April Saint of the Month, St. Mother Théodore Guérin, S.P.

Missionary and founder of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

Théodore Guérin was born October 2nd, 1784 in Etables, France. At the age of ten, she received her First Holy Communion and announced to the parish priest that she would one day be a nun. At the age of 25, she fulfilled this statement, entering the order of the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir, whose mission it was to educate children and to care for the poor, sick and dying. While serving at the convent, Théodore was asked to lead a small band of missionary sisters to Indiana in the United States of America. When the sisters arrived, there was only a log cabin with a porch that served as a chapel. Though her health was suffering, Théodore fell to this new task with a will. By the time she died in 1856, Mother Théodore had opened schools in Illinois and throughout Indiana. The sisters were well-established and respected. Through illness, poverty and all manner of unwelcoming circumstances, she trusted in God’s providence and lived as a model of belief in his mercy. She was canonized in 2006, and is known as the patron saint of Indianapolis.

For more information on St. Mohter Theodore Guerin, S. P. follow this link: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20061015_guerin_en.html 

March Saint of the Month

     St.Katharine Drexel, S.B.S.: School builder and founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People
     When she asked Pope Leo XIII to send more missionaries to Wyoming, he asked her, "Why don't you become a missionary?" As a young, wealthy, educated girl from Philadelphia, this was hardly the expected lifestyle for young Katharine Drexel. But raised in a devout family with a deep sympathy for the poor, Katharine gave up everything to become a missionary to the Indians and African Americans. She founded schools in thirteen states for African Americans, forty mission centers and twenty-three rural schools. She also established fifty missions for Indians in sixteen different states. She died at the age of ninety-six and was canonized in the year 2000. 
     To find out more about St. Katharine Drexel, S.B.S click on the following link: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_katharine-drexel_en.html

Pope Benedict XVI on God the Almighty Father

In last Wednesday's catechesis, Pope Benedict focused on the words of the Creed: "I believe in God, the Father Almighty" and in particular on God as Father.  Despite the crisis of fatherhood in many societies, the Scriptures show us clearly what it means to call God 'Father.'"  You can read the full test of his general audience at http://www.zenit.org/article-36436?l=english.

December Saint - St. John Neumann, C.Ss.R.

     Missionary and 4th bishop of Philadelphia. Founded the first diocesan Catholic school system in U.S.
     St. John Neumann learned pretty quickly what it meant to follow God's will with your whole heart and soul. He was certain that he was called to be a priest, but when the time came for ordination, the bishop fell ill and the ordination was cancelled. It was never rescheduled, because there was an over-abundance of priests in Europe. Knowing he was meant to be a priest, John traveled all the way from Bohemia to New York City to be ordained. He was one of only 36 priests, serving 200,000 Catholics: his 'parish' stretched from Lake Ontario throughout Pennsylvania. He became the founder of the first diocesan Catholic School system, going from only two schools to one hundred schools in his diocese.To learn more: http://www.stjohnneumann.org/life.html

(From: http://usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/saints-for-the-year-of-faith.cfm)