simon the Canaanite), Apostle (First Century -- about 65 A.D.) Consider Sponsoring Saint Simon the Zealot in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Simon is one of the most obscure of apostles, although his name occurs in all four Gospels and in the Book of Acts as one of the apostles of Jesus. He is distinguished from Simon Peter by the tag "the Zealot." Therefore, it's assumed that he was a member of this political party which sought to unite the Jewish people against the Roman Empire and expel it from Judea by armed force. If Simon was of this mindset, he may have joined Jesus thinking that he would be the one to lead the forces against Rome. To Simon's credit and as proof of his faith, he remained with Jesus when Jesus brought instead a peaceful message instead of a war-like one. After the ascension of Jesus, Simon spread the Gospel message in several places, quite possibly with Saint Jude Thaddeus, another apostle, but several locations are speculated. It is generally believed that he and Saint Jude were both martyred at the same time, but, again, the location is uncertain.
Saint Jude Thaddeus, Apostle (First Century to around 65 A.D.) - Consider Sponsoring Saint Jude in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Saint Jude Thaddeus (not to be confused with Judas) was a relative of Jesus Christ and one of His twelve apostles. He may have been the brother of James the Less and both of them sons of Mary of Clopas who is mentioned in the Gospels as a sister of the Blessed Mother. Jude is often shown with a flame over his head as he was present at Pentecost when he and the other apostles receive the Holy Spirit. He is often shown holding a golden medallion with the image of Jesus on it, commonly called the Image of Edessa or Mandylion. This is a piece of cloth upon which was miraculously imprinted the face of Christ. Tradition states that the King of Edessa wrote to Jesus, asking Him to come to cure him of illness. Jesus replied that he could not come but a disciple would, and that disciple was Jude. Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, and neighboring nations. He and Saint Bartholomew, another apostle, were the first to bring the Gospel to Armenia. Jude was martyred along with Saint Simon the Zealot in Beirut, Syria. He is popularly prayed to for his intercession in hopeless and despaired of cases due to the many miracles at his tomb.
Saint Bonaventure (1221- 15 July 1274) Consider Sponsoring Saint Bonaventure in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Saint Bonaventure is considered by some to be the second founder of the Franciscan Order. Born in Bagnoregio, Italy, he (baptized Giovanni di Fidanza) joined the Franciscan Order in 1243, studying at the University of Paris. His intellectual skills were quickly recognized. In 1255, he received the degree of "master" which is equivalent to doctor today. He was elected Minister General of the Franciscan Order and then made Bishop of Albano. Bonaventure is known for his extensive theological writings, his mystical prayer life, and his writing of what became the definitive life of Saint Francis of Assisi. At a time when the Franciscan Order was in danger of fragmentation over various trains of thought within the Order, Bonaventure attempted to stir a middle course to bring the conflicting parties together. He believed that faith and reason were complimentary, not mutually exclusive. Hailed a saint in his own day, Bonaventure died suddenly and under mysterious circumstances. The speculation that he was poisoned has never been proved.
Saint Camillus de Lellis (25 May 1550 - 14 July 1614) Consider Sponsoring Saint Camillus de Lellis in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in the Kingdom of Naples, Italy, Camillus, at the age of sixteen, joined his father in the Venetian army and fought in a war against the Turks. After several years of military service, Camillus was left with an incurable leg wound, an aggressive, quarrelsome attitude and an addiction to gambling. Penniless, he applied to a Capuchin Franciscan friary as a laborer where the guardian was able to bring out his better side. Camillus entered the order, but his incurable leg wound prevented his continuance. He then moved to Rome to a hospital for incurables and worked as caregiver to pay for his stay, eventually becoming the Superintendent. He continued to follow an ascetic life style and attracted other men to care for the poor. Under the guidance of Saint Philp Neri, he was ordained a priest and founded the Order of Clerks Regular to care for the infirm. The Order spread throughout Italy and as far as Hungary, caring for the ill and those wounded in battle.
Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 7 March 1274) Consider Sponsoring Saint Thomas Aquinas in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born to a powerful noble family in Aquino, Italy, Thomas began his education at the age of five, but his family tried for a year to thwart his desire to enter the Dominican Order. After a year, they surrendered to the twenty year old's insistence to enter upon a life of poverty. Sent to study at the University of Paris, Thomas was a such a quiet student that fellow students dubbed him "the dumb ox," but a professor predicted that "his bellowing would be heard worldwide." Thomas Aquinas became a noted scholar, theologian, and musician and is honored today as a Doctor of the Church. His extraordinary teaching, lectures, and writings became known worldwide. He wrote the liturgy for the Mass of Corpus Christi as well two popular hymns (Pange Lingua and Panis Angelicus) which are still sung. His most famous work is the Summa Theologiae which he wrote to teach the faith to his students. The work is known for its depth and thoroughness. Thomas held several important positions in his Order and had mystical experiences one of which, at the end of his life, caused him to consider all he had written as only straw.
