St. Camillus de Lellis (May 25, 1550 to July 14, 1614)

When I awoke, I was wearing only a string bikini lying in the back of an ambulance with no identification on my way to a hospital in Islamorada, Florida.
The handsome EMT said that I had collapsed from dehydration as I was getting change for the soda machine in the lobby at the hotel in Key Largo. By the time the ride was finished, I learned we were the same age (26), he was married with two children, and that he liked my body (especially my stomach).
It was a Saturday morning and the emergency room nurses explained that the two iced teas I drank the night before weren't enough to keep me hydrated on a summer day in Florida.
I was on vacation alone, so I begged them not to call my family in Rhode Island. ER released me after four hours on the condition that I would stay out of the sun for three days. Of course I didn't listen and managed just fine.
The taxi ride back to the hotel made me feel a little uncomfortable, but the driver assured me that he picked up scantily clad women several times a day. Luckily, my wallet was still where I left it by the pool and I had money to pay him.
St. Camillus de Lellis is the patron saint of nurses and hospital workers. He was born in Abruzzi, Italy on May 25, 1550. Records show that he was 6'6" tall.
St. Camillus de Lellis, who was a soldier, lost all his money to gambling and took a job working on a building for the Capuchins. They converted him and he tried several times to join their order but couldn't because of a leg injury while at war.
He was taken to San Giacomo Hospital for the incurable in Rome for treatment. But, he is also said to have had supernatural healing powers that he used to help others.
St. Camillus de Lellis is the founder of the Order of Clerks Regular Ministers to the Sick better known as the Camillians.
He died on July 14, 1614 in Genoa and his feast day is July 14.

St. Jeanne Jugan (Oct. 25, 1792 to Aug. 29, 1879)

"It is a great grace that God has given you in calling you to serve the poor."
(St. Jeanne Jugan)

Today is the first feast day of St. Jeanne Jugan, since she was canonized on October 11, 2009. The more I learn about her the more I understand why the order which she founded, the Little Sisters of the Poor, continues to inspire people to live a life of simplicity and humility.
St. Jeanne Jugan was born in Brittany, France on Oct. 25, 1792. Her father was a fisherman who died at sea when she was three-years-old. Her mother struggled to raise the eight Jugan children.
At age 16, St. Jeanne Jugan was a kitchen maid to Viscountess de la Choue who took her along when she visited the sick and poor. A decade later, St. Jeanne Jugan worked at the town hospital of Saint Servan, which was physically demanding and draining.
In 1837, she formed a community of prayer with Francoise Aubert, 72, and Virginie Tredaniel, 17, an orphan. They taught religion and helped the poor.
In her acts of charity, St. Jeanne Jugan took a blind widow home and cared for her, even giving up her own bed. Around 1843, she founded the Little Sisters of the Poor to help abandoned elderly women and for the next forty years collected food, clothing, and money for those in her care.
St. Jeanne Jugan died on Aug. 29, 1879. She is the patron saint of the elderly poor and her feast day is Aug. 30.
I can't understand how anyone could abandon the elderly, but even though St. Jeanne Jugan died more than 130 years ago, the situation of the world hasn't changed much.
The Little Sisters of the Poor say that "to those who feel anxious in these tough economic times, she (St. Jeanne Jugan) offers an invitation to live the Beatitudes and God will provide."

(R.I.P. Grandpa Fred: May, 18, 1892 to Aug. 30, 1976)

St. Fiacre (? to c.Aug. 18, 670)

If what Pope John Paul II said was true in that "the body, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and divine," then why do so many people disrespect their bodies and those of other people?
I like what Christopher West has to say about the Theology of the Body.
Then, I think about situations that I know of and total lack of regard for the beauty of human sexuality and the body.
We all know a married woman who, on the side, sleeps around with any guy who will pay attention to her. She strokes his ego and lies by saying she doesn't have a sexually transmitted disease. Then, they have unprotected sex and she infects him.
The relationship, then the guy takes up with a single woman and he infects her.
Maybe this is the reason why 25 percent of American adults have herpes (one in four woman and one in five men.)
St. George is the patron saint against herpes.
St. Fiacre is the patron saint against venereal disease. He was born in Ireland then moved to Meaux, France to be closer to God. He lived in the forest in solitude and prayer.
St. Fiacre built a chapel to the Blessed Virgin Mary and set up a hospice for sick or weary travellers. He performed miracles to restore visitors back to health.
St. Fiacre died c.Aug. 18, 670. His relics are in Meaux Cathedral. And even today, numerous miracles occur in his name.
His feast day is Sept. 1.

