Viewing all items in Resource Category: Holy Days

patron saint of fathers and holy death Why should St Joseph’s day be in March? Surely, he belongs to Advent and Christmas, at Mary’s side in millions of nativity scenes around the world. In any case, as the foster-father of Christ and husband of Mary, Joseph played a major part in the story of the...

beloved monk and bishop of Lindisfarne Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (c 634-87) has long been northern England’s favourite saint. It is easy to see why: Cuthbert was holy, humble, peaceable, prayerful, faithful in friendship, winsome, and really kind. Cuthbert was born into a fairly well-off Anglo-Saxon family, and he became a monk at Melrose in 651....

Archbishop of Canterbury & Reformation Martyr If you have ever been caught up in a great event at work, which has gone on to change your own life, then Thomas Cranmer is the saint for you. He was the first ever Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, following King Henry VIII’s decision to pull away from Rome,...

 the good-natured carer Families are divided in two kinds of people: givers and takers. Blessed is the family with at least one ‘giver’, that someone of a cheerful, generous nature who does not panic when you ask them for help. These kindly saints are on hand when you need them, not fleeing with the cry...

Archbishop of San Salvador, martyr 1980 Oscar Romero was a bit of a modern Thomas Becket – loyal to the authorities until he was given great responsibility for the Church. Then, like Becket, there was trouble. In Romero’s case, it all began when he was born Cuidad Barrios in El Salvador back in 1917. Devout...

This beautiful event (Luke 1:26-38) took place in Nazareth, when Mary is already betrothed to Joseph. The Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary, greets her as highly favoured, tells her not to be afraid, that she will bear a son Jesus, and that her elderly cousin Elizabeth is already pregnant (with John the Baptist). The church...

The daughters of baronets don’t usually choose to work with prostitutes and orphans, but Harriet Monsell was no ordinary woman. She was born in 1811 into one of Ireland’s oldest families. Her father, Sir Edward O’Brien, was 4th Baronet of Dromoland, and represented his county Clare in Parliament. Harriet married Charles Monsell, an Anglican clergyman...

Rupert is the saint for you if you like The Sound of Music – or salt with your food! Rupert (d c 710) was bishop of Worms and Salzburg, and it was he who founded the great monastery of St Peter in Salzburg in the eighth century, thus firmly establishing Christianity in that city. True,...

and his ladder to Paradise Is there something down at, say, B&Q, which reminds your friends of you?   John Climacus (d 649) had a thing about ladders.  He was a monk in Palestine who was only seen out at the weekends (at church, not B&Q); during the week he prayed and wrote in solitude. He...

John Donne (1572 – 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier, secretary and finally Dean of St Pauls Cathedral in London. But he is most remembered for his poetry, for he is seen as the greatest of the 17th-century ‘metaphysical’ poets. Donne was born in 1572 into a Roman Catholic family in London at a...

Sundays of the Month 5th February                Third Sunday before Lent – Septuagesima 12th February              Second Sunday before Lent – Sexagesima 19th February              The Sunday next before Lent – Quinquagesima 26th February              The First Sunday of Lent ** High Days & Holy Days for February  Editor:  As saints’ days do not change, this...

– compassion and love Brigid, you could say, was the female Patrick of Ireland. Historical facts about this first abbess of Kildare (d.c. 525) may be scarce, but her ‘Lives’, written from the 7th century, tell many anecdotes and miracles which over the centuries have become deeply rooted in Irish folklore. Brigid came from a...