Saint Francis Solano (10 March 1549 - 14 July 1610) Consider Sponsoring Saint Francis Solano in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Montilla, Spain, Francis was educated by Jesuits but felt drawn to the Franciscan Order which he joined at the age of twenty. The community followed a strict regimen of prayer, fasting, and silence, which Francis rigorously followed. He went barefoot, abstained from meat, and wore a hairshirt. Ordained in 1576, Francis lived in a clay and reed cell next to the chapel before being sent as an itinerant preacher. He gained a reputation as a healer and tended the sick and dying during a plaque. In 1589, he and other missionaries sailed from Spain to the New World. On board, he ministered to captured Africans destined for slavery and stayed with them when a storm caused the ship to crash on rocks not far from Peru. After being rescued, Francis worked for the next twenty years bringing the Gospel to the northwest region of what is now Argentina and to Paraguay. Fluent with languages and talented at playing the violin, Francis was able to converse with the different tribes about God's love for them. He served as Guardian of three different friaries in the New World and worked to bring the Spaniards back to their purity and faith.
Saint Albertus Magnus (around 1200 - 15 November 1280) - Consider Sponsoring Saint Albertus Magnus in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Possibly born in Bavaria and educated at the University of Padua, Albertus had a vision of the Blessed Mother who told him to enter Holy Orders. This he did by joining the Dominican Order. After completing his studies, he served as lecturer for several years, eventually teaching theology at the University of Paris where he had, as a student, Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 1254, he became Provincial of the Dominican Order. With others, he developed a program of studies for the Dominicans that eventually became the Pontifical University, the "Angelicum." In 1260, the Pope made him bishop, an office which he filled until the Pope sent him to preach the eighth crusade in German speaking countries. Albertus was instrumental in molding the curriculum for Dominican studies with an emphasis on Aristotle. When St. Thomas Aquinas' writings were being scrutinized for inclusion in university programs, Albertus defended their orthodoxy.
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (22 July 1559 - 22 July 1619). Consider Sponsoring Saint Lawrence of Brindisi in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Brindisi, Italy, to a family of merchants, Guilio (his baptismal name) was educated by Conventual Franciscans and showed a talent for preaching. At the age of twenty, he joined the Capuchin Franciscans and received further instruction at the University of Padua. Lawrence was gifted in languages, being able to read and speak Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French fluently. At the age of 31, he was elected superior of his province in Tuscany. By establishing monasteries in Germany and Austria, he brought many lapsed Catholics back to the faith. He also established friaries in Vienna, Prague, and Graz. Named imperial chaplain to the emperor's army, he led the army during a siege, armed only with a crucifix. He was elected to the highest office in his Order and sent by the Pope as papal nuncio to Bavaria and then to Spain. He is named a Doctor of the Church, and his writings comprise fifteen volumes.
Saint Francis Xavier (7 April 1506 - 3 December 1552) Consider sponsoring Saint Francis Xavier in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in the Kingdom of Navarre, Spain, Francis was the youngest son of a noble, influential family whose holdings were greatly reduced by war. Francis was fun loving, ambitious, eager for worldly advancement, good at athletics, and a passable student at the University of Paris when a new, older student, Ignatius of Loyola, came to lodge with him and his roommate. Unimpressed at first, Francis came to understand Ignatius' deep spirituality and eventually followed him in his newly founded Order, the Society of Jesus. In 1540, the king of Portugal requested Jesuit missionaries to go to India to convert the inhabitants. Francis was selected to take the place of one of the original men who had become ill and then, as he was about to set sail, he was appointed by the Pope as apostolic nuncio to the East. Francis spent the rest of his life in missionary work in India, Goa, Indonesia, Japan, and offshore China. Many were brought into the Church through his preaching and compassion, despite the international politics that hindered his work.
