Saint of the Day

A statue of St. Junipero Serra sits among flowers outside San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission in Carmel, Calif. The Spanish missionary was canonized by Pope Francis last year under the title of "apostle of California." St. Junipero's feast is July 1. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)

Saint of the Day

Saint Junipero Serra

Saint Junipero Serra’s missionary life was a long battle with cold and hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of death from non-Christian native peoples.

July 1

Known for his long hours of prayer and notable ability to communicate, John Francis Regis served the people of France during a “dry” period, when the faith and the Church seemed in decline. He conducted missions to counteract the malaise.

Saint Marguerite d’Youville

Franciscan Media June 15

Enduring a seriously dysfunctional marriage and being left a widow, Saint Marguerite d’Youville did not give in to despair. Rather, she founded the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, the “Grey Nuns,” rescued a failing hospital, and cared for the sick. ...

Saint Albert Chmielowski

Franciscan Media June 14

Saint Albert Chmielowski was a talented painter and a Secular Franciscan. In mid-life, he founded the Brothers of the Third Order of Saint Francis, Servants to the Poor, who worked with the poor and homeless. Known also as the Albertine ...

Saint Anthony of Padua

Franciscan Media June 13

An Augustinian monk who was inspired by the martyrdom of Franciscan missionaries, Saint Anthony of Padua joined the Franciscans hoping to be a missionary. But God had other plans for him. He became one of the outstanding philosopher/theologians of the ...