Our grade schoolers will soon be voting on who they want to be our school’s patron saint this year (in addition to St. Paul, of course.) The winner of the election will be announced at our school Mass on All Saints’ Day. These are the candidates:
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (Al-low-wish-ous Gone-za-gah)
- Though born to a very rich and powerful Italian family, his first words were the holy names of Jesus and Mary and he resolved as a teenagers to become a priest and missionary.
- During his last year of seminary, while caring for plague victims in Rome, he died at age twenty-three with Jesus’ name as his last word.
- He is the patron saint of Catholic youths.
The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Jesus’ momma, St. Joseph’s wife, and the mother of all Christians.
- By God’s grace she lived a sinless life and was taken up body and soul into Heaven.
- Since that time, she has appeared in Mexico, France, Portugal, Wisconsin, and elsewhere.
Saint Anthony of Padua (Pah-du-ah)
- This Portuguese priest became close friends with St. Francis of Assisi.
- An amazing preacher, when his tomb was opened after thirteen years his tongue still looked alive and moist even though the rest of him was dusty bones.
- One of history’s most quickly canonized saints, he is the patron saint of lost things.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (Tur-rez of Liz-sue) also known as “The Little Flower”
- She begged Pope Leo XIII for permission and entered a French convent at age fifteen.
- Her “Little Way” spirituality teaches about doing little things with great love.
- She is known to give roses at the end of novenas (nine days of prayer) asking her help.
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