Saint Andrew, Apostle (5 A.D.? - 60/70 A.D.) Consider Sponsoring Saint Andrew in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was looking for the Messiah so he became a follower of John the Baptist. When John pointed out Jesus as the "Lamb of God," Andrew and another disciple heard and followed Christ who asked them what they wanted. They asked to see where He stayed. By the day's end, Andrew was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, and he brought Peter to meet him. On another occasion, when Jesus was speaking to a large, hungry crowd, Jesus told the disciples to give them something to eat. Andrew brought a boy with five loaves and two fish to Jesus who multiplied them to feed everyone. When some Greeks told Philip that they wanted to meet Jesus, Philip went to Andrew. After Jesus' Resurrection, Andrew preached in the areas that are now Ukraine, Romania, and Russia. He was martyred by crucifixion in Achae, Greece.
Saint Robert Bellarmine (4 October 1542 - 17 September 1621) Consider Sponsoring Saint Robert Bellarmine in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Montepulciano, Italy, to noble but impoverished parents, Robert early showed evidence of his intelligence and propensity for writing. In 1580, he entered the Jesuits and attended two universities where he excelled in theology. After ordination, he was acclaimed as a preacher and professor. After he was sent by the Pope on Church business to France, a French count paid him a backhanded tribute by writing to the Pope, "Bellarmine ... would not do for a Pope, for he is mindful only of the interests of the Church and is unresponsive to the reasons of princes." Recognizing his intellectual abilities, the Pope made Robert a Cardinal and then Cardinal Inquisitor which involved him in cases involving heresy. As Archbishop of Capua, he put into effect the reforming decrees of the Council of Trent and produced many writings on the faith. When Galileo was promoting the Copernican theory of the earth revolving around the sun, Bellarmine said he would believe once this was proved, but he issued a certificate stating that Galileo could continue his teaching as a theory. After Robert's death, the Copernican theory was proven to be fact.
Saint Patrick (Died mid fifth to early sixth century). Consider Sponsoring Saint Patrick in Chapel of 1000 Priests
The only fairly certain history we have of Saint Patrick is that which he wrote of himself in his Confessions. Born in Britain, Patrick was about sixteen when he was captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Ireland. He prayed and pondered while working as a shepherd. With the growth of his faith came a new desire to work for the Lord. After six years, he heard a voice saying that he would return to his family and his ship was ready. Patrick escaped, walked 200 miles, and persuaded a ship owner to take him back to Britain. Patrick felt called to devote his life to bringing the message of Christ and the Gospel to the Irish people. After becoming a priest, he returned to northern and western Ireland where he spread the faith. In time, he became a bishop. Patrick founded churches, ordained priests to lead the people, consecrated nuns, and converted many, wealthy and poor alike. When a parish was established, he moved on to the next foundation, thus claiming Ireland for Christ.
Saint Józef Sebastian Pelczar (17 January 1842 - 28 March 1924) Consider Sponsoring Saint Joseph Sebastian Pelczar in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Poland, Józef felt a strong calling to serve God even in his childhood. After ordination, he was assigned to be a parish priest but later earned a doctorate in theological studies and canon law and became a professor. He established several libraries, gave free lectures, wrote many books, and started as school for servants. He founded a fraternity to care for the poor, sick, orphaned, and unemployed. In 1893, he met Blessed Ludwika Szczęsna and, with her, co-founded the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to tend to women and the sick. In 1901, Józef.was installed as Bishop of Przemyśl. Seeking to bring about social doctrines prescribed by Pope Leo XIII, Józef.visited parishes within his diocese, supported all religious orders, conducted meetings to discuss diocesan issues, reformed seminaries to promote better education and greater access to resources. He also built and restored churches, established nurseries, kitchens, homeless shelters and schools. The general populace acclaimed him a saint during his life time.
Saint James the Less (Birth and Death Dates Unknown--sometime first century A.D. after 33 A.D.) Consider Sponsoring Saint James the Less in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Saint James the Less seems to be the Apostle about whom we know the least. Maybe his tag "the less" came from his humility and his keeping to the background among Jesus' apostles. Or perhaps he received that tag because he was younger or smaller than Saint James the Great who was the brother of Saint John the Evangelist. It is generally accepted that James the Less was the son of Alphaeus, the husband of Mary of Clopas who was the Blessed Mother's sister. Thus, James the Less was Jesus' cousin. A legend states that, after the Resurrection of Christ, James preached the Gospel in Asia and was martyred in Persia, but the validity of that story is questionable.
