Saints

Bishop and founder of the Redemptorists. Alphonsus was born in 1696 near Naples, the son of a Neapolitan nobleman. He studied law and became a distinguished and eloquent barrister. One day his rhetoric carried him away. He forgot to read an important point in a document and lost a case worth a large fortune. From that time onwards, he abandoned law and studied to be a priest. Alphonsus was ordai... Read More

Founder of the Jesuits. Ignatius was born in 1491, the youngest son of a Basque nobleman. As a young man he was a soldier and was wounded at the Battle of Pamplona against the French. During a long convalescence he read the lives of the saints, and decided to dedicate himself to God. After a year's retreat at Manresa in Catalonia, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and then from 1524 to 1534 he s... Read More

St Eusebius of Vercelli Bishop. Born in Sardina in the fourth century, to a Christian family who had suffered persecution for their faith, Eusebius grew up in Rome, became a priest there and was named bishop of Vercelli in Piedmont in 340. During the early years of his episcopate he lived with his priests in an organised community - possibly the first bishop to do so. His troubles began when he ... Read More