Saints

Martyr. Patron of Naples. This early saint was Bishop of Benevento when the Emperor Diocletian turned his fury on Christians. One day Januarius visited some deacons and lay people who had been thrown into a dungeon for their faith. The jailers informed the authorities and he was arrested and tried with two others, Festus and Desiderius, who were guests at his home. Draconius, the pagan governor... Read More

Franciscan priest. Patron saint of pilots and airline passengers. Joseph was such an extraordinary saint, his fellow Christians found him hard to cope with. He was born in a garden shed in 1603, near Brindizi in Italy. The family were very poor. Joseph's mother was widowed very early and resented her son. He spent an unhappy childhood, winning the nickname 'the gaper' for wandering about with his... Read More

Christianity first came to Korea through books, sent from China. The first Korean Christians were baptised in Peking in 1784. Ten years later, a Chinese priest visiting Korea found 4,000 Christians. He stayed with them until he was killed in 1801. For the next 30 years, the community did not have a priest. In 1837, Pope Pius VII sent Bishop Laurence Imbert with two priests from the Paris Mission... Read More