St. Raymond Nonnatus (1204 to Aug. 31, 1240)

When I was 34-years-old, I found myself in the unfortunate situation of being unwed and pregnant. It happened either just before a breakup with a long-term boyfriend or at the beginning of a relationship with a new guy.
At the same time, out of nowhere, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. So, my priority was taking care of my mother and coming to terms with her death.
Since I had no idea when I conceived, I had to make a choice. I'm not happy to write about this and it took a very long time before I could face the results of my decision. All I can say is that I could not have provided a child with a proper upbringing as a single mother.
After the procedure, I went to my gynecologist for a follow-up exam. He told me that I should be on the birth control pill.
I told him, "I'm never going to have sex again."
Dr. Fink said that because I was young and good looking, he guaranteed that I'd change my mind since I'd most naturally meet someone and fall in love.
Dr. Fink, was a few years younger than myself and I found it odd that whenever he examined me, he'd get embarrassed and his face would turn red. But, the strangest thing was that when he finished his residency at Brown and was going to set up a practice in Florida that he invited me to come along. Although he was physically attractive in an odd sort of way, I declined the offer.
St. Raymond Nonnatus (Raimundo Nonato) is the patron saint of obstetricians/gynecologists. He was born by Caesarean section in 1204 in Portella, Catalonia, Spain. His mother died during his birth, so his name is Latin for "not born."
St. Raymond Nonnatus's family was of Spanish nobility and he was ordained in 1222. He was a member of the Mercedarian Order.
According to legend, the Moors put a hole through his lips with a hot iron and padlocked his mouth shut so he could not preach.
Before and after he died, miracles happened in his name. St. Raymond Nonnatus died in Catalonia on Aug. 31, 1240. His feast day is Aug. 31.

St. Daniel of Padua (? to 168)

When I dropped off my passport renewal packet at the post office earlier this month, I calculated that by the time my new one would be mailed back to me, I'd be in between moves. That meant it might be forwarded to my summer address which would increase the chances of it being lost.
Of course, it was inevitable that I'd get the electronic e-mail this week saying that my passport had been shipped and to expect it on or around Saturday (exactly the time we'd be moving).
Yesterday, when I spoke with the post office manager, Sue, she said if I gave her the passport tracking number, she'd know if it had arrived yet. (My wish was that it hadn't, so that she'd be able to hold it for me).
Sure enough, it didn't go as planned, and I learned that the letter carrier realized it was a passport and took it upon herself to deliver it to my winter address.
"What business did she have doing that?" I asked the post office manager. "It is the one piece of mail that I needed to receive this summer!"
Because of what the letter carrier did, I now had to deal with my landlord and his wife (who live there during the summer) and the chance of them marking on it "not at this address" and have it being handled again by the post office.
Sue apologized profusely then agreed that more than likely the passport could literally be lost in the mail. Before slipping into panic mode, (both my new and old passports were in the envelope and the nightmare of having to reapply for another one would include more annoying paperwork) I called my landlord. He said he'd check the mailbox and call me if it was there.
In the interim, I remembered that St. Gabriel is the patron saint of mail delivery and all things postal and I just happened to be wearing his medal around my neck. Also, since St. Anthony of Padua is a patron saint of lost articles, I'd be safe if I asked for his intervention to prevent the loss. Since, I've been to his basilica in Padua, Italy, I like to think I'm given special and speedy preference.
No sooner had I thought of all this than my cell phone rang and the landlord said that he had good news. He was holding my passports.
Throughout the ordeal, I learned that St. Daniel of Padua, who was born a millennium before St. Anthony, is also a patron saint of lost articles. His job was deacon to St. Prosdocimus.
St. Daniel of Padua was of Jewish descent. He died a martyr in 168. He is also the patron saint of women whose husbands are at war.
St. Daniel of Padua's feast day is Jan. 3.
Oh, yes, I did call Sue back and thanked her for her help although I know it was divine intervention.

