Anthony of Padua (born 1195, Lisbon, Portugal—died June 13, 1231, Arcella, Verona [Italy]; canonized 1232; feast day June 13) was a Franciscan friar and a dedicated patron of the poor. Portugal and the city of Padua, Italy, claim him as their patron saint, and he is invoked for the return of lost property.   <<Read more>>

Born into an aristocratic family in Strasbourg, France, Charles de Foucauld was orphaned at the age of 6, raised by his devout grandfather, rejected the Catholic faith as a teenager, and joined the French army. Inheriting a great deal of money from his grandfather, Charles went to Algeria with his regiment, but not without his mistress, Mimi.

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Saint Faustina Kowalska, also known as Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, was a Polish nun and mystic who is best known for her diary, which details her encounters with Jesus and her devotion to Divine Mercy. She was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2000, and her feast day is celebrated on October 5th.     <<Read more>>

St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491, Lthe youngest son of a Basque nobleman. He served as a page and then as a courtier at the courts of leading Spanish noblemen. But, in 1521 a French army invaded Spain and attacked Pamplona near Castle Loyola. Ignatius led the defense until he was hit by a a canon ball which smashed his legs.

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Lorenzo Ruiz, also called Saint Lorenzo of Manila, was a Filipino Catholic layman and a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. A Chinese Filipino, he became his country's protomartyr after his execution in Japan by the Tokugawa shogunate during its persecution of Japanese Christians in the 17th century.   <<Read more>>