SAINT OF THE DAY SATURDAY, 14 JUNE, 2025 SAINT METHODIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND CONFESSOR (born 788/800 - died June 14, 847) He was born in Syracuse, Sicily. Forsaking the world, he built a monastery in the island of Chio, but was afterwards called to Constantinople by the patriarch St. Nicephorus, whom he accompanied in his two banishments, under the Iconoclast emperor, Leo the Armenian. In 817 he was sent by that patriarch Apocrisiarius or Nuncio to Rome. Upon the news of the death of St. Nicephorus, he returned to Constantinople; but was thrown into prison by the heretical emperor Michael the Stammerer, where he remained till the end of his reign. In 830 he was released by the Catholic empress Theodora, but soon after banished by her impious husband Theophilus. That prince dying in 842, Theodora became regent for her son Michael III., and placed Methodius in the patriarchal chair of Constantinople. He purged that church of heresy, and instituted an annual feast of thanksgiving, called the Festival of Orthodoxy. Having filled that See for four years, he died of a dropsy on the 14th of June, 847. His immediate successor, St. Ignatius, celebrated his festival yearly, and it is kept both by the Latin and Greek churches. Having had his jaw broken in the persecution, he wore a bandage under his chin to support it. The works of St. Methodius consist of penitential canons, certain sermons, and an encomium of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, in which some think he made use of the works of Hilduin, which he probably saw at Rome. PRAYER: God, Light and Shepherd of souls, You established St. Methodius as Bishop in Your Church to feed Your flock by his word and form it by his example. Help us through his intercession to keep the faith he taught by his word and follow the way he showed by his example. Amen.
June 14 – Saint Davnet (6th century) 14 June, 2012 Summary: St Davnet of Sliabh Beagh in Co Monaghan is popularly identified with Saint Dympna, whose relics are found in the Belgian town of Gheel. Such identifications, which historians say cannot be sustained, are quite common in the veneration of the saints. As Patrick Duffy points out in this piece, every narrative has its own dynamic. The Parish of Tydavnet, Co Monaghan Saint Davnet (in Gaelic Damhnat) lived and died at Sliabh Beagh in the parish of Tydavnet (Tigh Damhnait = “house of Davnet”), Co. Monaghan. Tradition speaks of her as a virgin who in the sixth century founded a church or monastery in the area (generally considered to have been located in the graveyard of the current village Catholic church). A 10th century ornamental pilgrim’s staff, the bachall Damhnait (“staff of Davnet”), said to have been hers is on display in the National Museum. In the past it was kept for generations in the parish and was often used as a test of truth. Her feast day is today, the 14th June. Link with St Dympna, Patron of the Mentally iIl? At Caldavnet at the northern end of the parish is well dedicated to St. Dympna, still a major place of pilgrimage. The local school is called St Dympna’s as is the major psychiatric hospital (built 1869-71) in nearby Monaghan town. Also there is a link between the village of Tydavnet and the town of Gheel 25 miles east of Antwerp in Belgium. The body of St Dympna, the patron saint of the mentally ill, is displayed in a silver reliquary in a church in Gheel named in her honour. She has her own feast on May 15th. T The Life of Saint Dympna The story of Dympna, the patron of the mentally ill comes from a 13th century Life of the saint, written by Pierre, a canon of St Aubert at Cambrai in the time of Bishop Guy I of Cambrai (1238-47). He tells that for many years she had been venerated at a church in Gheel dedicated to her. He says he has drawn his biography from oral tradition. The Legend According to the story, Dympna, the daughter of a pagan king of Ireland, became a Christian and was secretly baptised. After the death of her mother, a woman of extraordinary beauty, her own father wanted to marry her, his own daughter, who was just as beautiful. Dympna fled with the priest Gerebernus and landed at Antwerp, from where they went on to Gheel. Here they lived beside a chapel of St. Martin. The father discovered their whereabouts and came to renew his offer. But seeing that all was in vain, he told his servants to kill the priest, while he himself cut off the head of his daughter. The corpses were put in sarcophagi in a cave where they were later found. The body of St. Dympna was buried in the church of Gheel, and the bones of St. Gerebernus were transferred to Kanten. Fragments and Relics There are at Gheel fragments of two simple ancient sarcophagi in which tradition says the bodies of Dympna and Gerebernus were found. There is also a quadrangular brick, said to have been found in one of the sarcophagi, bearing two lines of letters read as DYMPNA. And the discovery of this sarcophagus with the corpse and the brick was perhaps the origin of the veneration. After