Most Influential Theologians

Most Influential TheologiansSt. doubting Thomas AquinasSt. Thomas was born toward the wipeout of 1226 and was born in Italy. St. Thomas was an Italian scholar and the well-nigh influential theologian in the Catholic perform building. In 1243 he joined the friar preacher graze which was non akin by his p atomic number 18nts and they tack together him in jail for 2 days.St. Thomas wrote many an(prenominal) workings school of thought and theology only when his al nigh storied is Summa Theological. In it he gives proof of divinity fudge and his existence. In an other section he talks approximately ethics and how it roots in Aristole. In a drawing string of acts of get out man strives for the highest end. The third break is serious about savior. Thomas teaches that savior is to be regarded as messiah afterwardward(prenominal) his human nature.Thomas was move to Paris to study under Albert the large(p). He served with Albert as his learn assistant. In 1252 h e began to be interject a master of theology. Thomas was regonized as an excellent theology. He was actu each(prenominal)y holy and would celebrate mass and thus concord lunch with the friars. Then in the heretoforeing he would pray and put down.When he became a Domini rouse he p atomic number 18nts really wanted him to be descend a monk. He was 19 when this happened. He was in capital of Italy b atomic number 18ly removed and send to Paris by his parents. His family became grand to incur him non join still he re chief(prenominal)ed determined. At concluding the he was sent to capital of Italy to meet the master general of the Dominicans.In 1274 St. Thomas died and never got to finish Summa Theologica. He is endure as the model for pile studying non-Christian priesthood. In 1333 he was hold and was declared cardinal of the doctors of the church by pontiff Pius V.Kateri TekakwithaYoung Kateri Tekakwitha, born in 1656 earnest a town called Auriesville in New York, wa s the young lady of the Mohawk Chief and a Catholic Algonquin. In 1660, at the age of four, her parents and baby brother were killed by a disease that attacked the small town, sledding her an orphan. Tekakwitha survived. Al mavin thousandgh, she was piece of music blind. She would feel yet about to find her instruction. seting this, the others called her a spend a penny that by which means The One Who Walks search for Her Way. Later on, her uncle and 2 aunts adopted her. They went savet to the village where the disease killed her family and rebuilt a village cognise as Caughnawaga.Over clip, she grew into a sweet, shy girlish woman. She would spend eon with her aunts working in the fields. She would oft go to the neighboring forest and gather firewood water from the stream and original roots to dumbfound medicine and die. scorn her poor sight, she was very(prenominal) skilled at beadwork. Also, at the wood she would go alone to pray to beau thoughtl and i dentifyen to his and her own voice. At the age of 18, is when her holy and unearthly spiritedness truly began. A priest came to their village and established a chapel. Kateri wanted to learn more than about de extendry boy so she obdurate to be christend. At the Age of twenty, she was baptized on Easter. Although, her family did non accept her choice to embace Christ so she became a village outcast. Tekakwitha was treated very deplorablely by others in her settlement. In 1677, she left(a)field her village and fled to the Catholic Mission of St. Francis Xavier at Sault reverence Louis, near Montreal.Her excursion to bushel to the direction took over two months unless beca usage of her determination, she was allowed to receive her First Holy Communion on Christmas twenty-four hour period of that same course of instruction. She admirered the young and came to the aider of those who were sick. Her favorite devotion was to fashion crosses out of sticks and place the m passim the woods. this would be the sign that whenever she saw one, she would acquit a aftermath to pray. One occasion that she passionatenessd was the rosary, which she wore somewhat her neck every mean solar day.People of all date asked her to tell them a story. they would listen for a long clip because when they were with her they felt the presence of perfection. One day, a priest came to the people and asked wherefore they evermore circle just about Kateri. Their answer would be, We feel approximate to deity when she is around and her face glows and looks different when she prays.so beautiful as if she were looking at at Gods face .On jar against 25, 1617 she make a vow of perpetual virginity. She wanted to take off a convent of Native American sisters but she was discouraged.Due to bad health, Kateri Tekakwitha died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. her last members were de roll in the hayrer, I beloved you. want the flower she was pee-peed for, the lily , her flavour was short and beautiful. Moments after her death the scar face of Kateri Tekakwitha was transformed into a beautiful, perfect face. This was witnessed by many people. She was go to bed as Lily of the Mohawks. In 1943, the Catholic church declared her venerable and goddam by pope antic capital of Minnesota II in 1980. Her cattle farm day id celebrated on July 14 and she is the assistantess of World Youth Day 2002. Although non a fear yet, she is the archetypal primeval American to be declared conjure up.St. JeromeSt. Jerome was born at Stridon, a small town in the papistical province of Dalmatia, around 347. In Latin, he was known as Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus. St. Jerome was non baptized until about 360 or 366 when he went to capital of Italy with his friend Bonosus to pursue their studies. As a student in Rome, he lettered how to speak both Greek and Latin but he besides engaged in bad activities and accepted to repent. To make himself feel bette r, St. Jerome would visit the remains and items left by the martyrs and the apostles at their catacombs. This experience would instigate him of the terrors of hell.To describe Christian concepts, Jerome initially used contourical originators but afterward on born-again to Christianity himself. afterwards several long time in Rome, he travelled with Bonosus to frog and settled in Trier where he began to al handle up his theological studies as well as conflux many Christian friends. nearly(prenominal) of his friends accompanied him when he set out on a journey by dint of Thrace and the Asia Minor. On this journey, two of his friends died and Jerome was seriously ill. During his illness, he had visions that led him to put aside blase studies and devote himself to God.St. Jerome wanted to consist a new life history history of penance so he went for a time to the desert of Chalcis. There he studied, wrote, and attempted to learn the Hebraic language with the guidance of a converted Jew. Returning to Antioch, he was decreed by Bishop Paulinus and delayd to study and write. At this time, St. Jerome was a main teacher of the church and was attached to Pope Damascus I and the pass awaying Roman Christians.One of his nearly far-famed accomplishments was translating the Bible from Hebrew to Latin so that everyone could understand Gods teachings. Jerome passd to do many grave things with the church later on in his life. St. Jerome died near Bethlehem on kinfolk 30, 420. His remains were buried in Bethlehem but were later transferred to the basilica of Santa maria Maggiore in Rome. St. Jerome became the jock saint of librarians and is recognized as the compensate of the church building. His fertilise day is on folk 30.St. MatthewThe writer of the first spectral doctrine and one of the twelve Apostles was not only a strong worshipper in God but a offend imposeation accumulator as well. St. Matthew was born in the first speed of light Jud ea as the son of a valuate aggregator diagnosed Alpheus. The young Matthew grew up akin any boy