Stories of the Saints and Holy men and women

Relics of Saints

See Where Are the 12 Apostles Now?| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)

Levitating Saints

San Giuseppe da Copertino si eleva in volo alla vista della Basilica di Loreto (wikipedia)

The Flying Friar: St. Joseph of Cupertino

Like some of the greatest Saints, Giuseppe, or Joseph (1603-1663), was considered ill-educated and too ignorant to join an order, in this case the Franciscans. Instead, he worked in the stables for three years before they recognized his piety and simple, pure devotion and admitted him to the Order.

Having experienced ecstatic visions as a child, the experiences multiplied upon becoming a priest in 1625, to the point of levitating during Mass. His fellow brothers and superiors objected to the disruptions, and at one point, at least, tied him down so that he would not fly.

Of course, St. Joseph of Cupertino is the Patron Saint of pilots, but he is also Patron Saint of patron test-takers, as when he took his test to become a priest, he was prepared only to discuss one passage, Luke 11:27, “Blessed is the womb that bore you.” -- and that was, by chance, or providence, the very passage he was asked about and thus passed his test.

Sources:

• What amazing skill did St. Joseph of Cupertino have? - Get Fed™ (catholiccompany.com)

The English Martyrs

During the so-called "Reformation," when English King Henry VIII established the Church of England as independent of the Catholic Church and himself head of the English church (1534), those who refused to renounce allegiance to the Pope were persecuted or executed. When Elizabeth took control of the Crown from her half-sister, the Catholic Mary (who had reversed some of the "reforms"), the persecutions amplified, especially after the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570.

The English Reformation was driven by greed and power politics at the top of English society. The common people were predominantly faithful Catholics who opposed the changes. Several uprising of tens of thousands of common people were violently put down by government forces and those considered leaders of them were executed (see Catholic Martyrs of the Reformation). Catholic worship was driven undergound, managed by heroic priests and lay people.

Saint Nicholas Owen, builder of "Priest holes"

>> to do

The Desert Fathers and Mothers

Insults in praise of God

As their fame grew, a Greek philosopher came to the desert to learn from the Desert Fathers. He encountered a monk who insulted him, then demanded payment for it. After three years of this treatment (!), the philosopher, fed up with it, returned to Athens. Upon arrival, he encountered a street bum who was insulting people. The philosopher approached the man and was insulted thoroughly. To the man's surprise, rather than reacting in anger, the philosopher laughed at him. "What are you laughing at," the man demanded. "For three years I paid for insults," replied the philosopher, "and you just gave away one for free!"

The bum stood, bowed, and declared to the philosopher, "Behold, the keys to the city are yours!"  

Sell what you have

A monk was given a manuscript of the Gospels. He read it, and when he got to the words, "Sell what you have and give to the poor," he stopped reading, sold the book. and gave the money to the poor.

Our Father...

Whenever a certain Desert Mother commenced the Our Father prayer, she would become so overwhelmed by the beauty and meaning of God as "our Father" that she would weep and contemplate those two words for days, unable to complete the prayer.

Brigands, robbers, and other scoundrels confronted by Saints

Saint John Cantius & the repenting brigands

When brigands assaulted the Polish Saint John Cantius (Jan Kanty, 1390-1473) and took his possessions, they asked him if he had anything more. He replied he did not, and they let him go on his way. Shortly after, he realized that he did have more, coins sewn into his cloak. He ran after the brigands and told them he had not spoken in error and offered the coins to them. Astonished, they refused the coins and gave back what they had taken from him before.

This occurred on one of St. Cantius' four pilgrimages to Rome by foot -- from Poland, carrying his own bags. He also went to Jerusalem after having contemplated the Passion for nights without sleep.

Sources:

• Canons Regular of St. John Cantius | Illinois (canons-regular.org)

Saint Gabriel Possenti & the expert shot

Saint Gabriel Possenti (1838-1862) was an ambitious, gregarious, charming young man who was an expert swordsman. Falling severely ill, he promised Our Lady that he would become a priest if she would cure him. She did, and he shocked his family and friends by entering the Seminary. That didn't last long, and he went back to his ways. He was injured by a stray bullet during a hunt and made the same promise again-- and forgot about it. He fell ill again and upon recovery kept his promise, finally. Another story has it that he as he watched a procession carrying a large banner and picture of "Our Lady, Help of Christians," Mary's eyes stared at him and he heard her say, "Keep your promise." He repented and joined the Passionists order. He died of tuberculosis at age of 23 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

During the Italian Revolution a band of "Red Shirts," attacked a village and threatened a young girl. Saint Gabriel grabbed a revolver from one of the attackers, and threatened to shoot anyone who would touch her. A brigand sneered, "You have six bullets, and there are 300 of us!" Saint Gabriel turned and shot dead a small lizard that scampered across the road. "Now I have five bullets," he retorted. They turned away.

Sources:

• Patron Saint of Handguns? St. Gabriel Possenti — Catholic Faith On the Move

Intervention of Saints Cosmas & Damian upon the fearsome brigand, Scannacornacchia

The southeastern Italian city of Alberobello celebrates the Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian on September 27 with games, dances, and feasts. In 1781 a roving band of brigands led by the fearsome and loathsome Nicola Spinosa, who was known as "Scannacornacchia" ("slayer of crows"), broke into one large gathering and commenced to dance. Eyeing a frightened, young lady, they approached her with ill intent. Alarmed, her mother jumped between them, genuflecting and weeping, and prayed to Saints Cosmas and Damian to protect her daughter. The Saints intervened and Scannacornacchia spared the girl.

The following year, the first of two statues of the Saints commissioned by one Joseph Dominic Rinaldi, that of Saint Cosmas, arrived to the town. Immediately a long drought ended.