the finding of the tombs, it is said that a number of epileptics, insane people, and some said to be under diabolical influence were cured by the relics of Dympna. Ever since, she has been invoked on behalf of such people. Gheel itself built an infirmary for the mentally ill, and today it boasts a flourishing state sanitarium that has advanced types of care for its patients. Most of them are able to board with neighbourhood farmers, who become like “foster families” for them, while they help with the household chores as much as they are able. On St Dympna’s feast day 15th May many people, both healthy and mentally ill, still come to the tomb of St Dympna. Is it True? This story is probably a variation of the motif frequent in popular legends of a king who wants to marry his own daughter and the terrible consequences. It might be rash to claim that the legend is absolutely true or that Dympna and Davnet are the same person. But it might also be equally rash totally to discount the value of these stories and the links between Tydavnet and Gheel. As the Italians say: Se non è vero, è ben trovato. (“If it’s not true, it’s still a good story”). Every narrative has its own dynamic. ____________________________ ****************************** Memorable Prayer for the mentally ill Today We beg you, Lord, to hear the prayers of St. Dymphna on our behalf. Grant all those for whom we pray patience in their sufferings and resignation to your divine will. Please fill them with hope, and grant them the relief and cure they so much desire. ~ A humble patient ~ ****************************** CatholicIreland.net © 2026. All Rights Reserved.
SAINT OF THE DAY MONDAY, 15 JUNE, 2026 SAINT GERMAINE COUSIN (1579 - 1601) Germaine was born in 1579 to Laurent Cousin, a farm worker, and Marie Laroche. Her mother died while Germaine was an infant. A sickly child, Germaine suffered from scrofula, and her right hand was deformed. She was constantly ignored by her father. Her step-family abused her regularly. She was often forced to sleep in the stable or in a cupboard under the stairs, was fed on scraps, beaten or scalded with hot water for misdeeds, real or imagined. When she was 9 years old, Germaine was made to work as a shepherdess. When at work, she spent much of her time praying. She sometimes using a rosary she made from a knotted string. She went for Mass regularly, and if she heard the bell announcing services, she set her crook and her distaff in the ground, declared her flock to be under the care of her guardian angel, and went to church; her sheep were unharmed during her absences. It is reported that once she crossed the raging Courbet River by walking over the waters so she could get to church. Germaine was so poor that it is hard to imagine that she could help others, but she was always ready to try, especially children whom she gathered in the fields to teach a simple catechism and share the little food she had. The locals laughed at her religious devotion, and called her ‘the little bigot'. Once in winter, her stepmother, Hortense, accused her of stealing bread by hiding it in her apron, and threatened to beat her with a stick. Germaine opened her apron, and summer flowers tumbled out. Her parents and neighbors were awed by the obvious miracle, and began to treat her as a holy person. Her parents invited her to rejoin the household, but Germaine chose to live as she had. In 1601 she was found dead on her straw pallet under the stairs, and she was buried in the Church of Pibrac opposite the pulpit. When accidentally exhumed in 1644 during a renovation, her body was found incorrupt. In 1793 the casket was desecrated by an anti-Catholic tinsmith named Toulza, who with three accomplices took out the remains and buried them in the sacristy, throwing quick-lime and water on them. After the French Revolution, her body was found to be still intact save where the quick-lime had done its work. There are more than 400 miracles or extraordinary graces which are documented, that were received through the intervention of Saint Germaine. They include cures of every kind (of blindness, both congenital and resulting from disease, of hip and of spinal disease), and the multiplication of food for the distressed community of the Good Shepherd at Bourges, France in 1845. PATRONAGES: abandoned people, abuse victims, child abuse victims, against poverty, disabled and handicapped, people, girls from rural areas, illness, impoverishment, loss of parents, shepherdesses, people disfigured by disease, physical therapists. PRAYER: O Saint Germaine, look down from Heaven and intercede for the many abused children in our world. Help them to sanctify these sufferings. Strengthen children who suffer the effects of living in broken families. Protect those children who have been abandoned by their parents and live in the streets. Beg God's mercy on the parents who abuse their children. Intercede for handicapped children and their parents. Saint Germaine, you who suffered neglect and abuse so patiently, pray for us. Amen.
