Memorial of Saints (October 4)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Francis of Assisi
• Ammon;
• Petronius, bishop

Francis of Assisi: (died 3 Oct 1226 A.D.); noted for his charismatic personality, deep compassion for all, and love for God's creation; renounced wealth to follow "Lady Poverty"; deacon; founded the Order of Friars Minor, the Poor Clares and the Third Order; wrote Canticle of the Sun; received the stigmata 14 Sept. 1224 A.D.; canonized only two years after his death; patron of ecologists and of Italy.

Related Blog posts:

• St. Francis and the Franciscans, One of the Four Great Mendicant Orders in the Church, Learn more
• St. Francis' Involvement in the Crusades, Learn more
• St. Clare of Assisi and the Poor Clares - the "Second Order" of the Franciscans, Learn more
• St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bonaventure, and St. Lawrence of Brindisi: three Franciscan Doctors of the Church

Memorial of Saints (October 3)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Francis Borgia, priest
• Hesychius;
• The Two Ewalds, martyrs
• Gerard of Brogne, abbot
• Froilan and Attilanus, bishop
• Thomas of Hereford, bishop

St. Francis Borgia (1510-1572 A.D.) was married to Eleanor de Castro in 1529 A.D. When Eleanor died in 1546 A.D., he was left with eight children. In 1548 A.D. Francis decided to join the Jesuits. He went to Rome, returned to Spain the next year to turn over his inheritance to his son, Charles, and was ordained later in the year. Francis Borgia founded numerous monasteries, colleges and foundations. In 1565 A.D., he was elected father general of the Jesuit Order (the third general from St. Ignatius of Loyola). As superior general, he expanded the Society of Jesus greatly. He was so successful in revitalizing and reinvigorating the Jesuit Order that he is often called the second founder. He was canonized in 1671 A.D. (the Dictionary of Saints by John Delaney mentions his feast day on October 10 while the Lives of the Saints by Richard P. McBrien mentions his feast day on October 3).

Related blog posts:

• Eight Days of the Spiritual Exercises
• St. Peter Canisius, Priest and Jesuit
• Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits
• St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Jesuit Scholastic
• St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest and Founder
• Heroic Leadership

The Two Ewalds (d. ca. 695 A.D.) were two brothers from Northumbria. They were educated in Ireland and were sent as missionaries to Germany. They were named "the Dark" and "the Fair" to distinguish them. Both were murdered by barbarians who feared that their friendship with the local chieftain of Aplerbeke, Dortmund, would lead to the adoption of Christianity and the eradication of pagan rites. However, the chieftain put the murderers to death.

Learn more of Saints with Memorials on October 3

Memorial of Saints (October 2)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Guardian Angels
• Eleutherius, martyr;
• Leodegarius or Leger, bishop and martyr

Guardian Angels: Observed since the 16th c. A.D. in Spain, Pope Clement X in 1670 A.D. assigned this memorial to the first free day following Michaelmas day.

St. Eleutherius (d. ca. 303 A.D.) was a soldier in Nicomedia when the Emperor Diocletian's palace got burned. He was accused of being the leader of a group that set it on fire, he was tortured and then burned to death. (A lot of Christians were martyred during the time of Emperor Diocletian). His story is in the Roman Martyrology.

Learn more