Saints from A to Z: Letter C

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I've finished another post that has been in my drafts for two years! Esteban has been asking me to post some of these biographies to go along with his art, so without further ado...one of my favorite saints! He's a sort of a "twin" saint to St. Augustine, as he had a huge conversion later in life. 

Clues:

CLUE 1: My early life was hard- my mother died when I was only 12 years old and my father was often away as a solider. 

CLUE 2: St. Philip Neri was my spiritual director who encouraged me to enter the priesthood. 

CLUE 3: I was a priest in Italy, who founded the Camillians. 

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It is Saint Camillus de Lellis!

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Can a gambler become a saint? Let's look into the life of St. Camillus de Lellis because that is how his road to conversion started- with a love for gambling...

St. Camillus de Lellis was born in 1550 in modern day Italy. From a young age he endured much suffering: his mother died when he was barely a teenager and his father, being a solider, was often away at war. Eventually, Camillus himself joined the army with his father. As one can imagine, this was a horrible idea and led to much trouble, but God was watching out for him all along. 

At the age of 17, a disease on his leg gave him an incurable sore, one that would last his entire lifetime and be the source of his conversion. (Isn't it truly amazing the way God works good through evil in every instance of our lives?!) While doctors had difficulty curing his leg, Camillus never gave up and found work at a friary. There he had his conversion when a friar spoke the words "God is everything. The rest is nothing. One should save one's soul which does not die". At this point, he realized how much he had wasted his life, how much more he could do to help others grow closer to Christ. 

A few years after his great conversion, he entered the Capuchin friars, but was sent away due to his incurable sore on his leg. He tried to enter a monastery another time but was sent away, again for his leg sore. 

Finally, God blessed him with his love for the sick- he became the hospital director. Since his conversion had such an impact on his life, he began to live a life of penance and was charitable to all who encountered him. He treated each patient as though he were speaking with Christ Himself. One event led to another...

until he met St. Philip Neri, who became his spiritual director and sent him to seminary. At the age of 34, St. Camillus de Lellis was ordained to the priesthood. He founded his own order, called the Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers of the Infirm (M.I.), now known as the Camillians. He devoted himself to caring for the sick and dying out of pure charity; no one was left alone. Camillus and all of the brothers in his order took a forth vow of "service to the sick poor, including the palgue-ridden, in their corporeal and spiritual needs, even at risk to their own life, having to do this out of sincere love for God." 

In his final illness, Camillus was administering to the needs of others, despite his great pain. He had such great compassion for their physical needs, but he wanted more than anything to save their souls and bring them to Christ before death. 

Patron of: hospitals, nurses, the sick, and physicians 

Feast: July 18

Sources:

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-camillus-de-lellis/

A Solider Surrenders by Susan Peek (I HIGHLY recommend this book! This is how St. Camillus became one of my favorite saints of all time. :) )

Let us be inspired by St. Camillus and not be discouraged by our past failings and sins, but be enlightened by the mercy of God and persevere in all things! 

 Be sure to check out Esteban's drawing of St. Camillus here. 

St. Camillus de Lellis, pray for us! 

Who is your favorite saint who was a priest? 

-Miss K

Saints from A to Z: Letter A

My dear little blog has been neglected for the millionth time. I have plenty of books to share but today we're moving on to the second biography in the "Saints from A to Z" series. Maybe one of these days I'll catch up to Esteban's drawings! 

Today, we're going back to beginning with letter A. 

Clues:

Similar to the last biography, I'll give you some clues before the biography. :)

CLUE 1: I died as a virgin-martyr in the year 304. 

CLUE 2: Little is known about me, but most sources agree that I was martyred at age 12 or 13. 

CLUE 3: I am often shown with a lamb to represent my innocence. 

That third clue might have easily given it away... 

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(scroll no more) 

It is Saint Agnes of Rome!

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Similar to the lives of saints who lived long ago, much of St. Agnes' life is legend with very few facts. She was born in 291 AD to a Christian family and though her life was short, she lived it well and holy. Because her family was wealthy and she was beautiful, men often wanted her for marriage. Agnes had a wish, however. She wanted to live a pure life and often declared: "Jesus Christ is my only Spouse". 