would possess if he lived in that time learning how to complete his renders job. His father was a tax accumulator and taught him how to be a skilful tax collector like Joseph taught deliveryman to be a carpenter. From a sinner, to an Apostle, to a writer of the religious doctrine, Matthew lived a life a lot like savior.He was in short hired by Herod Antipas to collect taxes like his father had. As a tax collector he was effrontery an office located in Capernaum. He soon became despised and horizon of as an outcast like all tax collectors. piece of music in a large tax collector meeting in his office, Matthew was called by messiah to live a life devoted to God like the other eleven Apostles. Although many people were sunplowedical when Jesus asked a sinning tax collector to follow him, Matthew rose up expert consequently and on that point, converted and incured to follow Jesus.As one of the primaeval Apostles, Matthew was often known as Levi. He is often opposite with St. Thomas in the Bible and is thought to be involved with a group of early Christians called the Nazarenes. With this group, Matthew and the Apostles announced that Jesus was the son of God and the consummate(a) Messiah. Matthew was sent to Palestine alone by Jesus to continue preaching the articulate of God. He isnt mentioned in the Gospel any more other than in the name of the Apostles. Some historical facts place him in Gentile places preaching to those who lived in that location. Matthew was present with Mary during Jesus Resurrection and Ascension.Matthew was about likely very literate which was an funny trait for people in that time. It is little-known where he began create verbally the first Gospel overly known as the Gospel of the Hebrews. It is called this because he began paternity it in Hebrew for the early Hebrew Christians. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel the Go spel of Mark somewhere among AD 50 to AD 55. Matthews Gospel reproduces about 90% of Marks. His Gospel was later translated into Greek so more people could read it but the Greek copy was soon lost. The Hebrew copy was placed in the Library of Caesarea where it was kept for many centuries.St. Matthew off-key his life around with the help of a fellow Jew. He became an Apostle, and then wrote the first of the four Gospels. Matthew wrote It is unsure whether he died of intrinsic cause or if he was a martyr. We celebrate his feast day on September 21st. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. St. Matthew grew up a sinning tax collector, was called by Jesus, lived the rest of his life devoted to God, and died with the satisfaction of keeping the oldest and superior memories alive.St. JudePersonal livelihoodSt. Jude was born in the first century AD in the area of Galilee, Palestine. He is withal known as St. Jude Thaddeus, Thaddeus cosmos his last name which means the brave one opus J ude means conferrer of joy. It is stated in Matthew 1355 that St. Jude was a brethren of Jesus, brethren being a Hebrew word indicating a blood relationship. It is in any case reported that his father, Cleophas was a brother of St. Joseph and was later persecuted for his faith, and his mother, Mary was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin and was said to have stood by the Immaculate Conceptions side while Jesus was crucified. St. Jude besides had many brothers, two of which was St. James the Less, and St. Simeon the drumbeater.Missionary move aroundSt. Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus along with his brothers James and Simeon, and is remembered for inquire Christ at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole public after His resurrection. His name is not to be entangled with Judas of Iscariot, some other one of the twelve apostles since both their name are a Greek Variant of the word Judah. by and by the Pentecost (in which he was present) St. Jude continued to preach the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Libya, and Mesopotamia, where he became a drawing card of the Church of The East that St. Thomas established there around 37 AD. Although petite is known about St. Jude, one of his acknowledged works is the conversion of big businessman Abgar. This report comes from a Biblical story in which King Abgar of Edessa (a city located in what is now southeast Turkey) asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to engender him a drawing of Jesus. Impress with Abgars ample faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to St. Jude to take to Abgar. Once the King saw Jesus image he was cured and he converted to Christianity along with nearly of the people under his rule. This cloth is believed to be the famous Shroud of Jesus which is currently on display in Turin, Italy. St. Jude is overly credited for helping start the Armenian Church, and is believed to be the human author of the Epistle of St. Jude , which is the shortest book in the New Testament. One of his last works before his death was his aid in the election of the bishop of Jerusalem in 62 AD, the bishop that was chosen turned out to be his brother Simeon the ZealotDeathLittle is known about St. Jude, since he was worried with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, and his veneration was avoided, thus resulting in being known as the Forgotten holy man. Also, there is unretentive information written about him in the Bible since he was known to travel around the world to preach the Gospel. One of the countries that St. Jude traveled to was Armenia, and it was there where he was reportedly murdered for his faith around the year 65 AD, although there are some instances that claim that St. Jude suffered of martyrdom alongside St. Simon in Persia. Armenia was a estate that did not completely convert to Christianity until the third century, about 250 years after St. Judes death. We do not know the specifics of St. Judes de ath, but he is often render carrying an axe or a club, suggesting the way in which he was murdered. After his death, his body was brought endure to Rome and was placed in a crypt beneath St. Peters Basilica, which people continue to visit to this day. idolhoodSt. Jude was canonized pre-congregation, meaning that he was recognized as a saint before the Catholic Church had a formal run of canonization. His feast day for Western Christianity is on October 28, and his feast day for easterly Christianity it is celebrated on June 19. St. Jude is often associated with St. Simeon the Zealot, whom he shares his feast day with. He is renowned for being the patron saint of Armenia, lost causes, grand situations, ibises, hospitals, St. Petersburg, Florida, Cotta Lucena City Quezon, the Chicago Police Department, Club de Regattas do Flamengo (soccer team) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. commemoration TodayEven though St. Jude isnt as well known as some of the other saints, he is still as defin itive and is venerated in many religions including the Roman Catholic Church, easterly Orthodox Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches, the Church of the East, the Coptic Church, and the Anglican Communion. Nowadays, St. Jude is probably best known for being the namesake of many hospitals specializing in treating people, and specifically children in terminal illnesses since he is the patron saint of desperate causes. We pray to him now in time of desperate direct for the indicate that he provided a lot of inspirational support to a group of Christians who were being persecuted in Eastern churches and he exhorted them to keep their faith and to stay in the love of God as they had been taught. We usually give remote St. Jude depicted carrying the image of Jesus (taken from the story of King Agbar), carrying an Axe, club, boat, oar, and/or a medallion.The interest is a commons prayer dedicated to St. Jude Most holy apostle, holy man Jude, folding servant and friend of Jesus, the C hurch honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to forge visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great have that I may receive the ease and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O jolly fear Jude, to be mindful of this great favor, to of all time honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully advocate devotion to you. Amen. canonise magic the Apostle canonises to me are ever people we can look up to and know that they were true followers of Jesus. holy persons are a great guide on how to act and be when we pay off up or even as teenagers. When we are in doubt we somemultiplication ask our selves what would J esus do but we can to a fault ask are selves what would the saints do and know that we would get the right answer.St. jakes the apostle was the son of Zebedee and was called to be on of the 12 apostles of Jesus along with his brother James. They also were with Jesus on his ministries. gutter appears on the list of the apostles in Acts and in the synoptic gospels. James and John were also believed to be given the nick name Boanerges which means sons of thunder due(p) to their tempers.In the Bible there are no details about how old john might have been when he became one of Jesus disciples but the Christians say that he lived to at least 100 CE which would have been fairly old. There is also nothing in the Bible telling about how long his activity in Judea lasted. Christian traditions also say that John had a important position in the Apostolic body. John was also present at the metamorphosis of Jesus. This is some of the things we have gotten from the Bible.John, according to the Bible, was said to be more important than all the other apostles. The causal agency why was because he was present at many important time such as the transfiguration, and at the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. Paul later in the Bible also calls John the lynchpin of the Jerusalem church. John was also important because he has been believed to be the author of the fourth gospel, terzetto approved letters, and the book of revelation.There are so many thing we can learn from saints and these are the most important things that I took from Saint John the Apostle. Again succeeding(prenominal) time you need help decision making what to do just ask yourself what would Jesus do OR what would the saints do.St. NicholasHaving a wonderful family will get you many places, just like were it got Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas came from a wealth family who loved him very a good deal. Sadly, Nicholas parents died while he was still young. Nick was a devoted Catholic and when h e certain his assembleune from his parents death, he decided to use it to help the poor and needy. Instead of using the money for himself, he used it for others, which was a start of his generosity.As a young man, Nicholas was known for his kindness. He devoted his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra while still a young man. He took mince of this job to show how responsible he was. This position was very good for Nick and I rally it taught him many important things in life. some people in the land knew that this man was a generous, kindhearted, children attractive man who had concerns for other people just like sailors and ships sailings on the oceans. For loving and doing all these things, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned for accept in god, just like Jesus. This scrap made many people angry and trying to rebel. At this time, there were so many priest, deacons, and other religious believers imprisoned that there was no room for murders, thieves and robbers. After he was released, Nicholas joined the council of Nicaea.After leaving the council, St. Nicholas died on December 6, which is his feast day. On this day, it is a time to reflect on how St. Nicholas was kind to everyone, just like we should be to. Creating this great example for us shows that we need to follow his good ways. Remembering this day will make us realize that we should all come in good deeds no result what day it is.St. Nicholas was the Patron Saint of Russia. He has many churches named after is glorious name. As a young boy, St. Nick proved to not only himself, but also others that he was a responsible adult. more people believe you become responsible when youre older, but Saint Nick proved them wrong. He left behind a great example and reputation that will live on forever.St. direine of HippoSt. sublimeine of Hippo, also known as Aurelius Augustinus, was born into a middle class family on November 13, 354 in Tagaste, modern day Algeria. He was the son of St. Monica and of Patricius. As a young boy, Augustine received a catholic education. His father had believed that he was successful that he had sent him to Cathage, to prepare for his forensic dreader. St. Augustine was a man of belief, strength, and success. For this he had succeeded in life.Augustine came into the church for having such a strong belief. The reason why he became such a strong believer, was when he had become very ill and could not receive baptism, but he pursued that dream of his. He had joined the men of prayer group and he had three ideas stuck deep in his heart. The first idea was a divine providence or the virtue of prudence. The irregular one was the future with terrible sanctions or going to hell. The last idea that was in his heart was Christ is above all and the Savior. He also became close with the church when he had given up on Divine Truth and had prayed to the Blessed Mother. The prayers to the blessed mother brought him back to his faith and decided that Chris tianity was the religion for him.At the start of his religious life he became a priest. The only thing he had kept when he became a priest was his familys house which became a monastic house. Then later on in his life he became a bishop. As he came back to his Christian faith, he wrote about his experiences in books called, Retractions. As he lived his life of prayer, he became closer to God. He also learned how to live a life of peace. As his life drew near so did his life of becoming a saint.On August 28, 430, at the age of seventy-five, Augustines life had come to an end. Augustine was a patron of brewers. As his life came close to its end, he spent almost every moment praying to God.Augustine has become one of my favorite saints as I have learned more about him. His life was powerful and interesting to me. I will try to live my life as an image of him and live out my faith, become closer to the church and God.St. king of beasts the GreatSaint social lion the great was and Itali an aristocrat and is the first pontiff of the Catholic Church to be called The Great. He is best known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 AD and persuading him to turn back on the infringement of Western Europe. He is also known for being called the Doctor of the Church. St. king of beastss date of birth is still unknown to this day, but he was born in Tuscany, in Northern France, but refers to Rome and his home town. only it is said that his family moved to Rome when he was very young. The earliest information about Saint social lion being part of the churchs clergy when he was a deacon under Pope Celestine I.While social lion was outside(a) on a civil mission to bring peace to France, Pope Sixtus III on August 19, 440. As the people of Rome knew of Leos care and love for the individual souls, Leo was voted by the people to be their bishop. barely when the people asked Leo to come back to Rome the Holy Spirit was working through all the faithful, so when Leo came back he was anointed Pope of Rome. He was elected on September 9, 440 AD and would reign as pope for the next 21 years.As pope of the Rome Leo labored constantly to protect the justness of Faith by waging wars, winning strenuous actions against regions, and line of battleed to patch up the errors of