Saint of the day and Feast days - Part 2

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October 20

Today is the Memorial of
Saint Adelina
Among many other Saints

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Saint Adelina
Benedictine nun


Adelina was a noblewoman of Normandy. She was reportedly the sister of Saint Vitalis and a granddaughter of William the Conqueror. She became a Benedictine nun and the abbess of the Benedictine Convent of La Blanche at Moriton, Normandy, a religious community which was founded by her brother Saint Vitalis.
Adelina died in 1125 .
Her canonization was Pre-Congregation
Saint Adelina,
Pray for us!

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October 21
Today is the Memorial of
Saint Wendelin
Among many other Saints

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Saint Wendelin
Prince of Scotland
Hermit
Abbot of Tholey
He is also known as Wendel, Wendolinus or Wendelinus.
Prince Wendelin was born in Scotland in 554. His father, Forchado, was the King of Scotland, making his mother, Irelina, the Queen. His parents wished for him to be well educated and so they entrusted him to the local bishop for his education. The Bishop must have really inspired the young prince because he decided to dedicate his life to God and lead a simple, humble life away from the Court. One night when everyone was sleeping, Wendelin dressed up as a pilgrim and walked out of the castle and his life as a prince.
He visited many holy places. In 574, he was in Rome and was able to visit the very many churches and shrines of holy people in the city. Before he left Rome, Wendelin was granted an audience with Pope Benedict I who blessed him and encouraged him to live his life as God tells him in his heart.
From Rome, Prince Wendelin went to Einsidel in Germany where he stayed for a while before his search for a desolate location, brought him to the wilderness of Westerich. Here, Wendelin made himself a hut of tree branches and a bed of reeds and leaves. He  settled down to a life of severe austerities; a penitential life.
After a period of time, duration of which is unknown, Wendelin left Westerich to go to the ancient city of Trier in order to pray at the many shrines there. Trier is said to be the oldest city in Germany.
Legend has it that while visiting a shrine in Trier, he met a wealthy highwayman who admonished him for begging when he was a young man who could earn his own food. The highwayman hired him as a swineherd. Looking after the herd of swine took up all his time and he did not have enough time to pray. He went to his master and requested a change of job. The master understood his dilemma and transferred him to tending cattle. At first all was well and he had time for his prayers. Then the herd of cattle increased very fast in numbers, so much so that he again found himself with very little time for prayer and approached his master for a second time. This time he was transferred to tending sheep. This was a job
traditionally reserved for children or older men because it was considered less physically demanding. This time, he was contented. He always had time for his prayers. Even when his flock increased, he found time to pray.
According to legend, Saint Wendelin and the entire flock frequently transmigrated making it possible for the Saint to always have time to say his prayers at his hermitage and be back with the sheep in time!
Wendel also performed many miracles as you will find out at the next post ….

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Saint Wendelin
Wendel performed many miracles.
Following is an excerpt from "The Life and History of Saint Wendelin" as found in "Significant Scots
Saint Wendelin"

“This is one of the outstanding incidents in Wendelin's life: Wendelin's master and a servant journeyed to the town of Strassburg on a business trip. On returning he traveled through the wilderness where Wendelin had taken his flock to graze. When they were still some distance away from the flock, the master said to his servant, "That shepherd resembles our Wendelin or else it is indeed he."
The servant replied, "How could our Wendelin come here? It is too far from our home in Trier." Going up to the shepherd, the nobleman found him to be Wendelin. The nobleman grew furious and cursed at Wendelin and said, among other things, "Wendelin, you scoundrel. Are you a fool or a lunatic that you drive my sheep such a long way away from home? Is there not enough pasture near Trier that you must go to this dreadful wilderness?"
Wendelin answered, "Dear master, be not angry. I find this pasture to be
better for the flock than the one near Trier."
"Shall I not be angry?" asked the nobleman. "I have invited many guests for supper and wanted to kill a sheep for this special occasion."
Wendelin responded, "Be not angry on that account for I want to be home on time."
"How can you be home before night when I can hardly get home on time riding on a horse?" The master then abruptly galloped off murmuring and complaining all the way about Wendelin. As the master entered his courtyard he was dumbfounded to see that Wendelin was already there and was putting the sheep into the stable for the night. He could hardly believe what he had just seen with his own eyes. He knew then that this was a great miracle and realized that Wendelin was indeed a holy man to be revered. The master fell to his knees and filled with both humility and contrition he begged, "Forgive me, dear Wendelin and forgive the words of accusation that I hurled against you. Tell me who you really are. I can see that you are a holy man and that God works great miracles in you and through you.
With that, Wendelin threw himself at his master's feet and said most humbly, "I beg of you master, rise to your feet and show me no honor, for I am not a holy man but a miserable being and a simple shepherd and farmhand servant."
His master rose to his feet and said, "This I cannot believe, but I take you to be a great servant of God. Whoever you are, I will not any longer permit you to watch my herds. For I fear that God will punish me if I let His faithful servant watch my flock. Tell me what you want of me and I will fulfill your every wish."
Wendelin replied, "This only do I ask of you master, that you change your godless life into a pious one so that the wrath of God may not come upon you unawares and cast you and your robbers into the depths of Hell." Wendelin had so much to say to this nobleman and spoke so forcibly that this sinful man became very much frightened and wept over his sins and promised to amend his life. The master wanted to give Wendelin large sums of money in the form of alms, but Wendelin refused to take any money except what was due to him as wages. These wages he distributed among the poor and then in absolute poverty, he went his way into the wilderness”

