Viewing all items in Resource Category: Holy Days

Apostle to East Anglia East Anglia is blessed with a rich Christian heritage. Just two examples: at more than 650, Norfolk has the greatest concentration of ancient churches in the world, and at 500, Suffolk has the second greatest density of medieval churches. And that is not to mention all the churches in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Bedfordshire and...

The youngster who found God A number of years ago the hit film Slumdog Millionaire touched millions of people with its story of a youngster triumphing against all the odds. Dominic Savio did the same thing. In fact, he is a good patron ‘child saint’ for children today who struggle to get anywhere in life....

Beloved apostle to Ireland St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. If you’ve ever been in New York on St Patrick’s Day, you’d think he was the patron saint of New York as well… the flamboyant parade is full of American/Irish razzmatazz. It’s all a far cry from the hard life of this 5th...

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 (this is her normal place in the church calendar) 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...

Archbishop of San Salvador, martyr 1980 (this is his normal place in the church calendar) 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...

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...

There is an old Jewish saying:  God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers. Mother Church, Mother Earth, Mother of the Gods – our human mothers – all of them have been part of the celebration of ‘Mothering Sunday’ – as the fourth Sunday in Lent is affectionately known.  It has been celebrated...