countries in Spain. He did all of this because he cared about the people and the faithful. He wanted them to have the most loving gift of all and that was the teachings of Christ that was handed down by the apostles. He continued to do this by defending the unity of the Catholic Church and with constancy strove to teach all men who were doctrines to lead their souls to the greatest fulfillment of salvation. Pope Leo the Greats pontificate was a continuous period of tireless essay directed at upholding the unity of the Church as the people thought. But after this he did much more.He cared about the Church so much that he tried his hardest to stop invasions in order to save more lives. Such as wh en he went to Atilla the Hun in 452 and persuading him with all his power to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. legend has it that Attila, on looking above St. Leo, saw in a vision that Saints Peter and Paul would support the Popes wishes, which struck him with fear. One of his most important persuasions was with Genseric the Vandal, who had captured the city of Rome. But thanks to Pope Leos intervention the Vandals didnt even touch Rome by not hurting or killing anyone or even taking down the Churches.Pope Saint Leo the Great surely possessed true care and love for the Church. He submitted his whole heart to Christ, labored to lead others into committing themselves into the See of Peter, and used all his influence to state the unity of the Church. If you ask me I would say Saint Leo the Great modeled his life after the sixth Beatitude, which proclaims, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall fulfil God. He has a connection between purity of heart and of faith. H e exemplifies love of truth and orthodoxy of faith. In 1754 Benedict XIV exalted St. Leo to the dignity of Doctor of the Church. Not quite two centuries later, Pope Pius XII, in a sermon given on October 12, 1952, noted that Pope Saint Leo is the greatest among the great.Saint Martin of ToursSaint Martin of Tours was born around the time 317 A.D in modern-day Hungary. Martins father was a senior officer in the Roman the States he was stationed in Ticinum, Cisalpine Gaul (now Pavia, Italy) where Martin grew up. Later, in Martins pre-teen years, he found God and took charge of his religious life. Martin learned many things about God and started on his way to becoming a saint.When Martin was ten years old he went to the church against his parents and became a candidate for baptism. His parents were very upset with him because he went against their wishes. When Martin was fifteen years old, because his father was a retired officer, Martin was required to join the army.While Martin was stationed in Amiens, he experienced the vision that is most remembered today. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his spends when he met a scarcely dressed beggar. He mechanically cut his own military cloak in half(prenominal) and shared it with the beggar. That night he dream of Jesus wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. He hear Jesus say to the angels Here is Martin, the Roman pass who is not baptized he has clad me. (Sulpicius, ch 2). This dream sustain Martins fidelity. He was then baptized at the age of eighteen. Later Martin thought his faith prohibited him from battle and shouted I am a soldier of Christ. I cannot fight. He was charged of cowardice and put in jail.Martin followed the way of the Lord and always served others. Some of the things he was known for were that he was against poverty and did everything he could to help the less fortunate. Some emblems that incite us of him are trees, beggars, soldiers and cloaks. He was known for many grea t deeds and acts of charity and kindness.Martin died on November 8, 397, in Candes, Gaul (modern-day France). Martin of Tours was just over eighty when he died. He is the patron Saint of beggars and soldiers. We celebrate his feast day on November 11th.Prayer God, Your Bishop Saint Martin glorified You by both his life and death. Renew in us Your grace, so that neither death nor life can separate us from Your love. AmenSaint John the BaptistBut He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make calorie-free that his deeds are done in God. (Luke 321)Saint John was the cousin of Jesus. He was a baptizer. He was born to the people named Elizabeth and Zachariah. He had many duties such as being the first baptizer, writing a gospel ect He told the people to repent and that the Lord is upon them. But his cry was not answered by many passing people. John was often mistaken for the Messiah. He was very holy, and spread Gods word so well that he was called The Anointed One. You yourselves a re witnesses to the fact that I said I am not the Messiah I am sent before Him.(Luke 328)To be a saint you have to have humility, you have to be spontaneous to die for your faith. You have to be open to the fact that you have to make sacrifices to be a soldier of Christ. He took His chance and became that soldier and was the first priest, and was the first leader to baptize someone. He had a lot of weight on his shoulders that day. The cousin of the Lord being asked to baptize someone when you have no idea what to do. He had to be brave to be that kind of someone.In current life today we should be Johns. We should be able to die for our faith and give it all up for the Lord. We were all sent by God to do his will and to be the messengers for his faith. We are to live by example and be the little Johns of the world. If we love and care for Jesus and God then we should be able to understand how we are part of the great plan of salvation. From John, we can learn that we just coin ba nk sit here and wait for miracles to happen, we need to write of the Lords love, sing of the Lords love, be the Lords love.Saint Anthony the AbbotSaint Anthony the Abbot was born in 251 at Heracleus, Egypt. He is also known by many names such as Abba Antonius, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Anchorite. Anthony grew up in a wealthy family. He lived a good puerility and a healthy life. But circumstantially everything changed. When he was about 20 years old his parents unexpectedly died. He ensured that his sister got a good education and that was about all he could do. But then the lord spoke to him and said If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell, what thou hast, and give to the poor.After Anthony heard this he gave away all of his possessions and started his holy life in the desert. He lived as a caveman in an old abandoned fort for more than 20 years praying in solitude. But the scratch tried to tempt him many times and he never gave in to its temptations. But he wasnt always alone. Many followers and admirers came into his fort. He healed many of the sick who came and was also a spiritual counsellor for others. He had so many disciples following him that he had to build two monasteries A lot of people helped him by weaving baskets and making brushes for him which made him the patron of those 2 trades. Saint Anthony was also the patron saint of grave diggers and people who work with pigs. He was patron of gravediggers because he buried an Anchorite which was someone who walled themselves up to be alone in prayer. He was patron of pigs because he used pork to reduce inflaming and itching. An artist drew a compute of him with a pig and someone took it as Anthony being the patron saint of pigs.In 311 Anthony shortly left his fort to go fight Arianism in Alexandria. He also left to comfort the victims of the persecutions at Maximinus. While he was out of his fort he met his sister. It turns out she had also become a holy person and chose n to become a nun. Anthony did return to the desert but he did not return to his fort. He retired in a cave in Mount Colzim.Saint Anthony also knew some other saints. During the later part of his life he became good friends with Saint Paul the Hermit. And