Memorial of Saints (April 10)

St. Michael de Sanctis wanted to be a monk at six years of age. But his parents made him work first as an apprentice of a merchant. In 1603 A.D., he entered the Trinitarian Monastery in Barcelona. After studies in Seville and Salamanca, he was ordained. He became superior of the monastic house in Villadolid. Because of his great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, his companions already considered him a saint (died ca. 1625 A.D.).

St. Magdalen of Canossa joined the Carmelites but lived with them only shortly. She liked better the apostolate of serving Christ in the poor. Eventually, she was able to organize a school, recruited teachers, and created a form of religious life for them. She received papal approval for her congregation in 1824 A.D. - receiving the name Canossian Sisters of Charity. After a time, she was also able to organize a congregation for priests and brothers (died ca. 1835 A.D.).

St. Bademus founded a monastery near his birthplace in Bethlapat, Persia. But during the persecution of Christians under King Sapor II of Persia, he and seven companions were imprisoned and tortured. A Christian by the name of Nerson, was promised his freedom by the Persian authorities, if he would prove his denial of his Christian faith by killing St. Bademus. This is how St. Bademus died as a martyr for the faith (died ca. 376 A.D.).

St. Macaire of Ghent became bishop of Jerusalem in 314 A.D. He fought the Arian heresy and took part in the Council of Nicaea. Tradition says that he was with St. Helena (mother of Emperor Constantine) when she found the three crosses - one of which belonged to Jesus. When they let one of the crosses touch a seriously ill woman, and she got well, that Cross was proclaimed as the Cross of Christ. St. Macaire was then commissioned by Constantine to build a church over Christ's sepulcher (died ca. 335 A.D.).

St. Fulbert studied at Rheims under Gerbert. He became chancellor of Chartres and head of its cathedral school. When he was then elected to the see of Chartres, as bishop of his diocese, St. Fulbert rebuilt the cathedral, influenced the secular leaders of his time, and fought against simony - a sacrilege that consists in buying and selling what is spiritual in return for material things. St. Fulbert was a very accomplished bishop, producing many sermons, hymns, letters and treatises (died ca. 1029 A.D.).

St. Paternus of Abdinghof was the first to become a monk at Abdinghof monastery, under St. Meinwerk. Paternus decided to become a hermit in a cell adjoining the monastery. When a devastating fire in 1058 A.D. destroyed Abdinghof (an event foretold and predicted by St. Paternus), Paternus was burned to death because he refused to leave his cell and break his vow of enclosure (died ca. 1058 A.D.).