Sources:

• The feast of Saints Cosma and Damiano at the time of the brigands (alberobello.com)
  • the mother's prayer to the Saints is not recorded on that site, but it's part of local legend (no links) and also makes sense,
  • Here for some history of the region and of Scannacornacchia
• The feast of the patron Saints Cosmas & Damian of Alberobello
• see also Murgia dei Trulli | World Monuments Fund (wmf.org) for the conical dwellings used in the region starting around 500 AD. (also:Trullo - Wikipedia)

Ice Cold: St. Sebaldus

The patron Saint of Cold Weather (lived around the 8th century), Saint Sebaldus, was born in England and served as a missionary in the Reichswald forest area of western Germany, converting hard-core pagans. One cold night, St. Sebaldus stumbled upon a peasant cottage and was welcomed inside by the owners, who kept a low fire burning as they were low on firewood. It's unclear why, given they were in a forest, but, heh, when a saint is called, that saint is called. The near-frozen Saint asked about building up the fire, and when told they had very little firewood left, he told the lady of the house to go outside and bring in icicles hanging from the roof. She brought some in, which Saint Sebaldus put on the fire, sending it ablaze as if the icicles were seasoned firewood.

That's kinda cool (get it?) but even better was when St. Sebaldus was accosted by an unrepentant pagan who repeatedly insulted him with profanity and blasphemy. The Saint coolly but fervently prayed, and the blasphemer was swallowed into a suddenly-appearing hole in the ground below him. As the man screamed for mercy, the Saint coolly prayed some more and the now repentant pagan was pitched from the fathoms into the air, landing, we supposed, as a Christian, or one to soon be.

Saint Sebaldus more importantly preached across the region, converting souls and caring for the sick and poor. His feast day is August 19.

Sources:

• Saint Sebaldus - Catholic Saint | Saint for a Minute: Saints & Blesseds
• A patron saint against cold weather - Arlington Catholic Herald

The Devil and the Saints

Saint Genevieve confronting the devil who would blow out her candles as she prayed. Here she is depicted with an angel who holds her candle as she confronts Satan.

Saint Genevieve and the candle

Saint Genevieve (c. 419-c. 512), not only saved Paris from Atilla the Hun, she could change the weather through her prayers. When she was young, a bridge appeared over a muddy ditch, and after she crossed the bridge, it disappeared. In the late 17th century, as the city suffered from a drought and near starvation from crop failures, Parisians prayed to Saint Genevieve at her Abbey, but nothing changed; however, when a crowd of suffering poor joined a procession in her honor, and the rain came and the crops were saved.

The devil would blow out her candle while she prayed at night, and she would waive her hand to relight the candle.

Sources:

• Saint Genevieve | Encyclopedia.com

Saint Neri: "The laughing Saint"

Did you know that Saint Philp Neri kept a journal of his favorite jokes? He loved to pull pranks on seminarians and make others laugh. He taught,

“Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life; wherefore the servant of God ought always to be in good spirits.”

He was known to show up to a gatherings with half his beard or head shaved. He would walk the streets of Rome with his clothes inside-out, or carrying upside down a pack of brooms that he would sniff as if they were roses. Once, he gave a homily, straight-faced, pronouncing every word incorrectly. He laughed to himself about that one for days after! He also used his jokes to before Mass in order to focus his mind beforehand so that he would offer Mass with all his mind and heart.

These are all in good fun, and he loved fun, but his point was that we are to be, as Saint Paul said, "fools for Christ." He only ever made fun of himself, not others, and did so to stay humble, defeat pride, and to better serve God.

Other Saint Neri stories

The biggest heart ever

When his body was exhumed, it was discovered that his heart was so unnaturally enlarged that it broke several ribs! He was literally "inflamed" with love for God, and whenever he performed any spiritual action, his heart would fluctuate.

In prayer on Pentecost in 1544, Saint Philip asked the Lord to increase in him the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. He then witnessed a globe of fire come upon him. It entered his mouth and went to his heart, which he felt exploding with God's love. The pain receded but not his heart.

His biographer wrote,

“While he was with the greatest earnestness asking of the Holy Ghost His gifts, there appeared to him a globe of fire, which entered into his mouth and lodged in his breast; …he was suddenly surprised with such a fire of love…and putting his hand to his bosom, he felt by the side of his heart, a swelling about as big as a man’s fist, but neither then nor afterwards was it attended with the slightest pain or wound.”

Seeing the mark of the Holy Spirit

Like many great pastoral priests, Saint Philip Neri was sought out for Confession and spent an enormous amount of time in the confessional. In fact, offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation was among the last things the Saint did the day of his death, May 25, 1595, which was on the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Once, a priest came to him for confession but disguised himself as a lay person. Saint Philip greeted the man, stopped and said, "You're a priest!" When the priest asked him how he knew, Saint Philip replied, "By the mark on your forehead."

The easiest Confession ever

A noblewoman of Rome was sent by her Confessor to see Saint Philip Neri, as he was unable to alleviate her troubles or give her relief. Before she couls say a word to him in the confessional, Saint Philip told here everything she had wanted to say to him. He then laid his hand upon her head, made the sign of the Cross on her forehead, and sent her away, all anxiety suddenly relieved.

Sources:

• The life of Saint Philip Neri, apostle of Rome
• Philip Romolo Neri, Saint | Catholic Answers Encyclopedia
• St. Philip Neri: Patron Saint of Laughter and Joy - Good Catholic
• St. Philip Neri - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
• Here's why St. Philip Neri is known as the "Humorous Saint"
• The Humble Wit & Humor of St. Philip Neri
• The Saint Who Laughed His Way To Heaven | by Catholic Extension | Medium

Saints to do

A patron saint for procrastinators - Arlington Catholic Herald