St Germaine reminds me of St Charbel in this; they were both people who should have been buried and forgotten but the finger of God pointed down from heaven with miracles and indicated that they were saints. I have hardly read a saint anywhere who was so burdened with huge, huge Crosses right from her being a little baby. Anyone who ever felt sorry for themselves should look to little Germaine. She took her huge Crosses and ran with them.
Another Saint for today Saint Luigi Maria Palazzolo, 1827–1886 Connection to the date: Death anniversary and feast day, June 15, 1886. Canonized May 15, 2022, by Pope Francis. Patronage: Diocese of Bergamo; the poor; abandoned girls; orphans; Sisters of the Poor. Life: Born December 10, 1827, in Bergamo, Italy, as the youngest of nine sons. Father died when Luigi was age 10; mother Theresa raised him in faith and virtue. Ordained priest in 1850. Began teaching catechism to children, visiting prisoners, and dedicating himself to the poor and marginalized. In 1869, with Venerable Maria Teresa Gabrieli, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor (Poverelle Sisters) to care for and educate neglected, vulnerable girls. Established an orphanage in Traona, Italy (1872). The Sisters received papal approval from Pope Pius X in 1912. Suffered respiratory problems in his final years; died June 15, 1886, at age 58. Beatified March 19, 1963, by Pope John XXIII. ◾Canonization Miracle: Sister Gianmarisa Perani, professed member of the Poverelle Sisters since 1950, was rushed to hospital in November 2015 in severe condition. She underwent emergency surgery but developed serious complications and fell into a coma. Two months later, in January 2016, her condition worsened and her physician ordered her treatment stopped, declaring her terminal. The Sisters and medical staff prayed for Luigi's intercession. While a nurse was checking on her, Sister Gianmarisa suddenly awoke from her coma. She recovered rapidly and completely. Medical diagnosis confirmed: acinetobacter baumannii meningitis with cerebral hemorrhage from high-flow arteriovenous malformation rupture and acute hydrocephalus. Vatican Medical Commission found her recovery medically inexplicable (approved November 28, 2019). Prayer: Saint Luigi Maria Palazzolo, healer of the abandoned and forgotten, intercede for all who labor among the poor and destitute.
SAINT OF THE DAY TUESDAY, 16 JUNE, 2026 SAINT JOHN FRANCIS REGIS (1597 - 1640) Son of a wealthy merchant. Educated at the Jesuit college at Beziers, and at Cahors, Le Puy, Auch, and Tournon. Joined the Jesuits at age 18. A Preacher, Catechist who was so good that children he taught helped bring their parents back to the Church. Ordained at age 34. Worked with plague victims in Toulouse, France. Taught at Pamiers. His skill at preaching caused him to be sent as evangelist to provinces that had fallen to the Huguenots following the Edict of Nantes, places where many had abandoned the Church. Not known for a polished style or appearance, his simple method of preaching the Truth, and his willingness to work for the poor, converted crowds of farmers, workers, and country folk. When pressed about his image he replied, “The rich never lack confessors.” He lived off apples, black bread, and whatever came to hand, preferring to spend his time preaching, teaching, and hearing confessions. Established hostels for prostitutes, whom he called “Daughters of Refuge”, who wished to leave the business. He was often assaulted for his trouble. Helped a group of country girls stay away from the cities by establishing them in the lacemaking and embroidery trade, an area of which he a patron saint. Established the Confraternities of the Blessed Sacrament; to the society women he offered the “gift” of a few hungry mouths to feed, while to others he sent notes like, “Sir, you will provide food for the poor people who names are listed below, and you will give them six sous for their lodging. If you are unable to provide them with food, you will give them a further six sous so that they may buy it themselves.” They did, Established a granary for the poor which sometimes miraculously refilled, demanded (and received) treatment for them by doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. Known for miraculous healing, but said that “every time God converts a hardened sinner, He is working a far greater miracle.” At one point there was a movement against him by some of his fellow Jesuits who felt his zealous “signs of simplicity and indiscretion” did not best showcase their order nor