Wendelin became known throughout Westerich, because of his miracles and many people came to his hermitage seeking help and guidance. When in 590, the Abbot of the monastery at Tholey died, the monks went to Wendelin and begged him to become their new Abbot. He refused at first but eventually agreed and was duly consecrated as the Abbot of the monastery.
Wendelin fell ill in 617 and died. He was buried at Tholey .
His canonization was Pre-Congregation.
Saint Wendelin,
Pray for us!

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October 22
Today is the Memorial of
Saint Mary Salome
Among many other Saints.

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Saint Mary Salome
She is also known as Irene which is the Greek equivalent of Salome. The name means peace and prosperity according to SQPN. Salome, also called Mary Salome, was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of saint John the Apostle, and Saint James the Greater. She was reportedly a relative of Our Lady, possibly even her sister.
Salome asked Jesus to allow her sons to sit next to him in his kingdom. Among the holy women who followed Jesus and served him as he went about his ministry, there were three called Mary. there was Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus, then Mary, wife of Cleophas and Mary Salome, today's saint. She was present at the Crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary.  She was also one of the women who discovered the empty tomb on the day of the Resurrection.
After the Resurrection she reportedly went to Veroli, Italy and spent the rest of her life there spreading the Good News.
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
She is the Patron Saint of Veroli, Italy.
Saint Mary Salome,
Pray for us!

[Shin]

Yes, I believe I have heard that before, Salome means peace.

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October 23
Today is the Memorial of
Blessed John Buoni
Among many other Saints

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Blessed John Buoni
John Buoni was born in 1168 at Mantua, Italy. He belonged to the Buonomini family. John spent his youth as an entertainer, specifically a jester at various courts in Italy. He led a licentiously wild life for many years. In 1208 when he was 40 years old, he suffered a severe illness that jolted him spiritually speaking.. He changed his lifestyle completely, becoming a hermit near Cesena. He attracted many disciples for whom he built a church. He also organised them into communities, the Boniti. He became famous for his austerities and miracles.
He died at Mantua in 1249 and was beatified in 1483.
Blessed John Buoni,
Pray for us!

[Shin]

I always love the hermits..

It's also St. John of Capistrano's day, we have his biography on Saints' Books. It's the very last book on the entire list.

He lived an gigantic life, preacher and converter of heretics, compatriot of saints, help to the crusaders, prophecizing the future popes and their friend, abundant in miracles, and heroically ascetic.

Some extracts from that work:

"After he entered the religious state until his death he never ate but once a day, and that in such small quantity as would scarce suffice for a child of six years old. He never used meat except in urgent necessity and under obedience. At times the brethren, fearing he would die from weakness on account of his excessive labours, begged the Sovereign Pontiff to command him to eat; and then he would take it in such small quantity and with such reluctance that it seemed rather a penance than nourishment. Therefore he made use of fasting on bread and water, frequent disciplines and other chastisements of the flesh, by which means he brought the interior enemy under the yoke of reason, and reduced his body to the servitude of the spirit. Fortified, then, by this endurance of abstinence and armed with these virtues, he proclaimed the word of God with all confidence, the Lord working with him and confirming his words with signs that followed."

'He was at Nuremberg from 20 July to the middle of August, 1452. John Cochlaeus of this city wrote a description of the Saint and of his manner of life at that time: "Those who saw him at Nuremberg describe him as a man small of body, withered, emaciated, nothing but skin and nerves and bones, but cheerful, strong, and strenuous in labour. . . . He slept in his habit, rose before dawn, recited matins, lauds, prime and terce, and then celebrated Mass. After that he preached, in Latin, a sermon which was afterwards explained to the people by an interpreter. When the sermon was concluded, he returned to the friary of his Order. Sext and none being finished, he visited the sick and stayed with them a long time. He laid his hands on them and prayed for them all, touching them with the cap of St. Bernardine and with a cloth stained with that Saint's blood. Then he took his meal, and afterwards received people who had come to see him. After vespers, he returned to the sick and remained with them till nightfall, when he recited compline and other prayers and retired to rest. But even then he scarcely slept at all, but occupied himself with the study of the Holy Scriptures. There was wondrous strength in that small body, maintained without doubt by divine grace, and unimpaired by age or fatigue. Such, too, was his manner of speaking, that even those who did not understand his words were moved nevertheless to tears and amendment of life."'