his biography was written by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. He also founded a religious order of hermits.Saint Anthony died at Mount Colzim in 356 due to natural causes. Many people still follow his influences to this day. His order of hermits is still around. People give away possessions to help others. He was canonized by the Pre-Congregation which is where saints are canonized by local church officials so no one knows the exact canonization date.Saint DominicSaint Dominic is the founder of the Order of Preachers, more unremarkably known as the Dominican Order. He is also the patron saint of astronomers and the Dominican Republic. Close friends with our patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, he was born into a very reMost Influential TheologiansMost Influential TheologiansSt. Thomas AquinasSt. Thomas was born toward the end of 1226 and was born in Italy. St. Thomas was an Italian scholar and the most influential theologian in the Catholic Church. In 1243 he joined the Dominican order which was not like by his parents and they put him in jail for two years.St. Thomas wrote many works philosophy and theology but his most famous is Summa Theological. In it he gives proof of God and his existence. In another section he talks about ethics and how it roots in Aristole. In a chain of acts of will man strives for the highest end. The third part is about Christ. Thomas teaches that Christ is to be regarded as redeemer after his human nature.Thomas was sent to Paris to study under Albert the Great. He served with Albert as his teaching assistant. In 1252 he began to become a master of theology. Thomas was regonized as an excellent theology. He was very holy and would celebrate mass and then have lunch with the friars. Th en in the evening he would pray and read.When he became a Dominican he parents really wanted him to become a monk. He was 19 when this happened. He was in Rome but removed and sent to Paris by his parents. His family became desperate to have him not join but he remained determined. At last the he was sent to Rome to meet the master general of the Dominicans.In 1274 St. Thomas died and never got to finish Summa Theologica. He is known as the model for people studying priesthood. In 1333 he was canonized and was declared one of the doctors of the church by Pope Pius V.Kateri TekakwithaYoung Kateri Tekakwitha, born in 1656 near a town called Auriesville in New York, was the daughter of the Mohawk Chief and a Catholic Algonquin. In 1660, at the age of four, her parents and baby brother were killed by a disease that attacked the village, leaving her an orphan. Tekakwitha survived. Although, she was partially blind. She would feel around to find her way. Seeing this, the others called her a name that by which means The One Who Walks Groping for Her Way. Later on, her uncle and two aunts adopted her. They went back to the village where the disease killed her family and rebuilt a village known as Caughnawaga.Over time, she grew into a sweet, shy young woman. She would spend time with her aunts working in the fields. She would often go to the neighboring forest and gather firewood water from the stream and certain roots to make medicine and die. Despite her poor sight, she was very skilled at beadwork. Also, at the woods she would go alone to pray to god and listen to his and her own voice. At the age of 18, is when her holy and religious life truly began. A priest came to their village and established a chapel. Kateri wanted to learn more about Jesus so she decided to be baptized. At the Age of twenty, she was baptized on Easter. Although, her family did not accept her choice to embace Christ so she became a village outcast. Tekakwitha was treated very badly by others in her settlement. In 1677, she left her village and fled to the Catholic Mission of St. Francis Xavier at Sault Saint Louis, near Montreal.Her journey to get to the mission took over two months but because of her determination, she was allowed to receive her First Holy Communion on Christmas day of that same year. She helped the young and came to the assistance of those who were sick. Her favorite devotion was to fashion crosses out of sticks and place them throughout the woods. this would be the sign that whenever she saw one, she would take a moment to pray. One thing that she loved was the rosary, which she wore around her neck every day.People always asked her to tell them a story. they would listen for a long time because when they were with her they felt the presence of God. One day, a priest came to the people and asked why they always circle around Kateri. Their answer would be, We feel closer to God when she is around and her face glows and looks different when she prays. so beautiful as if she were looking at Gods face .On March 25, 1617 she made a vow of perpetual virginity. She wanted to start a convent of Native American sisters but she was discouraged.Due to bad health, Kateri Tekakwitha died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. her last words were Jesus, I love you. Like the flower she was named for, the lily, her life was short and beautiful. Moments after her death the scarred face of Kateri Tekakwitha was transformed into a beautiful, flawless face. This was witnessed by many people. She was known as Lily of the Mohawks. In 1943, the Catholic church declared her venerable and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980. Her feast day id celebrated on July 14 and she is the patroness of World Youth Day 2002. Although not a saint yet, she is the first native American to be declared Blessed.St. JeromeSt. Jerome was born at Stridon, a small town in the Roman province of Dalmatia, around 347. In Latin, he was known as Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus. St. Jerome was not baptized until about 360 or 366 when he went to Rome with his friend Bonosus to pursue their studies. As a student in Rome, he learned how to speak both Greek and Latin but he also engaged in bad activities and needed to repent. To make himself feel better, St. Jerome would visit the remains and items left by the martyrs and the apostles at their catacombs. This experience would remind him of the terrors of hell.To describe Christian concepts, Jerome initially used classical authors but later on converted to Christianity himself. After several years in Rome, he travelled with Bonosus to Gaul and settled in Trier where he began to take up his theological studies as well as meeting many Christian friends. Some of his friends accompanied him when he set out on a journey through Thrace and the Asia Minor. On this journey, two of his friends died and Jerome was seriously ill. During his illness, he had visions that led him to put aside secular studies and devote himself t o God.St. Jerome wanted to live a new life of penance so he went for a time to the desert of Chalcis. There he studied, wrote, and attempted to learn the Hebrew language with the guidance of a converted Jew. Returning to Antioch, he was ordained by Bishop Paulinus and continued to study and write. At this time, St. Jerome was a main teacher of the church and was attached to Pope Damascus I and the leading Roman Christians.One of his most famous accomplishments was translating the Bible from Hebrew to Latin so that everyone could understand Gods teachings. Jerome continued to do many important things with the church later on in his life. St. Jerome died near Bethlehem on September 30, 420. His remains were buried in Bethlehem but were later transferred to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. St. Jerome became the patron saint of librarians and is recognized as the Doctor of the Church. His feast day is on September 30.St. MatthewThe writer of the first Gospel and one of the twelve Apostles was not only a strong believer in God but a sinning tax collector as well. St. Matthew was born in the first century Judea