Saints

Bishop and martyr. Patron saint of Poland. Stanislaw was born in 1010 to a noble family in Szczepanow. After his ordination, he received a canonry in Krakow. In 1072 he was consecrated bishop and became a reformer, a tireless preacher and generous benefactor to the poor. At that time, the king, Boleslaw II, was abusing his power in many ways. On one occasion he abducted someone else's wife. St... Read More

Monks and martyrs of Chertsey in Surrey - now on the outskirts of London. They died when their monastery was ransacked by invading Danes in 870. Many other members of the community are said to have perished with them. Their memory has been kept alive in several chronicles, including that of William of Malmesbury. Richard Stanton wrote in his Menology in 1887: 'At Chertsey in Surrey, the commemo... Read More

Carmelite novice. Chile's first saint. Teresa was one of six children born in 1900 in Santiago, Chile, to a well-to-do family of mixed Chilean, English and Spanish blood. As a child she was very devout, but her parents made sure she received a good general education, which included the humanities, science, music and art. She loved swimming and games and was a boisterous teenager. When she was 1... Read More