"When they arrived at Villak in Carinthia, and so entered the Emperor's territory, they found a pestilence raging there which had already carried off a great number of people with swift and sudden death. The victims were seized with a kind of paralysis in the streets, at work, or in their homes, always without warning. So they remained helpless and unable to move, and died within a few hours. Many of these were brought to the Saint. He cured them all, to the astonishment and delight of the beholders and victims ; and the beds and chairs on which the latter had been carried still remained at the Franciscan church at the time Nicholas wrote the life of Capistran—deposited there as memorials of their owners' wonderful deliverance."

'He stayed at Breslau, the capital of Silesia, from 13 February to the end of August, 1453. In no other town of Germany did he stay so long. He won the esteem and admiration of the citizens at who long revered his memory. But here he had to contend with obstinate and protracted opposition from Jews and Hussites. Wadding relates an anecdote concerning the latter. Some of the sectaries, desiring to throw ridicule on the Saint's miracles, came to him, pretending to be Catholics, and bringing with them a bier adorned with funeral trappings. This was supposed to contain a dead body, but, in reality, a confederate of theirs, a young man, alive and well, was within. With feigned weeping and lamentation, and before a large crowd of people, they begged the Saint to raise the dead to life. Capistran cried aloud and with a stern aspect.

"Let his portion be with the dead for ever! "and at once departed. But the pretended funeral party laughed at him. "See," they said, "What a holy and pious man he is. He runs away because he cannot raise the dead to life. Now you will see," they said to the people, "that we have holier men among ourselves. Go," said they to one. "You give him back life." And he called loudly: "Peter, I say to thee, arise!" But there was no movement nor reply. The man came nearer and whispered: "Get up. What are you doing? It is time to rise from the dead." Still there was no answer. They removed the pall and found the young man quite dead. It was a terrible lesson, but it converted many people, and, among them, the victim's accomplices. These men were truly penitent, and after becoming Catholics, sent two of their number to Rome to testify to the miracle.'

...

Let me recommend the biography highly, there are many moving moments to read of within his life.  

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Okay Shin.

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October 24
Today is the Memorial of
Blessed John Angelo Porro
Among many other Saints and Blesseds

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Blessed John Angelo Porro
John Angelo was born in 1451 at Milan, Italy. He joined the Servants of Mary ( the Servites). He was ordained a priest and sent to Monte Senario where he lived as a contemplative. After one year at Monte Senario, he was appointed master of novices at Florence. He also served at various other houses.
He died at the Servite priory, Milan in 1504 ( 1506 by other accounts.)
He was beatified on 15 July 1737.
Blessed John Angelo Porro,
Pray for us!

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October 25
Today we remember the
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Among many other Saints.

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Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
From the year 1534, when King Henry VIII, broke from the Roman Catholic Church following his unsuccessful attempts to persuade the Pope to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, to the year 1679, a total of about three hundred Catholics were martyred.
In 1970, the Vatican selected forty of these men and women, both clergy and laity, to represent all the martyrs killed in England and Wales during this period.
The saints in this group of martyrs are also covered in individual entries.
Following is the list as it appears in SQPN

Carthusians

Augustine Webster
John Houghton
Robert Lawrence
Brigittine
Richard Reynolds
Augustinian
John Stone
Jesuits
Alexander Briant
Edmund Arrowsmith
Edmund Campion
David Lewis
Henry Morse
Henry Walpole
Nicholas Owen
Philip Evans
Robert Southwell
Thomas Garnet

Benedictines

Alban Roe
Ambrose Edward Barlow
John Roberts
Friars Observant
John Jones

Franciscans

John Wall
Secular Clergy
Cuthbert Mayne
Edmund Gennings
Eustace White
John Almond
John Boste
John Kemble
John Lloyd
John Pain
John Plesington
John Southworth
Luke Kirby
Polydore Plasden
Ralph Sherwin
Laymen
John Rigby
Philip Howard
Richard Gwyn
Swithun Wells
Lay women
Anne Line
Margaret Clitherow
Margaret Ward

They were canonized on 25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales,
Pray for us!