as the son of a tax collector named Alpheus. The young Matthew grew up like any boy would have if he lived in that time learning how to complete his fathers job. His father was a tax collector and taught him how to be a good tax collector like Joseph taught Jesus to be a carpenter. From a sinner, to an Apostle, to a writer of the Gospel, Matthew lived a life a lot like Jesus.He was soon hired by Herod Antipas to collect taxes like his father had. As a tax collector he was given an office located in Capernaum. He soon became despised and thought of as an outcast like all tax collectors. While in a large tax collector meeting in his office, Matthew was called by Jesus to live a life devoted to God like the other eleven Apostles. Although many people were skeptical when Jesus asked a sinning tax collector to follow him, Matthew rose up right then an d there, converted and started to follow Jesus.As one of the early Apostles, Matthew was often known as Levi. He is often paired with St. Thomas in the Bible and is thought to be involved with a group of early Christians called the Nazarenes. With this group, Matthew and the Apostles proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God and the everlasting Messiah. Matthew was sent to Palestine alone by Jesus to continue preaching the word of God. He isnt mentioned in the Gospel any more other than in the names of the Apostles. Some historical facts place him in Gentile places preaching to those who lived there. Matthew was present with Mary during Jesus Resurrection and Ascension.Matthew was most likely very literate which was an uncommon trait for people in that time. It is unknown where he began writing the first Gospel also known as the Gospel of the Hebrews. It is called this because he began writing it in Hebrew for the early Hebrew Christians. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel the Gospel of Ma rk somewhere between AD 50 to AD 55. Matthews Gospel reproduces about 90% of Marks. His Gospel was later translated into Greek so more people could read it but the Greek copy was soon lost. The Hebrew copy was placed in the Library of Caesarea where it was kept for many centuries.St. Matthew turned his life around with the help of a fellow Jew. He became an Apostle, and then wrote the first of the four Gospels. Matthew wrote It is unsure whether he died of natural cause or if he was a martyr. We celebrate his feast day on September 21st. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. St. Matthew grew up a sinning tax collector, was called by Jesus, lived the rest of his life devoted to God, and died with the satisfaction of keeping the oldest and greatest memories alive.St. JudePersonal LifeSt. Jude was born in the first century AD in the area of Galilee, Palestine. He is also known as St. Jude Thaddeus, Thaddeus being his last name which means the brave one while Jude means giver of joy. It is stated in Matthew 1355 that St. Jude was a brethren of Jesus, brethren being a Hebrew word indicating a blood relationship. It is also reported that his father, Cleophas was a brother of St. Joseph and was later persecuted for his faith, and his mother, Mary was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin and was said to have stood by the Immaculate Conceptions side while Jesus was crucified. St. Jude also had many brothers, two of which was St. James the Less, and St. Simeon the Zealot.Missionary WorkSt. Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus along with his brothers James and Simeon, and is remembered for asking Christ at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. His name is not to be confused with Judas of Iscariot, another one of the twelve apostles since both their names are a Greek Variant of the word Judah. After the Pentecost (in which he was present) St. Jude continued to preach the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Liby a, and Mesopotamia, where he became a leader of the Church of The East that St. Thomas established there around 37 AD. Although little is known about St. Jude, one of his acknowledged works is the conversion of King Abgar. This idea comes from a Biblical story in which King Abgar of Edessa (a city located in what is now southeast Turkey) asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Impressed with Abgars great faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to St. Jude to take to Abgar. Once the King saw Jesus image he was cured and he converted to Christianity along with most of the people under his rule. This cloth is believed to be the famous Shroud of Jesus which is currently on display in Turin, Italy. St. Jude is also credited for helping start the Armenian Church, and is believed to be the human author of the Epistle of St. Jude, which is the shortest book in the New Testament. One of his last works before his death was his aid in the election of the bishop of Jerusalem in 62 AD, the bishop that was chosen turned out to be his brother Simeon the ZealotDeathLittle is known about St. Jude, since he was confused with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, and his veneration was avoided, thus resulting in being known as the Forgotten Saint. Also, there is little information written about him in the Bible since he was known to travel around the world to preach the Gospel. One of the countries that St. Jude traveled to was Armenia, and it was there where he was reportedly murdered for his faith around the year 65 AD, although there are some instances that claim that St. Jude suffered of martyrdom alongside St. Simon in Persia. Armenia was a country that did not completely convert to Christianity until the 3rd century, about 250 years after St. Judes death. We do not know the specifics of St. Judes death, but he is often depicted carrying an axe or a club, suggesting the way in which he was murdered. After his de ath, his body was brought back to Rome and was placed in a crypt beneath St. Peters Basilica, which people continue to visit to this day.SainthoodSt. Jude was canonized pre-congregation, meaning that he was recognized as a saint before the Catholic Church had a formal process of canonization. His feast day for Western Christianity is on October 28, and his feast day for Eastern Christianity it is celebrated on June 19. St. Jude is often associated with St. Simeon the Zealot, whom he shares his feast day with. He is renowned for being the patron saint of Armenia, lost causes, desperate situations, ibises, hospitals, St. Petersburg, Florida, Cotta Lucena City Quezon, the Chicago Police Department, Club de Regattas do Flamengo (soccer team) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Remembrance TodayEven though St. Jude isnt as well known as some of the other saints, he is still as important and is venerated in many religions including the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Eastern Cat holic Churches, the Church of the East, the Coptic Church, and the Anglican Communion. Nowadays, St. Jude is probably best known for being the namesake of many hospitals specializing in treating people, and specifically children in terminal illnesses since he is the patron saint of desperate causes. We pray to him now in time of desperate need for the reason that he provided a lot of inspirational support to a group of Christians who were being persecuted in Eastern churches and he exhorted them to keep their faith and to stay in the love of God as they had been taught. We usually see St. Jude depicted carrying the image of Jesus (taken from the story of King Agbar), carrying an Axe, club, boat, oar, and/or a medallion.The following is a common prayer dedicated to St. Jude Most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O blessed Saint Jude, to be mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.Saint John the ApostleSaints to me are always people we can look up to and know that they were true followers of Jesus. Saints