He gave up his inheritance and set off to become a Jesuit novitiate in Rome.Īloysius was aggressive and unyielding, with a pronounced antagonistic streak. At age fifteen, he revealed his intentions to his parents. Yet secretly he was planning to renounce his title and become a Jesuit priest. The Patron Saint of AIDS Patients and CaregiversĪs the eldest son and heir of a wealthy family in 16th century Spain, Aloysius was expected to marry well, raise a family, expand the Gonzagas' wealth and influence, and, if the opportunity arose, slaughter their enemies. Reprinted with permission from Quirk Books St. When he awoke, the wound on his knee had healed and not a trace of the cancer remained.įrom This Saint's for You!: 300 Heavenly Allies for Architects, Athletes, Brides, Bachelors, Babies, Librarians, Murders, Whales, Widows, and You © 2007 by Thomas J. He sat at the foot of the cross and prayed until he fell asleep, dreaming of Christ climbing down from the cross and touching his cancerous limb. The night before surgery, the suffering Peregrine dragged himself to the life-size crucifix that hung in the monastery. In a last-ditch effort to save the priest's life, the physician planned to amputate. Philip's religious order and became a Servite priest.įor many years Peregrine suffered from an acute pain in his right leg. Faced with such perfect Christ-like meekness, Peregrine's rage turned to shame. In response Philip turned the other cheek, waiting for another blow. Philip's religious habit, and struck him hard across the face. Peregrine Laziosi charged across the piazza, grabbed the front of St. Philip Benizi was dispatched to urge the Forlians to come back to the Church. He was one of the young hotheads of Forli, an Italian town that had sided with the holy Roman emperor in his power struggle with the Pope. Peregrine Laziosi's conversion came about in the middle of a street brawl. Reprinted with permission from Quirk Books In recent years, she has been invoked especially against breast cancer.įrom This Saint's for You!: 300 Heavenly Allies for Architects, Athletes, Brides, Bachelors, Babies, Librarians, Murders, Whales, Widows, and You © 2007 by Thomas J. When the jailers reported that Agatha was alive and healthy, Quintianus had her rolled over hot coals until she died.īecause of the mutilation endured during her martyrdom, she has always been the patron of women suffering from any type of breast ailment. Peter arrived, descending from heaven, and restored her breasts. He then instructed the executioners to slice off her breasts.Īgatha was unconscious as the jailers carried her to a prison cell and left her to die. Despite excruciating pain, she refused to renounce her faith or accept him as a lover. Enraged by the rejection, Quintianus ordered Agatha to be arrested and stretched on the rack. But she was a wealthy Christian who had consecrated her virginity to God, and she turned him down flat. As the man who governed Sicily, Quintianus could have whatever he wanted-and he wanted Agatha. Her troubles began with a consul named Quintianus. The Romans believed that criminals (a category that included Christians) were less than human, so brutalizing them was perfectly acceptable.īy these standards, the agonies experienced by St. Many a history textbook describes the ancient Romans as noble, enlightened, and civilized-even though their judicial system perpetrated some of the most gruesome crimes imaginable. According to the story, the Eucharist vanished a few moments later.įrom This Saint's for You!: 300 Heavenly Allies for Architects, Athletes, Brides, Bachelors, Babies, Librarians, Murders, Whales, Widows, and You © 2007 by Thomas J. Instead, at Juliana's request, he covered her chest with a corporal (a linen cloth) and laid the consecrated host over her heart. As she lay dying, she was seized by such a severe bout of vomiting that the attendant priest deemed her unable to receive Holy Communion. During the last years of her life, she was plagued by an undiagnosed stomach ailment. Juliana became the patron of people suffering from any type of chronic illness. Juliana added works of charity to the Servite way of life by going out into the streets of Florence to help the sick, the helpless, and the abandoned.īecause of her own struggle with sickness, St. Inspired by the holiness around her, Juliana decided to affiliate herself with the Servites as a nun. Philip Benizi, one of the early superiors of the Servites. The priest who taught her as a child and acted as her spiritual director was St. Alexis Falconieri, was one of the seven founders of the Servite order.
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