St Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr; Within the Octave of the Nativity: Missa “Gaudeámus omnes” Saint Thomas a Becket, son of an English nobleman, Gilbert Becket, was born on the day consecrated to the memory of Saint Thomas the Apostle, December 21, 1117, in Southwark, England. He was endowed by both nature and grace…
Tag: England
Carissimi: Sunday’s Mass; St Andrew Avellino, Confessor
St Andrew Avellino, Confessor; Commemoration Sunday XXII Post Pentecost: Missa “Os justi” On this day we celebrate the feast of St. Andrew Avellino, 1521-1608. Lancelotto Avellino was a canon lawyer and a priest for the diocese of Naples. One day, while pleading a case, he told a lie. His remorse caused him to give up…
Carissimi: Today’s Mass; St. John Cantius; Confessor
St John of Kenty, Confessor: Missa “Miserátio hóminis” John was a country lad who made good in the big city and the big university of Kraków, Poland. After brilliant studies he was ordained a priest and became a professor of theology. The inevitable opposition which saints encounter led to his being ousted by rivals and…
Carissimi: Today’s Mass; Octave Day of St Edward, King & Confessor
Octave Day of St Edward, King & Confessor; Commemoration Sunday XIX Post Pentecost: Missa “Os justi” Edward was born in 1003. He was the last Saxon king to rule (for more than a few months) in England. He is called “Edward the Confessor” to distinguish him from another King of England, Edward the Martyr (c962-979),…
Carissimi: Today’s Mass; St Edward, King & Confessor
St Edward, King & Confessor; Commemoration Sunday XVIII Post Pentecost & of the Octave of St Wilfrid: Missa “Os justi” Edward was born in 1003. He was the last Saxon king to rule (for more than a few months) in England. He is called “Edward the Confessor” to distinguish him from another King of England,…
Carissimi: Today’s Mass; S. Aidan, Bishop & Confessor
St Aidan, Bishop & Confessor: Missa “Sacerdotes tui“ Aidan was an Irish monk from the monastery St.Columba had founded on the island of Iona. The Britons had been Christian before the Irish, since Britain, though not Ireland, was part of the Roman Empire. Some of the missionaries who first took the faith to Ireland were…
Today’s Saint; S. Francis Caracciolo, Confessor
St Francis Caracciolo Confessor; Comm. Feria in the Octave of the Ascension: Missa “Factum est” A medical crisis that proved to be a false alarm changed the life of this 16th-century saint. At age 22, Francis developed a troublesome skin disease resembling leprosy—one of the most dreaded diseases of the day. He vowed that if…
Today’s Saint; S. Philip Neri C.O. Confessor
St Philip Neri C.O. Confessor, Apostle of Rome Saint Philip Neri, Italian San Filippo Neri, (born July 21, 1515, Florence [Italy]—died May 26, 1595, Rome; canonized 1622; feast day May 26), Italian priest and one of the outstanding mystics during the Counter-Reformation and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory (now the Institute of the…
Carissimi: Today’s Mass; St Bernardine of Siena, Confessor
St Bernardine of Siena, Confessor: Missa “Os justi” At this season of the year, when Jesus by His triumph has realized His name of Saviour, the Cycle celebrates the Feast of St. Bernardine who was consumed “by the very ardent love of this divine name” (Collect). Born of a noble family of Siena, St. Bernardine…
Carissimi: Today’s Mass; St Paschal Baylon, Confessor
St Paschal Baylon, Confessor: Missa “Os justi” Paschal’s Spanish parents were poor and pious. Between the ages of seven and 24 he worked as a shepherd and began a life of mortification. He was able to pray on the job and was especially attentive to the church bell, which rang at the Elevation during Mass….
Carissimi; Today’s Mass: St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church
St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church: Missa “In medio” St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church and Patriarch of Alexandria, one of the most renowned of the Fathers of the Church, was the heroic and successful defender of Catholic doctrine against Arius. After many sufferings in the cause of God’s Church, he died May 2, 373. While…
Carissimi; Today’s Mass: St Mark the Evangelist
St Mark, Evangelist [transferred]; commemoration of St Catherine of Siena: Missa “Protexisti” The feast of St. Mark was not regularly inserted into the Roman Calendar until about the Twelfth Century. This is explained by the original association of the commemorations of the saints with their tombs. Although St. Mark was among the first who with…
