Viewing all items in Resource Category: Holy Days
Featuring the Saints whose feast-day is this month
- Timothy and Titus are the saints for you if you’ve been a Christian for some time, and now suspect that God wants you to move into some form of leadership. A daunting prospect! The books of First and Second Timothy and Titus are what are known as the three pastoral letters, where Paul writes to...26th January – St Timothy and St Titus, how local church leaders should be!
- With international concern about the welfare of children, Angela is a good saint to remember. Not only did she herself survive a harsh childhood, but she went on to dedicate her own life to helping children in need. Angela was born near Lake Garda, in Desenzano, where she was orphaned as a young child. The...27th January – St Angela Merici, helping children in need
- Are you wondering about which charities to support this year? Does it matter to you if your money is used wisely or not? If so, then Maedoc of Ferns is the patron saint for you this month. He certainly knew how to deal with people who would waste his money. Maedoc (d 626) was born...31st January – St Maedoc of Ferns, smart about beggars
- John Bosco is the saint for anybody concerned for deprived young people. Bosco never trained as a youth worker, as he was born into a peasant family near Castelnuovo in Piedmont, northern Italy, in 1815. He never belonged to a youth group – he was out in the fields shepherding his family’s sheep. But he...NEW *31st January – John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Teaching Order
- Sundays of the Month 1st December – 1st Sunday of Advent 8th December – 2nd Sunday of Advent 15th December – 3rd Sunday of Advent 22nd December – 4th Sunday of Advent 29th December – 1st Sunday of...High Days & Holy Days (all) for December 2024
- It’s many years since Europe switched over to the Euro (January 2002). So, this is a good time to remember Eloi, bishop of Noyon, who was born in Gaul, and started out as a goldsmith. He entered the service of Bobon, the royal treasurer. He went on to become master of the mint for King...1st December – Eloi, a patron saint for the euro?
- Ignatius Loyala sent his friend and follower Francis Xavier (born 1506) to the Orient as a missionary. What a missionary! Imagine David Livingstone, Billy Graham and the Alpha Courses rolled into one. His mass conversions became legendary – he baptised 10,000 people in one month and in just ten years of work was credited with...3rd December – Francis Xavier, the seasick missionary
- Thousands of our churches are currently involved in various mission initiatives across the UK. If it is tough going at times, we should spare a thought for poor Birinus, a priest from Lombard, who was sent here on his own 14 centuries ago. Pope Honorius 1 gave him the daunting task of being the apostle...3rd December – Birinus, an apostle to the English
- Osmond is the saint for you if you regret Brexit, and believe that immigrants can bring good to Britain. Osmond came to England from France back in the days before EU regulations. It was shortly after 1066, and he was a Norman, following William the Conqueror. Osmond himself was no soldier, but a gifted and...4th December – Osmond, an immigrant before Brexit
- What do your family call him, that cheerful old man in a red robe and floppy hat who pops up everywhere at Christmas? Sometimes he’s Father Christmas, sometimes Santa Claus, and in parts of Europe he’s Saint Nicholas. That’s his real name, abbreviated to ‘Santa Claus’ by Brits and Americans who don’t like to follow...6th December – What’s in a (Christmas) Name?
- One account of how Father Christmas began tells of a man named Nicholas who was born in the third centre in the Greek village of Patara, on what is today the southern coast of Turkey. His family were both devout and wealthy, and when his parents died in an epidemic, Nicholas decided to use his...6th December – St Nicholas, another look at this much-loved saint
- One person you are bound to run into this Christmas season is Father Christmas. These days he seems to frequent shopping malls and garden centres. If he looks tired, just remember that he has been around a long time and gone through a lot of transformations. Father Christmas wasn’t always the red-suited, white-bearded star of...6th December – How Father Christmas got where he is today