March 4, 2010 - St. Casimir
Casimir was born in Poland in 1458, the son of Casimir IV, king of Poland. He was directly involved in government affairs and was renowned for his sense of justice
and his care for the poor. He died of tuberculosis when he was 26 and was buried in Lithuania. Casimir is the patron saint of Lithuania and one of the patrons of Poland.
March 8, 2010 - St. John of God
John was born in Portugal on March 8, 1495. He worked variously as a soldier of fortune, an overseer of slaves, a shepherd, a crusader, a bodyguard, and a peddler.
Wracked by guilt over his wasted life, he sought the counsel of John of Avila, a preacher and missionary, who helped him find a new purpose in life. John of God dedicated
himself to the care of the sick and the poor. Others joined him and they became known as the Order of Brothers Hospitallers or Brothers of St. John of God. John died on his
birthday in 1550 and was canonized in 1690. He is a patron of hospitals and the sick.
March 17, 2010 - St. Patrick
Although legends abound concerning the life and work of Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, he tells us about himself in his Confession, a document written near the end
of his life. His father was a Roman tax collector and held a position in the government of the Roman settlement, now in Wales. At 16, Patrick, along with many others, was
carried off in a pirate raid and sold as a slave in Ireland. He was made a swineherd, living in solitude on a mountain. This radical change in his life forced him to rely on
his Christian training, and his prayer and asceticism marked him forever.
After serving his master for six years, Patrick heard an inner voice telling him that he would return to his homeland and that a boat would take him there. He made
his escape, travelling 300 kilometres on foot to the promised ship. They landed in Gaul (Western Europe) and after many adventures, Patrick returned to his parents in
Britain,. Later, he returned to Gaul to study for the priesthood, eventually becoming a bishop.
When the missionary to Ireland, St. Palladius, died, Patrick took his place, fulfilling his dream of returning to evangelize the Irish. It was a dangerous life and
he was constantly at risk from hostile pagans, but by the time of his death in 492, he could see the fruits of his work: a native clergy was in place and although there was
still danger, Christianity had reached nearly all of Ireland, and churches and monasteries had been established to receive the constant stream of converts.
March 18, 2010 - St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Cyril was born in Jerusalem about 315. Nothing is known about his early life beyond the fact that he was well educated and that his family probably had connections
to Caesar.
Cyril became a biblical scholar and a cleric in the church of Jerusalem, a church troubled by many doctrinal controversies, including Arianism.
Ordained about 342, her became Bishop of Jersusalem in 350. His famous Lenten instructions, Catechesis, outline his beliefs and the theological traditions
of the Jerusalem community. He dies in Jerusalem in 387.
March 19, 2010 - St. Joseph, Husband of Mary
Joseph, according to gospel accounts, was a village carpenter and a descendent of Kind David. Art and popular imagination have usually portrayed Joseph as an old
man. This is probably a false notion. The rabbis at the time of Christ commonly taught that men should marry between the ages of 13 and 19, and Joseph, as a 'just'
(that is, law-abiding) man, would likely have conformed to this practice.
Embarrassed by Mary's pregnancy, Joseph is told in a dream to take Mary as his wife. His thought of rejecting her for infidelity were banished and he was faithful
to his responsibiltiy as her husband and foster father of Jesus.
The Feast of St. Joseph has been observed on this day since th 10th century. St. Joseph was declared patron of the universal Church in 1870, and is principal
patron of Canada.
*Source: Living With Christ. Vol. 34, No. 3, March 2010. Toronto: Novalis, 2010
