Viewing all items in Resource Category: Holy Days

14th July          St Camillus de Lellis  – patron of the sick Sometimes those who suffer are best at helping others in a similar situation.  Discharged from the Venetian army with an incurable leg wound, St. Camillus (1550 – 1614) founded a religious order called the Ministers of the Sick (the Camellians).  Both in their Holy...

15th July          St Swithun (or Swithin) – saint for a rainy day St. Swithun is apparently the saint you can blame for rainy summers.  It is said that if it rains on his special day, 15th July, it will then rain for 40 days after that.  It all began when Swithun was made Bishop of...

16th July          St Helier – losing a loved one to violence Take the book of Samuel in the Bible, add a bit of Luke Skywalker father/son conflict from Star Wars, stir in a dash of Pirates of the Caribbean, and you sort of have the story of St. Helier – the first saint and martyr...

19th July          St Macrina the Younger – a sister in a million Do you have a sister?  Is she ‘good news’ in your life?   Macrina the Younger (c. 327 -79) should be the patron saint of all ‘sisters’ whose generosity helps their siblings to succeed. Macrina the Younger was the eldest of 10 children. ...

22nd July          St Mary Magdalene – patron of repentant sinners It is easy to understand the popularity of Mary Magdalene over the centuries: she is the patron saint both of repentant sinners and of the contemplative life. Jesus drove seven demons from Mary, who came from near Tiberius in Galilee.  She became His follower to...

22nd July          What do we really know about Mary Magdalene? Fake news is not new. Perhaps one old example is the assertion that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Back in the 6th Century, Pope Gregory is said to have confused her with two other women in the Bible. Medieval Bible scholars also attempted to name...

 22nd July          St Mary Magdalene – the woman with a past Later this month Christians all over the world will commemorate probably the most unlikely saint in the Bible, Mary Magdalene. There was something in her background that has always fascinated people. All we are told about her ‘past’ is that Jesus had cast ‘seven...

25th July          St James the Apostle – apostle to Spain James and his brother John were sons of Zebedee and fishermen from Galilee – the ‘sons of thunder’, as the gospel writers describe their impetuous characters and fiery tempers. James stands out on three accounts: he was one of the three disciples who witnessed the...

25th July          St James the Great    Jesus, fresh from His baptism and fired with His new calling, bursts into Galilee. Coming upon four fishermen working on the shore of the lake, He says to them, ‘Follow me’. Without further ado or even a second thought, they abandon what they’re doing (and in the case...

25th July          St Christopher – patron saint of motorists The legend goes that St. Christopher was a Canaanite who lived in the 3rd century.  He was a giant of a man, of fearsome appearance.  At first he decided to serve the devil, but when he discovered that the devil was afraid of Christ and his...

27th July      The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus – proving a nap is good for you! Do you tend to avoid conflict?  When you feel stressed, do you crave sleep?  Then the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus would be good patron saints for you.  But – you may find it hard to copy their successful method of...

30th July          William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano & Thomas Clarkson During the 18th century many people in England were involved in the campaign to abolish the slave trade.  The CofE remembers especially William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson – three very different but all tireless campaigners against the evil practice. Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846) was...