Memorial of Saints (December 5)

St. Sabas had a hard life as a youth. So, he ran away to a monastery near his birth place. When his family wanted him back home, he chose to remain in the monastery. He then became a hermit under the guidance of St. Euthymius. As a hermit, he attracted a number of followers, and thus organized them into a laura - (hermit huts in circular form around a chapel). St. Sabas is considered one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. His monastery is one of the four oldest inhabited monasteries in the world (died ca. 532 A.D.).

Blessed Philip Rinaldi was ordained as a Salesian priest of Don Bosco in 1882 A.D. He developed the Salesian Family, now known as the Don Bosco Volunteers. In 1922 A.D., he was in charge of formation and the promotion of devotion to St. John Bosco (died ca. 1931 A.D.).

St. Crispina was a wealthy African mother of several children. She was arrested during the persecution of Christians during the reign of Diocletian. When she was ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods, and refused to do so, she was beheaded (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Nicetius of Trier became a monk at Limoges. He then became its abbot until he was named bishop to the episcopate of Trier. As bishop of Trier, St. Nicetius restored clerical discipline, rebuilt the cathedral, and founded a school for clerics (died ca. 566 A.D.).

St. Birinus was consecrated bishop in Genoa, Italy, and went to Britain as a missionary. He evangelized the West Saxons and was successful in this mission. Because of many conversions he produced in his missionary work, St. Birinus came to be known as "the Apostle of Wessex" (died ca. 650 A.D.).

St. Sigiramnus was engaged to be married, but broke this engagement to become a monk at St. Martin's in Tours, France. After the death of his father, who was bishop of Tours, he gave away his inheritance to the poor. He then joined an Irish bishop, and soon founded monasteries at Meobecca and Longoretum. He is known for his charity to the poor (died ca. 655 A.D.).

St. John Almond was ordained in Rome in 1598 A.D. He was sent as a missionary to England in 1602 A.D. and served the English Catholics for about a decade. In 1612 A.D., when he refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn (died ca. 1612 A.D.).