Bl. Miguel Pro

Bl. Miguel Pro was a Jesuit priest in Mexico at a time when the government was trying to suppress the Catholic faith. Priests were forced to marry, arrested for false crimes, or just killed, and churches were forced to close. Miguel continued to run his church secretly, for which he was arrested. He was released, but soon after he was arrested again and accused of attempting to assassinate a general. Despite witnesses saying he wasn't involved, Miguel was executed for the crime, refusing a blindfold so he could face the firing squad. He held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other, and after forgiving the soldiers who were about to kill him, his last words were "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" - "Long live Christ the King!". 


Lifetime: 1891 to 1927
Region: Mexico
Patronages: Martyrs; Those facing persecution
Iconograpy: Rosary; Priest garb; Holding out arms at execution; Viva Cristo Rey banner
Feast Day: November 23

Popular posts from this blog

St. Muirgen the Mermaid

Image
Wait, an actual mermaid? That can't be real. Mermaids aren't real, so they can't be saints! Well, yes and no. Lifetime: 90 to 558 Region: Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland Patronages: People who like mermaids; Storytellers; Converts from pagan faiths (I made these up.) Iconograpy: Water; Otter; She's an actual mermaid Feast Day: January 27 Muirgen was born Li Ban and lived as a princess in her father's palace. But one day, a spring opened up under the palace, swallowing the entire building into a lake. Li Ban's whole family drowned, but Li Ban's room remained intact and continued holding air. She lived trapped in this underwater room for a year with only her dog to keep her company. After a year, Li Ban turned into a mermaid. Her faithful dog was also changed, becoming an otter to keep his master company. As a mermaid, Li Ban's lifespan was lengthened and she swam through the lake, playing with her otter for hundreds of years. Li Ban learn
Read more

St. Hildegard von Bingen

Image
Hildegard von Bingen -- or Hildegard of Bingen, in English -- was a true Renaissance woman, which is a bit ironic since she lived a full two centuries before the Renaissance began. Her feast day is today, September 17. Saint Hildegard, now one of the only four women Doctors of the Catholic church, was gifted in art, cooking, herbology, music composition, writing, and medicine. She was given "visions" (though she experienced them in all five senses) and instructions from God throughout her life starting when she was three years old. Lifetime: 1098 to 1179 Region: Roman Empire (current-day Germany) Patronages (informal): Artists; Musicians; Cooks; Creativity Iconograpy: Book & quill; Harp; Plants; Flame upon her head Feast Day: September 17 Frankly, it's hard to write about Hildegard because she did so much. Her beer recipe is the oldest known recipe to contain hops. Her collection of "spice that bring joy" are now key ingredients in the incre
Read more

St. Modomnoc of Ossory

Image
I recently discvovered that the area where Saint Modomnoc died, Kilkenny, Ireland, is where my own Irish ancestors are from. Sometimes it's those little connections that imbue so much more meaning than even the big, flashy miracles. I first learned about Saint Modomnoc from a children's book which was recommended to me by Amazon. See, sometimes algorithms can be good! The book is called The Saint and his Bees and it's an adorable story with beautiful illustrations. There's not a lot of existing information on St. Modomnoc, so much of my post today will be inspired by this book. Also, as always, I've taken a few creative liberties of my own. Lifetime: ~500 to ~550 Region: Ireland & Wales Patronages: Bees & Beekeepers; Kilkenny, Ireland Iconograpy: Bees or beehive; Green robe; Red or gray hair & beard Feast Day: February 13 Modomnoc was named Dominic during his life (putting "Mo" in front was an Irish way of adding familiarity). He
Read more