follow its teachings. Regis' bishop, however, recognized there was more jealousy than theology in the complaint, and ignored it. Regis asked for transfer to Canada where he could preach without worries about the politics of the Order, but he was ordered to continue his good works in the French countryside. At age 43 Regis had a premonition of his death. He spent three days in retreat, made a general confession, and resumed his mission in mountain villages. Bad weather set in, he spent his days preaching, his nights in poor shelter, developed pleurisy and then pneumonia. His last words were “Jesus, my Savior, I recommend my soul to You.” PATRON: lacemakers, medical social workers, and illegitimate children. PRAYER OF ST. JOHN FRANCIS REGIS FOR PURITY TO OUR BLESSED LADY: My Queen and my Mother! to thee I offer myself without any reserve: and to give thee a mark of my devotion, I consecrate to thee during this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, and my whole person: Since I belong to thee, O my good Mother! preserve and defend me as thy property and possession. Amen.
So many of these wonderful Jesuit saints at that period, a whole army of them. May God grant us whole armies of Marian saints in these terrible times.
Documented Miracle: A parishioner suffered a fractured leg. After extended prayer to John Francis Regis, the parishioner remained seated in the church. Upon examination of the leg, the fracture was found to be miraculously healed. Documented in early hagiographic sources and canonization processes. PRE-CONSULTA MEDICA CAVEAT: Canonized 1737; miracle examined through early Church procedures predating modern medical verification. Specific clinical timeline not documented in accessible sources.
SAINT OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE, 2026 SAINT EMILY DE VIALAR RELIGIOUS FOUNDRESS (1797–1856) Anne Marguerite Adelaide Emily de Villar was born to an aristocratic family, the eldest of three children, and only daughter of Baron James Augustine and Antoinette de Vialar. Because of the anti-Church sentiment of the years following the French Revolution, Emily was baptized in secret, and was taught religion at home by her mother. Sent at age 7 to Paris, France for her education. Her mother died when Emily was 15, and the girl returned home. She managed her father‘s house until she was 35 years old, privately devoting herself to a life of celibacy and prayer, and occasionally arguing with her father over her desire to enter religious life. Upon receiving a large inheritance from her grandfather, Emily and three other women founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition on Christmas Day in 1832; the Apparition refers to the appearance of Gabriel to Joseph, telling him to flee to Egypt. In 1835, Emily and several of the Sisters arrived in Algeria to help the sick during a cholera epidemic, and begin her dream of missionary work. Beginning in 1840 she tried to obtain papal approval of the Sisters, but secular politics between France and Algeria, and Church politics involving Bishop Dupuch of Alger prevented the recognition until 31 March 1862, several years after Emilie's death. During the next few years Emily established 14 new houses, travelled extensively, and sent missionaries anywhere that would accept them. This put a heavy strain on her inheritence, which had been mismanaged by her financial advisor. By 1851 she was bankrupt. Because of the money trouble, the reputation of Emily and of the Sisters suffered, and they were so poor that they sometimes ate in soup kitchens run by other Congregations. Emily finally moved them all, establishing the mother-house of the Sisters in Marseilles, France where, with the help of the bishop, Saint Eugene de Mazenod, she began to build up her congregation again. From her youth she was troubled by hernia, contracted characteristically in doing a deed of charity. From 1850 this became more and more serious, and it hastened her end, which came on August 24, 1856. The burden of her last testament to her daughters was "Love one another". Her canonization took place in 1951; her feast is June 17th. In the years until her death, she established 40 houses in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the Sisters continue their good work all over the world today. PATRON: single women. PRAYER: O St. Emily, you who in the church, wanted to continue to manifest the Father's love, as realised through the Incarnation of the Son, grant us your docility to the Spirit, your audacity and your apostolic courage. Amen.
