Memorial of Saints (November 16)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Margaret of Scotland
• Gertrude the Great, virgin
• Mechtilde, virgin
• Eucherius of Lyons, bishop
• Afan, bishop
• Edmund of Abingdon, bishop
• Agnes of Assisi, virgin

St. Margaret of Scotland (1046-1093 A.D.) was born in Hungary while her family was in exile. Upon returning back to England, she was urged to marry Malcolm III, King of Scotland. By her patience, Margaret was able to change the cruel manners of Malcolm. She reformed the Church in Scotland, built churches, monasteries and hospices. By this deeds she was already considered a saint during her lifetime.

St. Gertrude the Great (ca. 1256-1302 A.D.) was placed under the care of the Benedictine nuns at Helfta in Saxony when she was five years old. She became a pupil of St. Mechtilde. When she became a Benedictine nun at age twenty-six, she began to be versed in the Bible and the writings of Augustine, Gregory and Bernard. She also began to record her supernatural and mystical experiences, which were recorded in her Book of Extraordinary Grace. She is patroness of the West Indies.

Prayer attributed to St. Gertrude the Great

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory; for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my home and within my family. Amen."

This is a powerful prayer said to release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is prayed.

Memorial of Saints (November 15)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Albert the Great, bishop and doctor of the Church
• Abibus, Gurias, and Samonas, martyrs
• Desiderius or Didier, bishop
• Malo, bishop
• Fintan of Rheinau
• Leopold of Austria

St. Albert the Great (1206-1280 A.D.) was from Bavaria, Germany. He went to Italy to study at the university of Padua. It was here that he entered the Order of Preachers. In 1228 A.D., he became professor of Cologne. He taught at many universities in Europe: Freiburg, Regensburg, Strassburg, and Paris, but it was at Cologne that St. Thomas Aquinas became his student. He wrote numerous books on Scripture, theology, philosophy and the natural sciences. In 1278 A.D., he went to Paris to defend the teachings of his former student, St. Thomas Aquinas, who died four years earlier. He then went back to Cologne where he died. St. Albert is the patron saint of students. Learn more.

Related blog posts:

• Great Mendicant Orders
• St. Dominic de Guzman and the Dominicans
• St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and Doctor of the Church
• The Doctors of the Church

Memorial of Saints (November 14)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Dubricius
• Lawrence O' Toole, bishop
• Alberic
• Nicolas Tavelic
• Joseph Pignatelli
• Sidonius

St. Dubricius (ca. 545 A.D.) was probably born at Madley, Wales. He became a monk and founded monasteries at Henllan and Moccas. He attracted numerous disciples to these monasteries and founded more monasteries and churches. He and St. Deinol were the two prelates who convinced David to attend the synod of Frefi. Known also as Dyfrig, Dubricius spent his last years at Bardsey.

St. Joseph Pignatelli was a Jesuit who played an important role during the history of his Order - during the 1773 suppression and the 1814 restoration. Joseph journeyed to Russia to join the Jesuits that escaped the suppression of their Order through the political influence of Russia's Catherine the Great. Joseph eventually became master of novices, provincial of Italy, and a teacher in diocesan seminaries. Three years after his death, Pope Pius VII restored the Jesuit Order throughout the world (died ca. 1811 A.D.).

Historical details:

1. Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus in 1773 A.D.
2. All the members, including St. Joseph Pignatelli, were secularized.
3. Joseph Pignatelli lived in Bologna, Italy for the next twenty years and helped some of his less fortunate companions.
4. In Russia, since Empress Catherine refused to allow the bull of suppression by Pope Clement XIV to be published, the Jesuits continued in existence there.
5. In 1792 A.D., with the help of the duke of Parma, three Italian Jesuits in Russia journeyed to Italy to established themselves in Parma.
6. Joseph Pignatelli then obtained permission from Pope Pius VI to bring back the Jesuits from Russia back to Italy.
7. Joseph Pignatelli became the superior and he began a quasinovitiate at Colorno, Italy, in 1799 A.D.
8. In 1801 A.D., Pope Pius VII gave formal approval to the Jesuit province in Russia.
9. Joseph Pignatelli continued in his efforts to revive the Order. In 1804 A.D., the Society of Jesus was re-established in the Kingdom of Naples with Joseph Pignatelli as provincial.
10. He then restored the Order in Sardinia.
11. St. Joseph Pignatelli died in 1811 A.D. but three years after his death in 1814 A.D., the Society of Jesus was restored.
12. Pope Pius XII called him the "restorer" of the Jesuits when he was canonized in 1954 A.D.

Saints (November 14), Learn more