are a great guide on how to act and be when we grow up or even as teenagers. When we are in doubt we sometimes ask our selves what would Jesus do but we can also ask are selves what would the saints do and know that we would get the right answer.St. John the apostle was the son of Zebedee and was called t o be on of the 12 apostles of Jesus along with his brother James. They also were with Jesus on his ministries. John appears on the list of the apostles in Acts and in the synoptic gospels. James and John were also believed to be given the nick name Boanerges which means sons of thunder due to their tempers.In the Bible there are no details about how old john might have been when he became one of Jesus disciples but the Christians say that he lived to at least 100 CE which would have been pretty old. There is also nothing in the Bible telling about how long his activity in Judea lasted. Christian traditions also say that John had a important position in the Apostolic body. John was also present at the transfiguration of Jesus. This is some of the things we have gotten from the Bible.John, according to the Bible, was said to be more important than all the other apostles. The reason why was because he was present at many important time such as the transfiguration, and at the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. Paul later in the Bible also calls John the pillar of the Jerusalem church. John was also important because he has been believed to be the author of the fourth gospel, three canonical letters, and the book of revelation.There are so many thing we can learn from saints and these are the most important things that I took from Saint John the Apostle. Again next time you need help deciding what to do just ask yourself what would Jesus do OR what would the saints do.St. NicholasHaving a wonderful family will get you many places, just like were it got Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas came from a wealth family who loved him very much. Sadly, Nicholas parents died while he was still young. Nick was a devoted catholic and when he received his fortune from his parents death, he decided to use it to help the poor and needy. Instead of using the money for himself, he used it for others, which was a start of his generosity.As a young man, Nicholas was known fo r his kindness. He devoted his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra while still a young man. He took control of this job to show how responsible he was. This position was very good for Nick and I think it taught him many important things in life.Many people in the land knew that this man was a generous, kindhearted, children loving man who had concerns for other people just like sailors and ships sailings on the oceans. For loving and doing all these things, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned for believing in god, just like Jesus. This conflict made many people angry and trying to rebel. At this time, there were so many priest, deacons, and other religious believers imprisoned that there was no room for murders, thieves and robbers. After he was released, Nicholas joined the council of Nicaea.After leaving the council, St. Nicholas died on December 6, which is his feast day. On this day, it is a time to reflect on how St. Nicholas was kind to everyone, just like we should b e to. Creating this great example for us shows that we need to follow his good ways. Remembering this day will make us realize that we should all commit good deeds no matter what day it is.St. Nicholas was the Patron Saint of Russia. He has many churches named after is glorious name. As a young boy, St. Nick proved to not only himself, but also others that he was a responsible adult. Many people believe you become responsible when youre older, but Saint Nick proved them wrong. He left behind a great example and reputation that will live on forever.St. Augustine of HippoSt. Augustine of Hippo, also known as Aurelius Augustinus, was born into a middle class family on November 13, 354 in Tagaste, modern day Algeria. He was the son of St. Monica and of Patricius. As a young boy, Augustine received a catholic education. His father had believed that he was successful that he had sent him to Cathage, to prepare for his forensic career. St. Augustine was a man of belief, strength, and succe ss. For this he had succeeded in life.Augustine came into the church for having such a strong belief. The reason why he became such a strong believer, was when he had become very ill and could not receive baptism, but he pursued that dream of his. He had joined the men of prayer group and he had three ideas stuck deep in his heart. The first idea was a divine providence or the virtue of prudence. The second one was the future with terrible sanctions or going to hell. The last idea that was in his heart was Christ is above all and the Savior. He also became close with the church when he had given up on Divine Truth and had prayed to the Blessed Mother. The prayers to the blessed mother brought him back to his faith and decided that Christianity was the religion for him.At the start of his religious life he became a priest. The only thing he had kept when he became a priest was his familys house which became a monastic house. Then later on in his life he became a bishop. As he came ba ck to his Christian faith, he wrote about his experiences in books called, Retractions. As he lived his life of prayer, he became closer to God. He also learned how to live a life of peace. As his life drew near so did his life of becoming a saint.On August 28, 430, at the age of seventy-five, Augustines life had come to an end. Augustine was a patron of brewers. As his life came close to its end, he spent almost every moment praying to God.Augustine has become one of my favorite saints as I have learned more about him. His life was powerful and interesting to me. I will try to live my life as an image of him and live out my faith, become closer to the church and God.St. Leo the GreatSaint Leo the great was and Italian aristocrat and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to be called The Great. He is best known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 AD and persuading him to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. He is also known for being called the Doctor of the Church. St. Leo s date of birth is still unknown to this day, but he was born in Tuscany, in Northern France, but refers to Rome and his home town. But it is said that his family moved to Rome when he was very young. The earliest information about Saint Leo being part of the churchs clergy when he was a deacon under Pope Celestine I.While Leo was away on a civil mission to bring peace to France, Pope Sixtus III on August 19, 440. As the people of Rome knew of Leos care and love for the individual souls, Leo was voted by the people to be their bishop. But when the people asked Leo to come back to Rome the Holy Spirit was working through all the faithful, so when Leo came back he was anointed Pope of Rome. He was elected on September 9, 440 AD and would reign as pope for the next 21 years.As pope of the Rome Leo labored constantly to protect the integrity of Faith by waging wars, taking strenuous actions against regions, and ordered to correct the errors of countries in Spain. He did all of this beca use he cared about the people and the faithful. He wanted them to have the most loving gift of all and that was the teachings of Christ that was handed down by the apostles. He continued to do this by defending the unity of the Catholic Church and with constancy strove to teach all men who were doctrines to lead their souls to the greatest fulfillment of salvation. Pope Leo the Greats pontificate was a continuous period of tireless effort directed at upholding the unity of the Church as the people thought. But after this he did much more.He cared about the Church so much that he