Blessed James Duckett (? to c.1601)

Why is it that "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "Eat Pray Love," both written by divorced women who embark on journeys of self discovery and empowerment, (partially set in Italy) are such successful books?
Could a book written by a single (annulled), hip, fun woman who has already "found herself" and travelled to Italy and other parts of Europe, and is hoping to help people enrich their lives with a spiritual connection to the Roman Catholic faith, be equally as entertaining? Stay tuned.
Blessed James Duckett, who was born in Westmoreland, England, spent much of his life in prison, as a Catholic bookseller and publisher. He was a layman raised as a Protestant and thrown in prison twice for failing to attend services.
One day, while working in London on an apprenticeship, a friend gave him a book about Catholicism. Blessed James Duckett was so impressed with it, that he converted.
He was married with children, but again, was imprisoned. Still, it didn't deter him from continuing to distribute materials about Catholicism to the other inmates.
The only way it could stop was to hang him. That happened c.1601.
Blessed James Duckett was beatified on Dec. 15, 1929. His feast day is April 19 and he is the patron of Catholic booksellers and publishers.

(Happy Birthday, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta!)

St. Ursula (fifth century)

"These children are ungrateful little bastards," said Father Shea. "I've devoted my life to this and for what?"
Just out of college, I worked as a teacher at a Roman Catholic junior high school in Central Falls. Most of the children were from low income families. One student's father was killed in a drug deal.
I was young and had the energy to deal with teenage antics. But, on some afternoons, I'd go home upset and concerned for many of the children because I knew they didn't have food for dinner or a happy home life.
I was shocked by Father Shea's words since I was naive and never heard a priest speak that way. He warned me not to get too involved in what went on with the students outside of school. And I listened to him.
To compensate for what I felt was a lack of attention to the children, I took them on educational and fun field trips and devoted my time to teaching them. One parent in particular told me her daughter received the best grades in her life with me as her teacher.
Many years later, while I was walking down Thayer Street in Providence, I saw Father Shea. When I stopped to say hello I noticed he was drunk and holding a beer bottle. His speech was slurred.
Shortly thereafter, I read his obituary in the newspaper. He was only in his 40s when he died.
So much time has gone by, but Father Shea still comes to mind. I wish I had known he was troubled because maybe I could have gotten him help. Someone else might say that perhaps he wouldn't have wanted it and it was his fate to die the way he did.
St. Ursula is a patron saint of Catholic education. Her story is so much a legend that she was removed from the Calendar of Catholic saints in 1969. She remains in the Roman Martyrology.
St. Ursula was a princess who lived in the 5th century. Trying to avoid marriage to a pagan man, she stole away for what she thought would be several years with 11,000 maidens.
In 451, on their way through Cologne, France, the beautiful, young virgins were massacred by pagan Huns. The Basilica to St. Ursula in Cologne is believed to hold her relics and those of her companions.
St. Ursula's feast day is Oct. 21

Pope St. Gregory the Great (c.540 to March 12, 604)