Saint Bruno (c. 1030 - 6 October 1101) Consider Sponsoring Saint Bruno in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Cologne, Germany, of a wealthy family, Bruno, the future founder of the Carthusian Order, studied theology in Reim before being ordained a priest. For nearly 20 years, he oversaw all the educational establishments in the Diocese of Reims, acquiring in his classes an excellent reputation as a philosopher and theologian. In 1n 1075, he was appointed chancellor of the Archdiocese of Reims which involved him in daily diocesan administration. When a riot compelled the dishonest bishop to retire, Bruno, concerned that he would be made bishop, withdrew with two friends to a hermitage and then, eventually, to an uninhabited spot in the lower Alps at a place named Chartreuse where the bishop of that diocese installed them (their number had increased to seven). The men built small cells where they lived near each other and devoted their lives to prayer and study. Recalled to Rome to be the Pope's advisor, Bruno attempted to remain as hidden and prayerful as possible. With the patronage of wealthy benefactors, Bruno opened a second monastery to which he went when not in Rome. During his life, he was praised for his knowledge, talents, writing, prayer, mortification, and devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Venerable Caesar Baronius (31 October 1538 - 30 June 1607) Consider Sponsoring Venerable Caesar Baronius in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Italy, Caesar met Saint Philip Neri when he took residence in a house in Rome not far from the church where Philip lodged. Caesar joined Philip's group of churchmen and laity who were meeting to discuss religion and philosophy. Strongly influenced by this holy throng, Caesar switched his main interest from law to theology and joined Philip Neri's Congregation of the Oratory, being ordained a priest in 1564. In 1593, he succeeded Philip as superior of the Rome Oratory. In 1596, the Pope made Caesar a cardinal and gave him charge of the Vatican library. He restored two churches in Rome, was involved in two papal conclaves which elected Pope Leo XVI and the Pope Paul V. His last days were spent at an Oratory in Rome where he found solace among his fellow Oratorians.
Saint Nicholas Pieck (29 August 1534 - 9 July 1572) Consider Sponsoring Saint Nicholas Pieck in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Gorkum (now Gorinchem) in the Netherlands, Nicholas joined the Franciscan Friars in Gorkum as soon as his educational studies were completed. Ordained a priest in 1558, he devoted himself to apostolic ministry and was appointed guardian of the Gorkum friary. Nicholas preached on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, a teaching which the Calvinists rejected. In 1572, the friary was taken by a group originating with Calvinist Dutch nobles who were attempting to drive Spanish rule out of the Netherlands. The friars were detained, tortured, put on a ship and exhibited for money on their way to Brielle where the leader of this band demanded that they renounce the authority of the Pope and their belief in the Real Presence. When none would do so, they were hanged in an old barn at the deserted monastery. These men have become known as the Martyrs of Gorkum.
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Saint John the Evangelist (born between 6 - 9 A.D. - died around 100 A.D.) Consider Sponsoring Saint John the Evangelist in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Born in Galilee, John was a fishing partner with John's brother James and with Peter. Named "the sons of Zebedee" whose boats they manned, Jesus called the fishers to follow Him after He caused a miraculous catch of fish after an unsuccessful night. Jesus nicknamed John and James "the sons of thunder," perhaps because of their loud, argumentative nature. John was present at all the major miracles of Jesus' ministry and is said to have been the youngest apostle and one "whom the Lord loved," according to John's words. He, James, and Peter were Jesus' inner circle, the only three to witness the raising from the dead of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration and the Agony in the Garden. While the other apostles abandoned Jesus at his trial and crucifixion, John stayed even to the Cross. To John, Jesus entrusted His Mother Mary, and John is seen, in this instance, as representative of the Church who honors the Blessed Virgin as Mother. John is said to be the author of the Gospel of John as well as three letters and the Book of Revelation. He was exiled to Patmos where he died from old age.
Pope Saint John XXIII (25 November 1881 - 3 June 1963) Consider Sponsoring Pope Saint John XXIII in Chapel of 1000 Priests
Pope Saint John XXIII, the son of a sharecropper, was born in a small town in Lombardy, Italy, the fourth of thirteen children. Ordained to the priesthood in 1904, he served in a number of positions, eventually being made cardinal in 1953. At the age of 76, he was elected Pope on the 11th ballot. Likely those who elected him suspected he'd hold the spot for the next pope, little realizing that his pontificate would bring the Church into the modern world with his convening of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Pope John's overall goal was to bring forth the pastoral nature of the Church, a goal that developed through the many ministries he had held and through his extensive work during World War II to save Jewish refugees from the Nazis. He also advocated, in 1944, for the Church's recognition of the new state of Israel and served as Apostolic Nuncio to recently liberated France. As Pope, he visited ill children and prisoners, advocated for human rights, and visited several nations outside of Italy. The people lovingly called him "the good Pope."