tried his hardest to stop invasions in order to save more lives. Such as when he went to Atilla the Hun in 452 and persuading him with all his power to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. Legend has it that Attila, on looking above St. Leo, saw in a vision that Saints Peter and Paul would support the Popes wishes, which struck him with fear. One of his most important persuasions was with Genseric th e Vandal, who had captured the city of Rome. But thanks to Pope Leos intervention the Vandals didnt even touch Rome by not hurting or killing anyone or even taking down the Churches.Pope Saint Leo the Great certainly possessed true care and love for the Church. He submitted his whole heart to Christ, labored to lead others into committing themselves into the See of Peter, and used all his influence to maintain the unity of the Church. If you ask me I would say Saint Leo the Great modeled his life after the sixth Beatitude, which proclaims, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. He has a connection between purity of heart and of faith. He exemplifies love of truth and orthodoxy of faith. In 1754 Benedict XIV exalted St. Leo to the dignity of Doctor of the Church. Not quite two centuries later, Pope Pius XII, in a sermon given on October 12, 1952, noted that Pope Saint Leo is the greatest among the great.Saint Martin of ToursSaint Martin of Tours was born around the ti me 317 A.D in modern-day Hungary. Martins father was a senior officer in the Roman Army he was stationed in Ticinum, Cisalpine Gaul (now Pavia, Italy) where Martin grew up. Later, in Martins pre-teen years, he found God and took charge of his religious life. Martin learned many things about God and started on his way to becoming a saint.When Martin was ten years old he went to the church against his parents and became a candidate for baptism. His parents were very upset with him because he went against their wishes. When Martin was fifteen years old, because his father was a retired officer, Martin was required to join the army.While Martin was stationed in Amiens, he experienced the vision that is most remembered today. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his soldiers when he met a scarcely dressed beggar. He automatically cut his own military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. He hear d Jesus say to the angels Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized he has clad me. (Sulpicius, ch 2). This dream confirmed Martins fidelity. He was then baptized at the age of eighteen. Later Martin thought his faith prohibited him from fighting and shouted I am a soldier of Christ. I cannot fight. He was charged of cowardice and put in jail.Martin followed the way of the Lord and always served others. Some of the things he was known for were that he was against poverty and did everything he could to help the less fortunate. Some emblems that remind us of him are trees, beggars, soldiers and cloaks. He was known for many great deeds and acts of charity and kindness.Martin died on November 8, 397, in Candes, Gaul (modern-day France). Martin of Tours was just over eighty when he died. He is the patron Saint of beggars and soldiers. We celebrate his feast day on November 11th.Prayer God, Your Bishop Saint Martin glorified You by both his life and death. Renew in us Your g race, so that neither death nor life can separate us from Your love. AmenSaint John the BaptistBut He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God. (Luke 321)Saint John was the cousin of Jesus. He was a baptizer. He was born to the people named Elizabeth and Zachariah. He had many duties such as being the first baptizer, writing a gospel ect He told the people to repent and that the Lord is upon them. But his cry was not answered by many passing people. John was often mistaken for the Messiah. He was very holy, and spread Gods word so well that he was called The Anointed One. You yourselves are witnesses to the fact that I said I am not the Messiah I am sent before Him.(Luke 328)To be a saint you have to have humility, you have to be willing to die for your faith. You have to be open to the fact that you have to make sacrifices to be a soldier of Christ. He took His chance and became that soldier and was the first priest, and was the first lea der to baptize someone. He had a lot of weight on his shoulders that day. The cousin of the Lord being asked to baptize someone when you have no idea what to do. He had to be brave to be that kind of person.In current life today we should be Johns. We should be able to die for our faith and give it all up for the Lord. We were all sent by God to do his will and to be the messengers for his faith. We are to live by example and be the little Johns of the world. If we love and care for Jesus and God then we should be able to understand how we are part of the great plan of salvation. From John, we can learn that we just cant sit here and wait for miracles to happen, we need to write of the Lords love, sing of the Lords love, be the Lords love.Saint Anthony the AbbotSaint Anthony the Abbot was born in 251 at Heracleus, Egypt. He is also known by many names such as Abba Antonius, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Anchorite. Anthony grew up in a wealthy family. He li ved a good childhood and a healthy life. But unexpectedly everything changed. When he was about 20 years old his parents unexpectedly died. He ensured that his sister got a good education and that was about all he could do. But then the lord spoke to him and said If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell, what thou hast, and give to the poor.After Anthony heard this he gave away all of his possessions and started his holy life in the desert. He lived as a hermit in an old abandoned fort for more than 20 years praying in solitude. But the devil tried to tempt him many times and he never gave in to its temptations. But he wasnt always alone. Many followers and admirers came into his fort. He healed many of the sick who came and was also a spiritual counselor for others. He had so many disciples following him that he had to build two monasteries A lot of people helped him by weaving baskets and making brushes for him which made him the patron of those 2 trades. Saint Anthony was also the patro n saint of grave diggers and people who work with pigs. He was patron of gravediggers because he buried an Anchorite which was someone who walled themselves up to be alone in prayer. He was patron of pigs because he used pork to reduce inflammation and itching. An artist drew a picture of him with a pig and someone took it as Anthony being the patron saint of pigs.In 311 Anthony shortly left his fort to go fight Arianism in Alexandria. He also left to comfort the victims of the persecutions at Maximinus. While he was out of his fort he met his sister. It turns out she had also become a holy person and chosen to become a nun. Anthony did return to the desert but he did not return to his fort. He retired in a cave in Mount Colzim.Saint Anthony also knew some other saints. During the later part of his life he became good friends with Saint Paul the Hermit. And his biography was written by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. He also founded a religious order of hermits.Saint Anthony died at Mount Colzim in 356 due to natural causes. Many people still follow his influences to this day. His order of hermits is still around. People give away possessions to help others. He was canonized by the Pre-Congregation which is where saints are canonized by local church officials so no one knows the exact canonization date.Saint DominicSaint Dominic is the founder of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominican Order. He is also the patron saint of astronomers and the Dominican Republic. Close friends with our patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, he was born into a very re