"I like that you don't care that I'm famous. That you like me for who I really am," said an ex-lover, who is the lead singer of a internationally recognized Canadian rock band with numerous hits songs. "It also helps that you're good looking."
As a journalist, I was around rock musicians all the time and I saw starstruck fans throw themselves at these guys. Even today, in the local circuit, women seem to be turned on by any male with a guitar. He can be the most unkempt person around, but if he's a musician, women seem to go wild.
"Joe," (that's what I'll call him for privacy's sake) on the other hand, was a well-groomed neat freak who would have his nodes checked regularly and always ask me about my hair products. Knowing him gave me an insider's look at what the 80s hair band phenomenon was all about.
Surprisingly, he's not mentioned on any of the groupie websites where women talk about what it's like to have sex with a famous rock star, and even though this is "A Sinner's Guide to the Saints," I'm certainly not going to put that kind of information on here.
I met Joe, who I had interviewed for the newspaper, after being coaxed by my then on-again, off-again boyfriend, John, to see him in concert. He was a huge fan of the band's music and even brought along some memorabilia to have autographed.
John hung out with an ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend for part of the night, so I figured we were in the off-again stage as I watched the show alone.
Backstage, I told Joe that my cousin was crazy about him, to which he replied, "Is your cousin a guy or a girl?" Most of his fans, he said, were women or gay men.
A few days later, after the band was back home in Canada, I got a phone call from Joe while I was at my desk in the newsroom. We talked every day for a couple of weeks until I finally went to Ontario and nearly lost my job in the process for leaving a day earlier than expected and not finishing a major assignment.
Joe's parents were Italian immigrants, he graduated from a Roman Catholic all boys high school, and his oldest brother was killed in a car wreck when they were teenagers. He said that as soon as his mother heard rescue vehicles down the street, she knew that her son was dead.
Right before I met Joe, another brother's son, then a teenager, was paralyzed in an automobile accident.
What I found out about this rock musician was that wherever we went he was still recognized (although he claimed it was harder for him to go out in public when the band was at the peak of its career), but he tried to lived what I considered a normal life.
Joe was an entirely different person off stage. He visited his parents all the time, had a house in Crystal Beach, and restored sports cars. He drank beer, rode motorcycles, and owned several electric guitars.
Last time I spoke with him, another older brother had died unexpectedly from a heart attack after going through a horrible divorce. Although Joe was famous, he was just like everyone else, having his own share of heartache.
Joe comes to mind today not for nostaglic reasons. Simply because I remember looking at his Juno Award for Best Group of the Year and gold albums in frames on the walls and hearing him say that he would rather have had his brother survive the car wreck than have all the fame and success that was handed to him.
Pope St. Gregory the Great is the patron saint of singers. He was born in Rome, Italy c.540. His father was Gordianus, a rich senator, and his mother was St. Silvia. His great grandfather was Pope St. Felix III.
Pope St. Gregory the Great was a Benedictine monk and a Doctor of the Church. He was Pope from Sept. 3, 590 to his death on March 12, 604. His feast day is Sept. 3.

St. Amabilis of Auvergne (? to 475)

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them."

In addition to writing hard news and feature stories for the Kent County Daily Times in West Warwick, I created my own beat covering the national acts that performed at The Station, a nightclub in town.
Bands like The Fixx, Blue Oyster Cult, Honeymoon Suite, NRBQ, and Warrant played there, and I did the interviews in advance for the Thursday entertainment section and would often stop by the club after work to attend a show or drop off copies of the newspaper.
The owners seemed like average guys, often sponsoring fundraisers for families in need.
The place was so small (it was once an Italian restaurant) that many of the locals and, even some of the police officers, didn't know where it was. That is until the horrific night of Feb. 20, 2003 when a fire set off by pyrotechnic sparks during a performance by Great White killed 100 people. (Half of the 362 survivors were injured).
I was no longer working at the newspaper, but many friends, relatives, and musicians, went into a panic thinking that I was at the show being that I spent so much time there. I was actually stuck on the East Side of Providence waiting for hours for AAA to arrive and jump start my car on that freezing cold night.
It was so tragic and all I can say is to always remember the victims and their families in our prayers. Also, make a donation to the Station Family Fund, a non-profit organization.
St. Amabilis of Auvergne is a patron saint against fire. He lived in France and worked as a cantor in the church of St. Mary Clermont and a priest in Riom. He died 475 and his feast day is Nov. 1.

St. Benno (1010 to June 16. 1106)

I snuck home from a neighborhood clambake today. The good thing is, I don't think anyone noticed just yet. The bad thing is, it cost $25 to attend.
It's a New England tradition and, at the two other clambakes I attended, the potatoes, sweet corn, and whatever else (in this case, sausages) were not cooked with the seafood. Today, however, everything was prepared together and tasted like fish.
So, I returned to my house for a lunch of garden salad, a baked potato, and pizza flavored goldfish crackers. I also had to wash my hair because the smell of fish was imbedded in it.
The hostess and guests were all very nice. And I got to see more than 10 hummingbirds flying from feeder to feeder which, the more I think of it, was probably worth the price of admission.
But, I have plans to go out tonight and I need time for myself. It seems that I've neglected my own interests which is easy to do when you get caught up in other things.
Since fish has consumed my afternoon, I will acknowledge, St. Benno a patron saint of fishermen. He was born in Hildesheim, Germany in 1010. He was educated in the Abbey of St. Michael. St. Benno was a canon at the Imperial Chapel of Gozlar, Hanover. He was also bishop of Meissen, Germany.
St. Benno died on June 16, 1106. Canonized: 1523. His feast day in June 16.