One case involved the governor's son, Procop. He tried many times to win Agnes as his wife with rich gifts and promises, but Agnes kept her promise to the Lord: "I am already promised to the Lord of the Universe. He is more splendid than the sun and the stars, and He has said He will never leave me!" 

Procop and his father did not approve of Christianity. They tried to change her ways by making her deny God, but she never accepted. Again, they put her in chains but she became more joyous through this suffering. A third time they sent her to a sinful place, but an Angel rescued her. With no other way to make her suffer, she was condemned to death in January 304 at the age of 12 or 13. The pagans were even sad to see her dying at a young age, but she was happy to go to her only Spouse. After her death, it is believed that Christians used cloths to soak up her blood. 

Patron of: young girls, engaged couples, and chastity

Feast: January 21

Source:

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=106

https://www.americaneedsfatima.org/articles/saint-agnes

Let us follow in St. Agnes footsteps of innocence and put our full trust in God! Be sure to check out Esteban's drawing of St. Agnes here. 

St. Agnes, pray for us! 

Who is your favorite martyr saint? 

-Miss K

Saints from A to Z: Letter T

Hello! I'm back after a short break. :) My brother Esteban and I decided to do a collaboration together back in April, but I've been slacking (maybe procrastinating is a better word). Esteban has set out on a mission to draw 52 saints, one male and one female, for every letter of the alphabet. I will be writing some biographies to go along with his drawings. Be sure to check out the series here. He's already done eight drawings and I've done zero biographies, so here's to hoping I can catch up soon. :) 

If it was my choice, we'd be starting with letter "a", but according to Esteban, it is boring to do everything in line and perfect because that never happens in real life. So, if you like orderly fashions and going from a to z, be prepared because this series will be a bit out of order. 

Female Saint for T:

Before I introduce today's saint, I'll give you three clues, but if you have come from Esteban's blog, then you probably already know who I'll be writing about.

CLUE 1: The cause of my death was tuberculosis. 

CLUE 2: My father was a watchmaker and my mother was a lace maker. 

CLUE 3: My mother died during my childhood, so one of my sisters become my second mother. 

Were you successful? If you guessed Saint Therese of Lisieux, then you are correct and have a strong knowledge of her life! Along with being the patron saint of France and missionaries, she is also the patron of florists, pilots, and illnesses. 

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Marie Francoise-Therese Martin was born in Alencon, France to Louis and Zelie Martin on January 2, 1873 and baptized two days later on January 4, as Marie Frances Therese. Due to an illness, her mother passed away in 1877 and  the family moved to Lisieux. Her father was left to take care of his five girls, while teaching them to have a Catholic life. Eventually, Therese's older sister Pauline took on the role as her second mother by becoming her first teacher.  

A few years later, when Therese was nine years old, Pauline left home and entered the convent. Therese was very close to her sister, so this left her saddened and she had much to suffer. Soon, she became very ill and suffered from headaches and insomnia. However, Therese was cured by "Our Lady of the Smile" on May 13, 1883. Soon after, when she was only nine years old, she decided that she was going to enter the convent. 

After many years of prayer and suffering, Therese was given permission to enter Carmel in 1888. She became a novice at the age of 16, and made her Profession of Vows two years later. She worked very hard in the sacristy and dining room, painting many pictures, wrote poems, and had a devout spiritual life, while taking charge and leading the novices. 

She lived a very peaceful life, although she endured much. She was spared from the influenza that spread throughout the convent in 1890, but seven years later she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. On September 30, 1897, at the age of 24, she died with the last words being "My God, I love You!"

Source:

https://www.littleflower.org/therese/

Some of my favorite books about St. Therese: 

• Little Therese: The Life of St. Therese for Children by Pere Carbonel, S.J.
• Saint Therese and the Roses by Helen Walker Homan
• Olivia and the Little Way by Nancy Carabio Belanger (Isn't directly about St. Therese, but teaches about the Little Way)
• St. Theresa the Little Flower by Sr. Gesualda of the Holy Spirit
• Mornings with Saint Therese: 120 Daily Readings by St. Therese compiled by Patricia Treece

I hope you enjoyed this biography and be sure to check out Esteban's drawing of St. Therese here. Hopefully the rest of the biographies will come soon, but until then you can follow along with the drawings. 

What is your favorite book about St. Therese? 

-Miss K